The all-valve 2203 is one of the most highly respected and revered 100 Watt Marshall heads in the company’s long and illustrious history. Evolving from the legendary 100 Watt ‘Plexi’ head, it was also Marshall's first amplifier to house a Master Volume (MV) control. This simple but groundbreaking feature allowed the user to overdrive the preamp valves into desirable distortion without having to turn the amp full up. This proved to be incredibly popular and practical because, as you probably know, a 100 Watt Marshall is extremely loud when on at full volume! Furthermore, thanks to its cascaded preamp design, the 2203 was capable of producing a level of distortion never heard from a guitar amp before.
The very first 2203 was actually introduced to the world in 1975. The JCM800 version that surfaced some years later, in 1981, was merely a cosmetic redesign of the original. The circuitry remained exactly the same, (as the saying goes if it ain't broke, don't fix!), but the amp's appearance got much bolder with a full-width control panel (the 2203 of 1975-1981 had a shorter front panel like a 1959SLP), grille cloth over the front baffle, (the original 2203's baffle was covered with vinyl), white piping, and 'JCM800' written in bold letters on the front panel, together with Jim's signature. If you're wondering about the origin of the JCM800 name - it's an interesting tale - it came from the registration/license plate of Mr. Marshall's car which was, wait for it, JCM800! The JCM part referred to Jim's initials (James Charles Marshall), the 800 was merely the number on the plate - no more, no less!
Rock band Slayer are responsible for the creation of a brutal genre of metal of which they’re still the masters. Guitarist Kerry King’s instantly identifiable sound is an integral part of that and his new Marshall Signature 2203KK Head delivers every bit of his trademark tone. “To me Jim Marshall is the ultimate rock star because he makes us all sound better,” King states. “It’s an incredible honor to have my signature on an amp right next to his.”
Throughout his career, King has relied on a mid-'80s 100-Watt JCM800 2203 head he calls “the Beast” as the very heart of his sound. He’s also always used an outboard, 10-band graphic EQ to boost the mids in his guitar signal and drive the input of “the Beast” a little harder. This signature EQ curve/boost is built into the front-end of the 2203KK and its intensity is adjustable via a control aptly named ”Assault.” King also always employs a Noise Gate to ensure total silence when he’s not playing. The 2203KK boasts a built-in, studio-quality noise reduction which is both fast and adjustable. A quartet of KT88 power valves also adds what King refers to as “warmth and girth.”
The 2203KK has now replaced “the Beast” as King’s main and only amp. “The 2203KK punches like Mike Tyson in his prime,” the legendary Slayer guitarist concludes. “It’s definitely the coolest thing I’ve ever been in the presence of.”
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