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I have yet to get a good tone out of the JCM-800


357mag
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In the X3 the JCM-800 sounded just great. What's up with that amp now? I got HD Pro X and the JCM-800 just sounds farty and too distorted and overdriven. Have not had any real success with that amp so far?

 

I'm looking for a good solid rock/metal tone ala Zakk Wylde, Scorpions, etc that is hi gain but yet clear and maintains transparancy.

 

I'm using a Japanese Strat.

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I was having trouble as well on the JCM 800.

 

Using an SG setting on my Variax and trying to get it as jangly sounding as the guitar on the left speaker:

 

 

I can do it in Guitar Rig's JCM 800 but not the HD's.

 

And yes that's what he's using to get that sound, SG into a JCM 800.

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A Japanese strat ?  Your pickups are most likely not helping you.  It's not hard to buy a good replacement pickup and solder it in.  It's also not expensive either.  The biggest thing is finding the right replacement pickup.  Don't buy the first thing you see or what the guy behind the counter needs to get rid of.  Hopefully someone here can give a suggestion for a pickup.  I personally use Di'Marzio on every guitar I have, but I don't have a strat and I mostly play hi-gain music.

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I have a japanese strat.. and yes they are better than Mexican made....

not really better than USA... although not far inferior either...

 

but the pickups are never cited as a strength for a MIJ strat...

rarely cited as an issue either...

but the wax potting on mine had deteriorated and required them to be potted again...

in the interest of keeping it original...  although i did consider an upgrade.

 

Geez...Japanese Strats put American Strats to shame in case you didn't know. Plus I'm using Dimarzio and Duncan pickups in there along with a Callaham bridge and block.

 

Geez...

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Wow that struck a nerve.  As Rlblues said, I was just trying to help.  I've been though my fair share of different pickups and they can effect tone greatly.  I wasn't knocking the Japanese made strat, they play great.  But atleast for a while they sometimes used the Fujigen made pickups which may not help you with the tone you're looking for.

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In the X3 the JCM-800 sounded just great. What's up with that amp now? I got HD Pro X and the JCM-800 just sounds farty and too distorted and overdriven. Have not had any real success with that amp so far?

 

I'm looking for a good solid rock/metal tone ala Zakk Wylde, Scorpions, etc that is hi gain but yet clear and maintains transparancy.

 

I'm using a Japanese Strat.

 

What kind of amplification are you using? I guess that doesn't really matter, if you are comparing what you liked in the X3 vs the new HD models. But it does seem to make a big difference. Running studio/direct? Or going into fx return of an amp in combo or stack poweramp mode?>

 

I use my HD500 with a DT25, and every single amp model sounds better through that amp than through any other device, and I've tried many, many options to amplify this thing. I also tend to prefer the combo/poweramp version, with no mic modeling.

 

Check the mic settings, dig into the various options that exist on the HD500 that did not exist in the X3. 

Also, as someone noted in a previous comment, set the inputs to different sources, that seems to alter the overall "fill" of the tone.

More headroom possibly, allowing greater volume before breakup. IE, set input 1 to "guitar" and set input 2 to "variax" 

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Regarding Japanse made instruments, of all my gear, my favorite guitar is a made-in Japan Fender acoustic guitar that I paid $20 to buy, spent around $150 repairing it. Beautiful tone, plays fantastic.

 

Can't comment on electric guitars, but I wouldn't dismiss something as being in any way inferior for being Japanse!

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What amp am I using? I'm using the JCM-800 in the POD. That's what you do. You plug your guitar into the POD. I don't use the POD with an amp. Why would you do that? The POD is an amp emulator. You plug your guitar into the POD and make a preset based on the amp models available. 

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What amp am I using? I'm using the JCM-800 in the POD. That's what you do. You plug your guitar into the POD. I don't use the POD with an amp. Why would you do that? The POD is an amp emulator. You plug your guitar into the POD and make a preset based on the amp models available. 

 

seriously? people go out of their way to help with your question and you want to be a smarta$$? Figure out your own lollipope from now on...

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Who is being a smart a...? I said I'm trying to get a good sound out of the JCM-800 and then someone asked me what amp I'm using. That's not being a smart a... and I apologize if I'm being misinterpreted. The amp is the JCM-800. Not trying to be a jerk but I get the feeling you guys are using your POD's in a way different manner than I am.

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I use mine with my DT50 2x12 amp because it offers seamless.integration between pod and DT. But I can see your point as it is a pain to use it for anything other than fx with most other amps (there are some other exclusions as well.) If you will look up the POD amp Gallery you will see that they didnt model a 100w jcm 800 ( i believe the amp tone your craving is the 2203 ) which is not the one modeled in the POD.

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ok, I apologize.  Of course the POD is an amp sim but you still have to run the output through something physical, tube or SS amp, PA, L series, combo, stack, etc.  That's what the Colonel was asking.  Different output settings used with various gear can also have a big effect on the final tone. 

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I too have a cheap Japanese strat "clone" that I bought many years ago (24), but even though I think it's a good guitar in general, the stock pickups and the electrical components are not that great.  I have had to replace the pots once and sooner or later I probably should do that again...

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I can't say that I really try to match someone elses tone with a particular amp model.  I just try to get the sound I want to hear.  I think the JCM800 can be a brutal amp in the right patch.  If you have a DT and a JTV, give this one a try and see what you think.  You can always turn off the alt tuning and JTV model in the mixer tab with HD Edit it you don't want it.  I uploaded a few other alt tunings to match the extras on a JTV89 to CustomTone too if you like it.

 

Comments welcome.

 

http://line6.com/customtone/tone/632246/

http://line6.com/customtone/profile/radatats/

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I use the JCM800 with a Custom Shop 1960 Relic Strat and get a great tone, similar to Blink 182 on 'All The Small Things' not a million miles away from what you're looking for. I did struggle until I learned to use the cab lo cut parameter

 

Here's my settings:

 

Strat Bridge pickup (Hand Wound Abby Ybarra Texas Special) with Tone Control rolled back to 6

 

PODHD500X:

 

Input1 source : Guitar

Input 2 source: Same

Guitar In Z: Auto

 

Mixer: Path A: Center 0db Path B: Center: 0db

 

Amp: Brit J-800

Drive: 33%

Bass:44%

Mid: 100%

Treble: 72%

Presence: 59%

Channel Vol: 95%

E.R: 14%

Master: 72%

 

Mic: 57 off Axis

 

Cab: 4x12 Brit T-75

Amp parameters all 50% (except master vol)

Cab parameter all default EXCEPT Lo Cut = 120Hz

 

Effects:

 

Noise Gate:

Decay 50%

Thresh: 38%

 

Mid Focus EQ:

HP Freq: 55%

HP Q: 43%

LP Freq: 47%

LP Q: 44%

Gain: 52%

 

Reverb: Plate

Decay 60%

Pre-Delay: 0%

Tone 55%

Mix 6%

 

Voilá: tone of the Gods!

 

Gazza

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Hey there 357 - was fooling around with the JCM-800 model yesterday so here goes for the Scorps at least:

 

The amp model on its own won't cut it, you need to put a distortion block in front and pump the gain on that up (at the least a TS in front). I set the JCM's gain ~ 85% and the Dist Heavy ~ 75% into a digital delay 225 ms, ~ 40% mix (IRRC I used the XXL 4x12 cab also - S57 off axis mic). Start with that and then add in a red comp, noise gate for fine tuning, EQ when you can depending on your setup. Sounded fine jamming with Big City :)

 

edit: comp->Dist->amp->delay->

 

Try it with a humbucker in the bridge too - single coils just seem thin. If you haven't already you can use a push/pull pot and use a coil tap to go back to single coils tones.

 

That should get you in the ball park.

 

Love the Scorps!

Bill

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ok, I apologize.  Of course the POD is an amp sim but you still have to run the output through something physical, tube or SS amp, PA, L series, combo, stack, etc.  That's what the Colonel was asking.  Different output settings used with various gear can also have a big effect on the final tone. 

 

You don't have to run the output through any external amp or PA. The POD is a self-contained practice amp emulator. I plug my guitar into it and then plug my headphones into it and I'm done. I have it connected to my computer thru USB for recording purposes, but other than that I just plug into it and play.

 

Far as I know that's what they were designed for. I guess if a person wanted to they could bring it to a gig and use it in conjuction with an real guitar amp, but I don't use it in that manner. 

 

I think the POD outperforms an amp for people like me who live in apartments and can't play through an amp loud. The POD has awesome sound and amps in it.

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