2005 Marshall JCM800 2203x Reissue

Overview

This is probably the most famous, or at least most discussed Marshall amp ever made, which has spawned infinite imitators and inspirations for guitar tone. My particular example is a reissue in pristine condition, made in 2005, and while some may think the reissues sound different, sterile, harsh, etc, I find it hard to believe because this amp sounds absolutely incredible. More on that further down.

First, a little history. The modern JCM800 2203 amp was originally released in 1981, closely following the JMP series amps which have a visually different head shell, but an identical circuit. The JMP’s were launched in 1975, and used a similar configuration to the previous Marshall Super Leads (1959 and 1987 4-input amps specifically), but rather than two parallel channels, JMP’s used all 3 gain stages in a series, cascading configuration, with the V1B gain stage biased as a cold clipper, which adds asymetric signal clipping at higher gain settings to the signal, resulting in a pleasing overdrive tone which can be achieved at much lower volumes. With this in mind, these amps were voiced more aggressively - less bass, and no more “Normal” channel like a plexi. This kept the signal clear and articulate even with the preamp volume set to max, which was a common way to use the amp. The amp proved incredibly popular and provided the back line and recording sound for countless artists, and a platform for modifications that shaped the entire boutique guitar amp market as we know it - many famous names like Egnater, Friedman, Bogner, Lee Jackson, and more got their start in amp design by working on these amps.

1982 saw the introduction of another amp in the JCM800 series, the 2205/2210 “split channel” amps, which was Marshall’s first ever channel switching amp, complete with groundbreaking features like an effects loop, spring reverb, and diode clipping distortion for the boost channel. See my pages for those amps for more of my thoughts on them: 1985 Marshall 2205 and 1986 Marshall 2210.

By 1984 or 1985, the single channel JCM800’s were slightly redesigned, with the front inputs moved to a horizontal configuration and all of the control potentiometers mounted directly to the PCB for easier, cheaper production. In addition, 100 watt 2203 models received a change to the filtering and B+ voltage design, reducing the number of filter capacitors from 6 to 3, and resulting in a more aggressive tone that compresses more at high volume. Note that 50w 2204 amps always had 3 filter capacitors, regardless of whether they were vertical or horizontal inputs, but they likely did receive the same change to B+. It’s also worth mentioning that some amps during this transition year may have had different configurations, for example there are a few examples of 2203’s with 5 filter capacitors instead of 6. This change was definitely motivated by profit - they could sell an amp that was cheaper to produce, with a more aggressive sound popular for the musical styles of the time, and hopefully make everyone happy. The result was a mixed reception, even today, where players discuss which is more desirable, and the majority seems to favor the earlier 6-capacitor vertical input models.

In 1990, the 2203 and 2204 series amps were discontinued in favor of the new model, the maligned JCM900 series. The equivalent model was the JCM900 Mk III, which later became the JCM900 SL-X - great amps in their own right, but undeniably quite different. I also have write-ups for those amps on this site, and I’m quite partial to the Mk III, but it doesn’t change the fact that many big names continued to use their old JCM800 2203’s for recording and stage performances throughout the 90s rather than switch to the new amps.

After a long twelve years out of production, Marshall finally reissued the 2203 head in 2002. which still is in current production today. The reissues used the same Dagnall transformers as the original runs, which is a point of confusion for a lot of people - the famous Drake transformers were only used on 50 watt models like the 2204 or 2205. Marshall states that they spent over a year on design of these amps due to safety constraints put in place since the original run of amps, but I can’t seem to find any details on what this means - internally, this amp seems to match vintage examples I’ve seen, but perhaps I missed something. Either way, this amp was designed after the first run, 1981 JCM800 2203 amps, and the quality shows. The pots are mounted to the chassis, vertical input jacks, and high quality twisted wiring. Since it’s modeled after the originals, it also has the 6 filter capacitor configuration. The only noteworthy new feature is a true bypass series effects loop, which is a great addition.

For the sake of completeness, I should mention there are two signature model 2203 amps. First, the JCM800 2203ZW for guitarist Zakk Wylde was released in 2002, and limited to 600 units. This amps resounding success in making waves in the guitar world is likely one of the major factors in the development of the reissue 2203x. Then, Slayer guitarist Kerry King got his own signature model JCM800 2203KK, which features a built in noise gate, mid boost button, and removal of the seldom-used low sensitivity input.

It’s hard to really discuss the tone of an amp that has achieved larger than life status like this. I’d wager every person on the planet who has heard any rock or even pop music made in the last 40 years has heard this amp. The effect this amp design had on not just guitar playing, but music as a whole, is hard to understate. It may be a cliche, but especially in guitar player circles, it’s crazy how often you hear some guitar tone described as similar to a JCM800 in some category when it comes to overdrive and distortion tones - the impact is undeniable.

So what do I think about it? Well, it’s fantastic, but that’s not really surprising. It’s the perfect kind of amp to use as a platform for countless other tones, especially one with an effects loop like this. Boosted with a tube screamer, Boss SD-1, Fulltone OCD or some other drive pedal of choice pushes it right into a timeless rock and metal tone, and the voicing is perfect for replicating my favorite artists or for blazing new territory. With the effects loop, adding a reverb and delay for solos, or a graphic EQ for tonal variability means the possibilities are nearly endless. There’s just something about the low mid growl this has, combined with its very bright high mids and treble character that makes it really excel, and there really is no substitute. I have many other amps that are frequently compared to the 2203, but none of them quite do what this amp does. Some of them sound fantastic, and you can hear the inspiration they derived from this design sure, but it’s just not the same as the real thing because every one of them has their own spin on it. This is the true starting point, the foundation for all of these other designs - even the mighty Mesa Dual Rectifier, Soldano SLO, Friedman BE, or Splawn QR all trace their ancestry to this amp in some way.

My final comments, after that glowing review, are about the price. It’s very strange to me that an amp that was under $1400 in 2005 is up over a whopping $3500 right now. Adjusted for inflation, that means the price for a brand new one is another $1400 more, outpacing inflation alone quite a bit. I just find it hard to recommend this amp to anyone except on the used market, because brand new it’s more than a Bogner Helios, or barely a stone’s throw from a real Soldano SLO100, or many other high end amps. I’m conflicted about it - does it deserve such a high ranking and value? Absolutely, but I suppose I’m just a little sad to see an amp of this magnitude, which was previously available for a much more reasonable cost, being made unattainable for so many musicians. Orange AD30’s are still made in the UK and cost $1699 - I know the pots and tubes are PCB mounted, but does it really cost an extra $2k for chassis mounted parts? Maybe I’m way off here, but I’m glad to have gotten one of these amps before the massive price increases and I’m bothered that others won’t be able to experience it too.