Marshall Amps

I was wondering what peoples opinions are of Marshall amps. Also, could you share your favorite Marshall amp if you have one.

It is the amp that created most of the rock music I listened to while growing up and learning to play in the '70s. From the early '60s through the '70s Fender amps got cleaner and cleaner while Marshall amps got meaner and meaner. As for my favorite... I get along great with any that have 4 inputs (or more) be it a 20w, 50w, 100w or 200w.

man this is so broad -

do you mean vintage
new?

theres marshallforum.com-
and theres hamrony cnetral for lots of opinions
but in order to follow the model numbers
first
for pics simply go to the marshall company site and look and listen

simply theres nothing like a marshall
i like an 18 watt with celestion green backs
i happen to like my 30th anniv with el 34s with g 12 30 h celestions as well

marshalls are british rock and roll-ac/dc, zep, allmans, hendrix,

they have a distinctive sound which youll immediately recognize-and they vary as do fenders within models

and as much as i love fenders-there is nothing like a marshall-and imho 2x12 or larger

you owe it to yourself to try one-loud (truly -this is the ONLY way many non master volume models come to life-or use a power attenuator to limit volume but still work the tubes hard )

and of course there are many boutique builders who will build a great marshall of any ilk for you-ptp

and -marshalls pair especially well with a high signal pick up humbucker guitar like an les paul, but imho they also sound more than great with teles

hope this helps -now go do some leg work

From the early '60s through the '70s Fender amps got cleaner and cleaner while Marshall amps got meaner and meaner. As for my favorite... I get along great with any that have 4 inputs (or more) be it a 20w, 50w, 100w or 200w.

Yep, it's all about the 4-holers for me, with the exception of the 8-hole Super PAs.

JTM45.....4-12 greenback cab....
Rock-n-Roll baby!

mojohen

I'm a confirmed Marshall-holic.

Click on my Photos button to see a few of them.

i have recently gotten a Marshall 8040, 40 watt (belongs to my bassist) and i must say it really brings out the charatheristics and tone of my guitars in comparisson to the tech 21 tm60. i really love the cleans from the 8040 esp when i plug my tele into it. its like picking on bells that chimes "that" tone that gives u the tingles.

I play a little modern rock and for dirty sounds, i use a boss metalzone, although i prefer the tm60 in this department, but im beginning to learn how to dial in to a good full sound with the 8040, especially after 30 minutes when the 8040 sorta warms up. Its incredible on how much volume i can gain after the initial warm up. and the tele *ROARS*!

If you like the Valvestate, wait'll ya plug into one of the old-style tube Marshalls and turn it up! It'll rip your lips off!

I personally do not get how people can play through a marshall full-stack and not immediately feel the appeal of hard rock. I mean, the satisfaction of cranking up that baby and slamming those power chords is so great...

The 4-holers are the best.

The 4-holers are the best.

I would say there are a few 8 holers that might change your mind.

I would say there are a few 8 holers that might change your mind.

Haha, you like the PA amps, huh?

I would say there are a few 8 holers that might change your mind.

OK, I'm open minded with the classic designs.

Do we agree that the 2 (and one) holers ain't as cool? Too much gain and disto.

My all-time favorite so far are the dual-channel JCM800s...PCBs and all. I use a 50W combo with four Greenbacks and it just has attitude in spades.

Does anybody here use a JTM45 with a Tele, and play it clean?

I like darker clean sounds, without icepicky treble (a friend's red knob The Twin is way too bright for me, for example), and supposedly the JTM45 is good at doing that; but it is hard finding people experienced with Marshalls that DON'T crank them for crunch sounds - and I'm a 99% clean player myself...

My "favorite" are the original 50 and 100 watt plexis pushing a 4x12 bottom loaded with celestions. Problem is that I don't play the kind of places where these can be used and I refuse to use an attenuator and destroy that beautiful plexi tone.

My current amp, and the best I have ever owned, I built based on the original 1966 marshall 18 watt specs. For me, it's the holy grail. Jim Marshall has said that the 18 watters are the best sounding amp he ever made. Not sure about that, but they are definately at the very top of a very short list.

Haha, you like the PA amps, huh?

You'd have to be a fool not to like the PA amps. You can voice each set of inputs differently and have a killer channel switcher.

Well, the Marshall track record speaks for itself. Oddly the only Marshall I've ever owned is a little thing that hooks on your belt..a mini amp. I do however have an older Park that was made by Marshall. I got this weird anal thing about not using what everyone else uses. If I came across a good deal on a Marshall TUBE amp I'd go for it...but nothing Solid State. I played a ValveState (Solid State) and it didn't impress me. I know the Plexi's rock.

Yeah, I like 8 holers too, who wouldn't?! a '66 JTM100 plexi with the gigantic OT. Very quiet at idle and is clean for a long ways up the volume scale, until you go over the edge, to the darkside. and then she is a classic. Insert H&K Tube Factor and it comes on way sooner. I honestly prefer my '72 Lead stickered Super Bass just a touch more and I'd say the '69 50W small box after the PA head. I had a Slash Sig at one time and never liked the diode clipping distortion. Sold that.

I use my big Marshalls all the time with a 16 ohm THD Hot Plate. Then I take a line level signal off the back of the THD, to feed my rack and process that side of the signal with a BBE, Lexicon, etc. and split that into two combos (SFVR + LC50) on either side of the Marshall spread out a bit. I have a Pedal Train board out front that is split, dry side / wet side...... i.e. dry is pre Marshall input and wet is pre rack to the combos.

I get all the wonderful Marshall tone just knocked down a bit (trust me, it doesn't hurt the tone if you don't step on it too hard!) and then it is just a huge wide sound with the three amps. All the cabling is labeled and straight forward and there are 6 main pieces to haul around. I kinda got the idea years ago from studying what Eric Johnson was doing. Love the tone! Everyone that hears it, wants it.

Marshall amps are like PRS guitars for me. I've never bonded with them. Also I used to associate them with some really loud players who weren't that good. But if you listen to Cream, Jimi, Led Zeppelin, Allman Bros. Band... there are a lot of good Marshall tones. I'd love to try an 18 watter.
And I love my Traynor Bassmaster which is modeled after a Marshall.
Maybe there's hope for me yet!

There's a couple that I love.
1. A Model#1987 and a FULL STACK.
2. A SuperBass Plexi and a FULL STACK.

alas I've come up with less expensive ways of achieving THAT TONE.
a. A Peavey Butcher and a FULL STACK with a Sparkle Drive.
b. A Peavey Classic (70's) and Tech 21 GT-2.

If a Model #1987 Reissue turned up locally I'd buy it in a heartbeat and
so should You.

Does anybody here use a JTM45 with a Tele, and play it clean?

I like darker clean sounds, without icepicky treble (a friend's red knob The Twin is way too bright for me, for example), and supposedly the JTM45 is good at doing that; but it is hard finding people experienced with Marshalls that DON'T crank them for crunch sounds - and I'm a 99% clean player myself...


I owned one for a few years. Great clean spanky tones w/ Tele. A lot of emphasis in the low mids which translates into overall warmth and a thick, buttery bridge pickup sound.

Sounds good!

I love the 4 input Marshalls because you can dial in some extra beef on the bottom by jumpering the 2 channels together. And yes, I use a JTM45 clean with a tele and strat when I gig. Sounds great clean, and with all my pedals. I've got one of those reissue JTM45 offset amps and I run it through a custom cab made by Jeff Swanson that has a couple Weber silver bells. :smile:

I love the Plexi sound, too, but da-yam, there big $$ now. I have a 2555SL Slash model head, which is a reissue of the 80s Silver Jubilee 2555 head, and a 1960AV 4X12 w/Vintage 30s. I opted for this setup after a lot of thought, and I'm really happy with it, mainly because of the flexibility it affords: a 50w/100w switch, master volume, and the cab can be used as one or two 2x12s or 4x12. I know this isn't as "pure" as a dimed non-MV 100w Plexi wide open into a 4x12 (x2), but it certainly gets the job done like a Marshall should. It's a nice one to have along with a couple of Fenders and an AC30, it covers a lot of bases.

-Bernie

Dave "Bucket" Colwell, guitarist with Bad Co., and Joe Bonamassa get some knockout tones from their tele/marshall combination.

The "Marshall" sound is pretty subjective. There are so many Marshall models out there, and they all sound different. Over the years I've owned 2 Superleads, a 71 and 73, a 67 Plexi 50 watt tremelo, two JTM-45 reissues, and a Marshall 6101 30th anniversary combo.

I sold everything but the JTM-45's (love 'em) and the 6101. That combo can be voiced to sound like just about every Marshall going with tweaking and A/Bing. Others may disagree, but that's been my results. It's the amp that Johnny A. has used to record everything... and with a built0in speaker emulator, it sounds fantastic direct!

But at the end of the day, it's my Orange amps that get used the most.

Billy

I used to play Marshalls. I had a JCM 800 2x12 combo and a Reissue 1987x Plexi 50 watt

Probably my favorite Marshall these days would be a JTM45 or Bluesbreaker combo. I think those models have the best clean sound of all the Marshalls and I like the tube rectifier as well

Yeah, the 4 hole models really do clean up nicely when you turn them down. No tone killer circuits in them.

anyone try the Marshall 1974X handwired amp? I've seen a couple on stages...very expensive for a combo amp...1x12 of course all tube and hand wired around $2500 or so.....just wondering how it sounds

My first gigging amp was a JCM 800 combo which was a very unfashionable amp to have in the scene I played in. The indie rockers of that time only played Fenders; Marshalls being synonomous with of course all the things they're still synonomous with (this was before Oasis came along and made 'rock and roll' OK for a certain crowd).

I liked it then but traded it for a Traynor Mark 3 combo which, truth be told, was the better amp.

Now, ten years on I'm back to Marshalls - a JTM 610 combo, which although initially riddled with problems has a great clean channel to complement its nice, familiar crunchy boost channel. Reverbs a little weak but the tank is so short, what do you expect? :smile:

I like Marshalls. I think more atypical players should use them (in general that would be a good idea for everyone - to go with atypical gear...get more distinctive sounds).

I was wondering what peoples opinions are of Marshall amps. Also, could you share your favorite Marshall amp if you have one.

when i was into hard rock, marshall was it...wonderful distortion

but i liked almost any other brand for a clean tone

my guitar student in the '80s got a 100 watt jcm half stack and that thing was great even though he played emo type rock with mild distortion, but he never played clean to distinguish himself from the new wave players who preferred twin reverbs and roland jazz chorus amps

when i got a half stack, it was a mostfet 100 watt, and it was great like the other marshall for certain genres, but for a distorted tone, but never a clean tone

even the vintage reissue marshalls with special tube setups, and a lower wattage still suck all the feeling out of a clean tone and i don't know why that is and i guess that's a big reason why fender ruled in surf music and other forms of music that required a clean tone

My first gigging amp was a JCM 800 combo which was a very unfashionable amp to have in the scene I played in. The indie rockers of that time only played Fenders; Marshalls being synonomous with of course all the things they're still synonomous with (this was before Oasis came along and made 'rock and roll' OK for a certain crowd).

I liked it then but traded it for a Traynor Mark 3 combo which, truth be told, was the better amp.



No question that a Traynor MK III combo is a far better amp than any JCM800.

Picked this one up in the mid 1990s for $400.
Put the G12H30 Anniversarys in it when they were issued.
The original speakers were long gone by the time I bought the amp.

Changed from the stock 6550s to 6CA7/EL34s.

One loud amp.

There is a beautiful White Tolex Bluesbreaker at the local GC in Charlotte.
Gorgeous looking amp. Too bad they want $2K, but that's GC.
Maybe I'll buy stock in GC. (http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=GTRC)

Jamie

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v473/NE4TT/AMPS/Marshall/2100/Marshall2100001.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v473/NE4TT/AMPS/Marshall/2100/Marshall2100002.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v473/NE4TT/AMPS/Marshall/2100/Marshall2100004.jpg

wow...thats looks pretty "violent"...looks killer...have you tried recording with this?

It is the amp that created most of the rock music I listened to while growing up and learning to play in the '70s. From the early '60s through the '70s Fender amps got cleaner and cleaner while Marshall amps got meaner and meaner. As for my favorite... I get along great with any that have 4 inputs (or more) be it a 20w, 50w, 100w or 200w.


certainly the marshall is the ultimate amp for mean, but i could never manage the clean

i don't have a marshall right now, but do marshall owners have any tips as to how to get that clean "fender" like tube sound from a marshall? is there a setting, or a stomp box that could get a warm tone as opposed to that steely, harsh clean tone i have heard from jcm 800s, 900s, 2000s, and mosfets?

the only marshalls i don't have extensive experience on are open backed marshalls and small wattage marshalls

i don't have a marshall right now, but do marshall owners have any tips as to how to get that clean "fender" like tube sound from a marshall? is there a setting, or a stomp box that could get a warm tone as opposed to that steely, harsh clean tone i have heard from jcm 800s, 900s, 2000s, and mosfets?

the only marshalls i don't have extensive experience on are open backed marshalls and small wattage marshalls


I'm not an expert on Fender amps by any means, but Marshalls used EL84, EL34s and KT66 power tubes in the vast majority of their amp designs, and I don't think there is a Fender amp in the catalog that uses any of those tubes, with the possible exception of the EL84, so getting a "Fender" sound from a Marshall isn't going to happen.

certainly the marshall is the ultimate amp for mean, but i could never manage the clean

i don't have a marshall right now, but do marshall owners have any tips as to how to get that clean "fender" like tube sound from a marshall?

Marshall accomplished 'clean' with their all-tube mid '90s JTM series amps. The clean channel on my JTM610 is great. This line of amps, however, I can't wholly recommend since they are beset with various problems.

I'm willing to live with mine since I'm attached to it and the two totally separate channels (dual reverb, dual effects loops, series and parallel) make for a very versatile amp that can go from heavy to glassy at a switch.

certainly the marshall is the ultimate amp for mean, but i could never manage the clean

i don't have a marshall right now, but do marshall owners have any tips as to how to get that clean "fender" like tube sound from a marshall? is there a setting, or a stomp box that could get a warm tone as opposed to that steely, harsh clean tone i have heard from jcm 800s, 900s, 2000s, and mosfets?

the only marshalls i don't have extensive experience on are open backed marshalls and small wattage marshalls


you've listed Marshalls that I don't own for some reason or another.

Some of the vintage Marshall stuff can be just as good or better clean, than any of my vintage Fenders.

I think you just haven't heard the right ones yet if your reference is the list you made above.

I'm undecided on Marshall, caning the powerstage on an old model is just so great sounding that you can't not twist that volume knob right the way around, but some things I've played have been somewhat dissapointing. I think the name sells too, I don't think the AVT/valvestate amps would have sold for the prices they did without a Marshall logo on them, for the money you can get a fantastic all tube amp from Laney or Peavey.

As for what Noel Gallagher was using in Oasis, his sound's as much Orange or Vox as it is Marshall, he's a bit of a gear whore. Although I must say most videos I've seen from Oasis he's stood in front of a big old Orange stack, but maybe that's because they look so cool?

Generally though, Marshall amps are quite well built, they're pertty good sounding, and because of the name they hold some degree of value second hand. That said, there are some real dogs out there with the Marshall name on them, especially their solid state kit, so be careful if you buy second hand. Also, when buying plexi's and JCM800s etc, be careful, because a LOT of people had their amps modded EVH style in the 80's, the "rodded Marshall" was really in, and a lot of good amps had a lot of bad work done to them. Some of them obviously came out as good as Soldanos, but some are just plain bad, and either way does plenty to diminish the resale value of an amp.

If I'm honest, I probably won't ever own a Marshall designed in the last 35 years, but that's not to say they're not good amps.

If I'm honest, I probably won't ever own a Marshall designed in the last 35 years, but that's not to say they're not good amps.

I could say that about any manufacturer's amplifier line.

you've listed Marshalls that I don't own for some reason or another.

Some of the vintage Marshall stuff can be just as good or better clean, than any of my vintage Fenders.

I think you just haven't heard the right ones yet if your reference is the list you made above.

Agreed, a 4 hole (or more) Marshall on 2 or 3 w/ humbuckers and 5 or 6 w/ single coils will do a very pristine, lively clean tone.

Marshall accomplished 'clean' with their all-tube mid '90s JTM series amps. The clean channel on my JTM610 is great. This line of amps, however, I can't wholly recommend since they are beset with various problems.

I'm willing to live with mine since I'm attached to it and the two totally separate channels (dual reverb, dual effects loops, series and parallel) make for a very versatile amp that can go from heavy to glassy at a switch.

i have tried the more common JCMs and Mosfets, but have never even heard of or seen a JTM so i may give that model a try on the clean sound and see how i like it

thanks for the tip

There is a beautiful White Tolex Bluesbreaker at the local GC in Charlotte. Gorgeous looking amp. Too bad they want $2K, but that's GC.

Ya mean like this one?

http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r180/DrewB68/BBLtd.jpg

Sorry it's so dark; it's a pretty dark, wet and dreary day here.:sad:

Agreed, a 4 hole (or more) Marshall on 2 or 3 w/ humbuckers and 5 or 6 w/ single coils will do a very pristine, lively clean tone.

Tim,
I just knew you would know what I'm talking about! :mrgreen:

If Ned were posting here, he would have a lot to say about this too.

You can have these old Marshalls cranked even higher than you mention and just roll off the guitar volume a touch to keep it on the edge. Then when you need it, roll on the volume and let it eat.

I'm thinking that there are a lot of folks here that haven't heard "real" Marshalls that are setup properly. I know you have. I have the good fortune of being around several dozen of these old "gems".

Off topic,
one of my favorite amps is Ned's old '62 Vox AC30's with Top Boost. That thing is just cool! He's also got a couple of old HiWatts that are killer too! and also, some Oranges that are very nice.

There is no reason whatoever that an old 4-holer can't clean up nicely. After all, they're just a minor variation on the tweed Bassman, and they are not super high gain. Saying a 4 hole Marshall won't clean up is like saying a tweed Bassman won't clean up. And it has absolutely nothing to do with the EL34 vs 6L6 issue.

anyone try the Marshall 1974X handwired amp? I've seen a couple on stages...very expensive for a combo amp...1x12 of course all tube and hand wired around $2500 or so.....just wondering how it sounds

Sounds amazing!

Here's mine w/ the tele (68/factory Bigsby).

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v227/Brian_Butts/DSC00699.jpg

I have the only one in the free world WITHOUT transformer issues.

Best regards,

Brian

There is no reason whatoever that an old 4-holer can't clean up nicely. After all, they're just a minor variation on the tweed Bassman, and they are not super high gain. Saying a 4 hole Marshall won't clean up is like saying a tweed Bassman won't clean up. And it has absolutely nothing to do with the EL34 vs 6L6 issue.



A Marshall is fully capable of a great "clean" sound, but it's not the same as a "FENDER CLEAN" sound, and an awful lot of that has to do with the power tubes. They're as different as a Les Paul and a tele are.

what are the new ones like. im looking at getting a new amp and i dont have the time or money to go looking for these vintage tube amps. anybody used/own/heard them? if it was used with a Tele thats great but im not fussed with the guitar that was plugged into it.

I played lots of Marshalls through the 70's and really dig the MKII 50 watt Master Lead Series. I recently bought a very eary JCM800 2 x 12 50 watt combo circa 1981 which is essentially the same amp as the late 70's MKII's. Awesome little combo!

Of the newer Marshalls, I really dig the DSL401 combos. Killer sound, very versatile, great clean tone but, they seem to have a pretty shabby service record. Too bad because they sound terrific.

A Marshall is fully capable of a great "clean" sound, but it's not the same as a "FENDER CLEAN" sound, and an awful lot of that has to do with the power tubes. They're as different as a Les Paul and a tele are.

Sorry, but wrong. Marshalls clean sound different than Fenders clean because the preamps are voiced differently. Tone stacks are different.

If the amp is running clean, the power tubes are not distorting, they're being run in their linear region. FWIW, the EL34 is more linear than the 6L6. HiFi guys like EL34s because they have no kink. They will do clean as good if not better than a 6L6. And when you wrap a NFB loop around them, you'll be hard pressed to tell the difference between a clean pair of 34s and a clean pair of 6L6s.

Sorry, but wrong. Marshalls clean sound different than Fenders clean because the preamps are voiced differently. Tone stacks are different.

If the amp is running clean, the power tubes are not distorting, they're being run in their linear region. FWIW, the EL34 is more linear than the 6L6. HiFi guys like EL34s because they have no kink. They will do clean as good if not better than a 6L6. And when you wrap a NFB loop around them, you'll be hard pressed to tell the difference between a clean pair of 34s and a clean pair of 6L6s.


We're going to have to agree to disagree on this one. Having owned a number of both brands, I'm going with what my ear tells me. I would suggest you try something though. Run a dual amp system, a marshall and fender, both thru idential cabinets (I had a rig like this) simultaneously and then start switching them in and out of the system individually.

Some people like coke, some pepsi...me...I'm a Dr. Pepper guy!

OK, fair enough, we will disagree. But a better test would be to have 2 identical amps, one with EL34s, one with 6L6s. That would remove all the other variables. I maintain that running them both clean, you would be hard pressed to tell the difference.

I like Pepsi and Coke. But I'd rather have a beer.

The differences between EL34s and 6L6s become apparent as the power sections are pushed into clipping.... but since we are talking about clean (ie, prior to clipping) the differences are going to be far less apparent. As Tremo suggests, the difference in sounds between Fender and Marshall amps has little to do with the output tubes. Unless you talking about a latest version of a tweed Twin or Bassman, Fender amps are a completely different animal from a Marshall.

I have a 67 JTM 50 watt job that has a great clean tone to it. Sounds great with my single coils and HB style guitars. It has an unbelievable sustain and still stays clean with my single coils and realy barks with a HB equipped guitar.
I was really fortunate as a good pal gave it to me. He has since "gone on"
so it really means alot to me.

Does anybody here use a JTM45 with a Tele, and play it clean?

I like darker clean sounds, without icepicky treble (a friend's red knob The Twin is way too bright for me, for example), and supposedly the JTM45 is good at doing that; but it is hard finding people experienced with Marshalls that DON'T crank them for crunch sounds - and I'm a 99% clean player myself...

I use an esq with a metro jtm45 with kt66 and a RS deluxe OT. it sounds great with a weber silver bell and a celestion blue

to me, the tele/esq and jtm45 sounds best with silver and blue alnicos in a open cab and a gz34, not a ss rectifier.