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Hatsubai « A new KT66 Marshall »
Published on 05/13/11 at 17:01Marshall released a few new amplifiers in the past few years, and this is one of them. Like its name, it's a mix between old and new. The amplifier is a single channel amp that features four KT66 power tubes for 100 watts of power, four 12AX7 preamp tubes, two gain pots, a detail knob, a body knob, a mid boost switch, digital reverb and a serial effects loop.
UTILIZATION
Marshall really crammed a lot into this amplifier, and it shows. Despite it being a single channel amplifier, it's very versatile. The dual gain pots can allow you to dial in more unique and interesting gain tones than a single gain pot. The body and detail knobs can also further help taylor the sound you hear in your head to what's coming out of your speakers. Keep in mind, however, that this isn't a high gain monster like the JVM. This is a more midgain kind of amplifier. If you're looking for higher gain, you'll want to boost this thing with some sort of tubescreamer.
SOUNDS
The sounds on the Vintage Modern are pretty good, but they can be a touch hit or miss. For once, the controls on this are somewhat sensitive. It takes some time to dial in a good sound. However, once you do, you'll find it sounds more open and organic than, say, the JVM. For that great 80s metal tone, throw a tubescreamer in front of the amplifier. That'll really kick the thing into overdrive and deliver some absolutely huge tones, especially once you start adding the reverb. The loop on this, despite being a solid state loop, is actually a pretty good loop. It's fairly transparent, and it seems to work with most gear out there.
OVERALL OPINION
If you find the JVM to be a bit too compressed or too complex, this is probably one of the amps you're looking for. It's similar to a JCM800 but way more versatile. Keep in mind that it's not exactly the same as the standard Marshall tone thanks to the KT66 tubes, but I find it to be a mix between a modern modded Marshall and a JCM800. It's a really cool amp that, while being a bit touchy with the EQ, is worth checking out.
UTILIZATION
Marshall really crammed a lot into this amplifier, and it shows. Despite it being a single channel amplifier, it's very versatile. The dual gain pots can allow you to dial in more unique and interesting gain tones than a single gain pot. The body and detail knobs can also further help taylor the sound you hear in your head to what's coming out of your speakers. Keep in mind, however, that this isn't a high gain monster like the JVM. This is a more midgain kind of amplifier. If you're looking for higher gain, you'll want to boost this thing with some sort of tubescreamer.
SOUNDS
The sounds on the Vintage Modern are pretty good, but they can be a touch hit or miss. For once, the controls on this are somewhat sensitive. It takes some time to dial in a good sound. However, once you do, you'll find it sounds more open and organic than, say, the JVM. For that great 80s metal tone, throw a tubescreamer in front of the amplifier. That'll really kick the thing into overdrive and deliver some absolutely huge tones, especially once you start adding the reverb. The loop on this, despite being a solid state loop, is actually a pretty good loop. It's fairly transparent, and it seems to work with most gear out there.
OVERALL OPINION
If you find the JVM to be a bit too compressed or too complex, this is probably one of the amps you're looking for. It's similar to a JCM800 but way more versatile. Keep in mind that it's not exactly the same as the standard Marshall tone thanks to the KT66 tubes, but I find it to be a mix between a modern modded Marshall and a JCM800. It's a really cool amp that, while being a bit touchy with the EQ, is worth checking out.