Monza Tone Comparison to JCM 800 2204 / 4010 Combo
Dec 22, 2021 20:37:16 GMT -7
via Tapatalk
Russell B, doctorice, and 2 more like this
Post by driventone on Dec 22, 2021 20:37:16 GMT -7
I have had a 1983 Marshall JCM 800 4010 combo (which is essentially a 2204 1x12) for almost 9 years. I am currently playing a recently acquired Monza head through the speaker in the JCM cabinet, while I wait for a 1x10 Monza combo with the Red Fang.
As suggested by Don A, I thought we’d start a thread to compare/contrast the Monza and the JCM.
The JCM is a blues rock and classic rock machine. It does that trick very well. After having an amp tech go through it and compare it to an ‘82 JCM that I liked the sound of, it has a nice, smooth overdrive. I’m a huge Billy Gibbons fan, and I loved being able to get close to his 80’s and late 70’s tones.
Monza first impressions: the Monza has such a cool sound. Yes, it does something similar to the JCM, but I feel like the tone is thicker and fatter. I notice more low end. And the distortion is amazing. It’s hard for me to describe, but the distortion sounds so pure and clean, even though it’s a dirty tone.
Billy In a Box is a fitting nickname for the Monza. I can definitely dial in a sound on the Monza pretty much exactly like what I get out of the JCM, probably better, more dynamic. The mid-gain overdrive is sublime - I love striking a power chord and just listening to it ring out, it sustains forever.
That’s pretty much where the comparison ends for me. The guitar volume roll-off clean-up is fantastic on the Monza, much better than on the JCM. I know the Monza isn’t necessarily built for cleans, but I have been able to get a great pushed, glassy clean that works well with my ES-335. I’ve plugged the 335 into the JCM, but that combination never put a smile on my face like it does with the Monza. Overall, I think the cleans on the Monza are MORE than usable, where on the JCM they’re kind of dull.
On the other end of the spectrum, the higher gain sound on the Monza is something I couldn’t get on the JCM without a pedal, if at all. And, it’s not just *more* gain, but I’ve found that by varying the tone and drive, (unless I’m imagining it) I can kind of get the tone more or less compressed - it seems to give different types of distortion, even at the same gain level (preamp volume). It seems like you can control how much “fizz” it has. Of course, with the master, I can get that sound at decent volumes, too. I’ve found myself stumbling across a tone on the Monza that inspires me to play something I’d probably not play on the JCM.
To sum it up, I like to think of it as though the JCM 800 4010 is a great knife, but the Monza is a set of very high quality knives. The JCM does one thing very well, where the Monza does a lot of different things extremely well.
What are your thoughts?
As suggested by Don A, I thought we’d start a thread to compare/contrast the Monza and the JCM.
The JCM is a blues rock and classic rock machine. It does that trick very well. After having an amp tech go through it and compare it to an ‘82 JCM that I liked the sound of, it has a nice, smooth overdrive. I’m a huge Billy Gibbons fan, and I loved being able to get close to his 80’s and late 70’s tones.
Monza first impressions: the Monza has such a cool sound. Yes, it does something similar to the JCM, but I feel like the tone is thicker and fatter. I notice more low end. And the distortion is amazing. It’s hard for me to describe, but the distortion sounds so pure and clean, even though it’s a dirty tone.
Billy In a Box is a fitting nickname for the Monza. I can definitely dial in a sound on the Monza pretty much exactly like what I get out of the JCM, probably better, more dynamic. The mid-gain overdrive is sublime - I love striking a power chord and just listening to it ring out, it sustains forever.
That’s pretty much where the comparison ends for me. The guitar volume roll-off clean-up is fantastic on the Monza, much better than on the JCM. I know the Monza isn’t necessarily built for cleans, but I have been able to get a great pushed, glassy clean that works well with my ES-335. I’ve plugged the 335 into the JCM, but that combination never put a smile on my face like it does with the Monza. Overall, I think the cleans on the Monza are MORE than usable, where on the JCM they’re kind of dull.
On the other end of the spectrum, the higher gain sound on the Monza is something I couldn’t get on the JCM without a pedal, if at all. And, it’s not just *more* gain, but I’ve found that by varying the tone and drive, (unless I’m imagining it) I can kind of get the tone more or less compressed - it seems to give different types of distortion, even at the same gain level (preamp volume). It seems like you can control how much “fizz” it has. Of course, with the master, I can get that sound at decent volumes, too. I’ve found myself stumbling across a tone on the Monza that inspires me to play something I’d probably not play on the JCM.
To sum it up, I like to think of it as though the JCM 800 4010 is a great knife, but the Monza is a set of very high quality knives. The JCM does one thing very well, where the Monza does a lot of different things extremely well.
What are your thoughts?