Marshall Plexi vs JCM800 | High Gain

[@TheGgreen100]

The Plexi has an excellent grind for sure but I liked the "Marsnall" just a bit better because of the extra clarity and presence in the highs.

[@blakemansfield2356]

Officially naming it the marsnall

[@lookmanostrings]

Every time I go to choose a plexi live, I go right back to the jcm800. It just cuts.

[@Auen73]

Both have a place in my heart lol. The 2204 obviously is perfect. The 1987 has warmth, sag, & bounce that would be fun for lots of other genres besides hard rock. Excellent playing & sounds here....

[@blakemansfield2356]

I’m with you

[@yohaishelef3247]

Great playing dude. Those 90s riffs are so sweeet❤

[@mitchellferre1652]

I think they sound remarkably similar in gain ! I'm stunned both are crushing ! 💣💥

[@bobdillon1138]

The main difference is the high input has an extra gain stage but the way it is engineered it doesn't add much gain it just changes the character of the gain they are actually very similar internally the low input on the 800 is basically the same circuit as a plexi .

[@szveszs]

One of the best sounding Plexi that I've ever heard here, bloddy awesome.

[@tmjker]

Sounds amazing! Makes me want to buy a BB Preamp for my Bogner Ecstasy

[@blakemansfield2356]

Blue channel boosted is amazing man

[@PhuketMyMac]

You're doing a great job at demoing those beasts

[@Poly6Groove]

The plexi is so raw and I love it

[@Tone5DP777]

Both sound excellent. Your 1987 is a little tighter in the lows than many Plexi's I've heard. I have a Marshall 1987XL and a 2203X. Personally, I like the tightness of the 800 a little better, but fit in the mix of a song a little differently. I also use the BB Preamp as my boost. We definitely have the same taste for tone!! Nicely done Blake!

[@qua7771]

Most Plexi's have a .022uf first coupling cap that should be swapped for a .0022uf for tighter bass. Too much bass early in the circuit gets flubby with gain/ clipping. I'll get that is possibly what he has. Otherwise tube with tighter bass.

[@leftygtrplr6184]

Damn Blake, they both sound great! I say run them both in stereo. Great tone and riffing as always!! 🔥

[@compucorder64]

They really sound like a variation of the same thing. But then when you here them you immediately remember recordings and bands representing very different decades. Plexi screams hard rock, stadium rock, bands like AC/DC, ZZ Top, Van Halen, Allman Brother, even Led Zeppelin. JCM800/JCM900 is 90s heavy indie/grunge (Smashing Pumpkins, My Bloody Valentine, Pixies, Fugazi) and also 80s/90s Heavy Metal tones (Slayer, Metallica, Guns n Roses). Rage Against the Machine too. The JTM & JCM800 are more my thing, than the Plexi, cool and all as it is.

[@Guttalaser]

Playing with the knobs, the gain amount, the eq controls, a drive pedal before and his controls, the cabs and speackers used, the mic position... in a mix and/or with the band... well... the overlapping areas are tons... and i challenge anyone to recognize wich is wich.

[@JinxRemoving]

The Plexi is great but the 2204 has more of an appealing response to my ears. Both rock, though, especially with that beefy riffing.

[@blakemansfield2356]

Thanks man

[@the92project]

Tight AF playing as always 👌

[@blakemansfield2356]

Appreciate it!

[@5150forevermore]

They sound different enough to want both haha. Have you heard of the Metropolous Metroplex MK2? It's a dead on copy of Eddie's 68 Plexi on one channel and George Metropolous's actual 68 Plexi on the other. Would love to see that one on your channel.

[@blakemansfield2356]

Yea man would love to check one of those out some day! And I totally agree - easy to justify having both of these amps

[@smellytele9629]

LOL! My 78 2203 is a "Marsnall" as well. Both sound great, that is to say, you make them both sound great.

[@budkelly1242]

I've thought about the bb preamp for some time. So f'ing' good ...

[@kalebaldwin5398]

800 does the more modern chuggy stuff better, because it’s tighter and has more headroom, whereas the Plexi just kind of collapses on itself. But for the brown sound, that’s what you want.

[@Tone5DP777]

Are you using a reactive load box and IR's for this recording?

[@lordgraga]

One thing I’ve learned is that a plexi/1987 circuit can approach a JCM800 with a pre PI MV. In a similar vein, if the JCM800 had the master volume dimed here I’m convinced it would be a lot closer to the plexi, because then the difference comes down to just the cold clipper and the cascaded gain stage.

[@blakemansfield2356]

Makes sense to me

[@qua7771]

They are awesome. I have both in one amp, (custom Ceriatone King Kong).

[@bradleyjpaolucci]

What were the sliding chords at 2:02? Sounds epic. You also do it at 2:22

[@thewrit6946]

There is no loser! I run a Marshall origin I converted into a plexi using Jason tongs guide alongside a jcm800 through a stereo Marshall cabinet and they compliment each other perfectly. Nasally grind from the plexi and big wide chunk from the 800

[@jmp-es1gv]

What are your bb settings ?

[@blakemansfield2356]

Volume maxed, gain at 9 o’clock. Treble at noon and bass around 2 o’clock

[@jmp-es1gv]

@@blakemansfield2356 - I have ‘78 EL34 2204 will try a bb type into it - mine works well with the mesa 5 band eq pedal infront ..

[@TomSarracino]

I always end up digging the plexi 😝

[@LateNightYinzer]

Is that plexi a stock 1987 circuit? Sounds incredibly mean

[@notasilicaanimus]

Think I prefer the 800, but there's not a great deal in it. Both sound great.

[@sempercompellis]

A lot of the music i listened to growing up was done on the 800 series of amps but for whatever reason whenever i play, I just cannot get along with those amps- they sound like bees in a can to me. Really I shy away from most british voiced amps and within the marshall line the JTM 45 are nothing other than bassmans with a different NFB value and OT /speaker Impedence values (easily modded) The JMP Leads and Bass era hints at something different but even by that point they still keep one foot firmly planted in bassman family (there is still nothing hugely different component wise). 2203s and cascaded gain stages really set Marshall apart from their fender lineage. ultimately this is why I like the 60s JMP era the best - a nice blend of Marshall and Fender.

[@blakemansfield2356]

I’m a big fan of the jtm45

[@OperationEndGame]

Plexi…it’s what’s for dinner.

[@heythere6983]

You find the 800 has a less brash distortion then the jvm? Iv only played a 900.somehting about the jvm to me feels a bit weird on the top. I feel on videos other marshall seem to do the distortion better, other than the dsl , I feel the dsl sounds worse In terms of clipping tone than the jvm , something about the jvm is off to me I tend to play like with less highs than I would normally idk. Mines the satriani version too

[@blakemansfield2356]

Yea I know what you mean about the JVM. 800 is bright but still balanced and not harsh

[@SwedishDude08]

@@blakemansfield2356 In this example the jcm 800 sounds good but I often find the jcm 800 sounding harsh and boring. Plexi is thicker and have more growl. I know it sounds weird but I even prefer a Plexi with a OD over a JCM 800 on modern heavy stuff. I don't seem to "get" the jcm 800.

[@blakemansfield2356]

@@SwedishDude08I don’t think that’s weird at all man. Different tastes

[@hootowl6354]

I think either one could be made to sound more like the other if you fiddle with the dials. I think too that Plexi's sound a bit better for clean tones. IMO.

[@andrewwest7875]

Oh as a JCM 800 4212 owner I'm positive you are correct. 800 has a great 80s metal sound but not good clean.

[@kimseniorb]

jcm800 is boosted here at all times right?

[@blakemansfield2356]

They both are except when it’s says straight in

[@victor19K]

I love the sound of a good marsnall 😅

[@LP_Freak]

Sounds great Blake 🤘🏻

[@blakemansfield2356]

Thanks Paul!

[@fernando.vallart]

What speakers?

[@shredgd5]

Very cool! Are they 50 or 100W? Stock or modded? What cab/speakers did you use?

[@blakemansfield2356]

Thanks man. Both are stock 50 watters. Bogner Vintage 30 IR

[@Struct2009]

Can you plug a guitar into the plexi and go out of the front into the front of the jcm800? Will both amps sound? Just wondering if the sound from the plexi would shut off if you did this?

[@Gutch220]

you could do that

[@tedted6029]

pretty bloody close through!!!!!!!! wowwwwwwwwwwwwww

[@curtisprice9806]

My phone playback has both sounding the exact same. I know that can not be the case....must be your recording gear is not picking up the difference in sound.

[@blakemansfield2356]

Yes that must be it 😂

[@cjwallgor]

@@blakemansfield2356😂😂😂 still trying to figure out is serious or trolling… sad part is I believe person is dead serious lol love your playing, amps tastes and most importantly you taking the time to make these amazing vids for us all! 🎉 Cheers bro !

[@ryanpullin]

800, but they both sound sick

[@AlejandroBred-wq8he]

Esta ma hecha la comparacion ya que el.plexi no es high gain... el que entiende un poco se va a dar cuenta qje el plexi suena mucjisimo mejor. Si al plexi le agregas un over tenes un cañon fijate como se marca cada nota como si tuviera un compresor puesto.

[@davidgerlach1132]

The Plexi has the leads screaming VIBE OPEN ORGANIC --- PERIODDDXXX!!! JCM800 sounds like any other tube amp with a compressed overprocessed distortion pedal pushing its preamp - MEDIOCRExxx!!!

[@nesa0703]

Plexi

[@wasserhahn903]

no, it´s a Marsnall

[@Piffty85]

Jcm 800 wins. More balanced, more muscular.

[@AlejandroBred-wq8he]

El plexi suena mejor. Le agregas un ts al canal saturado y vuela. Es mejor que el 800

[@dragannestorovic01]

The Marsnall sounded best.

[@Killian_Courtney]

Plexi is fatter.

[@SwedishMeattball]

plexi isnt a high gain amp so thiis makes no sense😂 nobody on earth who can play leads woud choose a jcm 800 over sn original plexi

[@Germinalx]

Can no one play a $4,000 amp without a frigging pedal? Jesus. How annoying.

[@blakemansfield2356]

The universe is impartial. This video is called high gain

[@mr.k905]

Super ugly highs and too much presence from the 800. ...And I bet no good cleans if any at all.