2061X - Reviewed

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Disclaimers: I have only owned this amp since yesterday and played it for a maximum of 45 minutes so far. My observations are just opinions and do not neccessarily constitute hard facts or in depth knowledge of guitar amplifiers. I reserve the right to retract or back slide on any information that I have provided in this review.


Now that we have all that out of the way .

I bought a used 2061X (2061 Reissue) head off of eBay. My expectations have been high. I have demo'd these amps at least 10 times in the past two years. I knew what I was getting into - not a full out 50/100W Plexi, and not a weeny lack-luster 15W amp. I have owned several EL84 amps in the past - GA15, Classic 30, Blues Jr., VC2110, YCV20WR, Galaxy 10 and maybe a few that I have forgotten. I currently own a lacquered tweed Blues Jr. and a Maz 18 Jr. The BJ meets my needs for a 'cleaner' Fender bodied sound in a small box. The Maz 18 Jr. covers a lot of territory that I want in the 'Voxy' to Marshall realm. The Maz 18 Jr. has 2x10 speakers and reverb.

So, what is it I need or want? I am not sure exactly. But I am hoping to find a Marshall sounding amp in a small portable rig. I am not convinced that the 1974X meets my needs - besides, the price is outside of my mental limitations. The other thing I must stress, is I am a BIG brand snob. While many of the forementioned amps did not meet my sonic expectations, none of them beared the Marshall name either. I have considered building the perfect amp and labeling it as a Marshall - but I so far have decided against this approach.


I will 'try' to shorten this review by cutting to my first impressions via Pros & Cons:

Pros:
* Very light weight and small cabinet
* Simple, simple, simple (did I mention simple?)
* Marshall name and familiar Marshall design appearance
* Moderately low volumes
* Two Channels (2 inputs per channel with incremental db cut in the various input jacks for input gain options)
* 4/8/16 ohm selection switch
* Two speaker output jacks
* Vintage vibe in appearance
* Reveals a distictive Marshall trademark overdrive that is unmistakable
* Able to saturate a small to moderate sized room with a LOT of sound pressure waves (can get loud)
* Very articulate and pick reactive
* Not a ultra-gain monster, but gainy enough for '70s covers

Cons:
* I don't know of any Marshall made amp cover as of yet
* EQ section is limited and can be dull - could use a little more brightness (remember 'simple'?)
* Does not have the depth and gutiness of a typical 50W Marshall (hence, probably the reason the original was discontinued years ago) - But it does have the sound, just not the fullness.
* No Effects Loop or built in Reverb (not really a negative for me)
* Some folks do not like that pick reactiveness that this amp has - you can hear articulation so well, that you may have to adjust your playing style to avoid the pick click (not a problem for me)
* Shielding and hum cancellation is not as good as my 50W MV sitting right next to it
* Channel jumping is a very minor benefit to the tone, but there is a slight detectible difference
* Lower volumes causes it to loose a little Plexi character
* High volumes seems a bit stressed and nearly out of control (but no where as bad as a 1987X at high volume)
* No Master Volume (not really neeeded - but I used a Power Soak to push the gain while lowering the volume - AFTER my initial impressions)
* 1-1/2 trick pony


My observations are based on the fact that I have been playing guitar for 35 years and have owned several Marshalls in the past - including a '69 100W Plexi. I currently own a '79 50W MV and the Maz 18 Jr. I used these amps to compare my mental notes. I used both my Gibson R8 LP and my Special Edition Strat with MIA pups. The Strat did not reveal as much character as it would with other amps. But the LP was spot on. I used a 1922 cabinet that is reloaded with two Celestion G12M (Greenbacks MIUK).

My conclusion is this:

My 50W is better and fuller than the 2061X. But the 2061X can hold it's own when not being compared. It sounds like a Plexi in many ways. There are very cool things about my Maz 18 Jr. that the 2061X does not have. If I did not own the Maz 18 Jr., the 2061X would be the only EL84 amp that I would probably want. These two amps sound different and the Maz is more flexible. But the 2061X is a great amp that covers the intended territory well. It met my objectives of Marshall tone and Marshall brand that is very light and portable.

I hope to open it up some more for a few hours and get some better impressions with more use. Let me know what you think about the amp or the review.