$200K 1963 JTM45 One Of 6 Prototypes

[ElvisNixon]

Saw this on TDPRI.

Gruhn ‘63 Prototype JTM45

 

[guitarbilly74]

Premier Guitar did a demo of it:



It sounds great. But come on, $200k? I know it's a historical piece but still...

 

[StingRay85]

No gutshots?

 

[Marcomel79]

No gutshots?

You can see an image of it somewhere at the end. All electrolytics and a few coupling caps have been replace at a quick glance. So not 100% original

 

[Brewster]

Thanks for sharing this with us, very cool indeed.

 

[BygoneTones]

Yeah right, whatever.

 

[nortiks]

A Ceriatone clone of it with a Mercury OT for $1700 would slide right on thru a blind A/B. Just sayin'....
But it is a cool piece of history to those of us left that still care about that sort of thing.

 

[StingRay85]

Cool amp but not 200K $ cool

 

[Jethro Rocker]

According to Ken underwood, Marshall never made any prototypes, they couldn't afford to. There certainly weren't 6 of them. Not having watched video, I call foul.
This may well be a very early JTM45 granted, and a cool find but that part I do not buy.

 

[Jethro Rocker]

Cool amp tho. Sounds like it was one of the first 25 or so, likely.

 

[Fernieite]

@Ken Underwood please.

 

[nortiks]

According to Ken underwood, Marshall never made any prototypes, they couldn't afford to. There certainly weren't 6 of them. Not having watched video, I call foul.
This may well be a very early JTM45 granted, and a cool find but that part I do not buy.

That makes perfect sense to me. Especially given their reputation for doing anything and everything to get products out the door and sold. So maybe they are very early models. Or maybe they are no different than a counterfeit Ferrari. Believe it or not, those actually exist.

 

[London John]

Early Vox knobs, that’s a first. Can’t even be bothered to watch the video.

 

[playloud]

Here are the screenshots:



I don't know much about this era, but a couple of things stand out immediately:
- The PI layout looks wrong for 7 turret-wide board. Likely cut down from an 8 turret board (as MG were known to do).
- The yellow/blue Dubilier caps are anachronistic (should be grey RS PIO).

 

[C-Man]

Now why would the mains transformer have the voltage selector on top? Doesn’t this era of RS mains transformers (if that is one) have all the voltage taps on the bottom? That style end bell is also painted in hammer gray when it would normally be just a plated or raw metal end bell. I am glad I am not in the market for one of these.

 

[playloud]

Now why would the mains transformer have the voltage selector on top? Doesn’t this era of RS mains transformers (if that is one) have all the voltage taps on the bottom?

You're right. Both types of RS PT were used in the offsets I believe (voltage taps on top and bottom), but the latter were usually open frame. Examples of each in these videos:

 

[ElvisNixon]

I fully appreciate that amp as one of the most important things in Marshall’s early history. But $200K?

I remember the days that people weren’t hip to all the details that the internet has brought. Back then you had to track down step by step various grouchy old salts to obtain any kind of their long experience. But the internet has changed all that.


I think this is some sort of publicity play on Gruhn’s part. Not in a slimy way. As a way to draw foot traffic and internet excitement/exposure. I also think vintage guitars and amp prices have simply become out of hand.

I fully support anyone with the money buying this amp at this price if they feel like it. I don’t think these prices can sustain themselves for much longer though. We’re already starting to see Reverb sellers dropping their prices. I’m also not trying to start any kind of “Eat The Rich” kind of thread . I just think it’s absurd and that’s why I reposted it.

Carry on….

 

[London John]

I honestly don’t know where to start on this one.

 

[playloud]

I think this is some sort of publicity play on Gruhn’s part. Not in a slimy way. As a way to draw foot traffic and internet excitement/exposure. I also think vintage guitars and amp prices have simply become out of hand.

It appears miscalculated when so many red flags have been either missed or ignored. As someone who is relatively indifferent to high-end vintage guitars, I'd passively assumed Gruhn was a scrupulous (if expensive) dealer, but something like this makes me wonder if the "Gell-Mann amnesia effect" applies.

I also think 200k would be an absurd price for a legitimate example, but that's a separate conversation...