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Average Price: $1,729

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$300

$801+

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Description

Unleash your sonic potential with the Marshall JCM800 2205 50-Watt Amplifier Head, a true rock 'n' roll legend. Revered for over three decades, this powerhouse delivers the iconic Marshall tone, with a punchy and dynamic sound that has the ability to cut through any mix. Its two-channel design offers both clean and overdriven tones, making it a versatile choice for any musician. With a three-band EQ on the Boost channel and two-band on the Normal, you're given complete control over your sound. Its onboard spring reverb and effects loop provide a full, unapologetic tone from the moment you start playing. Experience the unmatched quality and performance that has made the JCM800 2205 a staple in the music industry.

Key Features:

  • 50-Watt amplifier head
  • Two-channel design with clean and overdriven channels
  • Three-band EQ on the Boost channel
  • Two-band EQ on the Normal channel
  • Onboard spring reverb
  • Effects loop for added versatility

Product specs

Brand Marshall
Model JCM 800 Lead Series Model 2205 2-Channel 50-Watt Head
Finish Black
Year 1980s
Made In United Kingdom
Categories Guitar Heads
Built-In Effects Built-In Effects
Color Family Black
Electronics Tube
Impedance 16 ohms, 4 ohms, 8 ohms
Number of Channels 2 Channels
Number of Inputs 1 Input
Output Power (Watts) 50
Power Tube Type EL34
Reverb Spring Reverb

FAQs

What are the core tonal characteristics of the Marshall JCM800 2205 50-Watt Amplifier Head?

The JCM800 2205 is known for its aggressive sound with a strong midrange punch, making it ideal for rock and metal genres. It offers a classic British tone with a distinct overdrive that is both powerful and articulate.

Is the Marshall JCM800 2205 suitable for gigging?

Yes, the Marshall JCM800 2205, with its 50-watt output, is powerful enough for live performances in medium to large venues. Its robust tube-driven sound ensures your guitar cuts through the mix effectively.

Does the Marshall JCM800 2205 take pedals well?

The JCM800 2205 is renowned for its compatibility with guitar pedals, especially overdrive and distortion pedals, enhancing its tonal versatility. The amp's clean and high-gain channels can handle effects pedals effectively, making it a favorite among guitarists.

What type of power tubes does the Marshall JCM800 2205 use?

The Marshall JCM800 2205 uses EL34 power tubes, which contribute to its classic British tone, offering a warm, dynamic sound with plenty of headroom and natural compression.

How does the reverb sound on the Marshall JCM800 2205?

The JCM800 2205 features a spring reverb that provides a classic, vintage-style ambiance. It's subtle yet adds depth to your sound, suitable for a variety of musical styles.

Buffalo Music and Guitars

Buffalo Music and Guitars

1983 Marshall JCM800 2205 50 Watt Guitar Head Quick Demo

Video thumbnail for 1983 Marshall JCM800 2205 50 Watt Guitar Head Quick Demo by Buffalo Music and Guitars

1983 Marshall JCM800 2205 50 Watt Guitar Head Quick Demo

Buffalo Music and Guitars

Buffalo Music and Guitars

Video thumbnail for Marshall JCM 800 2205 | The Least Popular JCM 800? by Eric Merrow

Marshall JCM 800 2205 | The Least Popular JCM 800?

Eric Merrow

Eric Merrow

Video thumbnail for Marshall JCM800 2205 50W head. by MSMWorkshop

Marshall JCM800 2205 50W head.

MSMWorkshop

MSMWorkshop

Video thumbnail for Can the Brutal Marshall JCM800 2205 also sound like a PLEXI? by Johan Segeborn

Can the Brutal Marshall JCM800 2205 also sound like a PLEXI?

Johan Segeborn

Johan Segeborn

Video thumbnail for Marshall JCM800 Model 2205 50 Watt Head Split Channel and Reverb Full Service and Demo by Vintage Guitar Amp Repairs & Online Guitar Teacher

Marshall JCM800 Model 2205 50 Watt Head Split Channel and Reverb Full Service and Demo

Vintage Guitar Amp Repairs & Online Guitar Teacher

Vintage Guitar Amp Repairs & Online Guitar Teacher

Reviews

PROS

  • Versatile, covers a range from clean to full overdrive

  • Comparable to the JCM 800 2204 with added versatility

  • Boosts band sound quality significantly

  • Compatible with a variety of overdrive pedals for enhanced sound

  • Superior bass response and clear, sparkling highs

  • Favored by professionals for its tonality

  • Able to mimic iconic sounds, such as Tom Morello’s

  • Outperforms other high-end amps like the Rockerverb and Sovtek models

CONS

Owner Insights

We analyzed real musician discussions from forums and Reddit to find what players love, question, and tweak about Marshall JCM800 2205 50-Watt Amplifier Head.

Features and functionality

  • The JCM800 2205 offers a very usable master volume, making it versatile for different playing environments.

    Source
  • The JCM800 2205 combined with a 4x12 cab like the MF400B, loaded with Celestion G12K-100s, offers deep sound while maintaining midrange clarity.

    Source

User experience

  • Owners with 50W versions find them loud enough for home use, but still too powerful without attenuation.

    Source
  • Playing with the amp's master and channel volumes both set to 10 can reach around 135dB, although this level is not recommended for extended periods without protection.

    Source

Comparisons

  • The 2205 is noted as the most versatile JCM800 model, with a good balance of tone and volume control.

    Source

Use cases and applications

  • For tight metal tones, the master volume sweet spot is around 3-4, avoiding power amp saturation.

    Source
  • 20W versions are recommended for home use, as even these need attenuation to reach their tonal sweet spot.

    Source
  • An attenuator, such as the Marshall Power Brake, is crucial for enjoying cranked tube tone without excessive volume, preserving marital harmony.

    Source

Mods and upgrades

  • Using a Maxon OD808 pedal in front of the amp enhances the tone, particularly for playing riffs like those from Whitesnake and Ratt.

    Source

Build quality

  • The MF400B cabinet, with its 400W capacity, ensures the speakers remain clean without breaking up at high volumes, allowing the amp to control the distortion.

    Source
Add

5.0 out of 5

Based on 2 Reviews and 15 Ratings

5 star
4 star
3 star
2 star
1 star
beckwoodruff

My favorite head I've owned.

Personally, I love the tonality of it. I picked this up after hearing Tom Morello owned this awhile back. Although I use a Marshall cabinet, instead of a Peavey, I can fairly well mimic his sound. It really sounds awesome, and just is awesome. Not much more I can say. If it's in your price range, I would go for this, or a newer JCM.

jimmarchi1

I ahd one of the channel switchin 800s, it may have been a 100 watter, tis been awhile. It was my 1st Marshall and I totally failed to bond with it. I don't know how Tom Morello gets a passable sound out of his, this is amp is like a silver jubilee that needs more R&D. Defintiely enjoyed the 2205 single channel 800 I owned after this POS a lot more. Jim Marshall always said this was his favorite Marshall design, but he was old and senile and must have been confused. You don't find yours to sound tinny on the gain channel and to have completely pointless and unuseable channel switching due to the inability to balance volumes and gain levels satisfactorily between the two modes?

henryjames

Best amp of all time - full stop!

Wow, you will never find a better amp than this! So much balls, so much tone, such a great amp to have in your live rig

boom762
boom762

12239

Have you ever played a Peavey 6505+ ? I've been comparing them against each other this week and would like your impression if you have.

jimmarchi1

@boom762... those 2 amps are not even similar. The Peavey is based on a Soldano SLO100 more or less. The 2 channel JCM800 amps are not even truly 2 channels. They are like the classic 2203 and 2204 single channel 800s only they have switching between the high and low gain inputs. The low gain input/channel skips the 1st tube stage giving you a 4 input marshall JMP topology that will be clean at anything less than ear-splitting levels. On the 2205's the high gain section is like the non-switching JCM's in all but 1 regard; it uses clipping diodes to add more apparent distortion at lower master volume levels. Marshall's idea was to make it so you could get a good crunch tone on the gain channel while still keeping the level well-matched with the clean channel. Its not a great sound, though Tom Morello of RATM and audioslave seems to make it work. Who knows if his 2205 is stock though. I recommend everyone looking for 80s marshall tones get a non-switching JCM800. My 50 watt early 80s 2x12 combo murdered the 100 watt channel switching 800 I owned prior. I did not miss the clean 'channel'.

jimmarchi1

also, this amp is not a high gain amp by modern standards... Mike Soldano changed the rules when he released the SLO100 and every channel switcher since owes his design a huge debt.

henryjames

Can't comment on your Peavey question @boom762. Have played a number of other high gain amps such as the Peavy XXX, and Mesa Single and Dual Rectifiers though and for what I play they come no where close. As I'm sure @jimmarchi1 will agree - There's a certain 'roar' that comes from the 800's, a sound that's so famous for perfectly nailing that rock tone.

Artist usage

Add artist
See how Michael Poulsen uses Marshall JCM800 2205 50-Watt Amplifier Head

Michael Poulsen

Singer, Guitarist

Volbeat

...
Verified via YouTube

In the beginning of this video Michaels tech says "He likes the old 800s" while he is pointing at a Marshall JCM800.

See how John Norum uses Marshall JCM800 2205 50-Watt Amplifier Head

John Norum

Guitarist

Europe

...
Verified via YouTube

John Norum first recorded and toured with a JCM800 2205 when he recorded "The Final Countdown" with Europe in 1986 and toured with them a year afterwards, before leaving the group. They have been his main amps throughout his solo career and he's still using them when touring and recording with the reunited Europe, as can be seen in the 2004 rig rundown video.

"I only use 50 watts because I think they sound... they sing a little bit more than 100 watts, and you don't have to kill the rest of the band with the volume and stuff like that - they think it's pretty loud anyways"

"I have two JCM800s that I brought from USA. They aren’t S-certified (a security certification for electric products from Sweden). They have a volt switch between 110, 220 and 240 and also 4,8 and 16 ohm. The Swedish ones has only 4 and 8 ohm. I usually put them on 240 volts and 16 ohm"

Otherwise, they're completely stock except for John having changed the tubes from EL34s to KT88s, in vein of Richie Blackmore and Mick Ronson.

John can be seen talking about the amps 3:00 into the video.

Fun fact: one of John's 2205s has previously been owned by his idol Michael Schenker, and Norum refused to sell it back when Schenker regretted parting with it!

See how Brant Bjork uses Marshall JCM800 2205 50-Watt Amplifier Head

Brant Bjork

Guitarist, Bassist

Kyuss

...
Verified via YouTube

In the live performance video "Brant Bjork | Live at dunajam 2025 (full concert)" on YouTube, Brant Bjork is seen using the Marshall JCM800 2205 50-Watt Amplifier Head on stage, as documented by the source author quadorb.

See how John Rzeznik uses Marshall JCM800 2205 50-Watt Amplifier Head

John Rzeznik

Singer, Guitarist

Goo Goo Dolls

...
Verified via Ultimate-guitar

Dude, I can't remember; it was almost everything. And we used an old Fender Bassman on a lot of stuff. And an old 50-watt JCM800 and a couple of crazy boutique amps; I found these really bizarre boutique amps.

Ultimate Guitar interview, 2010.

See how Gaz Coombes uses Marshall JCM800 2205 50-Watt Amplifier Head

Gaz Coombes

Singer, Guitarist

Supergrass

...
Verified via Imgur

According this article, Gaz Coombes used, "...a Marshall — an old JCM800, you know, a pure valve one, without any of the busy bits on that they put on them nowadays. You had two inputs and four valves. We've still got it now. Fantastic amp."

See how Ric Ocasek uses Marshall JCM800 2205 50-Watt Amplifier Head

Ric Ocasek

Keyboardist, Composer

The Cars

...
Verified via Dailyeventsbookpagethree

Thinking back to the tone Ric had on those early Cars records, I listened to a few Marshalls myself and the one that sounds the closest to what Ric was using at that time to my ears is the Marshall JMP 2230 50 watt JCM800 - which was amongst the most popular amplifiers in use by most professional rock groups of the period.

"Guitars? My favorite ones are always Gibsons. Fenders like the Jaguar I'll use on stuff like 'My Best Friend's Girl.' clicky stuff where I'm lust playing eighth notes. The Gibsons I like for more distorted, bigger, raw kinds of sounds." One of them is a '54 Fretless Wonder; the others arc mostly late 50s and early 60s Les Paul' TV models he picked up on various Cars tours. Curiously, Ocasek's guitars all come in red, white or black finishes except for a lone acoustic Martin. "I can't use a guitar with a natural finish. I don't like the look of wood guitars." Whatever their color, they all go through a 50-watt Marshall amp. Everything else is plugged straight into the board.

See how Matthew Caws uses Marshall JCM800 2205 50-Watt Amplifier Head

Matthew Caws

Guitarist

Nada Surf

...
Verified via Premierguitar

"My go-to heavy sound is from a Marshall JCM800 50-watt head that I’ve had for years. Live, I always run two Fender-type amps—or Vox-type or Orange or Silvertone—flanking a JCM800. On this last tour in Europe, I had an AC30 on one side and a Deluxe Reverb on the other."

See how Igor Sidorenko uses Marshall JCM800 2205 50-Watt Amplifier Head

Igor Sidorenko

Guitarist

Stoned Jesus

...
Verified via YouTube

You can see the amp head since the min 0:35 from Rio 2017

See how Peter Mengede uses Marshall JCM800 2205 50-Watt Amplifier Head

Peter Mengede

Guitarist

Helmet

...
Verified via Guitar lessons Brisbane, Guitar Lessons Sunnybank

Peter Mengede is associated with the Marshall JCM800 2205 50-Watt Amplifier Head, as noted in the Guitar Lessons Brisbane section of the Sunnybank Studios website.

See how Declan Mehrtens uses Marshall JCM800 2205 50-Watt Amplifier Head

Declan Mehrtens

Guitarist

Amyl and The Sniffers

...
Verified via YouTube

In this youtube video, we can see the amp in the back of Declan at 22:15, I'm not sure if this is a 50 watt head, it looks like a 100 watt head but I can't find it in the equipboard's list

See how Vaden Todd Lewis uses Marshall JCM800 2205 50-Watt Amplifier Head

Vaden Todd Lewis

Singer, Guitarist

Toadies

...
Verified via YouTube

Vaden talks about the amp at 9:40, you can clearly see it says:
“JCM 800 Series.”

See how Dan Vickrey uses Marshall JCM800 2205 50-Watt Amplifier Head

Dan Vickrey

Guitarist

Counting Crows

...
Verified via On the Flip Side

"My other amps include a 1966 Fender Vibrolux, 1982 Marshall JCM800 50-watt head, 1964 Vox AC10, 1964 Vox AC30 TB, Magnitone 280, and 1960 Fender Vibroverb."

Album Usage

The Marshall JCM800 2205 50-Watt Amplifier Head has been featured on the following albums:

Used With

Based on how musicians on Equipboard use Marshall JCM800 2205 50-Watt Amplifier Head, it is most commonly used with the following gear.

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2
Boss PS-6 Harmonist
Boss PS-6 Harmonist Harmonizer & Octave Effects Pedals
1
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1
Boss CE-3 Chorus
Boss CE-3 Chorus Chorus Effects Pedals
1

Community setups

Show yours
dustincomorski

dustincomorski

Gear IQ 346

indecemberofficial

indecemberofficial

Gear IQ 57

1 alternative for Marshall JCM800 2205 50-Watt Amplifier Head, curated by the Equipboard community.

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