VM and SL-X.

[timmers5150]

I own both of these amps. I feel the are very similar in tone but the SL-X has more bottom end. With the gain and preamplifier control you can vary the tone much like a vintage modern. Not the same as a body and detail controls but the sensitivity and preamplifier controls vary the tone much like the VM. Higher sensitivity levels add more bottom like the body control on the VM. I am impressed with this amp. Mine is the 5881 model but so far I really dig it. I sent it to the tech today to make sure all is well but after playing it for a couple of weeks, it is the perfect compliment to the VM. So nice in stereo. Check one out if you get a chance.


Tim

[surfnorthwest]

The SL-X was my favorite in the JCM 900 range, I had one back in 1998 and had some big problems with it so I traded it for two 9200 amps. But yea its a pretty cool amp that can be found at a bargin from time to time. What cabinet are you using to run in stereo with the VM?

[timmers5150]

Running the VM with the matching 412b cab. And the 900 with an avatar cab. I am looking for a 1960v cab for the 900 though. I am impressed with the 900. Traded a VHT delivereance for it and, sonically, I couldn't be happier. It is way underrated but too much gain turns to mush. Like turning up the body on the VM. At lower gain settings the SL-x really shines.

[Mats A]

I used to have an SL-X amp in the 90´s. It was a very good amp. If you got the gear couldn´t you please record a clip where one could compare the SL-X and VM.

[kissfanps]

I had an SL-X. One of the bridge rectifiers tends to overheat and needs replacing from time to time so dont be surprised if the signal just dies on you one day.

[gtrman]

I used to have an SL-X amp in the 90´s. It was a very good amp. If you got the gear couldn´t you please record a clip where one could compare the SL-X and VM.

I already did that :-)

[youtube][/youtube]

[sugarkane]

Oh, great - I'm glad this is back. This is a fantastic demo.

When this was previously posted I think you missed a question I put to you - could you list the VM settings used? At the time I think I was struggling to finalise my tonestack and other settings. Since then, I think I've got the VM as good sounding as I'm ever going to get it ... but, still I'm interested. Did you have mid-boost in etc? Apologies if you are repeating postings info - I'm sure others will be interested.

The VM comes out well, doesn't it? It is less compressed and has more "air" (higher mids) than any of others as set and I love that.

[Slashwannabe1]

The SL-X was my favorite in the JCM 900 range

You mean to tell me there were other amps in the JCM 900 range? could have swore it was only the SL-X....rather it was the only JCM-900 worth remembering

I almost bought an SL-X around the time I bought my VM, an amazing price as well...$399 Buy It Now for the 100 watt SL-X. I loved the demo the seller gave with it and I was almost hooked in to buy it but I figured I'd check my wish list of amps on ebay one more time before I went and bought it and then it became a battle between a Half stack DSL-100 or a lone 2466 Head, tone was my reason for going Marshall so I knew the VM won hands down in the Marshall tone department. If I had an extra $450 I would have bought the SL-X too!.

I know John Fogerty uses a JCM 900 and he has an amazing tone on his "Long Road Home Tour" and I personally think he would probably love himself a Vintage Modern.

[surfnorthwest]

You also had the reverb models of the JCM 900s I think they were the 4100 and 4500, they sound like shit IMO. The SL-X models had dual master volumes and a extra preamp tube which gave it a lot of gain. There may be even more models I am not sure but there are four I know of.

[gtrman]

Oh, great - I'm glad this is back. This is a fantastic demo.

When this was previously posted I think you missed a question I put to you - could you list the VM settings used? At the time I think I was struggling to finalise my tonestack and other settings. Since then, I think I've got the VM as good sounding as I'm ever going to get it ... but, still I'm interested. Did you have mid-boost in etc? Apologies if you are repeating postings info - I'm sure others will be interested.

The VM comes out well, doesn't it? It is less compressed and has more "air" (higher mids) than any of others as set and I love that.

No problem.
I cant actually remember exactly the settings ... but I remember all eq's at 5 ... no mid boost.
Detail probably around 7 and Body around 4.
Yes the VM sounds great :-)

[Patrik]

Here we have the 900 range, info taken from www.drtube.com
If you stay on channel A and crank the preamp the Dual Reverb can be a good amp for rock, hard rock etc.
The JCM900 serie amps were first introduced in january 1990. They came in two flavors: High Gain Master Volume and High Gain Dual Reverb. The Master Volume amps were a further development of the original 2203/2204 Master Volume amps and they were called the (Hi Gain) Master Volume MkIII amps. The Dual Reverb amps were (losely) based on the JCM800 2205/2210 amps.

The 2100's & 2500's were superceded by the SL-X amps in 1993.

[spidey]

My back up amp is an SL-X. Its actually years since I heard it (well since I get a VM in 2007). 2 master volumes and 2 gain controls with one boosting gain on lower frequencies and one on the upper frequencies.

[Mats A]

Fantastic gtrman! Thanks a million

-- Sat Mar 19, 2011 7:48 am --

And really great playing! The difference in sound is not enormous i must say. There is a special Marshall sound on all of them. Did you really play with all controls dimed on all amps? A pity you didn´t have a JVM410H also. Isn´t the Jubilee and Slash amp the same amp except for looks?

[sugarkane]

Oh, great - I'm glad this is back. This is a fantastic demo.

Did you have mid-boost in etc? Apologies if you are repeating postings info - I'm sure others will be interested.

The VM comes out well, doesn't it? It is less compressed and has more "air" (higher mids) than any of others as set and I love that.

No problem.
I cant actually remember exactly the settings ... but I remember all eq's at 5 ... no mid boost.
Detail probably around 7 and Body around 4.
Yes the VM sounds great :-)

Yeah, it sounded to me like Mid-Boost OUT - that's the "airy" quality I can hear that the others don't have. I don't know how other users get a result like that - especially for leads - but I've got a more traditional Marshall sound with it IN and I love it so much that I don't change it any more.

Sounded good here, that's for sure.

[Mats A]

That´s what i thoght for a while that i got a more tradirional sound with the mid boost in. But then i discovered that i lost a lot of the crunch and dynamics playing like that. So i think the more traditional Marshall tone is with mid boost off. It works fine on playing at home at very low volume.