tonymckenziecom | 4 months ago
An old vintage Marshall amp delivering tones & feel that is missing from simulators whatever brand they might be. So is the KING of tube amps still the tone and feel monster it always was? Or is Marshall relegated to making Bluetooth speakers forever.
Contents:
00:00 Start
00:13 Intro & Preamble
00:30 About the amp
01:34 Transformers
03:34 Amp date
03:51 Controls and I/O
04:34 Tubes
04:59 Serial number
06:06 Inside the chassis
06:55 Closer to ST1?
08:09 Master volume mod
09:05 Biasing
10:13 Filter capacitors
10:49 Amp control pots
12:06 Real tube amp
12:50 Headfirst PCB
14:06 The EL34 problem
15:16 History of this amp
16:32 Reverb!
17:11 General conclusions
20:05 Amp case & more
22:28 Michael Schenker
23:04 Opinion
23:42 Can I buy one?
24:29 Score
27:15 Final thoughts
28:01 Playing setup
28:33 Track 1 take 1
31:17 Track 2 take 2 earphones!
What you will learn:
Is this amp different than simulator tones?
Can I still buy a new one?
Is this up to Marshall quality at this age?
How loud is the amp really?
Related links:
My website: https://tonymckenzie.com
A review of the JTM45 Mk II: https://youtu.be/MesLdo5zIDU
Marshall 1959 Hand Wired Amp Review: https://youtu.be/d-SFtu1mjV0
An original review of the JVM410HJS: https://tonymckenzie.com/marshall-jvm410hjs-satriani-review.htm
Marshall website: https://www.marshall.com
Marshall JVM410H review: https://tonymckenzie.com/marshall_jvm410h_review.htm
Discussion with Santiago Alvarez Designer: https://tonymckenzie.com/afd100_review.htm
Marshall Factory Tour 2023: https://youtu.be/sjMgLOlc9e4?si=-wC8I1IL7KA3icvR
My original Marshall Factory Tour: https://youtu.be/WeerxAO3oRU?si=fRcaJEukPEp1DSEk part one!
My original Marshall Factory Tour: https://youtu.be/rhe7qXP08qw?si=97YOTSB_UyYNmWBF part two!
When guys tell me that their amp simulator, capture device or any of the other digital devices sounds and feel the same as a Marshall amp honestly it can be quite laughable. There is no doubt that the simulators of tube or valve amplifiers are good, but they tend to lack in a number of areas. I have tried most of them since 2012, and I'm STILL looking for the one that can parallel this Marshall amplifier let alone be offering better tones and feel than this amp delivers.
Obviously, the protagonists of simulators, well, some are, hostile, rude, you get the idea, but facts really can be hard to beat with (from many) a less than perfect simulation of up to the 60 year old technology of tube amps.
Then we have the others... you know, the ones that make & sell copy amps of the great Marshall brand that are tweaked (with mods created by others) and those amps are sold as 'something special' or with 'improved tones and feel' that tries to 'better' what remains an ICON of the tube amp industry since 1962. Their followers often pay at least twice the price for a promise that is often never supplied or delivered, and in my case the 'better' amp I bought was returned because of bad internal work.
So, where does it leave this old 1996 Marshall amp head with what some suggest has 'the wrong tubes' fitted in it.. can't create that Marshall tone everyone has heard for so long? It leaves this amp and others like it right up there where it has always been... at the top of the pile - but only if you dare tell those other guys that their gear is inferior to 60 year old technology. So I have.
This 1987x (first iteration) Marshall amp cost less than £900 even today, the internal quality as you will see is pretty awesome bearing in mind that the amp has been played likely since new. It has even been in the Robert Plant band used by one of the amp owners... they say.
Consider this. Today there are guys that insist that a feather is 'too heavy to lift' or that the parrot in the corner of the room 'is too loud'. I guess for the MEN this amp would be great. It's true it IS loud, but in 2024 that is possible to overcome.
In this video review you will see everything about this amp, inside and out, build quality, components and much more. At the end I play Lightpipe AI twice (use headphones for the second version).
I also offer my opinion of this amp. Don't be surprised to see that this Marshall amp is NOT built like some of the rubbish out there that is often called 'boutique' amplifiers, when in reality some of those amps are rather like the emperors new clothes.
I spent time and money making the video and bought this amp so no sponsorship here!
Thanks to NEIL for the help in getting this amp.
PLEASE SUBSCRIBE, RING THE BELL, AND THUMBS UP to give my channel a boost and thank you for watching.
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