Jim Marshall or Ken Bran, who actually built more amps?

[charveldan]

Jim did not know one end of a soldering iron from the other, or a resistor from a capacitor, the main man as far as electronics was concerned was Dudley with all his design skills, as far as Ken B was concerned then he mainly had wiring skills with a slight electronic background.

As i have said many times of late without Dudley there would not be a Marshall today, it just would not have happened.

So Dudley Craven was the one that invented the "Marshall Sound" ? I had heard Jim & a few Artists like Pete Townshend had input into the "Marshall Sound" as well.

http://www.dudleycraven.com/

 

[Ken Underwood]

Well it has been written that way many times and it's well known that Jim loved to project his image but the truth of the matter is that yes Pete amongst others but mainly Pete had mentioned that he needed something better and louder when he visited the shop and this was mentioned to Ken Bran and it was him who suggested to us that Friday night in the Wimpy bar that we could give it a go on making an amp to fill that gap.
The rest is history.
Regards
Ken

 

[Ufoscorpion]

The thing I've always wondered Ken is ' the Marshall sound ' a contrived thing or a happy accident . What I mean is as everyone knows early valve amps were designed to be as clean as possible but would breakup eventually obviously , but Marshalls broke up earlier in a really cool pleasing to the ear way ' the ' sound of rock as we know it was born , was that intentional basically or were you literally just going for loud ?

 

[Ken Underwood]

Well both I suppose, Dudley played around with he feedback, normally in the small hours as you may have read on his web site, gym found by his wife asleep at his work bench in Hanwell.
So loudness and distortion went hand in hand, it defiantly was not a flook
Regards
Ken

 

[tschrama]

The thing I've always wondered Ken is ' the Marshall sound ' a contrived thing or a happy accident . What I mean is as everyone knows early valve amps were designed to be as clean as possible but would breakup eventually obviously , but Marshalls broke up earlier in a really cool pleasing to the ear way ' the ' sound of rock as we know it was born , was that intentional basically or were you literally just going for loud ?

Dear Ken, what an absolute joy to read your posts here! Thanks so much for you sharing your memories. Reading first hand information means alot to me.

Do you think rockmusic evolved around the sound of those first marshall amps.. or the other way around?

 

[Ufoscorpion]

Well both I suppose, Dudley played around with he feedback, normally in the small hours as you may have read on his web site, gym found by his wife asleep at his work bench in Hanwell.
So loudness and distortion went hand in hand, it defiantly was not a flook
Regards
Ken

It's good to know that you guys created the Marshall sound rather than just put something together that sounded the same as everything else on the market which would have been the easier option .

 

[Ufoscorpion]

Just had a look at the Dudley Craven tribute website , I can't get my head around how young these guys were . Ken looks young in the photograph but Dudley looks like a schoolboy , amazing .

 

[Ken Underwood]

Dear Ken, what an absolute joy to read your posts here! Thanks so much for you sharing your memories. Reading first hand information means alot to me.

Do you think rockmusic evolved around the sound of those first marshall amps.. or the other way around?

As rock music was emerging in the early 60`s so then i think yes it went a long way to forward what we know today, The Who are a prime example along with many others, Hendrix etc, i cannot imagine what it would be like today if it had not happened.

As i have said on many occasions, the whole exercise was only supposed to be a way for us three guys to earn some extra cash, who would have thought it would turn out the way that it did.

 

[Ken Underwood]

Just had a look at the Dudley Craven tribute website , I can't get my head around how young these guys were . Ken looks young in the photograph but Dudley looks like a schoolboy , amazing .

I was 16, Dudley was 17, Ken Bran was about 10 years older than us two, yes we were young but due to all of us being involved with Amateur Radio and working in the electronics industry, myself and Dudley both were apprentices with EMI and Ken Bran worked for PanAm at Heathrow Airport in there radio and radar workshop.

 

[Ufoscorpion]

I was 16, Dudley was 17, Ken Bran was about 10 years older than us two, yes we were young but due to all of us being involved with Amateur Radio and working in the electronics industry, myself and Dudley both were apprentices with EMI and Ken Bran worked for PanAm at Heathrow Airport in there radio and radar workshop.

Have you been involved in anything guitar amp related since helping to build those first six Marshall amps Ken ?

 

[Ken Underwood]

No I have spent my life in audio/visual repair running my own workshop in South Devon.
Audio used in clubs etc along with every type of TV/Monitor ever made, now 72 and retired but still keep my hand in were I can, it's in my blood lol.

 

[charveldan]

Awesome, thanks Ken ...

 

[Ufoscorpion]

No I have spent my life in audio/visual repair running my own workshop in South Devon.
Audio used in clubs etc along with every type of TV/Monitor ever made, now 72 and retired but still keep my hand in were I can, it's in my blood lol.

You've seen some changes in the last getting on for 60 years in electronics then .

 

[Ken Underwood]

Yes i have and it covers many vast aspects of electronics, and have some funny tales i could tell but for another time and place.

 

[JacksonCharvelAddict]

I just wanted you guys to know that tonight at 10PM central I am cranking the bejesus out of my Marshall in honor of Dudley Craven. Maybe you guys want to join in?

 

[Ken Underwood]

Wish I could be there, have a good one and I know Dudley will be there in spirit, you will do him proud.

 

[JacksonCharvelAddict]

Wish I could be there, have a good one and I know Dudley will be there in spirit, you will do him proud.

Glad you came here to share your experience. I heard that the older Marshalls are some of the loudest. Do you still have your hearing after building these beasts?

 

[Ken Underwood]

Well I am now 72 and surprisingly my hearing is a sharp as a tack.

 

[Nik Henville]

Just realised. This is not "a Ken Underwood".
This is THE Ken Underwood who worked alongside Dudley Craven and Ken Bran, THE Ken Underwood JM wouldn't let in the shop.
I was oft-times tempted to botch up a "Marshall" style logo that said...
Craven, Bran & Underwood
...but it was too unwieldy (and DudKenKen was just... well... weird)
But total respect to you Ken, the last one standing, sadly.

 

[Ken Underwood]

Yes thats me Nik, still breathing and flying the flag for Dudley.
Not sure if you have seen the web site his wife made for him in his memory, if not here it is.
http://www.dudleycraven.com/