All comparisons
Marshall 1959 Super Lead vs Marshall JCM800 2204
Circuit differences, stage by stage, from Gridleak’s verified redraws of both schematics: 21 differences, 27 the same.
What’s different, and why it matters
The 2204 keeps the 1959's cathode follower, a near-identical tone stack (33 kΩ slope resistor, 470 pF treble cap against 500 pF) and the same long-tail-pair phase inverter, but rebuilds the front end: three gain stages in series instead of two, one of them cold-biased on an unbypassed 10 kΩ cathode resistor, and a master volume. The output section drops from four EL34s to two.
- The 1959 Super Lead runs four EL34s and the JCM800 2204 runs two EL34s. With four output tubes to two, the 1959 Super Lead makes more power (the 1959 Super Lead is rated 100 W, the JCM800 2204 50 W), so it stays clean to a higher volume than the JCM800 2204.
- The 1959 Super Lead puts up to two triode gain stages in series before the phase inverter; the JCM800 2204, three. Each stage multiplies the signal, so the JCM800 2204 has more gain available before the power amp.
- The JCM800 2204 has a cold-biased stage (10 kΩ cathode resistor, unbypassed) — it clips one half of the waveform early, which adds the harmonic grind of a hot-rodded preamp.
- The JCM800 2204 has a master volume; the 1959 Super Lead doesn't. With a master, the preamp can be driven into distortion while the output stays at a usable level — without one, distortion comes from turning the whole amp up.
- Negative feedback: 47 kΩ (8 Ω tap) in the 1959 Super Lead, 100 kΩ (speaker output) in the JCM800 2204.
What they share: a long-tail pair phase inverter, the same tone-stack layout with near-identical values, a solid-state rectifier and a cathode follower.
At a glance
| Marshall 1959 Super Lead | Marshall JCM800 2204 |
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| Years | 1965–1981 | 1981–1990 |
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| Origin | UK | UK |
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| Rated power | 100 W | 50 W |
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| Channels | 2 | 1 |
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| Preamp tubes | 3 × ECC83 | 3 × 12AX7 |
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| Power tubes | 4 × EL34 | 2 × EL34 |
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| Rectifier | Solid-state (silicon diodes) | Solid-state (silicon diodes) |
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| Phase inverter | Long-tail pair | Long-tail pair |
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| Master volume | none | Master volume |
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| Effects loop | no | no |
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| Reverb | no | no |
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| Notable players | Jimi Hendrix, Eddie Van Halen, Angus Young, Jimmy Page, Eric Clapton | — |
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Stage by stage
Inputs and channels
| Marshall 1959 Super Lead | Marshall JCM800 2204 |
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| Inputs | 4 | 2 |
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| Channel switching | front panel only / none | front panel only / none |
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| Voicing / power switches | none | none |
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Preamp
| Marshall 1959 Super Lead | Marshall JCM800 2204 |
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| Preamp tubes | 3 × ECC83 | 3 × 12AX7 |
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| Triode gain stages (all channels) | 3 | 3 |
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| Most gain stages in series | 2 | 3 |
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| Gain stage 1 | Normal channel: ECC83 · plate 100 kΩ · cathode 820 Ω, 250 µF bypass; High-treble channel: ECC83 · plate 100 kΩ · cathode 2.7 kΩ, 0.68 µF bypass | 12AX7 · plate 100 kΩ · cathode 2.7 kΩ, 0.68 µF bypass |
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| Gain stage 2 | ECC83 · plate 100 kΩ · cathode 820 Ω, 0.68 µF bypass | 12AX7 · plate 100 kΩ · cathode 10 kΩ, unbypassed |
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| Gain stage 3 | — | 12AX7 · plate 100 kΩ · cathode 820 Ω, unbypassed |
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| Cold-biased stage (clipper) | none | 10 kΩ |
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| Cathode follower | yes | yes |
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| Bright cap(s) | 0.005 µF | 0.001 µF |
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| Coupling caps (preamp) | 0.0022 µF / 0.022 µF | 0.022 µF |
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| Diode clipping | no | no |
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Tone stack
| Marshall 1959 Super Lead | Marshall JCM800 2204 |
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| Type | Treble / bass / middle stack with a slope resistor | Treble / bass / middle stack with a slope resistor |
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| Position | after gain stage 2, driven by a cathode follower; no gain stages after it | after gain stage 3, driven by a cathode follower; no gain stages after it |
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| Slope resistor | 33 kΩ | 33 kΩ |
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| Treble cap | 500 pF | 470 pF |
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| Bass cap | 0.022 µF | 0.022 µF |
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| Middle cap | 0.022 µF | 0.022 µF |
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| Pots | treble 250 kΩ · bass 1 MΩ · middle 25 kΩ | treble 250 kΩ · bass 1 MΩ · middle 25 kΩ |
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| Master volume | none | Master volume |
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Effects
| Marshall 1959 Super Lead | Marshall JCM800 2204 |
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| Effects loop | no | no |
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| Reverb | no | no |
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| Tremolo / vibrato | no | no |
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Phase inverter
| Marshall 1959 Super Lead | Marshall JCM800 2204 |
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| Type | Long-tail pair | Long-tail pair |
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| Tube | ECC83 | 12AX7 |
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| Plate loads | 82 kΩ / 100 kΩ | 82 kΩ / 100 kΩ |
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| Tail / cathode load | 10 kΩ | 10 kΩ |
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| Cathode bias resistor | 470 Ω | 470 Ω |
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| Input coupling cap | 0.022 µF | 0.022 µF |
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| Coupling to power tubes | 0.022 µF | 0.022 µF |
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Feedback
| Marshall 1959 Super Lead | Marshall JCM800 2204 |
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| Negative feedback | yes | yes |
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| Feedback resistor | 47 kΩ | 100 kΩ |
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| Feedback taken from | 8 Ω tap | speaker output |
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| Presence | yes (5 kΩ pot, 0.1 µF cap) | yes (25 kΩ pot, 0.1 µF cap) |
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| Resonance / depth | no | no |
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Power amp
| Marshall 1959 Super Lead | Marshall JCM800 2204 |
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| Power tubes | 4 × EL34 | 2 × EL34 |
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| Configuration | Push-pull, 2 tubes per side in parallel | Push-pull |
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| Bias | Fixed bias | Fixed bias |
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| Screen resistors | 1 kΩ | 1 kΩ |
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| Grid stoppers | 5.6 kΩ / 56 kΩ | 5.6 kΩ |
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Power supply
| Marshall 1959 Super Lead | Marshall JCM800 2204 |
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| Rectifier | Solid-state (silicon diodes) | Solid-state (silicon diodes) |
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| First filter (reservoir) | 100 µF + 100 µF in series | 50 µF |
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| Filter nodes, in order | 100 µF + 100 µF in series → 100 µF + 100 µF in series → 100 µF (2 × 50 µF) → 50 µF → 50 µF | 50 µF → 50 µF → 50 µF → 50 µF → 50 µF |
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| Filter choke | yes | yes (5 H) |
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| Highest DC voltage printed on the drawing | not printed | 470 V |
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| Printed bias voltage | not printed | -57 V |
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