I love the "Holy Grail" attitude to 100w Marshalls these days. When I started playing on the Isle of Wight in the '70s, that (or similar) was the basic expected rig for most of the successful local bands - with full, not half stacks of speakers. I was still in my high school band when we were booked to open a local festival, and the headliners invited us out to their rehearsal space ahead of time to play through the rig we'd have on the day. It was basically a barn in the middle of nowhere packed to the rafters with Marshall 100w stacks. Dauntingly loud (and it highlighted every cock-up) - but absolute heaven! All these years later, I've never found anything to match the pure visceral power of that experience.
That sounds cool The best comparison I have is playing bass at church, where I’m basically playing ten 18” subwoofers. Pretty cool when I can dig in and have fun!
I remember those days. Bars had larger stages, and Marshall stacks were the norm for gigging guitarist. I remember the giant Altec Lansing PA speakers. Today, they cram bands in a little corner, and they play with minimal gear. There's something missing in the sound.
@@qua7771 agreed, rock music should be loud and a visceral experience. Luckily for Punk, hardcore and metal shows a lot of times you can get away with a louder rig especially at venues where the PA sucks and the guitar and bass have to be loud and fend for themselves. Some PA systems can barely deal with drums and vocals, and sometimes the band provides their own PA and all the bands basically share it.
The exact difference at double the power is 3dB, by mathematical definition. 3dB is considered a noticeable difference by most listeners, but isn't perceived as twice as loud by human hearing. (I'm an electrical engineer)
I don't remember the ratio but I do know it's not linear as you go up in watts. A lot of people seem to believe doubling the watts doubles volume though. To triple the volume of 50w wouldn't it end up taking something ridiculous like 5000 watts?
Not wrong mathematically but something else to consider is that most tube amp "wattage" ratings are just rounded to numbers like 50 or 100 for simplicity or marketing or whatever. Depends on tube type and components of course but generally they run higher.
@@competetodefeat4610 To go from 50 watts to a 10dB sound increase ( which is double the perceived loudness) would take 500 watts. Each doubling of power increases the sound level by 3dB.
I just did the Marshall Factory Tour in Milton Keynes, UK some days ago. They put a lot of pride in their amps. Even the non-HW-stuff. All these people at Marshall were so nice to us. I really feel proud to use their products after seeing, how they are made :)
Not sure if they still do it, but they offer a repair service for amps. Back in the mid 1990's I picked up a 50 watt super lead that had need to turn my power valves into lightbulbs and cause the amp to make a noise that would be ace for horror movies. I took it too some supposedly good stores in Manchester and noone fixed it... I was told by one store that sold Marshalls that they offer a repair/factory tour service. I called them up, made an appointment. The factory tour was 2 hours and in that time my amp was not only fixed but they replaced the unsafe power connector and some crappy mods that someone tried to do that was messing up the amp. The guy that did the repair was the same guy that had just finished working with Slash on his signature amp. He took the time to let me try the amp before I left on 10 in a control room through a 4x12 with a Les Paul.
@0megalul309 you're not playing the right model then. He has the BE, that is compressed until you turn the gain down, and then it sounds great. And the Shirley, or the small box, or now the plexi he has done. Nothing digital about that stuff. All tube, great, refined Marshall tone. I would agree he doesn't do the SUPER AGGRESSIVE bright sound some old Marshall's did, but honestly, his amps sound like a Marshall on the record to me
I am 77 and played in original material only for all these years and have since 71, I always prefered a Marshall JMP 50. Yes I had to sell them between bands and from jumping back and forth over the pond for airfare, lol. So I have had 3 over the years. I got lucky they are all a shade different but all were great. I did use a 100 watt half stack in early 71 but it was too, too loud. The 50 is bang on perfect. That said in the last few years I had use an attinuator in small clubs as DB police were on to me, lol. I am gretful for your excelent demo of Daves. It really seems the way to go as my amp may soon be forced to retire.
According to Tom Bukovac, you're absolutely correct about the 100 w amp's clean character. In his rig rundown with Bollinger (which i'm sure you've watched & loved), though he was discussing his 100 w Marshall Super Bass (with the tranny mod he mentioned) - not the same Marshall, but the same aspect of clean HR AND the beauty of the cleans, which he said would rival any Fender clean one could ever want. Your decibel-meter display really helped to bring that point home. This is a very interesting video, and presented in your typical lucid, informative, unbiased way. Good work Rhett.
I have the same cab with a 1987 marshall plexie and its loud but there is nothing like it when you crank it and your right you don't need any pedals just work the volume knob. When I bought this amp my older brother came over to try it he play some jimi on it stop and looked over at me and said with a huge smile this is the sound I have searched for my whole life ! I think that says it all. If you have never owned one you owe to yourself to Experience it!😊
Yeah the 800 is for me, the last of the true Marshalls. 50 watters sound awesome on either channel. I wish the 2nd channel was a tad louder though. It seems a radical change from channel 1. I had a loner 50/800 for a gig and really wanted to use the channel 2 with pedals but it wouldn't have been enough for the room. I thought it odd that a 50w Marshall would need channel 1 to get loud enough. Anyway it sounded great on either channel.
Yup - I have a red one with matching straight front 4x12 with 2 greenback H magnet speakers and 2 blackback M magnets . I still have the receipt for the head from the Marshall factory where it was special order for me with the coloured Tolex. Pretty sure it cost about £250. Still running it's original filter caps too . Every time I've tried a plexi it's been a bit meh by comparison.
I bought a 100 Watt Vintage Modern almost 20 years ago thinking I needed something that large. One of the silliest decisions I've ever made. I'll never sell it though. Thank goodness for reactive load attenuators.
I'm a les Paul guy but no other amp makes me want a strat more than the sound of one through a plexi. This was an awesome video man. 2024 and it's still the best of the best.
100% correct. My JTM 45 had every modern Blues/Rock tone - think Allman Brothers at Fillmore live. All the tone at your volume control. It was my introduction to the world of tube compression. Pedal wise… certainly my Vox Tonebender and (Thomas Organ) Vox Wah were right at home. While the 50w was ABB. The 100w was Band of Gypsy’s. Speaking of BOG I believe initially Hendrix used the treble channel. We talk about the “thump on the chest” from the Super Lead - the 50plexi could give you a good punch in the gut! Excellent presentation Rhett!
Hats off for you Rhett, I barely created any video, but by my experience as class facilitator, your videos always hits home. Clear framework explained at first and its breakdown, section by section video parts, and then conclusion at the end. Just similar to how a training would be delivered in a class. Great work, man.
I like the Friedman because of what sounds like, better compression stability. It also sounds "warmer". It's almost like an "any venue/gig" amp that won't be too overwhelming, but will have plenty to push if needed. Great showcase, Rhett.
As others have stated, the difference between 50w and 100w is 3db's. However, the watt/DBs relationship is not linear, or at least the perceived difference isn't. A 3bd increase from 80dbs is very little. Whereas a 3db increase when you're already at say 120dbs is huge. For the most part, when you get to higher wattage amps, what you're really getting is more headroom, not more volume
When Jim Marshall brought out these 100watt monsters there was a huge need for very loud amps, as players needed to be herd and the PA systems were very limited, used just for mics. I recon most amps up to 50 watt can handle any situation these days, and also stage volume with a pushed 100 watt amp can really damage your hearing
You are correct, but with that some people in my opinion are missing the upshot here. Because yes, 100Watt amp can damage your hearing, but also, with the advent of in-ear monitors you can stand in front of an amp (or better yet have it side-wash the stage) and have it loud enough for all the feel, but ALSO have a mic on in piped into in-ear monitors in to hear the clarity and protect your hearing. It's truly the best of both worlds!
i know this is about the amps, and they sound killer. but dude, that SG Jr sounds so good. there’s something so ‘acoustic’ about a good Jr, and it’s so apparent in the examples in this video. sounds so good.
This was very educational. My practice amp is 20W and has a 5W power soak. I came to this video to explain, as there is some but not a lot of a volume difference between the two, but there is a huge difference between range (headroom, a la this video!). At 5W it is too quiet if I roll back the volume, whereas at 20W I can get pretty clean without losing volume. The deciding factor is typically how loud it has to be before it distorts the way I want. This video, plus the db meter, really made it all make sense!
15:32 I'm sure Rhett knows this, but Eddie Van Halen lowered the voltage down to achieve the same thing on the OG 100W. It achieves a similar thing, more spongey, more compressed, easier to play, it makes perfect sense!
Back in the day, one of the best sounding rigs I have ever heard was a 50 watt Laney tube head ran through a tall 4 12 Ampeg cab. Had way more punch. Was less ear splitting than a 100 Marshal.
I have a 72’ 50 watt jmp and a 73’ 100 watt super lead. They both sound different from each other, with the same settings, cab and guitar. They both are bone stock with zero mods. From my experience the main difference is the headroom, the 100w is just crushing. The other thing that I noticed is how fast the valves open on the 100w, past about 5 or 6 it doesn’t get any louder, the tone starts to change some. The valves on the 50w open slowly and it doesn’t quite peel skin. Cool vid.
Love the channel, Rhett! To me you're the best story teller of the "TH-cam guitar appreciation channels" . I'm always excited when you upload, I know it's always informative and entertaining.
I’ve been waiting for some one to do this exact comparison for years great job Rhett. I’ll make sure to start checking out more of your work on the channel this was excellent.
You've just summed up why I regretted buying a 100W Marshall combo over a 50W when I was gigging many years ago. The 100W was just too big, and too loud for what I needed, and it never got passed about 4-5 on the volume knob. All these years later, I keep telling myself I should've bought that 50W amp, it just a lot sounded better! Time moves on, and today I use a Kemper profiler, which is a lot, lot, lighter than lugging a 100W Marshall combo about. And, my favourite profile? A profile of a legendary 1969, Marshall 1987, 50W Marshall Plexi. It's an amp that has been passed around session musicians from Nashville to L.A., and back again. There's just something about the amp, all I know is that it just sounds wonderful.
From my experience, when plugged in a 4x12" cabinet, the 100 watt Marshall heads are not that much louder than the Marshall 50 watt heads but the 100 watts models somehow sound bigger. A friend of mine who repairs and mods these Marshall heads said it's like comparing Andrea Bocelli to Luciano Pavarotti. Both are great opera tenor singers, but one sounds "bigger" than the other. In the end it's a matter of taste. Both are great amps!
I have a solid state Crate SPA 200. Cab is 4x12 celestions. Stereo. Greenback and 75 watter on left and Legend 30 w 75 watter under it on right. 30 band stereo eq in rack. I use multi effects and other stomps. I was in a studio next to a big Mesa Boogie. My rig sounded just as good even the engineer was stumped. Thank you Rhet. Im a fan, bro.
Gotta say, the 100watt Marshall sounded way more open and mid forward. The 50watt sounded great too, but compared to the Marshall it sounded shrill and scooped in the mids to my ear
instantly liked the 100w so much more. there's more "room" in the sound. the Friedman sounded boxed-in by comparison. I had an immediate and strong response, which I was not expecting. question: with all those mics, did you have issues with phase while recording? everything sounds terrific!
In Early 90's I toured with a band and had a metal zone going through a 100W superbass, 2 x 4 by 12s. Surprised still have hearing, insane, only ever played this rig live, I still have a Marshall combo, but mainly use a Katana 100 these days. Thing I love about the old Marshalls is sensitivity, every nuance captured, as you pointed out, really nice clean Amps used correctly.
I've been a fender clean amp guy my whole life. Recently, I've been drawn to that greenback overdrive sound that these circuits produce. The 50 is perfect. Love the Hendrix cleans and then the legendary greenback over drive. You just have to have both fender and marshall amps in your life lol.
Well done! Explains a great deal about the live concert tones of the early rock/hard rock pioneers--Cream era EC, Jeff Beck Group, Hendrix, Page, et al.--that dynamic control, the palette of clean/clean w/ hair, going into flat out overdrive...all from the guitar & without effects (excepting wah, echo, early modulation gear, and of course Hendrix's use of the Fuzz Face, which gave him even more tones to work with). Also exemplifies why so many of those players tended to favor humbucker equipped guitars--increased natural overdrive, lower noise floor, feedback control, etc. Salute!
It’s advised to use a Power Station anyway. The Marshall + PS combo can be had for the same price as the Plex, depending on where you live. Versatility goes through the roof: total volume control + proper effects loop.
I have a 4X12 Marshall cab and it's more than enough sound in a medium to large sized bar. I haven't had the pleasure of throwing a 100W tube head on it yet but it still sounds really nice. 😎
This is a really good comparison. With how there can so much variability with playing each riff, i wouldve liked to see you utilizing a reamp box and running the exact same thing through both amps.
I grew up playing through Plexis. I’ve tried all sorts of amps and always go back to the Plexi. I use a Rivera Rock Crusher to knock the Db down. Works great with those amps. With the 100 watt ones I will run them at 114volts using a Brown Box and that loosens the amp up.
There used to be an old trick on a 100W head, take out 2 of the power tubes and leave a space in-between them. Both amps are ear splitting. Great video.
Back in my band days, we were convinced that we had to have the loudest amps as possible. We both played 100watt heads through 4x12 cabs, even in the smallest of clubs and at one point the other guitarist had two 4x12 cabs. Volume was king, or so we thought. We befriended another band from Kentucky and we would drool over how good their guitarist sounded. We were floored when he told us that his live rig was some small little 30 watt head and a 2x12 cab that he would crank to the moon. We just assumed he was running a 100 watt rig like us because his 30 watt head was easily just as loud in those small little clubs. It was an ‘a-ha’ moment for me and the fact that I could only crank my 100watt head to 5 or 6 without destroying my ears now made sense. Plus, his smaller rig was way easier to load-in or out.
Great video! I think most of the difference in overdrive characteristic of 50W and 100W comes from amount of NFB. Assuming the value of NFB resistors are the same, 100W will have about 40% more NFB which makes 100W cleaner up to a certain point.
I have a 50 watt 1970 Marshall. With the polarity switch. Had it since 1972. Did an A&B with my bass player's 200 watt Marshall Major. The 50 is tighter, distorts quicker. I love the 50 for cleans. IMO, it depends on speakers. Got mine with the 8-10 cab. Monster to gig with but very tight. Traded it for a Marshall 4-14 in the late 70's. 12's definitely more open. I NEVER use over drive. The guitar volume knob is king.
Thank you for explaining all of these points. It's kinda been a mystery in regards to the jumper cable, for one. This was a great comparison, especially the matching of the sound levels during the during the A/B segment. I've often found power isn't everything. Most times LESS power (15 to 40W amps, especially) is generally more playable in most rooms - and friendlier to the sound guy!
Reminds me my early 80s metal days when I was rehearsing in a medium-sized room with each guitarist pushing a full 100W stack (JMP100 for me, JCM100 for the lead guitarist) , the singer (guitarist too) a "little" 50W stack and the bassist a 100W stack too. Without any ear protection of course. Don't ask me why my ears aren't shot - it's a miracle.
Thanks Rhett, great comparison and nice to hear some good old sizzle and hiss! I remember reading an interview with Michael Schenker from the early 80s and he spoke about the difference between the 50W and 100W Marshall JCM800s of the era. He said he preferred the 50W as it gave him more gain while he said Ritchie Blackmore went for the higher headroom 100W. Putting aside the Flying V vs Strat element, that's how I always think of the Marshall heavy rock tonal equation: 50W = Michael Schenker; 100W = Ritchie Blackmore. Schenker's tone wins every time for me!
I recently picked up the Friedman Plexi, it is a wonderful amp, I have only gigged once and as I have recently moved it is still in it’s box. I have to say that I preferred the tones from the Marshall in this video, I have owned original Marshall amps from that era, a super bass, a plexi and a small box 50 from the 70’s to name a few. This makes me want another 100, oh well. Well done video, thanks.
This mirrors my experience with old school tube amps. And then there were HiWatt / Sound City amps which were even louder. The extra wattage is more about head room. Bought a Marshall 50 Watt Origin amp for about 24 hours before my wife said h@ll no. So I ended up with a Boss Nextone Special 80 Watt. There'sa lot to be said for power scalability. A 20-30 Watt tube amp is usually plenty loud for most people. I've even heard surprising results with tiny 1 Watt amps.
I could not have clicked faster when you said you were giving one of those Friedman's away. I've started down the Marshall road and there's a lot of cool tones to have, but what a killer way this would be to really start :)
Either one is plenty loud to gig with however if you have a 50-watt Marshall and are playing with someone with a 100-watt Marshall and they turn up you will see right away how much louder 100 watts is. It is VERY noticeable when they are played side by side. Having said that I have a 100-watt Marshall Super Lead and I absolutely never play it because to get it where it sounds good it is ridiculously loud. I also have a DSL 40 and I love it (and I play it usually on the 20-watt setting turned up to about 4)
Those are some tasty tones and good info, Rhett. Great video. I've come to appreciate At Fillmore East for a comparison of 50 vs 100 Marshall tones. Duane's 50 watt lead tones are so cutting while Dickey's 100 watter is fuller and cleaner. There's other factors at play in that, but it's cool to hear how they're different enough that, combined with both players' nuances, they can coexist in the same setting.
Pete townsend from the Who asked Marshall for a more powerfull amp, Jim thought he was mad but made him a 100 watt all tube amp, the rest is history as you might know! Its nice to see and hear so much different amp dudes make their own amps, but looking over the shoulders of Jim Marshall! ♨️♨️♨️
You've just explained why Yngwie is so phenomenal a player. Nothing to hide behind, unforgiving. A true test of your technique. And a 100W head is all he plays through.
That's true, and the first time you just hate playing it, but in reality you hate your technique. The more you play it the better. I really love the neck single coil stacked, or a dual rail like the pro track, to soloing, you can add some overdrive or comp for a little sustain but just an inch...
He might be a good guitar player, but he showed his ego in a 90s guitar magazine interview (which one I can't remember) in which he was played solos by all kinds of popular lead guitar players and he trashed... every... single... one... most of which are still famous today as really good guitar players... So I've never had the bandwidth to overcome his mouth.
@@timcobb1752agree. so many people shit on players that don’t play blazing scale runs, outside the scale, or other complexities. Playing melodically and hitting chord tones over the actual chords beneath is seen as too easy although it’s memorable and sounds better (in my opinion) just because something is hard doesn’t mean it’s good. If you can get your point across in one sentence there’s no need to write four.
If you're looking to make your 100w feel more like a 50w, try bringing the amp to a tech and ask them to reduce the screens filtering (or if you know how to solder AND know how to work safely in high voltage capacitive circuits, you could of course do it yourself). Cutting filtering at the phase inverter to 50uf or lower will also contribute, but not as much as the screens. Some of the difference comes down to the difference in the transformers, but you can make the 100w power supply work harder more like a 50w by cutting filtering. Really enjoyed the video, especially with this level of sound quality!
Sounds wicked dude!! You’re pumping out so much great content lately, as always, but I’m really digging your channel lately! Thankyou for the wealth of info and sharing everything you’ve learned and discover with us all 🙏🤘🔥
I agree with you on the 50 watt is more usable and versatile. I've owned for 50 + years a 1969 JMP Super 100 Tremolo and JMP 1976 Master volume 50 watt top & 50 watt combo. The 100 watt moves much more air and have used it on tours, Large ballrooms, clubs & Festivals where it could be turned up ( 1973 - 1976) The other 50 watt were used(1973 - 2010 ) until I down sized my rig. The 100 sound much different than 50 's . The 50 are controllable were the 100 watt is a force of Nature.
I love the "Holy Grail" attitude to 100w Marshalls these days. When I started playing on the Isle of Wight in the '70s, that (or similar) was the basic expected rig for most of the successful local bands - with full, not half stacks of speakers. I was still in my high school band when we were booked to open a local festival, and the headliners invited us out to their rehearsal space ahead of time to play through the rig we'd have on the day. It was basically a barn in the middle of nowhere packed to the rafters with Marshall 100w stacks. Dauntingly loud (and it highlighted every cock-up) - but absolute heaven! All these years later, I've never found anything to match the pure visceral power of that experience.
… …WHAT? I can’t hear you!eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee😅
That sounds cool
The best comparison I have is playing bass at church, where I’m basically playing ten 18” subwoofers. Pretty cool when I can dig in and have fun!
You're totally right about highlighting every mistake. That's been the beauty and the curse of them. You REALLY have to know how to play. For REAL!
I remember those days. Bars had larger stages, and Marshall stacks were the norm for gigging guitarist. I remember the giant Altec Lansing PA speakers. Today, they cram bands in a little corner, and they play with minimal gear. There's something missing in the sound.
@@qua7771 agreed, rock music should be loud and a visceral experience. Luckily for Punk, hardcore and metal shows a lot of times you can get away with a louder rig especially at venues where the PA sucks and the guitar and bass have to be loud and fend for themselves. Some PA systems can barely deal with drums and vocals, and sometimes the band provides their own PA and all the bands basically share it.
The exact difference at double the power is 3dB, by mathematical definition. 3dB is considered a noticeable difference by most listeners, but isn't perceived as twice as loud by human hearing. (I'm an electrical engineer)
Volume isn't the only factor. Headroom is too.
I don't remember the ratio but I do know it's not linear as you go up in watts. A lot of people seem to believe doubling the watts doubles volume though. To triple the volume of 50w wouldn't it end up taking something ridiculous like 5000 watts?
It takes a 10dB difference for a perceived twice as loud.
Not wrong mathematically but something else to consider is that most tube amp "wattage" ratings are just rounded to numbers like 50 or 100 for simplicity or marketing or whatever. Depends on tube type and components of course but generally they run higher.
@@competetodefeat4610 To go from 50 watts to a 10dB sound increase ( which is double the perceived loudness) would take 500 watts. Each doubling of power increases the sound level by 3dB.
I just did the Marshall Factory Tour in Milton Keynes, UK some days ago. They put a lot of pride in their amps. Even the non-HW-stuff. All these people at Marshall were so nice to us. I really feel proud to use their products after seeing, how they are made :)
The Marshall has the body….the Friedman sounds like a Marshall…..until you hear the real thing right next to it.
@@davidyelland908Exactly!
Not sure if they still do it, but they offer a repair service for amps. Back in the mid 1990's I picked up a 50 watt super lead that had need to turn my power valves into lightbulbs and cause the amp to make a noise that would be ace for horror movies. I took it too some supposedly good stores in Manchester and noone fixed it... I was told by one store that sold Marshalls that they offer a repair/factory tour service. I called them up, made an appointment. The factory tour was 2 hours and in that time my amp was not only fixed but they replaced the unsafe power connector and some crappy mods that someone tried to do that was messing up the amp. The guy that did the repair was the same guy that had just finished working with Slash on his signature amp. He took the time to let me try the amp before I left on 10 in a control room through a 4x12 with a Les Paul.
Oh I would take the Friedman in a heartbeat. Everything I have ever had the opportunity to play from Friedman just sounds incredible.
New goal, must have this 50 watt head
i hate how overcompressed and digital they feel in the fingers.
@0megalul309 you're not playing the right model then. He has the BE, that is compressed until you turn the gain down, and then it sounds great. And the Shirley, or the small box, or now the plexi he has done. Nothing digital about that stuff. All tube, great, refined Marshall tone. I would agree he doesn't do the SUPER AGGRESSIVE bright sound some old Marshall's did, but honestly, his amps sound like a Marshall on the record to me
Man, the tones you are pulling out of both amps are incredible.
I am 77 and played in original material only for all these years and have since 71, I always prefered a Marshall JMP 50. Yes I had to sell them between bands and from jumping back and forth over the pond for airfare, lol. So I have had 3 over the years. I got lucky they are all a shade different but all were great. I did use a 100 watt half stack in early 71 but it was too, too loud. The 50 is bang on perfect. That said in the last few years I had use an attinuator in small clubs as DB police were on to me, lol. I am gretful for your excelent demo of Daves. It really seems the way to go as my amp may soon be forced to retire.
And I love that your slide playing is so polyphonic. One string at at time just isn’t enough
According to Tom Bukovac, you're absolutely correct about the 100 w amp's clean character. In his rig rundown with Bollinger (which i'm sure you've watched & loved), though he was discussing his 100 w Marshall Super Bass (with the tranny mod he mentioned) - not the same Marshall, but the same aspect of clean HR AND the beauty of the cleans, which he said would rival any Fender clean one could ever want. Your decibel-meter display really helped to bring that point home. This is a very interesting video, and presented in your typical lucid, informative, unbiased way. Good work Rhett.
I’ve never been disappointed with any Friedman I’ve had the opportunity to play. Even 50 watts is a lot of power.
Great comparison. Thank you Reth. I didn’t expect the Marshall sound so much better. It shows, once again, you can‘t beat the real thing.
I do agree.
I have the same cab with a 1987 marshall plexie and its loud but there is nothing like it when you crank it and your right you don't need any pedals just work the volume knob. When I bought this amp my older brother came over to try it he play some jimi on it stop and looked over at me and said with a huge smile this is the sound I have searched for my whole life ! I think that says it all. If you have never owned one you owe to yourself to Experience it!😊
I have a 1984 JCM 800 2204 50 watt half stack. To me its the holy grail of amps, and the main amp I use in my studio.
Yeah the 800 is for me, the last of the true Marshalls. 50 watters sound awesome on either channel. I wish the 2nd channel was a tad louder though. It seems a radical change from channel 1. I had a loner 50/800 for a gig and really wanted to use the channel 2 with pedals but it wouldn't have been enough for the room. I thought it odd that a 50w Marshall would need channel 1 to get loud enough. Anyway it sounded great on either channel.
I have the combo 4010. Great amp.
Yup - I have a red one with matching straight front 4x12 with 2 greenback H magnet speakers and 2 blackback M magnets . I still have the receipt for the head from the Marshall factory where it was special order for me with the coloured Tolex. Pretty sure it cost about £250. Still running it's original filter caps too . Every time I've tried a plexi it's been a bit meh by comparison.
I have an 83 4010 combo. Love it!
Agreed!
I bought a 100 Watt Vintage Modern almost 20 years ago thinking I needed something that large. One of the silliest decisions I've ever made.
I'll never sell it though. Thank goodness for reactive load attenuators.
I have the 50 watt combo of the Vintage Modern and I love it!! Like you, I’ll never sell it!!!
20 years ago I made a similar silly decision only it was a peavey 5150, 😊. Unfortunately I sold it before load boxes became popular lol
Those amps are so underrated.
The 100w version is magic compared to the 50w 🤩 keep it! Ive had both and regret every day selling it
I agree about the attenuators, but I actually find the master volume on mine works pretty well. Great amp.
I'm a les Paul guy but no other amp makes me want a strat more than the sound of one through a plexi. This was an awesome video man. 2024 and it's still the best of the best.
Jimi had that down to a science, didn’t he? 😉
Terry Kath, Stevie Winwood, all agree with you. lol 🙂
That SG sounds glorious.
100% correct. My JTM 45 had every modern Blues/Rock tone - think Allman Brothers at Fillmore live. All the tone at your volume control. It was my introduction to the world of tube compression. Pedal wise… certainly my Vox Tonebender and (Thomas Organ) Vox Wah were right at home. While the 50w was ABB. The 100w was Band of Gypsy’s. Speaking of BOG I believe initially Hendrix used the treble channel. We talk about the “thump on the chest” from the Super Lead - the 50plexi could give you a good punch in the gut! Excellent presentation Rhett!
Nice head-to-head (ha!) comparison.
Tips hat on head
Hats off for you Rhett, I barely created any video, but by my experience as class facilitator, your videos always hits home. Clear framework explained at first and its breakdown, section by section video parts, and then conclusion at the end. Just similar to how a training would be delivered in a class. Great work, man.
The Friedman sounds so good! Dave Friedman is a magician of tone geez.
I like the Friedman because of what sounds like, better compression stability. It also sounds "warmer". It's almost like an "any venue/gig" amp that won't be too overwhelming, but will have plenty to push if needed. Great showcase, Rhett.
I love that Friedman. Great amp! I got number 2 woooohoooooo!
Great stuff. You did well.
As others have stated, the difference between 50w and 100w is 3db's. However, the watt/DBs relationship is not linear, or at least the perceived difference isn't. A 3bd increase from 80dbs is very little. Whereas a 3db increase when you're already at say 120dbs is huge. For the most part, when you get to higher wattage amps, what you're really getting is more headroom, not more volume
Because the decibel scale is logarithmic
You’re saying the perceived difference from 80 to 83dB is less than the perceived difference from 120 to 123dB?
@@eflizotte that was a stupid statement from OP, 3dB are 3dB at any point in the scale.
When Jim Marshall brought out these 100watt monsters there was a huge need for very loud amps, as players needed to be herd and the PA systems were very limited, used just for mics. I recon most amps up to 50 watt can handle any situation these days, and also stage volume with a pushed 100 watt amp can really damage your hearing
You are correct, but with that some people in my opinion are missing the upshot here. Because yes, 100Watt amp can damage your hearing, but also, with the advent of in-ear monitors you can stand in front of an amp (or better yet have it side-wash the stage) and have it loud enough for all the feel, but ALSO have a mic on in piped into in-ear monitors in to hear the clarity and protect your hearing. It's truly the best of both worlds!
People are playing without an amp. They don't need any wattage any more. I prefer the old sound better.
Loved that Robin Trower-esque bit at the start. Now I gotta go listen to Bridge Of Sighs...
Listen to Machine gun - Jimi Hendrix
Robin Trower Too rolling stoned.👌
i know this is about the amps, and they sound killer. but dude, that SG Jr sounds so good. there’s something so ‘acoustic’ about a good Jr, and it’s so apparent in the examples in this video. sounds so good.
The tones today were unreal - kudos to your recording setup. Absolutely awesome recorded sounds.
The 100 sounds more brutal and old school for sure.
"Weight: 33.5 lbs." Oh man, I can probably pick it up, entering the giveaway ...
This was very educational. My practice amp is 20W and has a 5W power soak. I came to this video to explain, as there is some but not a lot of a volume difference between the two, but there is a huge difference between range (headroom, a la this video!). At 5W it is too quiet if I roll back the volume, whereas at 20W I can get pretty clean without losing volume. The deciding factor is typically how loud it has to be before it distorts the way I want. This video, plus the db meter, really made it all make sense!
I've been obsessed with that Plex 50 since I first heard one recently. Amazing sounds that really distil that old Marshall magic.
I wasn’t expecting to like the 100w Marshall more, but I do.
15:32 I'm sure Rhett knows this, but Eddie Van Halen lowered the voltage down to achieve the same thing on the OG 100W. It achieves a similar thing, more spongey, more compressed, easier to play, it makes perfect sense!
I own the Suhr 50 watt plexi mark 1. To me it is my go to recording amp at this point. It sounds incredible.
Killer playing too!
Back in the day, one of the best sounding rigs I have ever heard was a 50 watt Laney tube head ran through a tall 4 12 Ampeg cab. Had way more punch. Was less ear splitting than a 100 Marshal.
partridge transformers. but you need tubes that can handle 600v on the plates.
I love Friedman amps. Even their non hand wired amps are much easier to service than most other new amps.
That opening clip sounds incredible !!!!
I've always been an Vox guy, but I'm learning to love Marshall each day. Wish I could afford an amp like that. :D
I have a 72’ 50 watt jmp and a 73’ 100 watt super lead. They both sound different from each other, with the same settings, cab and guitar. They both are bone stock with zero mods. From my experience the main difference is the headroom, the 100w is just crushing. The other thing that I noticed is how fast the valves open on the 100w, past about 5 or 6 it doesn’t get any louder, the tone starts to change some. The valves on the 50w open slowly and it doesn’t quite peel skin. Cool vid.
Great amps!
Love the channel, Rhett! To me you're the best story teller of the "TH-cam guitar appreciation channels" . I'm always excited when you upload, I know it's always informative and entertaining.
I’ve been waiting for some one to do this exact comparison for years great job Rhett. I’ll make sure to start checking out more of your work on the channel this was excellent.
Left Lane Cruiser vibes on all of these sound samples, regardless of which guitar it's on. Love this sound.
You've just summed up why I regretted buying a 100W Marshall combo over a 50W when I was gigging many years ago. The 100W was just too big, and too loud for what I needed, and it never got passed about 4-5 on the volume knob. All these years later, I keep telling myself I should've bought that 50W amp, it just a lot sounded better! Time moves on, and today I use a Kemper profiler, which is a lot, lot, lighter than lugging a 100W Marshall combo about. And, my favourite profile? A profile of a legendary 1969, Marshall 1987, 50W Marshall Plexi. It's an amp that has been passed around session musicians from Nashville to L.A., and back again. There's just something about the amp, all I know is that it just sounds wonderful.
From my experience, when plugged in a 4x12" cabinet, the 100 watt Marshall heads are not that much louder than the Marshall 50 watt heads but the 100 watts models somehow sound bigger. A friend of mine who repairs and mods these Marshall heads said it's like comparing Andrea Bocelli to Luciano Pavarotti. Both are great opera tenor singers, but one sounds "bigger" than the other. In the end it's a matter of taste. Both are great amps!
Dude I’ve been fan for a few years now, but you’re guitar playing in this video was mind blowing and inspiring. Thank you
I have a solid state Crate SPA 200. Cab is 4x12 celestions. Stereo. Greenback and 75 watter on left and Legend 30 w 75 watter under it on right. 30 band stereo eq in rack. I use multi effects and other stomps.
I was in a studio next to a big Mesa Boogie. My rig sounded just as good even the engineer was stumped.
Thank you Rhet. Im a fan, bro.
Definitely the mids on the Marshall make a huge difference. I go with the Marshall tone!
Gotta say, the 100watt Marshall sounded way more open and mid forward. The 50watt sounded great too, but compared to the Marshall it sounded shrill and scooped in the mids to my ear
The Marshall sounded much better to me.
@@yearginclarke100%
There is a huge difference in tone between 50W and 100W Marshalls mostly because of the filtering capacitors which aren't the same in value.
@@littlefury Exactly
Agree. That Marshall had just a little more something to my untrained ear. Both sounded great.
instantly liked the 100w so much more. there's more "room" in the sound. the Friedman sounded boxed-in by comparison. I had an immediate and strong response, which I was not expecting. question: with all those mics, did you have issues with phase while recording? everything sounds terrific!
In Early 90's I toured with a band and had a metal zone going through a 100W superbass, 2 x 4 by 12s. Surprised still have hearing, insane, only ever played this rig live, I still have a Marshall combo, but mainly use a Katana 100 these days. Thing I love about the old Marshalls is sensitivity, every nuance captured, as you pointed out, really nice clean Amps used correctly.
I've been a fender clean amp guy my whole life. Recently, I've been drawn to that greenback overdrive sound that these circuits produce. The 50 is perfect. Love the Hendrix cleans and then the legendary greenback over drive. You just have to have both fender and marshall amps in your life lol.
Love the Richard Thompson nod at the 11:15 mark - "Shoot Out the Lights"!
Or maybe he got it where RT did, Rumble.
@@derekbiggerstaff Link Wray works, too. I probably had RT on my mind because I was listening to him recently.
Well done! Explains a great deal about the live concert tones of the early rock/hard rock pioneers--Cream era EC, Jeff Beck Group, Hendrix, Page, et al.--that dynamic control, the palette of clean/clean w/ hair, going into flat out overdrive...all from the guitar & without effects (excepting wah, echo, early modulation gear, and of course Hendrix's use of the Fuzz Face, which gave him even more tones to work with). Also exemplifies why so many of those players tended to favor humbucker equipped guitars--increased natural overdrive, lower noise floor, feedback control, etc. Salute!
Great demo. I love how he has to shout over the background noise of the amp when he’s talking :-)
100 just has that sparkle.
Different preamp.
Awesome demo and damn the playing is awesome, Rhett!
The Plex for me for sure! The Marshall is a great amp but the Plex is just the tone i love.
It’s advised to use a Power Station anyway. The Marshall + PS combo can be had for the same price as the Plex, depending on where you live. Versatility goes through the roof: total volume control + proper effects loop.
Killer tones - they’re captured really well with that mic setup man. Thanks for breaking that down.
I have a 4X12 Marshall cab and it's more than enough sound in a medium to large sized bar. I haven't had the pleasure of throwing a 100W tube head on it yet but it still sounds really nice. 😎
This is a really good comparison. With how there can so much variability with playing each riff, i wouldve liked to see you utilizing a reamp box and running the exact same thing through both amps.
The SG Junior and Friedman sounds absolutely amazing.
I grew up playing through Plexis. I’ve tried all sorts of amps and always go back to the Plexi. I use a Rivera Rock Crusher to knock the Db down. Works great with those amps. With the 100 watt ones I will run them at 114volts using a Brown Box and that loosens the amp up.
My favorite tone of all time - a 50 watt Marshall - the tone of Jimmy Page in "The Song Remains the Same" concert film.
Tone @ 5:11 is magic
I’m purchasing a SC 20 for my Grandson. Plenty of volume and all the tones. Yes I’m getting the 2x12 cabinet.
There used to be an old trick on a 100W head, take out 2 of the power tubes and leave a space in-between them. Both amps are ear splitting. Great video.
you take either the two inner or the two outer tubes away. And you set the speaker output to half of what the cab impedance is.
Love them both but the Friedman has a really pure, refined tone. It would be my choice of the two. Great informational video!
Back in my band days, we were convinced that we had to have the loudest amps as possible. We both played 100watt heads through 4x12 cabs, even in the smallest of clubs and at one point the other guitarist had two 4x12 cabs. Volume was king, or so we thought. We befriended another band from Kentucky and we would drool over how good their guitarist sounded. We were floored when he told us that his live rig was some small little 30 watt head and a 2x12 cab that he would crank to the moon. We just assumed he was running a 100 watt rig like us because his 30 watt head was easily just as loud in those small little clubs. It was an ‘a-ha’ moment for me and the fact that I could only crank my 100watt head to 5 or 6 without destroying my ears now made sense. Plus, his smaller rig was way easier to load-in or out.
That Strat is amazing
Great video!
I think most of the difference in overdrive characteristic of 50W and 100W comes from amount of NFB.
Assuming the value of NFB resistors are the same, 100W will have about 40% more NFB which makes 100W cleaner up to a certain point.
I have a 50 watt 1970 Marshall. With the polarity switch. Had it since 1972. Did an A&B with my bass player's 200 watt Marshall Major. The 50 is tighter, distorts quicker. I love the 50 for cleans. IMO, it depends on speakers. Got mine with the 8-10 cab. Monster to gig with but very tight. Traded it for a Marshall 4-14 in the late 70's. 12's definitely more open.
I NEVER use over drive. The guitar volume knob is king.
Thank you for explaining all of these points. It's kinda been a mystery in regards to the jumper cable, for one. This was a great comparison, especially the matching of the sound levels during the during the A/B segment. I've often found power isn't everything. Most times LESS power (15 to 40W amps, especially) is generally more playable in most rooms - and friendlier to the sound guy!
That Marshall sounds phenomenal. Just monstrous
Perfect timing. Been looking at these for a week or sooooo!!!!
Reminds me my early 80s metal days when I was rehearsing in a medium-sized room with each guitarist pushing a full 100W stack (JMP100 for me, JCM100 for the lead guitarist) , the singer (guitarist too) a "little" 50W stack and the bassist a 100W stack too. Without any ear protection of course. Don't ask me why my ears aren't shot - it's a miracle.
Thanks Rhett, great comparison and nice to hear some good old sizzle and hiss! I remember reading an interview with Michael Schenker from the early 80s and he spoke about the difference between the 50W and 100W Marshall JCM800s of the era. He said he preferred the 50W as it gave him more gain while he said Ritchie Blackmore went for the higher headroom 100W. Putting aside the Flying V vs Strat element, that's how I always think of the Marshall heavy rock tonal equation: 50W = Michael Schenker; 100W = Ritchie Blackmore. Schenker's tone wins every time for me!
Love you rhett. I’m not a gear head i just watch to hear you play! Thanks for the giveaway too
I recently picked up the Friedman Plexi, it is a wonderful amp, I have only gigged once and as I have recently moved it is still in it’s box. I have to say that I preferred the tones from the Marshall in this video, I have owned original Marshall amps from that era, a super bass, a plexi and a small box 50 from the 70’s to name a few. This makes me want another 100, oh well. Well done video, thanks.
Great comparison/contrast demo Rhett. They both sound sweet, especially with that SG Jr. P90 snarl!
Both heads sound killer! Really diggin the friedman.
This mirrors my experience with old school tube amps. And then there were HiWatt / Sound City amps which were even louder. The extra wattage is more about head room. Bought a Marshall 50 Watt Origin amp for about 24 hours before my wife said h@ll no. So I ended up with a Boss Nextone Special 80 Watt. There'sa lot to be said for power scalability. A 20-30 Watt tube amp is usually plenty loud for most people. I've even heard surprising results with tiny 1 Watt amps.
Super Trower chills listening to this that TONE!
Really liked the clean sounds here. Was not expecting that.
I could not have clicked faster when you said you were giving one of those Friedman's away. I've started down the Marshall road and there's a lot of cool tones to have, but what a killer way this would be to really start :)
The 4x12” cab helps out too!
Either one is plenty loud to gig with however if you have a 50-watt Marshall and are playing with someone with a 100-watt Marshall and they turn up you will see right away how much louder 100 watts is. It is VERY noticeable when they are played side by side. Having said that I have a 100-watt Marshall Super Lead and I absolutely never play it because to get it where it sounds good it is ridiculously loud. I also have a DSL 40 and I love it (and I play it usually on the 20-watt setting turned up to about 4)
Those are some tasty tones and good info, Rhett. Great video. I've come to appreciate At Fillmore East for a comparison of 50 vs 100 Marshall tones. Duane's 50 watt lead tones are so cutting while Dickey's 100 watter is fuller and cleaner. There's other factors at play in that, but it's cool to hear how they're different enough that, combined with both players' nuances, they can coexist in the same setting.
Sounds great! I have a 50W Marshall from 1975 that is amazing. It sounds as loud as a 100W.
Both sounded great. I’d like to see the Friedman plex vs the Suhr SL68 or SL67.
The SL67 will be very similar. I have one.
Throw in the Metropoulos Metro-Plex!
This is very savvy Rhett, well done and exactly what the difference feels like!
I owned an untouched 1976 50w jmp plexi for few years along with my presently owned 1982 jcm 800 and difference is very much like stated in the video.
that 30 second intro .. just sounded BOSS~~~
Pete townsend from the Who asked Marshall for a more powerfull amp, Jim thought he was mad but made him a 100 watt all tube amp, the rest is history as you might know!
Its nice to see and hear so much different amp dudes make their own amps, but looking over the shoulders of Jim Marshall! ♨️♨️♨️
You've just explained why Yngwie is so phenomenal a player. Nothing to hide behind, unforgiving. A true test of your technique. And a 100W head is all he plays through.
That's true, and the first time you just hate playing it, but in reality you hate your technique. The more you play it the better. I really love the neck single coil stacked, or a dual rail like the pro track, to soloing, you can add some overdrive or comp for a little sustain but just an inch...
Saw him open for ACDC at the LA forum with less than a handful of 50watt Marshall fullstacks
He might be a good guitar player, but he showed his ego in a 90s guitar magazine interview (which one I can't remember) in which he was played solos by all kinds of popular lead guitar players and he trashed... every... single... one... most of which are still famous today as really good guitar players... So I've never had the bandwidth to overcome his mouth.
@@timcobb1752agree. so many people shit on players that don’t play blazing scale runs, outside the scale, or other complexities. Playing melodically and hitting chord tones over the actual chords beneath is seen as too easy although it’s memorable and sounds better (in my opinion) just because something is hard doesn’t mean it’s good. If you can get your point across in one sentence there’s no need to write four.
@dansomerville Well stated. If you can't get your point across in one sentence...no need for four.
If you're looking to make your 100w feel more like a 50w, try bringing the amp to a tech and ask them to reduce the screens filtering (or if you know how to solder AND know how to work safely in high voltage capacitive circuits, you could of course do it yourself). Cutting filtering at the phase inverter to 50uf or lower will also contribute, but not as much as the screens. Some of the difference comes down to the difference in the transformers, but you can make the 100w power supply work harder more like a 50w by cutting filtering.
Really enjoyed the video, especially with this level of sound quality!
So cool man that sound ! The Friedman is really pretty looking and sound really mighty !!!
Sounds wicked dude!! You’re pumping out so much great content lately, as always, but I’m really digging your channel lately!
Thankyou for the wealth of info and sharing everything you’ve learned and discover with us all 🙏🤘🔥
Great video. The Hendrix tones were amazing!!! Nice comparison.
Actually for me one of your best videos. Really great and interesting
I agree with you on the 50 watt is more usable and versatile. I've owned for 50 + years a 1969 JMP Super 100 Tremolo and JMP 1976 Master volume 50 watt top & 50 watt combo. The 100 watt moves much more air and have used it on tours, Large ballrooms, clubs & Festivals where it could be turned up ( 1973 - 1976) The other 50 watt were used(1973 - 2010 ) until I down sized my rig. The 100 sound much different than 50 's . The 50 are controllable were the 100 watt is a force of Nature.
100w is more open and has a honkier mid-range, while the 50w is more compressed and scooped to my ears. Both sound incredible