Peavey Windsor vs Jet CIty JCA50H

[sleep_debt]

Looking for a budget JCM800 and it's down to the WIndsor and JCA50H/100H. Jet City wins for modding, but I really don't care much since most are hi-gain related. I just want the classic JCM800 crunch. Any opinions?

[qersty]

What about those silvery laneys? from what ive heard the windsors only do one sound kinda. The laneys sound good to me for the 600 bucks or whatever they go for and from what i gather are a pretty solid clone too. the jet cities are more soldano than jcm so it has a lot more metal gain

[Gone Fission]

The crunch channel of the Jet City stuff is about the same gain as the high input of the 800’s and is a very, very similar circuit. It’s tuned a bit different, most significantly in the eq, so it won’t be dead on. But they definitely felt in the same zone when I’ve played them before—was searching for all the 80s and early 90s alternative parts I could remember.

Dunno much about the Windsor. I think I remember something about a cathodyne phase inverter, which is weird for Marshall-y stuff, but is no reason to shun one out of hand.

[sleep_debt]

What about those silvery laneys? from what ive heard the windsors only do one sound kinda. The laneys sound good to me for the 600 bucks or whatever they go for and from what i gather are a pretty solid clone too. the jet cities are more soldano than jcm so it has a lot more metal gain

oh good call, i didnt think about those.

[imJonWain]

Other options assuming you want similar to a 2203/4 JCm800.

Laney AOR50 or AOR100 = roughly a JCM800 with Lee Jackson mods. I loved mine and you can get them around $500 or less. Has great cleans and lower gain sounds as stock. I loved mine and only sold it to cut down on gear.

Also check out the vintage Sundown amps from the 1980s:
SD1000 & A100 or 50:They are 2 channels and a 6l6 or 6550 power amp. The dist channel is the JCM800 preamp but tweaked for more gain. You can keep the gain control low or with changing <5 parts have the exact JCM800 2203/4 circuit. I love mine.
Rebel 50 or 100: Same circuit as above but dist channel only, same applies.