Specs
Tubes: Four EL34 and one ECC83 in power amp, four ECC83 in preamp
Output: 100 watts at 4, 8, or 16 Ω
Channels: Clean, crunch, OD1, OD2
Controls: Independent volume, 3-band EQ, gain, and noise gate threshold controls for each channel; two footswitchable master volumes plus master reverb resonance and presence controls
Additional Features: Series FX loop, footswitchable parallel FX loop with return level, balanced XLR line out with speaker emulation, MIDI switching, 6-button LED footswitch
Ratings
Pros: Strong, well-defined clean tones are among the best that Marshall has produced. OD1 and OD2 can cover many rock, vintage, and modern metal applications by themselves.
Cons: Hot pickups can muddy up rhythm tones while in the red modes of OD1 and OD2.
Tones:
Ease of Use:
Build/Design:
Value:
Street: $2,399
marshallamps.com
Joe Satriani’s signature 100-watt JVM410HJS builds upon the jack-of-all-trades JVM410H, and is designed to deliver five decades’ worth of Marshall tones from a single head. Its four channels each feature dedicated EQ, gain, and volume controls, as well as three gain modes, individual noise gates with threshold controls, global presence and resonance knobs, and two footswitchable master volumes. Per Satch’s request, the clean channel’s green mode is voiced to match the Marshall 6100 model, the Crunch channel’s circuit has been modified for slightly more gain, and a mid-shift button has been added to the OD1 and OD2 channels. The MIDI interface and included 6-button footswitch are completely programmable for instant recall of channel and effects-loop assignments, as well as mid-shifting and noise gating.
With a Les Paul Standard driving it, the JVM410HJS’ clean channel has great high-end range and solid low end. Green mode conjures old non-master volume Marshalls like the JTM45 and disables the gain control, though that returns post- EQ in the other two clean modes. The crunch channel introduces plexi-era tones that made Marshall a household name, delivering a sweet and succulent midrange across all three gain modes with a low noise floor. Here, you can easily cover everything from classic Cream to late-’80s Guns N’ Roses.
OD1 and OD2 channels are based on the JVM410’s OD1 channel, with a bit more gain added to help lead work cut through. Their focused midrange, aggressive voicing, and tight lows make them ideal for soaring leads and classic power and thrash styles, à la Slayer and Testament. In red mode, hotter pickups tend to muddy the midrange with gain settings higher than 2 o’clock, but the mid-shift button helps clear up the congestion. Both channels maximize clarity, sustain, and detail with preamp gain around 1 o’clock and the master volume relatively high. And a good set of mid-output pickups can reward you with some of the sweetest lead tones Marshall has produced to date.
Watch Ola Englund demo the amp:
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