Introduced during the 1980's, the Marshall JCM 800 series added sought-after features to the product line, such as an effects loop and master volume. The look of the head was redesigned, with grille cloth replacing the front Tolex vinyl. A larger logo was also introduced. This cover of a 1980's Marshall full-line catalog shows a good-looking 100-watt half stack: A model 2210 100 watt channel switching lead head powering a model 1960A angled cabinet featuring four G1275 Celestion speakers. The amp features individual gain and EQ controls for each channel, Accutronics footswitchable reverb, effects loop, and a line out with separate gain control.

Cosmetically speaking, the JCM800 models sport larger logos on the heads and speaker cabinets than the earlier JTM models. Another difference is the addition of grille cloth material on the upper two-thirds of the head box, replacing the all-vinyl look of earlier Marshalls. It is a handsome design, and one that was carried over to the JCM900 and JCM2000 lines.

While I thought that the "JCM 800" designation had to do with the decade of introduction, Michael Doyle states in his excellent reference work, The History of Marshall, that JCM came from Jim Marshall's initials and 800 came from his car registration plate. The JCM 800 series was launched in early 1981 after Marshall's contract with distributor Rose-Morris ended.

Head models in the JCM800 product line include the 1959, 1986, 1987, 1992, 2203 (100 watt Super Lead), 2204 (50 watt Super Lead), 2205, and 2210 (see photo at top of page and combo model 4211, below, for summary of features).

	Here is a nice example of a JCM800 model 2205 channel-switching head with reverb. This great-sounding amp belongs to Dave Mauldwin of the U.S. band Violets Of Dawn. (For more great band names, click here. )

The photo shows a factory custom-order red "elephant grain" vinyl-covered JCM800 setup that I used during club dates back in 1991. The top is a model 2203 100 watt amplifier with a matching 1960A angled 4x12 cabinet. This was a rather minimal stage rig for me, as you can see by what I was using just a few years later when the band was playing larger venues. It's interesting to note that one Seattle area store ended up with the red amp heads, while a store in Bellevue ended up with the red speaker cabinets! Because they didn't match their other Marshalls, both stores put their red vinyl stock on sale. I was fortunate enough to acquire a matching outfit by visiting both stores.