Marshall Amplification JCM800 Series - Manual (Page 15)

Marshall Amplification Product Catalogue 27
2203KK Kerry King Amplifier
2203KK Signature Head
26 Marshall Amplification Product Catalogue
Thunderous, dark and thumping metal tone, the Kerry King
JCM800 2203KK Signature amplifier is part of our
on-going commitment to our loyal artists. Marshall, in
partnership with Kerry King, is proud to have
developed a personalised version of the legendary
2203 based on Kerry’s own amplifier nicknamed
‘The Beast’.
2203KK Head
The original JCM800 2203, initially launched in March 1981, proved
incredibly popular with rock guitarists in the ’80s and beyond, with its
distinctive roar and larger than life ‘edge’ it became, and still remains, the
standard that all other rock amps are judged on.
It was during this time that Kerry King, guitarist with Slayer (considered
one of the greatest metal bands in the world) picked up his golden child
‘The Beast’. Knowing that he wanted his guitar tone to be as individual as
he is, he added an EQ and pushed the mids, creating “a frown not a
smile”. Alongside this he added a noise gate to keep things quiet and
accentuate his staccato playing style. Used in countless shows and
records over many years, the combination of ‘The Beast’ and this
outboard equipment powered the sound of Kerry King until the day he
received the first 2203KK.
Kerry has used Marshall amplifiers throughout his hugely successful
career, to this day proudly bearing the Marshall logo when he performs
with a wall of 30 Marshall cabinets behind him. Marshall felt it only fitting
to produce a Signature amplifier for him.
With ‘The Beast’ and Kerry’s stage equipment in the safe hands of the
R&D team, they worked closely with Kerry to develop the tone, feel and
look of a great Marshall amp that defines the true attitude and power of
Kerry’s sound. Kerry’s hands-on approach to the project resulted in
numerous visits to the Marshall factory and putting the prototypes
vigorously through their paces, road testing each one and using three of
them every night of his 2006 and 2007 tours.
The 2203KK is a 100 Watt single channel, Master Volume, all-valve
UK made head. At its heart is a classic mid-’80s 2203 drawing on the
power and dynamics of ‘The Beast’ to take the sound further and placing
it at the cutting edge of modern rock tone. Additionally, its power stage
features four KT88 valves, adding extra warmth and girth to the sound.
With the amplifier, Kerry uses Mode Four MF280B cabinets, taking
advantage of their taller size to provide balanced mids and a huge
bottom end.
‘The Beast’ button engages Kerry King’s signature tone. Recreating the
sound of his original outboard equipment, it features a studio quality ultra
fast noise reducer, riding the signals dynamics but still maintaining the
natural sustain and very fast decays for staccato rhythms and short
pauses, the switch lights red when the circuit activates and green when
the signal is passed without attenuation. A custom-voiced control
focusing a gain boost on the mids has been specifically tuned to Kerry’s
specification. The gate and assault provide control over the guitar signal
allowing you to vary its threshold and intensity, truly capturing the ferocity
and force of Kerry’s sound.
The 2203KK features artwork inspired by Kerry’s many iconic tattoos.
Marshall has developed new techniques to allow designs to be printed
directly onto the fret cloth, allowing this distinctive design to leave the
front panel and expand over the amp’s baffle. The tribal tattoo motif trails
over the brushed gold panel pointing to ‘The Beast’ switch and the style
of the panel’s text is taken directly from one of Kerry’s tattoos. The motif
and text are used across the whole design.
Included with the amplifier are:
• A heavy duty dustcover featuring custom artwork
• Five Kerry King Signature plectrums
• An A4 colour handbook with handwritten notes from Kerry and
featuring exclusive photographs
Leaving the last word to Kerry:
“. . . the 2203KK is now my main head and always will be. Crank it up
and enjoy the best amp on the planet!!!”
FEATURES 2203KK
Head ✓
Output (RMS) 100 Watt
3 Band EQ ✓
Pre-Amp Valves 3 x ECC83
Power Amp Valves 4 x KT88
Dimensions (mm) 750 x 310 x 215
Weight (kg) 21.5
AMPLIFIER SPECIFICATION
Right:
2203KK Head
MF280A Cab
MF280B Cab
“The 2203KK is my main head and always will be!”
Kerry King
(Slayer)