Jim Marshall dies at 88 :~(
- Thread starter lonesomebob
- Start date
Jim Rosenthal
Supporter
It IS a sad day. More than anyone else, he was responsible for the sound of a whole generation of rock bands- Hendrix, Cream, The Who....his early amps are amazing. And LOUD.
Interesting side note- if you look at the circuit diagram of an early Marshall head, it's similar to the tweed early Fenders like the Bassman. Which, in turn, contains a lot of circuit designs that were commonly used in the era (I am not an electronics designer- my source for this is one of Aspen Pittman's books, I think) But Marshall adapted these circuits for different tubes and created a whole new generation of amps, some of which I've had the pleasure of playing through.
Interesting side note- if you look at the circuit diagram of an early Marshall head, it's similar to the tweed early Fenders like the Bassman. Which, in turn, contains a lot of circuit designs that were commonly used in the era (I am not an electronics designer- my source for this is one of Aspen Pittman's books, I think) But Marshall adapted these circuits for different tubes and created a whole new generation of amps, some of which I've had the pleasure of playing through.
If you look down from above at a tweed bassman combo, it looks exactly like the face of an old Marshall head.
I've always felt a man should have a V8 and a Marshall before he dies. ;~)
I've always felt a man should have a V8 and a Marshall before he dies. ;~)
Jim Rosenthal
Supporter
It does. I have one of the amps from that era, a 58 Bandmaster single 15"... I don't use it on gigs too much because it is so loud, but it is a great amp. When you play through a vintage tweed Fender, you really get what this is all about- why these amps are so sought after. They sound amazing and the response is as if it is alive.
Years ago, I spent some time and effort trying to find another amplifier that would do some things I thought the Fenders wouldn't do. I played a lot of amps, including custom made ones, and a couple that are supposed to be very close copies of Dumble amps, which are rare indeed. I never found anything that I liked as much as the old Fenders that I have, and I finally just gave up. Maybe there's something out there. I've never heard it, though.
Years ago, I spent some time and effort trying to find another amplifier that would do some things I thought the Fenders wouldn't do. I played a lot of amps, including custom made ones, and a couple that are supposed to be very close copies of Dumble amps, which are rare indeed. I never found anything that I liked as much as the old Fenders that I have, and I finally just gave up. Maybe there's something out there. I've never heard it, though.
Jeff Young
GT40s Supporter
You know what? The closest I've come to that sound is an early 60s Silvertone 1484. The outer materials are junk -- cheap fiberboard, etc. and the nobs and such the same, but the internals are Patridge, etc. and just kick ass.
I have a 50 watt early 80s Laney half-stack that I like, and have owned/played a JCM800, an early HiWatt, an AC30 and a really nice Randall, but of all of them, the Silvertone is the closest to that crackly but fluid natural gain that you get from the Fenders of that era, plus the really really clean clean channel you kinda get with a Marshall and cannot get with the Laney...lol...
I have a 50 watt early 80s Laney half-stack that I like, and have owned/played a JCM800, an early HiWatt, an AC30 and a really nice Randall, but of all of them, the Silvertone is the closest to that crackly but fluid natural gain that you get from the Fenders of that era, plus the really really clean clean channel you kinda get with a Marshall and cannot get with the Laney...lol...
I had a band with a guy that played a dot neck 335 into one of those Silvertone heads into a couple of twelves. He had switching on the humbuckers for phasing, and with that setup he could sound like Hendrix, Blackmore, Beck, Clapton, Page, etc. etc. Just an amazing little head!
Jim Rosenthal
Supporter
How do you like the AC30? I have tried those out from time to time thinking I would like the Class A circuit sound, but the weight of an AC30 has been a problem.
I do like the Silvertone amps. They may have been made cheaply, but so were old Fenders, and Silvertones sound great.
I do like the Silvertone amps. They may have been made cheaply, but so were old Fenders, and Silvertones sound great.
Jeff Young
GT40s Supporter
I never found the AC30 magical like some do.
I would say my favorite of "all time" was a Mk.IIC Mesa Boogie. Just an all around great amp. Didn't own it, friend did.
Hard to beat a JCM800 at full on gain, but the Laney comes close and while not as versatile as the JCM probably has a bit more crunch if you like that.
HiWatt was a great amp. Randall had some cool effects on it and sounded great.
I probably play the Silvertone the most (I presently have the Laney, a Fender Princeton and the Silvertone). With one of those green Ibanez Tube Screamer boxes it gets just LIQUID distortion. My main player right now is a 76 Bicentennial Firebird with Tommy Shaw humbuckers (bought it that way, I did NOT rout that guitar! lol). Through the tube screamer and the Silvertone it is a really, really cool sound.
I would say my favorite of "all time" was a Mk.IIC Mesa Boogie. Just an all around great amp. Didn't own it, friend did.
Hard to beat a JCM800 at full on gain, but the Laney comes close and while not as versatile as the JCM probably has a bit more crunch if you like that.
HiWatt was a great amp. Randall had some cool effects on it and sounded great.
I probably play the Silvertone the most (I presently have the Laney, a Fender Princeton and the Silvertone). With one of those green Ibanez Tube Screamer boxes it gets just LIQUID distortion. My main player right now is a 76 Bicentennial Firebird with Tommy Shaw humbuckers (bought it that way, I did NOT rout that guitar! lol). Through the tube screamer and the Silvertone it is a really, really cool sound.
The closest I've got to a Vox is a 1961 rough tolex blonde, brown face Tremolux head with 2 EL84 power tubes. This is a stock amp, and I've found the schematic for it. It is normal Fender circuitry, but when those 84's warm up, it just has the sweetest distortion.
I play harmonica through it, but the best ever harmonica amp is my tweed Champ!
I play harmonica through it, but the best ever harmonica amp is my tweed Champ!
Jeff Young
GT40s Supporter
EL series tubes just sound so much warmer to me than 6L6s.....
Ahh, guitar and amp talk ...
Thanks for bringing it up Jeff, but yeah, Boogies are really nice. I borrowed a friends Studio .22 and played with a MkIV. They have a tremendous sound, and I put them right up there with the vintage Fenders and Marshalls. And for good reason - Mesa Boogie was started in 1969 by Randall Smith, a guy who earned his living modifying old Fenders at the time (his other jobs at the time were rebuilding old Mercedes engines and house repair). He created the first high gain amplifier.
Sadly, I am amp-less right now. My hot rodded '74 Strat and '86/7 Kramer Baretta are sitting in their cases, waiting for a chance to scream ...
Ian
Thanks for bringing it up Jeff, but yeah, Boogies are really nice. I borrowed a friends Studio .22 and played with a MkIV. They have a tremendous sound, and I put them right up there with the vintage Fenders and Marshalls. And for good reason - Mesa Boogie was started in 1969 by Randall Smith, a guy who earned his living modifying old Fenders at the time (his other jobs at the time were rebuilding old Mercedes engines and house repair). He created the first high gain amplifier.
Sadly, I am amp-less right now. My hot rodded '74 Strat and '86/7 Kramer Baretta are sitting in their cases, waiting for a chance to scream ...
Ian
Jeff Young
GT40s Supporter
The early Marshalls and Laneys and HiWatts and Oranges are underated. I've played through an old 50 Watt Orange amp that was louder than a new Mesa Triple Rec.
Vintage guitar amps........the subject that brings Liberals AND Conservatives together!
Having absolutly NO musical talent, my amp experiences are limited to hauling them for the bands I managed. My preferences were for the smaller twin speaker Fenders as they weighed less! I could sling a Fender Twin Reverb into the back of an Econoline like nobodys business!
My back STILL hurts from moving a Hammond B3 and a pair of Leslies.....NOTHING can top the sound of a B3 via a couple of Leslies! The Band's "Chest Fever" is a good example.
I have an old friend who is now retired the does nothing but fix tube amps as a small hobby business.
We built of own voice sound columns and powered them with a 100 watt Fanon PA amplifier. Simple days with no mixing board...I would go to the back of the room for sound check and "thumb up/thumbs down" as each amp was adjusted......................
Having absolutly NO musical talent, my amp experiences are limited to hauling them for the bands I managed. My preferences were for the smaller twin speaker Fenders as they weighed less! I could sling a Fender Twin Reverb into the back of an Econoline like nobodys business!
My back STILL hurts from moving a Hammond B3 and a pair of Leslies.....NOTHING can top the sound of a B3 via a couple of Leslies! The Band's "Chest Fever" is a good example.
I have an old friend who is now retired the does nothing but fix tube amps as a small hobby business.
We built of own voice sound columns and powered them with a 100 watt Fanon PA amplifier. Simple days with no mixing board...I would go to the back of the room for sound check and "thumb up/thumbs down" as each amp was adjusted......................
Ah yes, the "evil twin!"
I toured with a keyboard player that had a Hammond C3 in a flight case (!) with two Leslies , Chamberlin, ARP, Moog, Fender Rhodes, into a couple of Ampeg tube heads. Roadies are a wonderful thing!
I toured with a keyboard player that had a Hammond C3 in a flight case (!) with two Leslies , Chamberlin, ARP, Moog, Fender Rhodes, into a couple of Ampeg tube heads. Roadies are a wonderful thing!
Charlie Farley
Supporter
Mark,
Believe me, we all did after i'd sung my throat hoarse,
at the end of the gig, we all sung your praises...
on second thoughts, it might have been the weed we were
passing comment on....sorry, i cant remember.
:thumbsup:
Believe me, we all did after i'd sung my throat hoarse,
at the end of the gig, we all sung your praises...
on second thoughts, it might have been the weed we were
passing comment on....sorry, i cant remember.
:thumbsup:
LOLJim Rosenthal
Supporter
Hammond organs- a few years ago, before I got connected on the web, I had six of them here at my house- I'd stuck cards up in music stores asking if anyone had a tonewheel Hammond they wanted to sell. I ended up with a half dozen of them here at home, plus Leslie cabinets. I gave one to my godson (who does play keyboards) kept two for my band, and sold the rest along. It is hard to find people to work on them, but a good Hammond sounds like nothing else on the planet. And I got a lot of exercise moving them, too.......
I like the Band, too- but Garth Hudson played a Lowrey or an Allen organ, not a Hammond- I was astonished to find it out a few years ago when I read Levon Helm's autobiography. It sure sounded like a Hammond to me. I think if you play any organ through a Leslie, it tends to sound like another. I still listen to their records, and The Last Waltz, from time to time.
Good times, back then. I was lucky to be alive during the great days of rock and roll AND motor car racing.
Now- if any of the correspondents here are in this area, we need to talk about playing some music together.
I like the Band, too- but Garth Hudson played a Lowrey or an Allen organ, not a Hammond- I was astonished to find it out a few years ago when I read Levon Helm's autobiography. It sure sounded like a Hammond to me. I think if you play any organ through a Leslie, it tends to sound like another. I still listen to their records, and The Last Waltz, from time to time.
Good times, back then. I was lucky to be alive during the great days of rock and roll AND motor car racing.
Now- if any of the correspondents here are in this area, we need to talk about playing some music together.
