'76 JMP MKII - worth it?

[Mixboy2105]

This is for sale in my part of the planet. Loaded with Rolas. What do you guys think?

http://i555.photobucket.com/albums/jj445/nezcar/26032010603.jpg
http://i555.photobucket.com/albums/jj445/nezcar/26032010604.jpg
http://i555.photobucket.com/albums/jj445/nezcar/26032010605.jpg
http://i555.photobucket.com/albums/jj445/nezcar/26032010606.jpg
http://i555.photobucket.com/albums/jj445/nezcar/26032010608.jpg
http://i555.photobucket.com/albums/jj445/nezcar/26032010610.jpg
http://i555.photobucket.com/albums/jj445/nezcar/26032010611.jpg
http://i555.photobucket.com/albums/jj445/nezcar/26032010612.jpg

[otek]

It probably needs a little TLC (I hear your part of the world can get sorta humid :D ), but why not?

Some new tubes and recapping, and I bet it's one sweet sounding amp.


otek

[weedywet]

I think it's in FAR from 'collectable' shape, so the price should reflect that

[TheNetStudio]

I usually just get on eBay and see what something in the same shape has been selling for over the last few months.

Especially with Marshalls, the eBay market is pretty spot on, and they know what to look for.

[Cary Chilton]

I think it's in FAR from 'collectable' shape, so the price should reflect that

Spoken like an engineer. :D

That head has been going for 800-1500 USD. So don't pay more than 1500. The Cab, which is in great shape and should sound killer loaded with blackbacks would typically go for 700-800USD.

Of course, filter caps and tubes may or may not need changing. Make sure the OT and PT are original. If tubes need to be changed, EH 6ca7's or the JJ E34L are great.... of course original Sylvania 6ca7 or 6550's are sweet, I like mine... Mullards and other NOS like Phillips, GE, RCA, Siemens are nice,too.

12 ax7's? ARS China
http://www.arselectronics.com/ARSWEB/fp2_1a.html

Best kept secret of the top amp builders! Really, these China tubes aren't the typical ones you hear stories about. They aren't always perfect, but just buy a few and some magic ones. Of course, you can buy vintage NOS stuff at 100 bucks or more a pair...

I would strongly recommend Rockstah Amplification or RackSystems -Dave Friedman for any mods, these guys are easily as good as John Suhr, Wallace, Splawn, Germino, Bray etc ... imho better. Dave does work for Lynch and EVH and Mark aka Rockstah, has a mod called mod 5 that is amazing. I will be buying a JMP just for this mod, mod 5.

[brunopolski]

Spoken like an engineer. :D



I would strongly recommend Rockstah Amplification or RackSystems -Dave Friedman for any mods, these guys are easily as good as John Suhr, Wallace, Splawn, Germino, Bray etc ... imho better. Dave does work for Lynch and EVH and Mark aka Rockstah, has a mod called mod 5 that is amazing. I will be buying a JMP just for this mod, mod 5.


Just a question. Why would you want to mod a vintage amp? In other words, why pay the premium price for a vintage amp, which much of the time need work, and then pay someone to add gain stages, effects loop, etc? Presumably it's that vintage vibe you want, which IMHO is lost once you get it up to the gain levels of modern amps. I don't understand the thinking behind this.

Gary

[Slipperman]

We have one of these kicking around here as often as not(belongs to one of the staff).

I'm pretty sure ours WAS modded by somebody at some point(I can find out) because it has CRAZY preamp gain and sounds much more "modern"(for lack of a better term) than my JCM800/2204.

It's a VERY good sounding head for a ton of stuff. Love it with the 260watt 800 slant cab. which I think has Rola Celestions in it. I dunno, I get 'em confused these days. Getting old.

SM.

[Cary Chilton]

Just a question. Why would you want to mod a vintage amp? In other words, why pay the premium price for a vintage amp, which much of the time need work, and then pay someone to add gain stages, effects loop, etc? Presumably it's that vintage vibe you want, which IMHO is lost once you get it up to the gain levels of modern amps. I don't understand the thinking behind this.

Gary

You might not want to mod it at all. If the sound is what you want, then perfect. It usually takes 2-5 months before you really know with a new amp.. Vintage MArshall amps sell for great cash, if they're 72 or earlier, particularly the plexi era. 75-79 jmp not so much. Not yet anyway.

BTW the mods I was speaking of is just bring a JMP a little closer to a 79 jmp -82 jcm NOT a typical hotrodded jcm. Basically the same sounding amp, just a wee bit more without sounding modern, bloated overly compressed.

[G. Hoffman]

Pre-amp tubes may or may not need to be replace - the caps almost certainly will, unless they have already done or it has been used on a nightly basis since it was built. (Electrolytic caps are odd; the more you use them, the longer they last. When you use the amp, the charge in the caps reforms the dielectric. Let them sit around too much, it drys out and the cap dies.) The only absolute is that something has to be done about that power cable, which just is not safe. But do make sure the iron is in good shape. If that thing has been living in a humid environment, the transformers and the choke may have rusted, which can cause shorts. That means replacing the iron, and that means $$. If the iron is in good shape, everything else can be fixed pretty easily.


Gabriel

[otek]

One thing you may want to check out is what happened to the mains selector socket. The cap with the pins on it is apparently missing, and I hear those can be hard to find. Someone apparently made some mods along the way, judging by the attachment of the power cord, and one must assume the amp at least works this way. But it doesn't hurt to check it out nonetheless.


otek

[Mixboy2105]

Thanks everyone.

Slippy : your endorsement doesn't make it any easier for me :)

I asked the seller :

It's going for MYR6000 about US$1860.

The mains selector and power cord do look suspicious. Will investigate more.

[Tim Armstrong]

I got a 50-watt Mk II JMP head from a pawn shop in Fort Collins, Colorado for $300 back in 1995. Sure wish I'd kept it!

:Confused:

Tim

[TheNetStudio]

One thing you may want to check out is what happened to the mains selector socket. The cap with the pins on it is apparently missing, and I hear those can be hard to find. Someone apparently made some mods along the way, judging by the attachment of the power cord, and one must assume the amp at least works this way. But it doesn't hurt to check it out nonetheless.


otek

If it's been modded... Which is very likely, it won't be cheap to get it back to stock.

You're probably going to be spending more money on it when you get the thing. You might want to account for the liklihood that you'll be dumping more money into it, to get it where you want it.

You'll also be surprised how much different tubes can change the sound. I found a place that let me try a few different brands before I decided. It was pretty amazing how different tube brands can affect the sound - not just the pre-amp tubes, but the power tubes especially.

It's worth it though. I have loved all the MKIIs I have owned.

[weedywet]

true

I don't LIKE JJ EL34s for example

all my Hiwatts have SED "winged C's"

preamp tubes are much LESS important, but still obviously matter



and by the way:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Vintage-Bulgin-AC-Receptacles-Marshall-Hiwatt-3-pin_W0QQitemZ150429998070QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_Def aultDomain_0?hash=item2306539bf6#ht_1215wt_941

[binaural turbine]

you should pretty much treat any marshall from that era like a girl you meet in a Thailand bar. Check under the hood first. :lol:

marshall quality control being subject to typical british electrical engineering expertise (Lucas, prince of darkness anybody?) and the fact that it is nearing the halfway point of its 4th decade, and the amazingly obvious change to the mains power cord absolutely scream for a chassis pull. If the buyer in the slightest way at all resists this most basic and reasonable entreaty, pass and don't look back.

[blackieC]

Behold, I am Blackie, crusher of dreams.

That amp would be totally worth it if it were in top to middling condition and not in need of immediate surgery*.



* It is not and does.


Get out a calculator. Enter price of amp. Add cost of shipping. Add cost of transformers. Add cost of a proper (and safe) power jack. Add cost of Caps. (both trannys and caps will be a doozy) Add cost of bench time for a tech to install said trannys and caps and to troubleshoot whatever other goblins are hiding in a head that has apparently been half-assed maintained. Forget about the cost of tubes. That is like wondering if the used car you are buying will need gas.

Now, hit the total key.

If it still seems like a good deal, then I have a DEAL on a bridge for YOU!

Behold!

I am Blackie!

CRUSHER OF DREAMS!



I don't really mean to be such a dick, but I prefer that people learn from my bad experiences and go into these deals with eyes wide open.

[MGMc]

And then it's still going to be too fucking loud unless you're touring sports arenas. And too fucking heavy unless you've got roadies.

[blackieC]

And then it's still going to be too fucking loud unless you're touring sports arenas. And too fucking heavy unless you've got roadies.

Pussy.

[MGMc]

Hey, I may be rockin' combo amps these days but at least I'm still gigging. :finger::Wink::fingerlefty:

[John Eppstein]

Behold, I am Blackie, crusher of dreams.

That amp would be totally worth it if it were in top to middling condition and not in need of immediate surgery*.



* It is not and does.


Get out a calculator. Enter price of amp. Add cost of shipping. Add cost of transformers. Add cost of a proper (and safe) power jack. Add cost of Caps. (both trannys and caps will be a doozy) Add cost of bench time for a tech to install said trannys and caps and to troubleshoot whatever other goblins are hiding in a head that has apparently been half-assed maintained. Forget about the cost of tubes. That is like wondering if the used car you are buying will need gas.

Now, hit the total key.

If it still seems like a good deal, then I have a DEAL on a bridge for YOU!

Behold!

I am Blackie!

CRUSHER OF DREAMS!



I don't really mean to be such a dick, but I prefer that people learn from my bad experiences and go into these deals with eyes wide open.

Blackie, what makes you think that it's gonna need transformers? Caps and tubes, yes, almost certainly, but transformers didn't burn out THAT often - it's not a Major, after all. Although if it does that's probably around $250 a pop, $500 total, give or take a hundred......

[G. Hoffman]

Blackie, what makes you think that it's gonna need transformers? Caps and tubes, yes, almost certainly, but transformers didn't burn out THAT often - it's not a Major, after all. Although if it does that's probably around $250 a pop, $500 total, give or take a hundred......


The thing lives in Malaysia. Now, I'm no expert on the region, but given what 85% humidity does to guitar strings and pickups....well, lets just say it seems like there would be a high likely hood, in an amp so poorly maintained, of some problems with the iron being a wee be corroded. But hey, maybe it was always used in a air conditioned hotel or something.

It might not need the transformers replaced, of course, and one can hope, but with that power cable - I wouldn't want to trust to hope.


Gabriel

[John Eppstein]

You do have a point - but San Francisco (with our notorious fog) ain't exactly dry.......

I'd say an inspection of the chassis would be in order before making an irrevocable commitment.

[Cary Chilton]

You do have a point - but San Francisco (with our notorious fog) ain't exactly dry.......

I'd say an inspection of the chassis would be in order before making an irrevocable commitment.


Most places I have vacated toin SE Asia, Malaysia felt comparatively pretty dry.

[Bivouac]

And then it's still going to be too fucking loud unless you're touring sports arenas. And too fucking heavy unless you've got roadies.

I run my hundred watter through a 2x12 and play clubs very effectively. Then again, I also prefer to run mine pretty clean, which is kind of sacrilege to the typical cliche Marshall crowd.

Great amps, but '76 is kind of a weird year, though. They were right in the middle of transitioning to a bunch of different kinds of parts and very few of those amps are exactly the same.

[MGMc]

Just giving my personal dos pesos, based on what I like, what I don't like, and the fact that I'm a pussy. :D

[omikl]

Yeah. Humidity here's usually in the 60-70% range.

This amp probbaly needs a lot of TLC though. The jamming studios here run amps flat out and do the bare minimum to keep 'em semi servicable. There are a lot of Marshalls form this era knocking around KL, usually with weird speakers in 'em and the weirdest arrangement of "we stucking whatever we could find on Jalan Pasar" tubes in 'em.

I think Galeri Gitar in Ampang has a JMP Mk II head at the moment, along with a SF Twin Reverb hacked down into a head box. Trouble is that courtesy of the internet people's perception of value is skewed. I was looking at a re-finished '76 Strat with most of the harware non-original and an iffy re-fret earlier this week, asking price US$3750.

[John Eppstein]

Trouble is that courtesy of the internet people's perception of value is skewed. I was looking at a re-finished '76 Strat with most of the harware non-original and an iffy re-fret earlier this week, asking price US$3750.

No shit! Somebody is seriously delusional and should probably be committed for their own good. $500, max. $400 would be good.

[MKZ]

No shit! Somebody is seriously delusional and should probably be committed for their own good. $500, max. $400 would be good.

is that for any mid- to late 70s strat or do you say that based on the information given?

I'm no expert but, I wouldn't think you could find a 70s strat for less than 750€ in europe. (but I might be completely mistaken)

But yeah, that 3000USD plus price tag in that particular case seems fucked. Maybe if it was a 60s one that was "well preserved" ?

[otek]

Jalan Pasar

And here I was wondering what's the equivalent of Radio Shack in Malaysia. :D


otek

[omikl]

Ah, Jalan Pasar ("Market Street" dalam bahasa ingerris) is what I refer to as "The Electronics quarter". There are about 30 or so stores on a shorte stretch of road that all sell some combination of tools, electronics components, electrical components, cheap PA, Karaoke, & DJ gear, lighting, or car accessories.

When I needed a replacement power supply for a Mesa V-Twin (220V AC to 18V AC with a non-standard barrel connector), I found one on Jalan Pasar in about the fourth store I tried and it cost less than 8 bucks US. It will come as no suprise that the local Behringer importer can be found on Jalan Pasar ;)

[John Eppstein]

is that for any mid- to late 70s strat or do you say that based on the information given?

I'm no expert but, I wouldn't think you could find a 70s strat for less than 750€ in europe. (but I might be completely mistaken)

But yeah, that 3000USD plus price tag in that particular case seems fucked. Maybe if it was a 60s one that was "well preserved" ?

The point is that the guitar isn't really a '70s Strat anymore, is it? '70s Strats weren't all that great to begin with, on the whole - that was the pit of CBS fucking up Fender's QC. Yes, a lot of them are fetching premium prices now from people who don't know any better, but this one has been messed with. Just because some fool might be willing to pay real money for it doesn't mean that you should. IMO you could do a lot better with a new instrument.

[G. Hoffman]

IMO you could do a lot better with a new instrument.


Unquestionably.


Gabriel

[Mixboy2105]

Yeah. Humidity here's usually in the 60-70% range.

This amp probbaly needs a lot of TLC though. The jamming studios here run amps flat out and do the bare minimum to keep 'em semi servicable. There are a lot of Marshalls form this era knocking around KL, usually with weird speakers in 'em and the weirdest arrangement of "we stucking whatever we could find on Jalan Pasar" tubes in 'em.

Glad you could chime in Steve. Ah ... we're putting Malaysia on the world map (for the right reasons I hope).

Visited the owner and took the JMP for a test run. Didn't spend much time. Here's why :

Inputs II not working. Presence/Mid/Treble knobs either not working or responding poorly. I've only played Ceriatone clones, so I do not know what the real eq response is.

The current owner is a hobbyist (there was a previous owner) and was pretty ignorant about the fact his inputs and eq controls were broken. Cant' blame him though (omikl will understand the local mentality).

For all its faults the amp on Input I sounded great.

He'll have to send it for quite a lot of work before I'd even consider it selleable.

I think Galeri Gitar in Ampang has a JMP Mk II head at the moment, along with a SF Twin Reverb hacked down into a head box. Trouble is that courtesy of the internet people's perception of value is skewed. I was looking at a re-finished '76 Strat with most of the harware non-original and an iffy re-fret earlier this week, asking price US$3750.

Saw a Mesa MKIIC+ going for RM15,000. That's around US$4,400. Ridonkulous.