Marshall JVM205C

Guitar combo

Gone are the days when Marshall users simply ran a hand across the dials and turned everything up to 10 to get that classic Rock sound (tinnitus included). The JVM205 is nominally a 50-watt amplifier with two channels, but it also has a lot more to offer than appearances suggest.Let’s start with the most important thing: The sound.

Besides having a great clean sound (Clean/Crunch channel in “green” mode), this amplifier is a quintessential Marshall and as such gives you everything from vintage Plexi-style sounds through to modern high-gain tones. Another sound you can get is a rather atypical but great-sounding “American” clean sound that other British amps rarely produce.

What do the colours mean? Let us explain. The Clean/Crunch channel features three variations: Green, orange, and red (which may well be familiar from other Marshall products). The orange setting takes the sound in a Plexi direction, while red produces a crunchy 1980s-style sound.

The Overdrive channel continues where the Clean/Crunch channel left off and provides gain in every dimension – with Marshall’s characteristic bite and no muddiness. A tamer, more creamy sound is also easy to dial in if you prefer, however. On top of all this, a programmable four-way footswitch is included that can be used to control all of the amplifier’s switching functions.

Being a 2x12“ combo, the JVM205 provides an ideal compromise between a (physically and sonically) compact 1x12” combo and the inevitable 4x12” cabinet. If a single speaker is too thin-sounding but a 4x12” is just too ferocious, this amplifier provides the best of both worlds and delivers a great sound with outstanding flexibility at a fair price.

• 2 x 12" speaker
• 50W
• 2 Channels (without semiconductor in the signal path)
• 6 Basic sounds via relay switch
• 2 Effect loops
• Emulated Line Out
• 2 Master volumes
• Reverb
• Programmable 4-way footswitch
• All switch functions controllable via MIDI