sounds awesome. I think if most people heard this sound and didnt know that kerry King was associated with it they would be much more favourable toward it. In my opinion, for metal, this amp is probably the best in terms of all it can do and the tones you can get without needing anything extra at all. You really can just plug into this thing and play with a tone to rival any set up involving pedalboards and external effects.
He played slayeresque riffs. As a major magazine they probably don't play actual riffs for risk of lawsuit. King was friends with Dime, and someone who is likely to by a slayer amp probably owns a Dime guitar or is at least likes Pantera
you can hear the clarity of the amp's speakers when you play full chords, instead of powerchords, many amplifiers can't bring out the full chord, though this is also mostly a pickup problem.
this amp is a jcm 800 with the beast control added which gives the amp more gain and a noise gate. it also activates a signiure EQ which kerry king had made. i got one on monday and its realy good
instead of thrashing this amp some people, who don´t even have good gear so they don´t know what they talking about! should at least hear this , now, discontinued amp, a chance i have three marshalls this days the the joe satriani model, the malmsteen model and the jvm410head, but i tried this one and it´s one hell of an amp that i regreted not buying, comparing this like some people do with the mg line is total nonsense, thanks paul for this review and you play much better then some say you play i would love to see the people who put you down as a player and demonstrator of gear play that would be amusing, cheers guitar world i buy your magazine every month since 1990 when i was living in the states and i never stop buying, except when i lived in china there was hard to find
RIGHT, HE'S GOT THE CLEANEST TECHNIQUE I'VE EVER SEEN INCLUDING ALL THE GUITAR GODS WE KNOW AND LOVE, THERE SHOULD BE A TH-cam RULE, IF YOUR GOING TO TALK TRASH YOU HAVE TO POST A VIDEO OF YOURSELF PLAYING FIRST
Exactly that's where they get you, there are in fact solid state preamplifier's running in series with the "5 preamp tubes", the preamp tubes act like buffer's while not really really producing and shaping your gain stages
thats because of the video editing, they're using a compressor on the video. you can also hear that when he starts talking after 2 seconds of silence or so. not an amp problem.
Who gave metal master 099 a thumbs down!?? You can indeed play an amp head live without a cab, you just need a line out into the desk, which of course won't sound as good but it's still possible!
no. heads and cabinets are always compatible assuming the ohms are matching. (16 ohm cab 16 ohm head, 8 ohm head 8 ohm cab). but the cabinet should usually have a power rating equal or higher than the head. 100 watt head, 250 watt cab
most amps jsut have 3 bands of EQ, treble mid and bass. i have a 10 band so i can basically tweak with everything. it allowed me to dial in and out things that no one else can do with just the regular eq on the amp. it allows you to dial in anything you want really
One day, a kid went out to get a Marshall JCM 800 KK signature amplifier thinking it will make him sound like Kerry King. Kid came back home with his dream amplifier and started playing Justin Bieber riffs.
i've got the original jcm 800, which is the same as this model just not as beefed up with distortion. the amp only has one channel, so the clean, if you set the volume right, sounds pretty good.
He kind of explains that without the beast engaged, it is like a stock JCM800. It probably is hotrodded a little bit. The signature side probably is like a gain-monster.
I think the Randy Rhoads amp sounded better for metal than this one dimes guitar he's playing.. here was his fav guitar..Dean made copies of it.., dime didn't really get a chance to see them take off...sad he had guitars to give to some of his best buds, fellow musicians.in Dec 2004 a few days before he was killed he said he couldn't wait till Christmas because his stuff would of been finished to give away...like zakk has a razorback which dime designed actually.his signature is on the back headstock of every Dean dime guitars..rip dime
Every time I see a demo of an amp or guitar I'm thinking about buying, and the video starts with "Hey Guys, it's Paul from Guitar World" I die just a little inside
if any of you get the chance to buy a late 70s Marshall MK2 do so, it's the best amp i've ever played through, i actually kinda oblige my band going into a certain rehearsing room just because of the amp. It's class A and has very little gain even cranked up, but with a compressor and distortion pedals i got the nicest tones ever, from crunchy SRV or john mayer sounds to a killer hi gain rock - metal, oh and the clean is the most beautiful i've ever heard, much better than an AC 30 or Fender's
Or Amps like the Blackstar series 1 heads.They have the DPR,and ISF features that eliminate playing at low volumes and losing gain.The DPR,dynamic power reduction goes from 200 watts down to 20 same thing with the 100 watt head.I got rid of my trple recto and JCM 2000 to get the 1/200 and no regrets its the sickest and most versital amp ive ever played in my life.Still have my 900 though,best Marshall ive ever owned.Just MO but check out the series 1
1.) Peavey makes some good amps, like the Classic 30 and Classic 50. 2.) Peavey tube amps are made in America, not China. 3.) Mesa does not use solid state pre amps. I fail to see how an amp with 5 pre amp tubes is considered solid state. Which part of your comment is based upon fact?
I agree with both of your comments.There are alot of amps out there that sound as good or better without spending this kind of cake.I have 2 JCM's and one Mesa.Now I am looking for something new and the Blackstar series one is killer,smokes my marshals,and Mesa in every way possible.And has the DPR so no need for the attenuator.Also looking at Baron amps,and Mako,so yes there are other manufacturers putting out some super nice stuff for good prices.Blackstar series 1 is it for me so far.
Well, not every good guitar player - and I believe that Paul Riario is a very good player - can do all things well on the guitar. Since you're so quick to judge, how good a metal player are you? We have here a good demonstration of Paul Riario's playing. Give us a listen.
you can actually clean it up by turning down volume knob on your guitar most of the good marshall amps such as a normal JCM 800 or Plexi heads only have a one channel distortion Zakk wylde uses a JCM 800 (a normal one) and it has a one channel distortion and when he gets to a clean section he turns down the volume knob on his guitar
I've never like Marshall sound, but this Beast kick kills even what is in Marshall best. It adds some ridicolous high gain distortion and bottoms, it pulls noise over clarity. Frankly I don't get it, you can get this on low price amp, no need to buy an extra expansive one.
People don't know what to do with their amps, I think Marshalls are killer, if, they 're enhanced correctly, here's my DSL 20 HR, ----th-cam.com/video/FTNLqClynPI/w-d-xo.html
So without the beast section engaged, can you get a clean tone with the gain turned up on your amp and volume rolled off on your guitar like with the regular 2203
I played one extensively today, and was pretty amused. with the Beast bit disabled it gets scary close to my old 2203, alltho the KK is just a bit hotter by default. With the boost bit disabled it also cleans up perfectly with the volume button rolled back, just like a stock 2203 (single chan = all you need) I played some hardcore/metal with preamp on 6 and assault on 5, and thats really all the gain you could ever need. Doesnt clean up anymore with Beast engaged though, but you expected that.
@mgdth502 Mainly it's because it doesn't have the cleans or low-gain crunch tones that a regular JCM 800 would have. Those have been sacrificed for all of the modern metal tones
Um, If you like that sound, I guess it's cool. Kerry King played with the mids all the way up. If you have the gain up, maxing the mids gives you brutal, yet sweet tones. Try it!
I bought this for my studio along with a marshall Vintage modern and people always go with the vintage modern... both are great sounding amps but the KK 800 seems to really cut out the mid range more so the solo's and rhythms don't really pop as much. but it's still a great buy for any metal fan
In my mind, Marshall has always been more of a rock amp rather than metal. I prefer Mesa Boogie, Engl, Peavey, and such for metal tones, but with that said, this Marshall does seem to sound pretty good.
@dnnysrock I don't see him slap a footswitch. He probably just moves his leg to get the guitar out of the way. Also, even if the strings were muted, you're gonna get some hiss from the amplifier. There wasn't any when the gate was activated. Plus, ever heard of the JCM800 2205/2210. Yeah, they used footswitches. =D
I'd actually get this one because its about $500 cheaper than the normal jcm800, just change the tubes back to el34's and it's a normal 800, with an added boost
Copyright issues. They did a Jimi Hendrix setup with pedals and stuff but he couldn't play any of Jimi's stuff because of copyright, same with the Randy Rhoads amp.
@Vagsalt thank you very much man, because i think it was a dean razorback cuz looks almost the same in appearence but not sure in sound even that both are Dean guitars, so will check it out cuz, this one really sounded great, even when it doesnt use emg's
Check out the JVM, they can do almost anything and you could deffinatley get that kind of tone out of it. Also, The Jcm 2000 series are very versatile and can achive acdc/ deep purple/ zeppelin= what ur lookin for, hope i helped :)
i kinda like this amp! and i by far do not play anymore slayer in the set list,maybe 20 yrs ago. but i do like the extra gain structure on this amp, and the gate! bill lawrence pickups kick some major ass, espiacally when he work at gibson betwenn 88-90
This would be awesome for metalcore. Sounds better than a dual rec and maybe on par with a peavey 5150 for me and usually I don't like guitarworld 'recorded' sounds
@ARom16 I don't think that's true, you can get a classic-low-gain crunch and clean sound with this amp. I personally think it's because the original 2203 is now a reissue of a classic.
i like going back to these videos to recapture the feeling when i first started guitar and watching youtube guitar videos
sounds awesome.
I think if most people heard this sound and didnt know that kerry King was associated with it they would be much more favourable toward it.
In my opinion, for metal, this amp is probably the best in terms of all it can do and the tones you can get without needing anything extra at all. You really can just plug into this thing and play with a tone to rival any set up involving pedalboards and external effects.
Dave Bostock Which is a JCM900 like Motorhead uses...
Even without the beast engaged it still has that signature sizzle.
this guy can really play. no matter what genre
he's got the single mother can i speak to the manager hair cut lol
I love watching this guy make every amp sound like ass. Seriously I find it hilarious.
What does "sound like ass" mean?
Darth Nihilus listen to the demo. He makes every amp sound like a different intestinal disorder.
I mean,maybe "ass" = badass,but, I believe you meant it different
+Crimson Ghost Amen.
+Crimson Ghost Holy fuck you weren't kidding. This was more brutal than usual.
Revisiting this video in 2019, still amazed by this amp lol
2022 and still wicked
So he plays a Kerry king inspired amp with out playing slayer riffs,Then busts out a dimebag guitar?
Nathaniel laughlin he's not aloud to play other artists songs because of copy right or some shit like that lol
He played slayeresque riffs. As a major magazine they probably don't play actual riffs for risk of lawsuit. King was friends with Dime, and someone who is likely to by a slayer amp probably owns a Dime guitar or is at least likes Pantera
I played one of these at my local music store, and I have got to say it sounds amazing, my only gripe is that it doesn't have a clean channel.
i played on of these amps and i got to say that it had the best sound i`ve ever heard!!!
I was lucky enough to try out this head and it really is a beast! Allmost over the top when you press the beast button, allmost.
My god!! It sounds amazing! Great playing too!
you can hear the clarity of the amp's speakers when you play full chords, instead of powerchords, many amplifiers can't bring out the full chord, though this is also mostly a pickup problem.
Didnt expect this amp to sound THAT good.
this amp is a jcm 800 with the beast control added which gives the amp more gain and a noise gate. it also activates a signiure EQ which kerry king had made. i got one on monday and its realy good
If you're into this type of music, great guitar tone. I'm more into overdrive than distortion these days but very nice thrash tone.
I gotta say, this is a sick amp. The built-in noise gate and EQ is awesome too, you could get a great great, clean sound without a pedal.
Absolutely awesome metal and hard rock amp.
instead of thrashing this amp some people, who don´t even have good gear so they don´t know what they talking about! should at least hear this , now, discontinued amp, a chance i have three marshalls this days the the joe satriani model, the malmsteen model and the jvm410head, but i tried this one and it´s one hell of an amp that i regreted not buying, comparing this like some people do with the mg line is total nonsense, thanks paul for this review and you play much better then some say you play i would love to see the people who put you down as a player and demonstrator of gear play that would be amusing, cheers guitar world i buy your magazine every month since 1990 when i was living in the states and i never stop buying, except when i lived in china there was hard to find
Paul makes it sound like ass though
RIGHT, HE'S GOT THE CLEANEST TECHNIQUE I'VE EVER SEEN INCLUDING ALL THE GUITAR GODS WE KNOW AND LOVE, THERE SHOULD BE A TH-cam RULE, IF YOUR GOING TO TALK TRASH YOU HAVE TO POST A VIDEO OF YOURSELF PLAYING FIRST
With the Dime guitar it sounds way more killer !
it sounds so nice, it has a lot of depth.
oh dang..
this amp sounds like a beast
gotta get this!
Exactly that's where they get you, there are in fact solid state preamplifier's running in series with the "5 preamp tubes", the preamp tubes act like buffer's while not really really producing and shaping your gain stages
Extremely well amp demo run through!
ok ill definitely do that :] its alot more helpful when someone can hear how it sounds before they purchase one
thats because of the video editing, they're using a compressor on the video. you can also hear that when he starts talking after 2 seconds of silence or so. not an amp problem.
Who gave metal master 099 a thumbs down!?? You can indeed play an amp head live without a cab, you just need a line out into the desk, which of course won't sound as good but it's still possible!
those EMG's also add to that INSANE!!!! metal tone
If I had this amp I'd sit there for hour's trying to trick that LED xD
pretty cool amp for thrash/metal
no. heads and cabinets are always compatible assuming the ohms are matching. (16 ohm cab 16 ohm head, 8 ohm head 8 ohm cab). but the cabinet should usually have a power rating equal or higher than the head. 100 watt head, 250 watt cab
Paul is my favorite reviewer
I used to have the same Eclipse. Really regret selling that guitar. Thing was $1399 brand new in 2007.
The amp sounds gnarly even without engaging the Beast mode.
most amps jsut have 3 bands of EQ, treble mid and bass. i have a 10 band so i can basically tweak with everything. it allowed me to dial in and out things that no one else can do with just the regular eq on the amp. it allows you to dial in anything you want really
One day, a kid went out to get a Marshall JCM 800 KK signature amplifier thinking it will make him sound like Kerry King. Kid came back home with his dream amplifier and started playing Justin Bieber riffs.
Kids Theese Days...
"Justin Bieber riffs"...? What the fuck?
since when do justin beiber songs have riffs??
i've got the original jcm 800, which is the same as this model just not as beefed up with distortion. the amp only has one channel, so the clean, if you set the volume right, sounds pretty good.
This amp is amazing!!!!!
Paul is playing a different guitar here? ITS A MIRACLE
I know. The only 2 things I want to know about an amp is
1) Does it work without blowing up or catching fire?
2) How loud does it go?
Seems like an awesome amp.
He kind of explains that without the beast engaged, it is like a stock JCM800. It probably is hotrodded a little bit. The signature side probably is like a gain-monster.
This is my dream head minus the KFK part. This one is awesome too!
a marshall jcm 800 and an mxr gt-od pedal the tone you can get from that is godly
i dont know who this kerry king is but, i like him already! this amp is amazing 4 metal! sounds a lot like metallica's kirk 2 my ears
its so powerful
You are on so many videos that I watch dude
I think the Randy Rhoads amp sounded better for metal than this one dimes guitar he's playing.. here was his fav guitar..Dean made copies of it.., dime didn't really get a chance to see them take off...sad he had guitars to give to some of his best buds, fellow musicians.in Dec 2004 a few days before he was killed he said he couldn't wait till Christmas because his stuff would of been finished to give away...like zakk has a razorback which dime designed actually.his signature is on the back headstock of every Dean dime guitars..rip dime
Kk head + dime guitar = boom best metal tone
5:20 That tone is pure hard rock n' roll music!
also he used emgs. cold and lifeless are the main attributes of those pickups if you ask me.
Every time I see a demo of an amp or guitar I'm thinking about buying, and the video starts with "Hey Guys, it's Paul from Guitar World" I die just a little inside
if any of you get the chance to buy a late 70s Marshall MK2 do so, it's the best amp i've ever played through, i actually kinda oblige my band going into a certain rehearsing room just because of the amp. It's class A and has very little gain even cranked up, but with a compressor and distortion pedals i got the nicest tones ever, from crunchy SRV or john mayer sounds to a killer hi gain rock - metal, oh and the clean is the most beautiful i've ever heard, much better than an AC 30 or Fender's
Im not really a marshall guy, but like this amp sound. Do any other marshalls get this sound? Or just this KK model?
if im not wrong the original jcm 800 used 4 el34 tubes instead of the kt88
Good video, clear explanation, technically......cool
Or Amps like the Blackstar series 1 heads.They have the DPR,and ISF features that eliminate playing at low volumes and losing gain.The DPR,dynamic power reduction goes from 200 watts down to 20 same thing with the 100 watt head.I got rid of my trple recto and JCM 2000 to get the 1/200 and no regrets its the sickest and most versital amp ive ever played in my life.Still have my 900 though,best Marshall ive ever owned.Just MO but check out the series 1
1.) Peavey makes some good amps, like the Classic 30 and Classic 50. 2.) Peavey tube amps are made in America, not China. 3.) Mesa does not use solid state pre amps. I fail to see how an amp with 5 pre amp tubes is considered solid state. Which part of your comment is based upon fact?
there is some kind of effect on the guitar sounds like a reverb tail or like a slight delay. that or the room is really live
no in the UK a marshall head is roughly £800-£1200, its about £900 just for a mesa cab!, the head is about £2000 on its own
I'm a VOxist too, and modern Marshalls are too harsh. But 168-1973 Plexis and 196x JTM45 are very good sounding!
I agree with both of your comments.There are alot of amps out there that sound as good or better without spending this kind of cake.I have 2 JCM's and one Mesa.Now I am looking for something new and the Blackstar series one is killer,smokes my marshals,and Mesa in every way possible.And has the DPR so no need for the attenuator.Also looking at Baron amps,and Mako,so yes there are other manufacturers putting out some super nice stuff for good prices.Blackstar series 1 is it for me so far.
the 2203 and 2204 800's were single channel. The 2205 and 2210 800's were dual channel. There were even solid state jcm 800s
Also depends on what cab your using,
Well, not every good guitar player - and I believe that Paul Riario is a very good player - can do all things well on the guitar. Since you're so quick to judge, how good a metal player are you? We have here a good demonstration of Paul Riario's playing. Give us a listen.
you can actually clean it up by turning down volume knob on your guitar
most of the good marshall amps such as a normal JCM 800 or Plexi heads only have a one channel distortion
Zakk wylde uses a JCM 800 (a normal one) and it has a one channel distortion
and when he gets to a clean section he turns down the volume knob on his guitar
I've never like Marshall sound, but this Beast kick kills even what is in Marshall best. It adds some ridicolous high gain distortion and bottoms, it pulls noise over clarity. Frankly I don't get it, you can get this on low price amp, no need to buy an extra expansive one.
People don't know what to do with their amps, I think Marshalls are killer, if, they 're enhanced correctly, here's my DSL 20 HR, ----th-cam.com/video/FTNLqClynPI/w-d-xo.html
So without the beast section engaged, can you get a clean tone with the gain turned up on your amp and volume rolled off on your guitar like with the regular 2203
Sounds good. But I still won't understand why KK didn't finish the prototypes with Tony Krank and market them.
@ilovepantera97 actually theres a demo of him showing off the amp and telling people about when and how hes used it
That is one beast amp!!!!!!! NOM NOM NOM
I played one extensively today, and was pretty amused. with the Beast bit disabled it gets scary close to my old 2203, alltho the KK is just a bit hotter by default. With the boost bit disabled it also cleans up perfectly with the volume button rolled back, just like a stock 2203 (single chan = all you need)
I played some hardcore/metal with preamp on 6 and assault on 5, and thats really all the gain you could ever need. Doesnt clean up anymore with Beast engaged though, but you expected that.
the wattage is calculated from the power the tubes can output clean without distorting...
So the tubes.
@mgdth502 Mainly it's because it doesn't have the cleans or low-gain crunch tones that a regular JCM 800 would have. Those have been sacrificed for all of the modern metal tones
Um, If you like that sound, I guess it's cool. Kerry King played with the mids all the way up. If you have the gain up, maxing the mids gives you brutal, yet sweet tones. Try it!
this guy really knows how to test equipment
I bought this for my studio along with a marshall Vintage modern and people always go with the vintage modern... both are great sounding amps but the KK 800 seems to really cut out the mid range more so the solo's and rhythms don't really pop as much. but it's still a great buy for any metal fan
i have this amp with a stack and i love it i would recommend it t anyone! It rocks
@dcp10200 it sounds pretty defined and clear actually, sir. Dunno what you're talking about...
EMG and Marshall perfect combination
In my mind, Marshall has always been more of a rock amp rather than metal. I prefer Mesa Boogie, Engl, Peavey, and such for metal tones, but with that said, this Marshall does seem to sound pretty good.
well it depends on what you like best but I would go with engl powerball or kerry king, whichever floats your boat
feedback is just something guitars with Floyds will do moreso than one without one
@dnnysrock
I don't see him slap a footswitch. He probably just moves his leg to get the guitar out of the way. Also, even if the strings were muted, you're gonna get some hiss from the amplifier. There wasn't any when the gate was activated.
Plus, ever heard of the JCM800 2205/2210. Yeah, they used footswitches. =D
Didn't Kerry have a rack-mounted EQ to get his sound? That noise gate really clamps down tight!
well, he IS the Paul From Guitarworld
I'd actually get this one because its about $500 cheaper than the normal jcm800, just change the tubes back to el34's and it's a normal 800, with an added boost
Copyright issues. They did a Jimi Hendrix setup with pedals and stuff but he couldn't play any of Jimi's stuff because of copyright, same with the Randy Rhoads amp.
@Vagsalt thank you very much man, because i think it was a dean razorback cuz looks almost the same in appearence but not sure in sound even that both are Dean guitars, so will check it out cuz, this one really sounded great, even when it doesnt use emg's
Check out the JVM, they can do almost anything and you could deffinatley get that kind of tone out of it. Also, The Jcm 2000 series are very versatile and can achive acdc/ deep purple/ zeppelin= what ur lookin for, hope i helped :)
@XavSch ya, actually kerry and jeff both use clean often...helps tom hear more from slayer then the common songs everyone knows...lol
sounds great but there's an audible splat when the gate kicks in
i would kill for that Dean ML in the backround to the left there :P
it'd be big obviously depends how much your parents care regarding the noise and helping you move it to shows
It doesn't have a clean channel but if you turn the BEAST switch off and turn the pre down you can clean it up quite a bit....
i love how there is a dean razorback just sitting in the corner
i kinda like this amp! and i by far do not play anymore slayer in the set list,maybe 20 yrs ago. but i do like the extra gain structure on this amp, and the gate! bill lawrence pickups kick some major ass, espiacally when he work at gibson betwenn 88-90
no ur right,thts why this 800 sounds so different .bc its using the different tubes then it usualy would
This would be awesome for metalcore. Sounds better than a dual rec and maybe on par with a peavey 5150 for me and usually I don't like guitarworld 'recorded' sounds
damn the built in gate is fucking awesome
@ARom16 I don't think that's true, you can get a classic-low-gain crunch and clean sound with this amp. I personally think it's because the original 2203 is now a reissue of a classic.
i think that paul used a standart 1960 cab with celestion g-12t 75w speakers!