Hello there, and welcome back to yet another excellent review article! This time, we will look at possibly the best multi-channel Marshall amp ever made: the Marshall JVM410HJS Joe Satriani Signature model!
Table of Contents
In this Marshall JVM410HJS review, I will introduce the iconic, legendary Marshall Amplification company and its legendary Joe Satriani Signature Marshall tube amplifier as well as a nice demo of the amp and many more!
About Marshall Amplification
Here’s a quick introduction for those who have never heard of Marshall Amplification (I bet a few people there would be!). Marshall Amplification is a British company founded by Jim Marshall and his son Terry in 1960 as a family-run business under the name Jim Marshall and Son. Most of the stores in the business serviced jazz musicians since it was the hype, but Marshall’s store found a different niche by attracting rock musicians and building its reputation.
They quickly became the leading amplifier store in the region. Back in the day, it was not easy to find amplifiers for rock guitarists so they decided to devise their design. Oddly enough, Jim Marshall was a drummer, and Terry (who is a service engineer) was a sax player. None of them really could play the guitar. They started experimenting with different components and tried to come up with their design using their non-guitarist ears.
Their first amplifier was JTM45 which stood for Jim & Terry Marshall back in 1962. That was the moment they started to redefine the sound of the blues and rock that would span across decades and still rocking strong!
JTM45 is actually the start of everything and has managed to stand up for decades and is still a base for the Marshall DNA! JTM45 was inspired by Fender’s Bassman circuit with British parts like KT66 tubes, which gave it a distinct, warmer tone.
In 1965, Marshall released their legendary Super Lead, 100W Plexi model which is Model 1959! The Plexi was aimed at the volume and power needed for stadium performances. The Plexi name was the nickname of this amp as it features a “Plexiglass” front panel!
In 1970, Marshall released yet another beast of an amp called Marshall Major which featured a 200W power section for extreme loudness! The company kept innovating and releasing new models in the upcoming years. Best Tools For Guitars at Stewmac.com
In 1975, the company released the JMP Master Volume Series which is also known as the Model 2203 and Model 2204. The master volume controls which allowed players to get distortion without cranking the loudness controls were introduced with this series. This became a favourite among early hard rock/metal guitar players.
During the 80s, Marshall released an amp that is still considered the staple of hard rock and metal genres through the decades. In 1981, the company released the JCM800 (Model 2203) which was named after Jim Marshall’s initials and the licence plate on his car. It featured a single-channel design with high-gain and aggressive character used by heavy metal/hard rock bands like Slayer, Iron Maiden and Gun n’ Roses.
In the late 80s, Marshall started releasing amps with modern features. One of the first releases was the Silver Jubilee (Model 2555) in 1987 to celebrate Marshall’s 25th anniversary and Jim Marshall’s 50th year in the music business. Unlike the traditional Marshalls, SJ featured a silver finish and switchable output power settings.
In the early 90s, Marshall kept on modernising their amps and released the first DSL (Dual Super Lead) in 1997 with a built-in effects loop and more user-friendly features.
Towards the 2000s, the company kept on innovating and started offering TSL (Triple Super Lead) in 2000 which featured two channels for modern guitar players.
In 2007, the company came back to the amp market with its flagship (still is) Marshall JVM410H which featured 4 channels with 3 modes on each channel, built-in reverb and FX loops.
The JVM-era designs naturally contained Santiago Alvarez‘s legendary amp design including the signature amplifiers. In 2012, Marshall released the JVM410HJS Joe Satriani signature model as well as the YJM (Yngwie Malmsteen) and Kerry King models.
Marshall started also paying attention to the digital modelling amp market and started offering the Code Series which featured Bluetooth connectivity and integration with Marshall’s smartphone app.
As the company was approaching to 2020s, it was often criticised for not innovating more and coming up with new designs. On top of that, due to the amp modelling being on the rise and the need for full-blast 100w tube heads diminishing, Marshall decided to come up with the Studio Series (Mini Versions of Classic Marshalls).
Marshall released this extremely popular series with the amps featuring Marshall SV20H (Studio Vintage, Plexi), SC20 (Studio Classic, JCM800), and 2525H (Mini Silver Jubilee) as well as made-in-Vietnam DSLs which were very affordable.
Around 2021, they came back with the Origin Series which was basically the affordable version of the vintage British tone from the early JTMs. While the market wasn’t expecting new releases from Marshall, Marshall quietly released yet another Studio Series amp, this time a JTM ST20H (Mini JTM45), surprising everyone!
As the amp market has been shrinking, Marshall has decided not to invest in big musical exhibitions such as NAMM. However, in 2025 they announced their comeback and released killer amps, again by listening to the user feedback.
These amps include Marshall 2203 Modified JCM 800, Marshall 1959 Modified and another Studio Series featuring Marshall SN20H Studio 900 (Mini JCM900).
Almost all legendary guitar heroes played Marshalls such as Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page, Slash, Eric Clapton, Graham Coxon, Zakk Wylde, Angus Young, Joe Perry, Simon Neil, Joe Trohman, Noel Gallagher, Lzzy Hale, Sid Glover, Joe Bonamassa, Jeff Beck and many more. The list would be endless!!!
Why Get a Tube Amp?
If you are one of my regular visitors here, you would probably know my journey with the gear! As a former MI professional and lifelong passionate electric guitar player, I’m naturally addicted to gear. Even though I would like to keep things simple, I can’t help but spend my hard-earned cash and valuable time exploring more gear. 🙂 Check out the best guitar pickup company, Seymour Duncan here!
I don’t think you are a stranger to this feeling if you are an electric guitar player. I was doing pretty well about stopping myself from buying so much gear for a long time. But to experience the best sensation that an electric guitar player can, I couldn’t resist but went for it and got myself a 100W Marshall JVM410H tube amp!
Check out my Marshall JVM410H review here
The main reason was to step into the world of proper tube amplifiers and use them with reactive loads and IRs. I must confess that I think it’s the proper way to experience these wonderful gears! I recommend anyone to start investing in a tube amp and a reactive load with IRs so you can really feel how playing through tubes will feel under your fingers. I mean, this is the closest thing one can do in terms of the experience!
First, I got myself a Marshall JVM410H and a Red Seven Amp Central! In my humble opinion, the ultimate sensation that a guitar player can experience is to play your favourite guitars with proper tube amps at pretty high volume levels and feel the smashing power of these rigs in the leanest way possible.
However, this is not more than a dream for almost all of us due to noise issues, budget, and living in an apartment with other people around. But there’s still hope to experience the most realistic playing feel at home levels.
As you may notice on YouTube, there are many guitar players now playing their loud tube amps with load boxes + IR loaders. This basically means that one doesn’t need to connect a tube guitar amplifier to a speaker cabinet and instead uses a load box that acts as the speaker cabinet and records/plays using impulse responses.
So in order to experience this, I decided to go for a tube amp. While researching various heads from leading amp manufacturers, I noticed the infamous JVM410H head was still in production and possibly the best option in terms of price tag, versatility and high value/money ratio.
The decision was pretty easy to make as I used to play Marshall JVM205C while recording hundreds of guitars during my service in the musical instruments business. I would play the amp for hours, sometimes even every day!
Check out my Marshall JVM205C review here
While thinking about every other option out there, I suddenly realised that most tube amps would bust my bank so I started checking out more affordable yet industry-standard tube amps. Having played the JVM205C for a long time, I made my decision and went for it!
I spent over a year with my Marshall JVM410H and a Red Seven Amp Central and I have been blown away by the tones and the feel of these pieces of equipment. Even though I liked the JVM410H a lot, I couldn’t help but also went for the Marshall JVM410HJS, Joe Satriani Signature model tube head.
If you are also after the Satriani version, you have probably read through all the forum posts, and reviews and watched YouTube videos and are already aware of the amount of praise this amp gets. This was exactly the reason I got myself actually two of these heads!
Marshall JVM410HJS – Joe Satriani Signature Marshall!
The Marshall JVM410HJS is the Joe Satriani Signature version of Marshall’s highly regarded JVM410H amplifier head. This model was developed in collaboration with legendary amp designer Santiago Alvarez and the legendary guitarist Joe Satriani to meet his specific tone and performance needs. Here’s a quick history and key information about the amp.
The JVM410HJS was introduced in 2012, following extensive design iterations and testing by Satriani himself. The goal was to create a versatile amp capable of producing Satriani’s signature warm cleans, articulate crunch tones, and soaring high-gain leads while retaining the classic Marshall sound.
Santiago Alvarez worked directly with Joe Satriani, known for his incredible tone clarity and dynamic range, to modify the original JVM410H and create a signature model that met his demanding tonal standards.
Although the original JVM410H and 410HJS look pretty much the same, they are different amps. Here are some of the refinements and differences between the two models.
Noise Gate Integration: The amp replaces the reverb of the original JVM410H with a studio-quality noise gate, designed to maintain clarity even at high-gain levels.
Channel Layout: It retains the four independent channels (Clean, Crunch, OD1, and OD2) but with tonal tweaks tailored by Satriani.
Tone Refinement: The amp has a smoother gain structure, eliminating some of the harshness found in the JVM410H, particularly in the higher frequencies.
The JVM410HJS is often praised by guitarists who seek a more refined and versatile version of the JVM410H. Its ability to cover everything from pristine cleans to high-octane rock and metal tones makes it a favourite for both live performances and studio recordings. Ads - Check out these ads to support this web page
Before we dive into details, first let’s have a look at the tech specs of JVM410HJS below.
Marshall JVM410HJS Tech Specs
| Marshall JVM410HJS | Tech Specs |
|---|---|
| Channels | 4 Channels with 3 different modes |
| Output wattage | 100W |
| Outputs | Outputs Speaker outputs: 5 x 1/4" jack sockets (16Ω load / 8Ω load / 4Ω load), Emulated Line Out (XLR), MIDI Thru |
| Inputs | 1 x 1/4" jack instrument input, MIDI In, Footswitch |
| Controls | Channel and mode select (button), gain, treble, middle, bass, noise gate , presence, resonance, mid shift master volume select, master volume (switchable for each channel) |
| Effects | Noise Gate |
| Effects loop | 2, 1 x series parallel, 1 x series |
| Preamp valves | 4 x ECC83, 1 x ECC83 (phase splitter) |
| Power amp valves | 4 x EL34 |
| Footswitch | PEDL-91016 JS version included |
| Cable | Detachable power cable included |
| Weight | 22 kg / 49 lbs |
| Width | 740 mm / 29.1" |
| Height | 310 mm / 12.2" |
| Depth | 215 mm / 8.5" |
Marshall JVM410HJS Features
Marshall JVM410HJS has only the head version and just like the original Marshall JVM410H features a 100W power section and 4 channels with 3 different gain stages.
It has 4 EL34 tubes power amp tubes and 5 ECC83 preamp tubes (one being a phase inverter). So beware that replacing tubes in the far future will cost you some money! 🙂
It has 5 speaker outputs featuring a pair of 1×4 Ohm, 2×8 Ohm and 2×16 Ohm, so you have the ultimate freedom to connect any guitar speakers in the market.
JVM410HJS also features Channel and Mode select buttons on each channel with gain, treble, middle, and bass controls as well as noise gate, presence, and resonance controls and a master volume select button, master volume (switchable for each channel). Instead of the digital reverb on the original one, this time we have an assignable noise gate.
On the OD1 and OD2 channels, you can engage the Mid-Shift button to alter mid centre of the circuit. These are also assignable and can be controlled with the footswitch.
Marshall also did not hesitate to add serial and parallel FX loop to this magnificent head amp so you can use your time-based effects in there as well as connect your external preamps. Like any other JVM series amplifier, the Marshall JVM410HJS also comes with a footswitch which is a Marshall PEDL-91016.
One of my HJS came with the original footswitch, and the other came with the standard Marshall PEDL-91016. Both footswitches function exactly the same, but on the original HJS footswitch, you can see whether the Mid-Shift button is activated on a channel.
If you use the standard footswitch, the noise gate will be indicated by the same LED for reverb in the JVM410H version. The rest of the indications will remain the same.
12 Different Sounds
Marshall JVM410HJS features 4 channels with 3 different gain stages for each, so you have 12 different sounds to choose from! Some may disagree, but it’s still the same logic as the original JVM. Let’s check out the channels in more detail here.
Channels
Clean Channel
According to Santiago Alvarez, the original JVM features a Fender-like clean circuit on the Clean Green channel. However, on the HJS version, this mode is the clean channel of the 30th Anniversary 6100 Marshall head. There are some misunderstandings I have come across online, people keep mentioning that this sounds like a Fender amp.
I’d say they are very different. Joe Satriani likes to use his drive pedals with his amps and he did that with his favourite Marshall amp which was the 30th Anniversary 6100 for years. So basically, they implemented the same channel here on his signature amp.
Unlike the original JVM, this channel offers a lot less in terms of versatility. With the Clean Mode button, you can add additional gain stages but the tone and character stay pretty much the same.
Crunch Channel
The Crunch channel on the HJS is also pretty different from the one in the original JVM. The Green mode is inspired by a Master Volume JMP amp. With the Orange mode, we step into the JCM800 (2203) territory. Last but not least, with the Red mode, we have a modded JCM800.
OD1 & OD2 Channel
Unlike the original JVM, on the HJS version OD1 and OD2 channels are identical! This is very unusual for a 4-channel amp as one may want “more” variety instead of having duplicate channels.
However, I think this is very smart, especially for live use. With this design decision, you can actually have the same circuits on both channels but EQ them slightly differently for different parts of the song.
On top of that, the HJS version features an assignable Mid Shift button. Note that, there’s only one Mid-Shift button, however, you can assign this function to both OD1 and OD2 channels or both at the same time.
The Mid Shift button allows you to alter the mid-centre of the circuit and provides a slightly scooped sound. On the official manual, there’s no Marshall circuit mentioned for these channels.
Download the official Marshall JVM410HJS manual (original scan by me!) here
The only thing mentioned about these channels is the Green mode is “A lot of gain!“, the Orange mode is “Even more gain!” and the Red mode is “None more gain Nigel Tufnel!” :). Ads - Check out these ads to support this web page
I believe these channels are based on JCM800 DNA with added gain stages.
Excellent Noise Gate
Marshall JVM410 Joe Satriani edition also features an excellent noise gate! If you consider the release date of this amp which is 2012, I’m sure you will find this extremely impressive as well! It works so damn well and can be assigned to any channel and any mode!
According to Santiago Alvarez, this excellent noise gate wasn’t available when the original JVM was released. That’s why they couldn’t implement this in the Satriani version.
Master Volume
This is one of the best features of this loud amp! Having master volume really helps with adjusting the overall volume out of the amp. But with JVM410HJS, you have 2 master volume controls that you can even adjust and program so you can use them as a volume boost too!
Master 1 is the default volume that is impacting all channels. However, Master 2 can be used to program the volume boost on any channel by programming it with the front panel buttons.
You basically need to select the channel/mode activate the Master 2 button then switch out of the mode. When you come back to this channel, the amp will recall which master volume you were using. Note that, this feature is only to recall whether Master 1 or Master 2 was selected on a specific channel. It doesn’t recall the level of the Master volumes.
Presence and Resonance
As with any great valve amp, you also have your presence and resonance controls on the Marshall JVM410H! Presence is basically used for adjusting the high frequencies of the power amp. There is also the Resonance control to adjust the lower frequencies of the power amp.
Silent Recording Feature
Marshall JVM410HJS also features a silent recording feature just like the original. You can use it for direct recording via the emulated output on the back. In order to use this feature, the stand-by switch should be OFF. When used, the power amp is disabled and can be safely used without attaching a speaker cabinet to the amp’s out.
Footswitch
With any JVM series amplifier, you also get the relevant footswitch. With 410 models including the head and the combo versions, you get Marshall PEDL-91016 and with the rest of the JVM series, you get Marshall PEDL-91006 version.
As I mentioned, one of my HJS came with the original footswitch. The other one came with the stock footswitch (identical to the one with original JVM410H). The cool thing about the Satriani version is that you can have more information on the footswitch.
I’m not sure why Marshall switched to the current layout. Probably cost reduction, maybe?
Marshall JVM410HJS Demo Videos
Before we dive into my review of Marshall JVM410HJS, I would like to share multiple videos that feature my Marshall JVM410HJS. I have been using my HJS a lot on my demo videos as well as some cover songs/improvisations I have played on my YouTube.
Marshall JVM410HJS Sound Test – All Channels (no talking)
Eventually, I managed to produce a long test video in which I play all the channels with several guitars which are my Fender American Standard Stratocaster, Ibanez AR300, Ibanez RG565, FGN Boundary Odyssey, Cort M600 and Epiphone SG Custom for this video.
I also used my Two Notes Captor X SE, RME Babyface PRO FS, Genelec 8020 monitors and Lexicon Hall Reverb as well.
In this video, I just went through all the channels and modes with the guitars mentioned above. Nothing special here. I hope this gives you enough insights into how raw and plain Marshall sounds you can get out of this amp!
I have been also adding all the videos to a YouTube playlist featuring my 410HJS. Please feel free to check out the videos in the playlist below.
Marshall JVM410HJS Review
As I mentioned, having a proper tube/valve amp was the ultimate thing for me to experience. I have been playing the guitar since 1999 and haven’t had so many opportunities to get one for myself. But from time to time I experienced tube amps in studios and always loved them. As you may know, it’s almost impossible to play these amps at home without a load box or attenuator.
I even think that it’s not even possible to play a solid-state amp as well if you live in a small apartment. Everything can get really loud in a small place. But luckily we live in one of the best eras for electric guitar gear! We have access to entire possibilities from dead silent guitar playing and recording with guitar amp software to being able to play tube amps!
So I wanted to experience this by using a high-quality reactive load box and IR loader. My journey has started with the standard JVM410H and RedSeven Amp Central. However, I have never felt like I should be stopping any soon! That’s why I wanted to experience the Joe Satriani version of JVM410H. I also switched to Two Notes Captor X SE, not because it’s better than RedSeven but because of the ability to scroll through tons of impulse responses!
Just like the original JVM410H, JVM410HJS looks intimidating at first glance with all those knobs and switches. But in fact, it’s even easier to use! As I mentioned in the introduction, you may have read through all the internet posts, and forums and watched all those YouTube videos claiming that 410HJS is superior in every aspect to the original JVM410H.
I must say I don’t agree with this. Both amps are excellent, and offer tons of versatility! But I wouldn’t say one is superior to the other. People tend to exaggerate these as they want to justify their purchases and feel “more special” :).
A Giant Two-Channel Amp
I think Marshall JVM410HJS is a giant two-channel amp rather than a 4 channel amp. To me, the amp sounds very balanced across channels, and modes and one can also suggest that it’s way more narrow-sounding sounding, less versatile than the original one.
The overall feel of the amp is consistent and you won’t feel like you are playing different through different Marshall circuits. With the original JVM, there is more variety across channels and some feel very different than others.
That’s why I wanted to call this a gain two-channel amp! I think 4 channels with 3 modes are just there for musicians who play live. Other than that, there’s not much of a huge benefit to having all these modes.
JVM410HJS has less gain than the original. However, since I always use some kind of boosts or EQ in the front, I really don’t care much about this. I’d like to blend classic Boss SD-1, Ibanez Tube Screamer and many other drive pedals with my amps. So in order to achieve that, you always need to be careful with the amp gain.
As you may know, many people complain about the amount of gain on the JVM410H. But I must say, both amps offer already too much gain and you can not just crank them and get a usable tone. For me, it’s always up to 12 o’clock or 13:30 o’clock max. And the rest should be dealt with a boost.
Clean Channel
You may have heard that people usually praise the Clean channel on the original more than the one in the HJS version. I slightly disagree with them. I think both clean channels are pretty good. The original JVM’s clean channel is awesome for pure clean stuff and with the added gain using the mode buttons and adjusting the gain accordingly, you can have seriously sweet-sounding clean to pushed clean tones.
However, I think the clean channel on HJS is a bit better for overdrive/distortion pedals. I think the end result using distortion on the clean channels of both amps is pretty close, but there’s something with HJS and I’m really digging it!
The Choke
You may also have heard people praising the choke on the HJS version which I never understand. They constantly talk about the choke. “The HJS has a choke, the original doesn’t!”. Then they modify their amp with a choke and see no improvement! 🙂
I really don’t know what’s the benefit but I don’t think anyone should compare both amps by those components. I mean, the legendary amp designer Santiago Alvarez probably knew how to design amps better than anyone on the internet and there must a be reason to implement this on the HJS.
However, I don’t think the choke is there to make HJS a superior amp but rather a design choice to complement the topology of the amp.
I think Marshall’s next step should bring back this amp in a much more portable format and I would also expect the same for the original JVM. We can still buy the original JVM for a very competitive price in the EU (the price has been increased a little bit recently though).
I’d absolutely love to see a Studio Series format for both amps, stripped down to 2 channels with an integrated noise gate and the reverb! I think these would sell like hotcakes!
For those who are seeking answers on whether you should get a JVM410HJS, here is my honest review. I totally suggest you get one if you are looking for classic Marshall tones with lots of options to alter and personalise for live usage. I think you wouldn’t use every channel and mode if you were only recording at home.
But still, either on the OD1/2 or crunch channel with a Boss SD-1, you don’t really need anything else for classic blues, rock, hard rock and glam rock sounds! The amp sounds feels and plays so organically that it makes you play longer and longer!
I have never enjoyed anything more than the HJS. I still love my Marshall JVM410H as it can get really aggressive with the same approach and sounds very modern. But HJS is definitely a different amp. The only thing I’d like to point out is that they are not so different but in the same family of the amps being only siblings :).
Where to Buy Marshall JVM410HJS?
As I mentioned, I bought myself two of these heads! Not sure why I did that, probably to satisfy my ego! 🙂 The HJS version was discontinued around 2017. I have been always looking for these amps online and observe the price trends.
The newest ones I saw were always in 2017. I have never seen a 2018 version, so I think this may be correct to suggest these amps were discontinued in 2017.
Marshall JVM410HJS For Sale!
Since there are no brand new ones available anymore, you can only look at the used markets. Luckily, I have two of these and I’m planning to sell them. If you are interested in JVM410HJS amps, please contact me. These amps are available on my website or my Reverb shop.
Check out price and availability of Marshall JVM410HJS on my Reverb shop
I can ship within the EU or arrange a local pickup in Bratislava, hit me up if you are interested in my HJS amps! 🙂
I hope you find this Marshall JVM410HJS review article honest and insightful! Thanks for visiting my blog and supporting me so far! I will hopefully see you in the next review here!
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