MARSHALL VALVESTATE! Still cool in 2021??? 

Valvestate! Love or hate? Let me know!

Chuck Schuldiner used it, hating this amp is a crime

I actually love the sound of the valvestate. super aggressive sounding

Appreciated seeing how you got usable tones from an amp that’s not “top tier”. Maybe more videos like this?

i've been using a valvestate all my life. I've gotten so many different types of tones out it. though i recognize it's not tube amp, it's still good for what it is

With just a simple EQ pedal, I feel like the Valvestate would stomp a lot of tube amps in a blind sound test. Definitely gonna be looking for one myself!

Im a 47 yr old guitar player and I still own my early 91-92 vs100 head and cab!! Still use it and still get comments about my tone! I will never get rid of this its been gigged and thrown around its partied for the last 30+ yrs and is still rocking!!!🤘😝🤘

Love it. Especially for low tunings. Super tight and aggressive. Just keep the treble below 9. Works great as a power amp as well. And the spring reverb is also really good. If it works.

Cool! I really like how when you blend the the Marshall in, the pick attack comes out a bit more, but in a natural way. 🤩

I love the way you describe tones man. It’s like listening to a scotch whiskey blend master describe the flavors of the alcohol. It makes me think about it differently. A voice to the subconscious. Cheers man!

Your amp playthrough videos are SO good. Another great one. Thanks, Kohle!

The blended sound of a tube amp + the valvestate sounds really good to me. Nice!

The valvestate price just shot up lol. The used market prices have been going up a lot lately. I'm glad I got my Marshall jvm410 when I did.

Kohle, DO NOT lose the squeeky chair! It's hilarious! Also Valvestate prices go up in 3... 2... 1...

As always - interesting, unique and informative. My absolutely favourite producer-youtuber 👍

Thank you for this video. Old amps like this deserve some attention ! I've got a valvestate 100w 12" combo for 20 years now, I always tought it was sounding special, and I spent hours to make it sound correct. Even if i've switched on Orange Dark Terror, I never sold my valvestate, it's my weirdy baby ;)

And he unlocks greatness again! This is something I've been doing recently as well, mixing a tube amp with an actual distortion before the preamp such as a MetalZone and it sounds great to my ears! Set the Metal Zone level as your wet/dry mix and crank it up! You rock man

I have a valvestate and I absolutely love that amp. Sounds incredible with a Gibson Les Paul

Nice video! I've been preaching for years that these are absolutely usable amps and even great for the money. Many people badmouth them because they don't manage to make use of that contour control.

This one was my first amp with more than one channel back in the 90's. Great video Christian!

Its seems like there is a lot of gear (not just guitar gear) that people just looked passed and missed out on experimenting and getting good sounds. I'm honestly impressed with this one.

Ok! Jetzt dass selbe mitt dem Peavey Bandit Transtube, red or grey stripe ;) Klasse video

My first amp 🙌🏼 still used, still slays, still appreciated in a collection of mesas, framus and oranges 🔥

I tried someone’s Valvestate a few years ago. You can definitely dial in some good tones. Use your ears and not your eyes when adjusting the dials.

I've been blending tube and SS amps lately. Best of both worlds. My Randall RG100 has the conture knob... really helps shape the tone. Great demo brother 🤘

When you tweaked the EQ, you picked EXACTLY the settings I use on my Valvestate. My EQ taste: validated!

My mom got me this amp in the late 90’s as a Christmas gift. I’ve used it on all sorts of music. It takes pedals well, has a great clean tone, and the drive section is versatile. In the mid 2000’s I had it modded by a local tech to reduce the highs and boost the mids a bit. It really helped but it was still a great amp before the mod. The mod if anything made it more versatile.

Great Vid - I appreciate your efforts to describe in detail, the nuances of the distortion characteristics with different settings. One of the big challenges of getting someone elses help with dstortion tweaking is the verbal communication of the tonal goal vs current tone being achieved.

Great video! Very interesting and useful! Definitely gonna get a valvestate now! Love the sound of it mixed with the tube amp.

I’ve owned one of these heads and cabinets since they were new in the late 90s. Still works.

Sounds so good mixed. The tube amp on its own sounded like there was a blanket over the speakers

Great vid!I played the 2x12 combo, 8240 for several ears in the 2000’s and that thing would crush. The effects loop was a boost to.

Man you can make any amplifier sound awesome!! Horns up dude 🤘

The secret to Valvestate Marshall amps, are cranking the effect loop knob all the way between 3 - 5 o'clock to get the most from the preamp tube! Thank me later! P.S. All those 80's metal hits..... Solid State Amp

Have to thank you for this instructive video. I bought a VS102R in 1999, but only since last year I started to dedicate myself seriously in learning to play guitar. No matter how I tweaked the EQ I never liked the sound of the OD channels, so I only used the clear channel with a boss metal core. But searching for tones online I ended up in this video and gave a try to your settings at 9:40, and DAMN! 😀in all these years was the first time I started to like the OD2 channel. Thank you very much for your work.

I had the 3210 Lead 100 Mosfet. That was a pretty decent amp when i was younger and playing thrash. I never had the chance to try a valvestate. I am still waiting for my DV-77 speaker I have had on order for a long time now. I have you IR pack and it kicks ass.

This was my first amp ever. I've recently been thinking about getting one again. Good timing.

Ha! I got a Valvestate 8100 literally last week. Plenty of gain on it so no reason for a TS. With an eq pedal going into the preamp you can take out the hi fizz and boost the mids. Awesome amp. Super tight and choppy. Great video as always 🤘💀🤘

That sound with no mids totally takes me back to my teenage times. For my friends it was the next best thing for getting a real tube amp (as a bass player a didn't really look at valvestate amps). But in today's time you get some very affordable tube amps or even transistor based/modeling amps sounding a lot better than this. And for mixing it in in parallel I think it's overkill. For getting some dirt I would rather use some HM2ish or fuzzy pedal in a parallel signal path. Never the less a great video Kohle. BTW I hope the rain or the Beerbach (just noticed how the name sounds in english...lol) didn't flood you studio.

After too many years in storage, I recently took my ‘91 8280 bi chorus combo out of the flight case again. Time had its effect on the pots so had to replace all of them, but what an amazing amp this still is today! This one will never leave my studio.

Wow, impressive. I have the same VS8100, 10 years, 100 gigs, in a car wreck, few minor repairs- still kickin ass

This was a pretty validating video! My current project involves me setting up tone-shaping transistor preamp pedals, to put them into tube power amps I get the flexibility of using whatever preamps I want, but I don't have to deal with the harsh fizz that's inherent in transistor power amps. I'm curious why so many people don't bring the gain down on the amp though! I feel like taking away some of the amp gain removes a lot of fizz, and when the amp distorts an already lightly distorted sound, you still get the extra sustain and gain

Love your work dude, respect!

I really enjoy the valvestate sound. It's kinda nasty and cold and dirty all good things to me. I'm a tube guy like most of us but have always dug what the Valvestate and solid state Randall heads have given us over the years. Audiority makes a great plugin version of the Valvestate with some boost and pre-EQ stuff as well as a post EQ. Get anything from gross doomish things to thrash and beyond without setting up a huge virtual pedalboard. Great demo as always! That DMoll poweramp really helped warm up this amp. edit: Ah good. You mentioned the Audiority vs8100 haha. Peace 🎸💀🍻

Well, that's how you make a great video about valvestate! :) I have 6505 but still want to get one of these, exactly as you said -> just to add some interesting mojo to my mixes. Thanks for what you do Kohle. Cheers from Czechia

I love using my 31-band DBX equalizer in the loops of my amps. Ultimate tweakability of problem frequencies (i.e. the VS' "hissing" high end). The Valvestate is monstrous in conjunction with other more mid-focused amps. Great video!

WoW! The video I was looking for! I have the exact same amp and pickups. I don't like my tone, and this guy put words on what I hear, explains in detail why it is, and he shows how to actually improve things. I've been searching a heavy metal distortion pedal to put in front, but I didn't know what to get since I didn't know exactly where I'm at. Most useful video ever for this situation! Thank you!

On the VS100, I always prefer the OD1 which sounds a lot more like a traditional Marshall amp. You can get great sounds out of it. The VS65 is actually very good as well, especially after a speaker change. The Contour Knob has to be dealt with very carefully, as it contributes to a very scooped, gainy and fizzy sound when turned clockwise.

Just bought a vs100 head and matching cab that had 1 owner and had played it for around an hour .the tones bring back so many memories and with a few pedals before it you can get any tone you want

The clean channel actually sounds good especially cranked

still have one of these sitting in my room, needs some repair work but i honestly love it

I Love it! The Marshall Valvestate vs100/8100 is Legendary.

Only the 8100 is real. And it's one of my favorite amps to record bar none, but they're fucking hell to try using live lol

Prong's Cleansing album made a HUGE difference for me back in the day. As did any Death album. It was also very cool hearing them absolutely kill on gear that I could actually afford. Great tones man. I appreciate this experiment. People need not get so hung up on gear. Who cares what the amp costs. If it makes YOUR sound, then it's worth everything.

The vs plus tube power amp sounds amazing. I liked that combo the best

I still have a 8200 head on my bench where only one output side is working properly. But that thing is already crazy loud and pretty brutal with a TS in front, can't wait to finally fix it and plug it into my 4x12 for the full 200W+ Chorus!!

That blended sounds really good 👍🏻

ahh the memories.. was the first amp i ever played through at age 12. Kudos!

I love how I spent a lot of time trying to get that 90s sound outta my tube amps only to realize as I got older that a lot and I mean ALOT of the bands from the 90s and 2000s where running solid state amps

I sold my Blackstar HT club 40 to get an 8100 earlier this year and I absolutely love the Valvestate. I use a 31 band eq and an Aphex 104 type C2 in the fx loop and I'm done chasing tones by now.

The Valvestate 100 watt head was my first "real" amp back in the early 90s. I bought a full size 1960A Marshall cab to use with it rather than the Valvestate one. After a while though I wanted something similar but with more gain and having tubes. The answer wasn't in the Marshall amps available at the time so I turned to the Peavey 5150. That did the trick. :)

Was my first amp as well! Love your content

i got the valvestate vs100, and it sounds sooo fffff awesome, i love it. no effects, just the cable in and youre fine. but i guess that the 4 speakers play a big part in the sound i get

This was my amp in the 90s. Cool to see it revisited

My 8100 was the first half stack I bought back in 1995 since everything else halfway decent was way out of my price range, and I still have it. Learning that Chuck Schuldiner used it, and that it was widely used in Scott Burns' productions at Morrisound Studios, was probably the reason I hung onto it for so long. It can definitely sound good though.

Valvestate AND Fernandes guitars. An absolute winning combination. I have a first edition Valvestate 8100 and 2 Fernandes guitars they sound incredible together. Great video 👍

I have a Valvestate VS30R which has no actual valve, and a real spring reverb, I LOVE IT! such a fun practice amp. I made it a head and play it through a 2x12! Sounds amazing honestly

I’ve got the latest fender and Marshall amps. And one day I found a valvestate 2000 100 at a garage sale down the road, in immaculate condition. Since then i haven’t used my new Marshall or fender amps. The valvestate is perfect for playing metal, thrash

I had this amp, I replaced the 12ax7 every 3 months and it sounded just fine. Especially before a show. It sounded as good as the rest every time.

man I had the head and matching cab, played many gigs with it and recorded an album. Wish I had never sold it :( Still have the combo version AVT50 which is a great little practice amp. Highly enjoyable video thanks man \m/ They sound much better with decent passive pups

Yeah this sounds great, I have a bi chorus 8200 and it sounds awesome its a little bit rarer than the 8100 but I think it has a really interesting tone that I can't seem to get on the 8100. Also it has a built in spring reverb and has a stereo chorus which sounds beautiful. Great video

i have a JMP-1 with a Valvestate power amp, couldn't afford a tube power amp in the mid 90s when I bought them but I'm looking into getting a used 9100, 9200 or other brand tube amp and your comparison convinced me to look further into this.

I had a VS100 halfstack myself in the late nineties. It was one of my first real amps from smaller combos. I never could get what I wanted out of it though, but that was basically because I wanted a JCM800 and couldn't afford it. There a cool part of Marshall history though and the tones you're getting blending it Kristian are some solid tones.

Great video (as always). I was considering getting one of these for a while. For a high watt Marshall head, they are cheap to buy. Don't think I could justify one just for that authentic 90s revival having worked so hard to get a good tube tone, but it's really useful to have the comparison laid down by the consummate professional. If I feel the need for the 90s sound, I've still the metal zone pedal, which was my first and only pedal for ages. 🤣

Good demo!

Great video! I liked the slaving into the Engl output stage. This is the the VS100 (2nd generation Valvestate series), correct? IMHO the original Valvestate amps like the 8100 (100V) or 8080 (80V) sound better than later Valvestate amp generations.

Love them! I had the 2 x 12 combo with stereo chorus. 40 or 80 watts, I don't remember. I sold it and have regretted it ever since!

OMG Kohle, I own two of these (a VS100 head and a combo) and people always gave me a hard time because "It's not a real tube amp". Yet, people always said they loved my tone! I also have a Lead 100 MOSFET. You can get some GREAT tones out of it. Thank you for making this video!!!!

Adding the valvestate definitely made that guitar track sound more exciting and alive!

I played Valvestates exclusively from when I started playing in 2003 until I finally got my JVM 2 years ago. I have the 8100 and the VS100. I personally live them. I even did a mix of my JVM and 8100 on my bands newest EP.

Sounds great blended with the tube amp

Thanks Kristian. Thanks for taking us old pickers back in time lol. I had one that I kept over at a drummers house for band practice way back in the day. Did it sound great? Not exactly, but it got the job done. I had a JCM 900 SLX and a 5150 that I worked all summer in my junior year of High School to buy. Out of fear of something happening to my prized amps of the time. I used the $250 valvstate a lot for practice. I forgot how much fun I had learning to play in a band with that old piece of crap. Kristian you made the valvestate sound way better than I remember. It has been a good 25 years since I heard a valvesate. Damn you, now I have to go find another one to play around with lol.

Man my first 'real' amp was a valvestate too! A 8100 head to be precise. I love that thing, used to play a lot of gigs on it and never had any problem. But then i got my hands on a jcm2000, did a direct comparison through the same cab and the jcm2000 blew the valvestate away. The VS sounds pretty harsh in comparison. So there is that. Still love the valvestate, but it is not the same as a 100watt all tube amp. Jcm2000+valvestate in stereo is pretty nice. Scooped sound from the VS and crushing mids from the jcm

I found a Marshall Valvestate and I absolutely LOVE IT , it has amazing Sound and goes great with my Gibson Les Paul .

Best of both worlds! 🤘🏽🤘🏽

I own an 8100 and a VS100. Both just make me smile when I play them. Totally a nostalgia feeling. Glad to see them finally getting some love in the last few years.

Very good amp with the right settings

Had an AVT20 combo as my first amp back in the day. I couldn't play for shit at the time and couldn't appreciate it. Within hindsight it's actually really underrated. They're still going for decent prices on Reverb.

Killer mix! Makes you think about tone differently! MOJO!

I had the 8080 combo as my first proper amp. I loved it and then I was constantly having trouble with the pots. Spent more time trying to fix it than playing it. It did get through a few gigs before I flogged it cheap

I put a JJ ECC 83 in the preamp , and it made it more edgy , without a tube screamer. A sonic stomp (BBE Sonic Maximizer) took away the harsh high tones that are associated with this amp in the effects loop . The clean is very good with reverb going a little bit . Mine has an accutronics reverb tank , sounds noice .

Loved my 8100 in the 90s. V30 speaker fixed the fizzyness. My first marshall was a 8040. Used all my money to buy new (instead of a peavey bandit that everyone else could afford) Loved the smell of those amps, a real tolex high. Ultimately all the amps failed, probably needed a service to replace the 'valve', sold em both when they became unreliable. Bought a 4100 after that, very interesting about the power amp section revelation in the video.

I found a really good tone with valvestate + BOSS DS-1. Great choice getting the amp.

Had the combo for the longest time. I think it lasted several moves through several cities before it finally blew. But the thing sounded great for tracking. The midrange was full and crunchy

The VS100 was my first Marshall and amp head when I was a teen. I remember buying it from guitar center like if it was yesterday. I was so proud to finally own a Marshall, I thought I made it in life lol The dimension button is interesting. I usually use the dimension button to add bass/thickness. And yeah the 8000 models have way more problems than the 2nd gens. I have five 8100 and they're all broken. I'm hoping to fix them one day

IMO, it wasn't always about the cost but the sound. My lead guitarist, Dan, back in '91 was playing Peavey and we were in a thrash metal band. I helped him go to every music store around the Indianapolis area to find a new half stack. He played everything from Marshall, Peavey, Mesa Boogie, Randall, and some others. He asked my opinion on all of them as he played some of our songs through them. At a Marshall dealer he started going through all the Marshalls. JCM900... blah. JCM800...pathetic. Then we saw this little half stack, the Marshall 8100 with it's matching 4x12. BTW, it's 1x12 was a big part of it's tone. The salesman at the time kept trying to hype up the JCM's, but Dan didn't like the sound of them at all and I felt the same way, so he asked to try the 8100. As soon as I heard it I knew that was the amp and I saw a huge smile go across Dan's face. He had the money for any amp he wished but the Marshall 8100 Valvestate, with it's matching cab, is what he chose and he still owns that amp today some 30+ years later.

I sold my full stack with VS100H after I’d had since new in the ‘90’s. I constantly had to lube/replace pot’s, re-tension 1/4” jacks. My friend’s newer version was always accepting radio signals even in a full metal building. And they both got QUIETER as they played for an hour + because they’re Solid State output. But… I miss the amp, the sounds that could only be achieved with a Valvestate amp from back in the day. I have a pair of tube amps, now😁

I had one in the 90s and I loved it. My then bandmates made me sell it for a VHT Pitbull head (awesome amp) but sometimes I missed that old valvestate.

I've said this on a couple other videos, but I always love recording a cheap shitty solid state amp (often using emulated line-outs) on top of properly recorded tube-amp rhythm tracks... the extremely distinctive 2D tones from the cheap one stand out so much from the good ones, that you almost done have to do any mixing aside from volume balancing. They never crowd one another in a mix. ... I do love sterile tones though... Huge industrial/noise fan

I had the valvestate 100 back in the late 90's .. now im playing a revv 100p mk3 generator. Love the more modern tones