Hi guys -

First question - what digital camera do you guys use - or moreso, what do you recommend. I was looking for a cheap and good solution since mine is 1.3megapixel and doesn't store that many shots and has no media card. The flash sucks, and there is no zoom. I was looking at a vivitar for $98 that is 3.1mp, but not sure about what the best bang for the buck is. Really don't want to spend more than $150-$200.

Second - - I'm thinking about getting a Marshall combo and dumping some pedals. I would then put all modulation in the FX loop and maybe only keep the TIM. I always remember the JCM800 having the best distortion and cutting the mix like a knife. I'm looking at old 4215s which are the 2205 in a 112 format.
Issues -
- I've not played one and maybe the tone of the openback combo is going to suck compared to the 4x12 of yesteryear.

- maybe the FXloop of 1985 will be as bad as I remember. BUT maybe the ebtech level adjuster thing will work perfect here

I'm also thinking of the TSL601, which is a 60w combo with 3 channels. - I've not tried this either - any experience with new Marshall? I've heard there are some QC issues, but I hope that is more with Valvestate and not their JCM2000 line??

I also wonder what the clean tones from these Marshalls are. I've heard a TSL and thought it was pretty nice - of course it was a guy at GC playing a full stack, so take that with a grain of salt. I remember the 800's sucking, but maybe well placed EQ could help that.

OK - there's my brain dump. Any and all thoughts appreciated!

I would get a head and a 1x12 cab or maybe a 2x12 cab that is sealed back. That way you can have a small package or plug into a 4x12 when you want to.

I recently coverted my Rivera 1x12 combo into a head and now use it with a couple of 1x12 cabs and ocassionaly a 4x12 cab. It is much lighter this way as well. (the combo weighed around 65lbs)

As far as a Digital camera I use a Canon Elph. It uses a compact flash and has a pretty good flash. The zoom is limited but the camera is very small and will fit in a shirt pocket or pants pocket.

How about on closeups of say ciruit boards or dings in pedals/guitars for when I sell things?

I like the idea of heads for versatility, but for size of rig, I like combos. I've got a 1936 212 and it would be too big for most of my gigs.

John you need to sell the TIM to me to fund your new camera purchase.

With a camera, IMHO the #1 thing you should look for is the quality of the lens (both in terms of glass quality and speed), and ergonomics/picture quality. Megapixels and zooms are the "sexy" numbers that sell cameras, but if the lens is garbage, what difference does it make? Some cheapo cameras can't even take pictures indoors - the lens is so slow (aperture doesn't go wide enough) that you have to use the flash all the time... but when you use the flash, everything looks overexposed. So you turn off the flash, but then everything looks dark.

Alright you're probably wondering what does slow/fast mean in terms of a lens... a lens will have an "F" number, like it may say F4.2 or F2.1. In general, the lower the F number, the better. It means that the shutter (the "hole" that light goes through) can open wider, which means the camera will have a wider range of shots it can capture, flash or otherwise.

Zoom-wise, anything more than 3x is a gimmick. I do photography/videography on the side (to fund my gear lust), with a still camera I never carry anything more than a 3x zoom (35>105mm). Most of the time I use a fixed 50mm lens (i.e. no zoom, or you zoom with your feet A 10x zoom sounds great, but think of the usable range of that zoom - at the low end (the wide angle) the angle is SO wide that it's really only usable when you're trying to take a family reunion photo with 30 people in the frame. Try to take normal picture and everything will look slightly fisheyed and distorted. Conversely, at the high end (max zoom) you better hope the camera has a great lens since you'll need a fast shutter speed to overcome your hand shaking.

The camera mode that will come in most handy when taking is a macro mode. Make sure the camera has this function - it allows you to zoom in real close with extreme precision. Otherwise taking snapshots of FX and PCBs (or anything closer than say 1ft) will be an exercise in frustration. The macro mode is usually designated with a little flower, or ask the salesperson.

The other thing to look for is if the camera itself works for you - if all the functions you need/like to use are buried in menus, and you have to spend all your time scrolling through the screen and pushing tiny buttons, it will be frustrating to use. Also the camera should have a manual mode (hopefully) - most automatic modes are useless when it comes to taking close-ups.

Given that your budget is relatively low, I would go to a store (a REAL camera store, not a place like Best Buy or Target) and try out all the models in your price range. Don't be afraid to ask questions and don't be pressured into buying more crap than you actually need (bigger memory cards, pouches, bags, cleaners, etc.) Play around with the cameras, then write down the model numbers of the ones that work for you ergonomically and research their picture quality on the 'net a little. Then go back and make your purchase. Yeah, I know it sounds like a lot of work for a cheap camera, but a bit of effort now will save you a lot of frustration down the road.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: davei,

Hi John I have had some of the newer marshalls The 1st one I had was the TSL122 2x12 combo I regret getting rid of that but that has a lot of great features. I had the the TSL601 but that was nothing like the TSL122 and did not care for it.

For DSL series I had the DSL401 it was ok and runs real hot, and last I had the DSL50 head great amp plenty of power with classic and modern marshall tones. I got rid of that because wanted to go back to pedals and clean amp and needed the money.

Thanks so much for the info guys. Excellent stuff here!

JL - 212s would be a bit much for my needs. What about the 601 did you not dig?

It just sounded muddy to me when I used it at a gig but honestly I did not spend a whole lot of time with it so I returned it while I could but who knows with some time it could still sound good.

quote:

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Originally posted by John_M:
I was looking at a vivitar for $98 that is 3.1mp, but not sure about what the best bang for the buck is. Really don't want to spend more than $150-$200.

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The Canon PowerShot A75 is a nice digital camera; its awesome for the price. They sell like hotcakes at a local pro camera shop here. Even the cheapest Canon pisses all over the cheapies: Vivitar, Fugi etc. It has a nice lens and the shots have excellent colour balance while cams such as the Olympus Stylus digital often takes shots with a blue tinge. The images tend to be really sharp. The digital Elph is also really good if you want something super compact.

John just say screw it and get one of these:
http://www.metroamp.com/store/product_info.php?cPath=56&products_id=243

Hi John,

First of all, I'm happy to know that you got through your ordeal, I wish you well bro!

My buddy just picked up a DSL 401 and seems to like it. He hasn't noticed any problems with it yet or any over-heating. However, he does not play out and doesn't have it on for long periods of time. Anyways, he really likes the tone alot. I bet that amp would sound much better with an upgraded speaker.

To both Johns.

I just picked up a DSL 50 head. This is a bit of a twist for me because I'm so used to playing through Fenders. I wanted something different this time around and it was a good move. I'm very happy with this head, I like both channels, they cover alot of territory. The only other Marshall I've owned in the past was the JCM 900 4100 100 watt head. It wasn't too bad, but the DSL 50 sounds MUCH, MUCH better, I'm really impressed with this amp!

Also, the TSL heads are the ones that are more prone to reliability issues. To boot, the DSL's IMO sound better too.

About cabs...Well, I initially picked up what you have John M, a 1936 2 x 12 cab. BTW, I think that cabinet would not be too much for you, especially if you get casters for it!

Playing through the 1936 cab at home, I wasn't thrilled with the tone. I didn't know what the deal was and kept at it. Then I remembered when I bought the amp, I had played it through a half stack, the 1960A cab. So, I went back to the store and A/B'd both cabs. Well, obviously the 1960A was the clear winner so I came home with that. I don't know if the 1936 had something wrong with it, which could very be. They did not have another to compare it to, so I just took the 1960A. I really wanted the 1936 to work out because of the easier portability. I had one with my older Marshall and I liked it...who knows?? The 4 x 12 1960A is a friggin' MONSTA!!! With monster tone! I don't know if I will be gigging with the Marshall, but I am totally loving it! I would like to hear this baby live.

Thanks Troy -

Man, a half stack is definitely not in the cards again. Haven't gigged one of those in 14 or 15 years! The tone is there I'm sure!

quote:

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Originally posted by guysmy:
The Canon PowerShot A75 is a nice digital camera; its awesome for the price. They sell like hotcakes at a local pro camera shop here. Even the cheapest Canon pisses all over the cheapies: Vivitar, Fugi etc. It has a nice lens and the shots have excellent colour balance while cams such as the Olympus Stylus digital often takes shots with a blue tinge. The images tend to be really sharp. The digital Elph is also really good if you want something super compact.

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Just bought an A75 myself. Seemed like the best I could find in my price range.

Sorry, don't know jack about Marshall amps...