Is the brit pre good enough?

Metal1993

Inspired
Ok So I love the sound of the jmp-1. And my ada mp-1 just died after 20 something years so now there is a chance to buy a real jmp-1 and i have an excuse to get it. My question is though is it worth it to buy the real one? I have heard from some the gain is completely different from the model vs the real thing among other things like pure tone etc etc. So any opinions is the brit pre close enough or should I get the real thing? What am I missing buy just having the model?
 
Preamp models are always going to be somewhat compromised due to the fact they'll be paired with a power section that might not match the physical power amp you are used to using with your real JMP-1 (I use a Mesa 50/50 and EVM speakers with mine .... so to me a JMP-1 'sounds' like that ....... I think the FAS JMP-1 models have a more neutral power section).

Having said that, the FAS JMP-1 models sound pretty good to me and you have absolutely tons more options to tailor them than the real thing has. I also think with a bit of effort you could replicate it using some of the other Marshall models - OD1 being 'Plexi' type OD2 being JCM800/900 territory etc.

I'm very fond of my real JMP-1 and will never sell it - but just in case you've never actually owned one before just be aware they are noisy at higher gain settings and the FX loop is a bit of a strange one. I have experimented with using it in 4CM with the AxeFX and it worked very well (the I/O 'Boost/Pad' set to 12dB for the relevant Output in the AxeFX totally killed the high gain hiss. But for now I just keep it with my Mesa 50/50 and use it in small gigs where I need a punchy backline.

There's also the fact that the real JMP-1s are all getting old now and could give a bit of bother ...... mine's been back to Marshall for servicing just once in 25 years of ownership ... but luckily it was easily obtainable parts that needed replacing (ICs on the main board) .... if it had been the display screen or a button bank Marshall might have had problems fixing it due to dwindling spare parts.

Ultimately it's your decision .... but I had my JMP-1 & Mesa long before I got the AxeFX .... if it had been the other way round I suspect I wouldn't have bought the JMP-1 ..... especially as I'd have had to also buy a tube power amp to go with it.
 
I've never owned the real JMP-1, but I used the Axe FX model for a while in my Iron Maiden tribute and it sounded just like Live After Death. I had to do some internet sleuthing to find Adrian Smith's settings to get the sound in the ballpark and tweaked from there. Sounded pretty wicked close to me!
 
Def Leppard thought the Axe-FX was good enough to replace their JMP-1s... in fact I believe they might be the reason we have both the Brit Pre and JMPRE-1 models.
 
I had one in the late 90's and it was very cool. I honestly liked my ADA more though because more of my guitar hero's at the time used them. I can't I miss it though, at least not to where I'd try to track one down these days, the Axe model sounds quite good to me, though its not even one I personally spend much time with.

One thing that seems to remain constant with the Axe is that whenever I track down some piece of gear from my youth, now that I can afford some of those items far easier (though some have gotten crazy expensive, wish I hung onto some stuff just for the resale value) is that my memories never match reality, and the gear doens't sound as magical as I thought, and the Axe can easily cop the tone.

If you can get one at a great price and can afford, go for it, but I also think you'd be every bit as happy using the Axe models, which do sound great
 
Def Leppard thought the Axe-FX was good enough to replace their JMP-1s... in fact I believe they might be the reason we have both the Brit Pre and JMPRE-1 models.
Where have you seen this? In all the rig rundowns they use the axe for affects not for tone. Phil uses his fender cybertwin for his delta deep project, and live for the big shows its the jmp-1 into a palmer and the axe again for affects same with vivan. That is the last thing i saw and read. If i am wrong and I hope I am please show me where. I have not found any information anywhere.

Also most of the comments on the jmpre-1 are not good as far as how close it sounds. I read the jmpre-1 sounds nothing like the real thing, and the brit pre does not have the gain. Now this is what i read on this site, so i take it for whats it worth every one has their own opions.
 
One thing that seems to remain constant with the Axe is that whenever I track down some piece of gear from my youth, now that I can afford some of those items far easier (though some have gotten crazy expensive, wish I hung onto some stuff just for the resale value) is that my memories never match reality, and the gear doens't sound as magical as I thought, and the Axe can easily cop the tone.

If you can get one at a great price and can afford, go for it, but I also think you'd be every bit as happy using the Axe models, which do sound great
Fair points.

Though ..... I fired that JMP-1/Mesa rig up after what ... 15 years I think ...... of it sitting in storage and it floored me how good it sounded (well until it blew up and needed a quick trip back to Marshall). Used it last weekend at a backline only venue with a tiny stage and had a great gig - JMP-1 main Vol at about 4.5 and Mesa inputs at a measly '2' and it powered through very nicely :) It still had it's magic to me.

Using the AxeFX based rack is still my primary aim ... but nice to know the backup rig is in good voice.

jmp_axe_rigs.JPG
 
So how close does it come to the axe since you have the real thing. Is there an audible difference and have you ever gone and matched up the levels for B/M/T so see what the equivilents are like 12 oclock on the jmp1 = ? on the axe version wether thatbe the brit pre or the jmp1 pre model?
 
If you are using it with a tube power amp, you can also turn the power amp modelling off (turn Supply Sag all the way down to zero in the power amp parameters) and it will give you just the sound of the preamp, just like the real JMP-1. I've only played through a real JMP-1 once, many years ago, so I can't really help with authenticity there. There's also several other tube preamp models in the Axe II as well such as Custom Audio Amplifier 3+ SE, Soldano X88 and X99, and Mesa/Boogie TriAxis models. I used a TriAxis for a number of years and can confirm that the Axe II models of it are spot on.
 
So how close does it come to the axe since you have the real thing. Is there an audible difference and have you ever gone and matched up the levels for B/M/T so see what the equivilents are like 12 oclock on the jmp1 = ? on the axe version wether thatbe the brit pre or the jmp1 pre model?

To be honest .... no. I feel it's a bit of a waste of time to try and measure one against the other ...... especially as the real JMP-1 is amped with a Mesa tube power amp and the AxeFX modelled amp (with an unknown to me power amp section built in) is going via a Matrix SS amp. The Matrix reacts differently to the speakers than the Mesa does etc.

The JMP-1's BMTP controls all interact quite uniquely (esp the Treble and Presence) ... I don't think the AxeFX's models tonestacks have quite the same effect and react more logically (or less crudely is perhaps a better way to say it) ..... which might be a good thing

As mr_fender says, you can defeat the power amp on the JMP-1 models and use a tube power amp .... but you'd need to do the same with all your other presets using different amps too ..... which I've tried briefly and didn't like ..... no real differentiation between amp types due to the same colouration of the Mesa on all of them.

I once started to put together a 'JMP-1' based preset on the AxeFX using my go to OD1 with Bass Shift but I didn't really end up basing it on an A/B comparison ... I just used my ears to get a pleasing tone.

What you can do is add a EQ block in the AxeFX grid either pre or post (or both) amp block and really hone in on your desired tone ...... you definitely can't do that much fine tuning on the real JMP-1 tone controls!

Like I said earlier ..... the JMP-1 just is a Marshall type preamp - you can use it's models in the AxeFX or you can use many of the other Marshall models and get the same results after tweaking.

If I'd a tube rig with a hole in it left by a dead ADA MP1 then I'd fill it with either a replacement ADA or a JMP-1 and use it whenever I felt like doing so - but I'd leave my AxeFX rig alone and just dial in a sound I want using whatever amp type that works
 
The JMP-1's BMTP controls all interact quite uniquely (esp the Treble and Presence) ... I don't think the AxeFX's models tonestacks have quite the same effect and react more logically (or less crudely is perhaps a better way to say it) ..... which might be a good thing

Actually a JMP-1 is unique in that the tone controls do not interact. Most guitar amps use a passive "tone stack" where the controls interact. The JMP-1 has a fixed passive tone stack followed by an active 4-band EQ. The Axe-Fx tone controls replicate this EQ but the controls have a greater range.
 
The JMP-1's BMTP controls all interact quite uniquely (esp the Treble and Presence) ... I don't think the AxeFX's models tonestacks have quite the same effect and react more logically (or less crudely is perhaps a better way to say it) ..... which might be a good thing

AFAIK, the JMP has a fixed tonestack. And the tone controls on the panel is basically a GEQ after the pre stage.

This is why tweaking the tone controls on the AXE will never match the real JMP... you are tweaking different things. And this also why the presence in the JMP acts differently than what you would expect. It's probably just a shelving control insead of a powerstage high freq negative feedback control.

To make it an actual apples to apples comparison, I would suggest leaving the JMP's "BMTP" controls neutral, and then tweak the AXE's model tone controls (hooked to the 50/50) until it sounds the closest.
After that's done, go to the GEQ page of the AMP block and set the position at post preamp.

Tweaking the GEQ page controls would be the equivalent to tweaking the BMTP controls on the JMP

I might be super wrong but it's what I know.
Someone please correct me
 
AFAIK, the JMP has a fixed tonestack. And the tone controls on the panel is basically a GEQ after the pre stage.

This is why tweaking the tone controls on the AXE will never match the real JMP... you are tweaking different things. And this also why the presence in the JMP acts differently than what you would expect. It's probably just a shelving control insead of a powerstage high freq negative feedback control.

To make it an actual apples to apples comparison, I would suggest leaving the JMP's "BMTP" controls neutral, and then tweak the AXE's model tone controls (hooked to the 50/50) until it sounds the closest.
After that's done, go to the GEQ page of the AMP block and set the position at post preamp.

Tweaking the GEQ page controls would be the equivalent to tweaking the BMTP controls on the JMP

I might be super wrong but it's what I know.
Someone please correct me

Yup, you're super wrong, LOL. Internally the Axe-Fx can select between many tone stack types including active ones. The JMP-1 model uses an active tone stack which replicates the EQ but with greater range (+/- 12 dB instead of just +/- 6 dB).
 
Yup, you're super wrong, LOL. Internally the Axe-Fx can select between many tone stack types including active ones. The JMP-1 model uses an active tone stack which replicates the EQ but with greater range (+/- 12 dB instead of just +/- 6 dB).

Oh, so to replicate the tone controls of the JMP, we should select "active"?
 
Ok I'm a bit confused. I remember when this model came out in the Axe-Fx and thought I read that while the real JMP-1 had a fixed tone stack, the Axe-Fx model's TMB controls actually altered this tone stack, while the EQ tab in the amp block behaved more like the JMP-1's real EQ controls.

Is that true, or do the TMB controls in the model only shape the post-EQ like in the real thing, while the "real" tonestack is unchanged?
 
I own 2 JMP-1's. I'll do an A/B comparison through a Marshall power amp (Brit Pre and JMPre models) today if you're interested.
My goodness YES YES YES. lol I think there are alot of us on here who would really like to see the results!!!!!!!
 
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