Tone Report Weekly Issue 110 | Page 51

dialing in a slightly scooped EQ setting—Treble and Bass both around 2 o’clock, Mids at noon—and setting Drive at 1 o’clock, I felt like I was ready to join an Iron Maiden cover band; rolling back the Mids a bit more put me in, say, LA in the mid-to-late ‘80s. In addition to providing the rich and brash gain of a JCM 800, the Jubilee Silver’s articulation was strong, and touch sensitivity was good, although the pedal likes to see a full load from the guitar, so rolling back the volume isn’t a great way to expand your palette. While my efforts to get lowgain tones with humbuckers were unrewarding, single coils—particularly P90s— managed to make the most of the Jubilee Silver’s charms. I was able to cop Hendrix-esque tones (JTMs), Clapton-with-Mayall dirt (Bluesbreakers), and gnarly Ron Wood-like scuzz (Tweed amps, the precursors to Marshall’s amps)—not a bad selection there! At 18 volts, the Jubilee Silver was livelier and more open, and offered additional low end. These features worked to the advantage of single coils, but humbuckers loved the extra squish at nine volts. I’m usually skeptical when people claim their favorite pedal has to be used at gig volumes, but the Jubilee Silver really was at its best when my amp started approaching stage volume. Perhaps this was in part because the pedal’s output is pretty modest; those hoping for a boost to their front end may be disappointed. However, those who want to nail a variety of Marshall tones but don’t want to give up a lot of pedalboard landscape should be pleased. WHAT WE LIKE There are a nice variety of Marshall tones available in a single stomp box. CONCERNS The EQ is sensitive, so there’s more dialing in by “feel” than ear. Also, there’s not a lot of output on tap. ToneReport.com 51