Torren61
Well-Known Member
I want to start out by saying this is a 49-year-old player grade early-1973 Marshall amp (Marshall went from hand wired turret board construction to printed circuit board construction in mid-1973) . It sounds fantastic but because I've had to replace so many non-original parts with original era parts to try to restore it, I cannot describe it as being in a condition better than "Good".
There are cigarette burns on the top of the cabinet. It's got scuffs and it has obviously been played... a lot. At some time, I suspect the original PT was connected to the wrong voltage with the selector knob and it ruined the transformers which could be why they were changed before I got the amp.
If you're looking for a collector's amp, this ain't it. If you're looking for a partial-restoration amp with a lot of original and original era parts, a whole lot of mojo and a GREAT Marshall sound, this is the one.
I bought this 1973 Marshall JMP Lead head awhile back and set about trying to restore it as much as I could. The transformers had both been replaced with a '92 Mercury Magnetics PT and a '86 Drake OT. I swapped them for a pair of brand new 2021 Metropoulos power and output transformers. If you know Metropoulos amps, you know these are the some of the best transformers to use if you can't get vintage '73 Drake replacements... which you can't.
My amp guy went through the head and replaced any capacitors that were out of tolerances. He replaced the ceramic screen resistors to the period correct green ones (the pics still show the ceramic resistors) and period correct Vishay resistors for the ones out of tolerances. He replaced the electrolytics. All other original resistors and yellow mustard caps are there.
The knobs were wrong so I found a correct vintage set from a UK seller. The head cabinet feet were wrong so I found a correct set and replaced those. The bat switches were wrong and now they're the correct black bat ones. The power light was wrong and now it's the right one. The Ohm selector with the plug was loose and it eventually disintegrated so I installed the kind where you turn it. I found the smaller one so I didn't have to route the chassis. The voltage selector has been bypassed so it's 120V but it could be put back. The back panel has either been re-Tolexed or it is a replacement.
The amp sounds great. I've played it for awhile and my G.A.S. is kicking in for something different. I want $4500 for the head with free shipping to the CONUS. If you come get the head, I'll reduce the price by $300.
My feedback is 100% positive and I strive to keep it that way. The amp works perfectly and and sounds like it should. It's coming with the same power tubes it had in it when it was biased. There are no playability issues with the amp but I'm going to agree to a 7 day return. However, you must ship it back at your expense and it must arrive undamaged and in the same condition in which I sent it to you.
I also have a 1973 cab that I bought from a Reverb seller. It came empty and I bought a quad of 1972 Celestion G12S Greenbacks. The S stands for small magnet. Those Greenbacks came in four magnet sizes with the H being heavy, M being medium, S being small and L being light. Two of the four had voice coil rub and one had a tear in the cone so I sent all four to The Speaker Shop in Florida where the owner restored them instead of re-coning them. He is well known for restoring speakers. They sound perfect now.
The cab had the wrong casters so I found the correct set and swapped them. I wired the cab with black and red wire and a felt pad between the center post and the back panel so there will never be a vibration noise.
I want $2000 for the cab. I won't ship the speaker cabinet but I've listed the half stack on my local Humboldt County CL and you're welcome to drive here and get them.
Here are some pics:
There are cigarette burns on the top of the cabinet. It's got scuffs and it has obviously been played... a lot. At some time, I suspect the original PT was connected to the wrong voltage with the selector knob and it ruined the transformers which could be why they were changed before I got the amp.
If you're looking for a collector's amp, this ain't it. If you're looking for a partial-restoration amp with a lot of original and original era parts, a whole lot of mojo and a GREAT Marshall sound, this is the one.
I bought this 1973 Marshall JMP Lead head awhile back and set about trying to restore it as much as I could. The transformers had both been replaced with a '92 Mercury Magnetics PT and a '86 Drake OT. I swapped them for a pair of brand new 2021 Metropoulos power and output transformers. If you know Metropoulos amps, you know these are the some of the best transformers to use if you can't get vintage '73 Drake replacements... which you can't.
My amp guy went through the head and replaced any capacitors that were out of tolerances. He replaced the ceramic screen resistors to the period correct green ones (the pics still show the ceramic resistors) and period correct Vishay resistors for the ones out of tolerances. He replaced the electrolytics. All other original resistors and yellow mustard caps are there.
The knobs were wrong so I found a correct vintage set from a UK seller. The head cabinet feet were wrong so I found a correct set and replaced those. The bat switches were wrong and now they're the correct black bat ones. The power light was wrong and now it's the right one. The Ohm selector with the plug was loose and it eventually disintegrated so I installed the kind where you turn it. I found the smaller one so I didn't have to route the chassis. The voltage selector has been bypassed so it's 120V but it could be put back. The back panel has either been re-Tolexed or it is a replacement.
The amp sounds great. I've played it for awhile and my G.A.S. is kicking in for something different. I want $4500 for the head with free shipping to the CONUS. If you come get the head, I'll reduce the price by $300.
My feedback is 100% positive and I strive to keep it that way. The amp works perfectly and and sounds like it should. It's coming with the same power tubes it had in it when it was biased. There are no playability issues with the amp but I'm going to agree to a 7 day return. However, you must ship it back at your expense and it must arrive undamaged and in the same condition in which I sent it to you.
I also have a 1973 cab that I bought from a Reverb seller. It came empty and I bought a quad of 1972 Celestion G12S Greenbacks. The S stands for small magnet. Those Greenbacks came in four magnet sizes with the H being heavy, M being medium, S being small and L being light. Two of the four had voice coil rub and one had a tear in the cone so I sent all four to The Speaker Shop in Florida where the owner restored them instead of re-coning them. He is well known for restoring speakers. They sound perfect now.
The cab had the wrong casters so I found the correct set and swapped them. I wired the cab with black and red wire and a felt pad between the center post and the back panel so there will never be a vibration noise.
I want $2000 for the cab. I won't ship the speaker cabinet but I've listed the half stack on my local Humboldt County CL and you're welcome to drive here and get them.
Here are some pics:
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