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

[Nik Henville]

Seen the site (now). And read this long and winding thread. In light of what you say, I may rethink the logo comment. Just get a Marshall script style logo that says...

Craven

...and a note inside saying "Honourable mentions to the two Kens". But bloody hell - what a long strange trip since days at the trade counter in Radio Spares.

 

[Ken Underwood]

55 years to be exact Nik, see you are in Lincs, i am not far away and in North Notts.

Moved araound a bit since those days but ended up here, dont like it at all here and may well be moving again next year, back to the West Country were we lived for 25 years.

Still must keep the memory alive.

 

[Biasd]

Perhaps I should pop a 'Craven' logo on this :

 

[Ken Underwood]

If he was still here i am sure he would agree.

 

[Biasd]

I'll create one for the front of it and see how it looks...

 

[Crikey]

I sense a little hostility there Ken. And understandably so.. Jim Marshall gets all the credit.. (i could be wrong it has been known to happen)

Welcome to the boards Ken. I think it is really cool to have someone that started it all on these very boards

Its the same throughout all small businesses that become well known. Everyone credits the owner when it was teh employees who really got it there and it helps to have an owner who can lead and inspire.

 

[Nik Henville]

I'll create one for the front of it and see how it looks...
View attachment 67686

I get where you're goin' with this...
...but might it be nicer to move completely away from the (Jim) Marshall style ?

 

[Ken Underwood]

Its the same throughout all small businesses that become well known. Everyone credits the owner when it was teh employees who really got it there and it helps to have an owner who can lead and inspire.

Not hostility mate but i just get annoyed when the guy who put him there is just forgotten, he worked bloody hard to get those amps on the market and once they moved to the factory were they are today then Dudley was just demoted to making the tea and sweeping the floor.

When Dudley passed away in Canada in 1998 JM was informed, passed on his condolences and sent Dudley`s widow of book on Jim`s life.

How insensitive was that.

This is why i fly the flag for Dudley, not only for what he done but for being bloody good friend too.

 

[Biasd]

I get where you're goin' with this...
...but might it be nicer to move completely away from the (Jim) Marshall style ?

Good idea. Hmmmm - so what font would Dudley have liked!!?

 

[Crikey]

Not hostility mate but i just get annoyed when the guy who put him there is just forgotten, he worked bloody hard to get those amps on the market and once they moved to the factory were they are today then Dudley was just demoted to making the tea and sweeping the floor.

When Dudley passed away in Canada in 1998 JM was informed, passed on his condolences and sent Dudley`s widow of book on Jim`s life.

How insensitive was that.

This is why i fly the flag for Dudley, not only for what he done but for being bloody good friend too.

You are a loyal friend. Unfortunately many company owners think they did it,success, alone. They become egotistical and soon forget the vast investment others made. I’ve been part of similar examples first hand.

 

[Ken Underwood]

So now you can see why when someone says i read it one of Doyles books i fall about laughing

 

[msmith40]

Ken,

So glad to read your stories, and very fortunate for us to have someone who was actually there to clear the air.

I’d like to share my ‘Marshall memories’ with the forum.

I was huge Hendrix-fan…..and I remember drawing images of Marshall stacks on my school notebooks.
When I’d see pix of famous bands in magazines, I’d always look to see if they were using Marshalls.
I looked forward to the day I’d be able to plug-into a huge Marshall stack…..just like Jimi.

Summer 1975.
I run into a former classmate.
He informs me of a 100-watt Marshall head……..available for $100.00!
It was collateral for a loan never repaid.
I grab it.
Take it home, clean it up.
I don’t know if it was a plexi. In 1975…..didn’t even know what a plexi was.
I do recall it had 3 toggle switches.
It sounded great and worked like a champ!
I used it along with a 2x15 Ampeg cabinet.

Spring 1976.
A 200-watt Marshall stack for sale in the want ads.
Vintage!
Gold Marshall logo….gold 100 in the corners.
Definitely used, but in good shape.
The seller (keyboard player from upstate New York) tells me he’d jammed with Hendrix on several occasions.
He tells me that Jimi loaned him that stack, went to Europe, and never came back.
True story?
Who knows.
I plunk down $650.00 and take it home.
(Yep! A whole stack!!!! Six-hundred-and-fifty-dollars!!!!!!)
I remember that 200-watt head being HEAVY!!!

January 1978.
I begin lifting weights……I was always a skinny, geeky dude.
1st time I bench-pressed I pulled a muscle….lower stomach.
Hernia.
Nothing serious, but a lot of discomfort.
Every time I went into my room and looked at that stack, I imagined it saying:
“Look how heavy we are! Any time you want to jam or play-out, YOU HAVE TO LIFT US!! BWAHHH-HAHAHAAA!”

Along comes Mesa Boogie amps.
Nice and small!

Adios, 200-watt behemoth!
Adios, 100-watt head that sounded amazing!!!!
Hello, sweet little Boogie amp!

The years tick by.
Guitar ain’t paying the bills.
I need a marketable skill.
Hello computer-programming classes.
Goodbye Mesa Boogie amp (to pay for those classes).

The conclusion of my story:
I never found employment as a programmer.
Despite being a good programmer, I had zero experience…….so those classes were for naught.
Wound-up getting a job (computer-related) that did not utilize my programming skills at-all.
So I sold that Boogie for nothing.
The hernia never ever gave me any trouble, and I was able to continue lifting weights….still to this day.
So I sold those Marshalls for nothing.


Oh, almost forgot.
Remember that keyboard-player who sold me the 200-watt stack?
Saw his name in a very well researched Hendrix bio.
He did jam with Jimi on a few occasions.


Sometimes I cry in my sleep.


All the best!


ps. I've attached a pic of me (I told you I was a skinny bastard) from a windy August 1976 gig.
100-watt head........2 vintage 4x12 cabinets.

 

[Ken Underwood]

Interesting read, thanks for sharing it with us all

 

[SkyMonkey]

"Last edited by a moderator: Yesterday at 9:07 PM"

Never seen that before.

@msmith40 must have dropped a massive bollock!

 

[Ken Underwood]

Point me to what was edited please

 

[msmith40]

Hmmmmmmmmm.............

I had mistakenly double-posted my story......but couldn't figure-out how to delete it.
I'd reported it...and asked that it be removed.
Perhaps that was the reason for the "Last edited by a moderator' notice.


Also..............

I sold the stack in 1978 to a local guitarist.
He and a buddy (Wayne.....another kid I knew from high school) came to my place and carted it away.
Fast-forward 10 years.
I run into Wayne at a studio.
I ask him about the stack.
"Gone."
Me: "What do you mean...'gone'..?"
It seems the kid who'd bought it had the cabinets re-tolexed.......and he mentioned possibly swapping the speakers.
Made no sense to me at-all.
When I sold the stack, I told them about the keyboard-player and the 'possible' Hendrix connection.
They shrugged it off at the time.

Keep in mind that this was 1978.
Jimi had been dead for 8 years.
And think of the music that was popular in the late 70's: Skynyrd....Frampton....Kiss................................disco.................
Jimi wasn't at the top of the heap anymore.......not in my neighborhood, anyway.
So the Hendrix story was met with: "Yeah.............whatever......"

So............I was a high-schooler who LOVED Jimi.
I would draw Marshall stacks on my notebooks.
I would practically wet my pants anytime I saw a Marshall amp.
And it's possible that I actually owned a stack of Marshalls used by Jimi at Woodstock.

................and I sold them...................

And now God-knows where they are.

I'd read that the Experience would stencil their name on their equipment.
There was no stenciling of any kind on those cabinets.

Deep-down, I'm not sure I want to know if they were Jimi's.
During the past 40-plus years....every now & then....it doesn't matter where I am or what I'm doing.
At the gym....at a business meeting.....in a movie theater......sailing in the Caribbean......
All of a sudden it pops into my head............like a bubble of air breaking the surface:

"You sold a Marshall stack that possibly belonged to your hero."

And then I close my eyes..............take a really deep breath............and exhale with a sigh.


So............that's my story.


All the best!

 

[scozz]

Ken,

So glad to read your stories, and very fortunate for us to have someone who was actually there to clear the air.

I’d like to share my ‘Marshall memories’ with the forum.

I was huge Hendrix-fan…..and I remember drawing images of Marshall stacks on my school notebooks.
When I’d see pix of famous bands in magazines, I’d always look to see if they were using Marshalls.
I looked forward to the day I’d be able to plug-into a huge Marshall stack…..just like Jimi.

Summer 1975.
I run into a former classmate.
He informs me of a 100-watt Marshall head……..available for $100.00!
It was collateral for a loan never repaid.
I grab it.
Take it home, clean it up.
I don’t know if it was a plexi. In 1975…..didn’t even know what a plexi was.
I do recall it had 3 toggle switches.
It sounded great and worked like a champ!
I used it along with a 2x15 Ampeg cabinet.

Spring 1976.
A 200-watt Marshall stack for sale in the want ads.
Vintage!
Gold Marshall logo….gold 100 in the corners.
Definitely used, but in good shape.
The seller (keyboard player from upstate New York) tells me he’d jammed with Hendrix on several occasions.
He tells me that Jimi loaned him that stack, went to Europe, and never came back.
True story?
Who knows.
I plunk down $650.00 and take it home.
(Yep! A whole stack!!!! Six-hundred-and-fifty-dollars!!!!!!)
I remember that 200-watt head being HEAVY!!!

January 1978.
I begin lifting weights……I was always a skinny, geeky dude.
1st time I bench-pressed I pulled a muscle….lower stomach.
Hernia.
Nothing serious, but a lot of discomfort.
Every time I went into my room and looked at that stack, I imagined it saying:
“Look how heavy we are! Any time you want to jam or play-out, YOU HAVE TO LIFT US!! BWAHHH-HAHAHAAA!”

Along comes Mesa Boogie amps.
Nice and small!

Adios, 200-watt behemoth!
Adios, 100-watt head that sounded amazing!!!!
Hello, sweet little Boogie amp!

The years tick by.
Guitar ain’t paying the bills.
I need a marketable skill.
Hello computer-programming classes.
Goodbye Mesa Boogie amp (to pay for those classes).

The conclusion of my story:
I never found employment as a programmer.
Despite being a good programmer, I had zero experience…….so those classes were for naught.
Wound-up getting a job (computer-related) that did not utilize my programming skills at-all.
So I sold that Boogie for nothing.
The hernia never ever gave me any trouble, and I was able to continue lifting weights….still to this day.
So I sold those Marshalls for nothing.


Oh, almost forgot.
Remember that keyboard-player who sold me the 200-watt stack?
Saw his name in a very well researched Hendrix bio.
He did jam with Jimi on a few occasions.


Sometimes I cry in my sleep.


All the best!


ps. I've attached a pic of me (I told you I was a skinny bastard) from a windy August 1976 gig.
100-watt head........2 vintage 4x12 cabinets.

View attachment 76889

I see the obligatory Frye Boots of the 70s and 80s msmith40! I guess we all might have owned a pair of those, I did. Lol!

Great story, and a nice pic for the memories.

 

[msmith40]

'Frye Boots'
Yep!
Even in sweltering August heat, I'd wear 'em!
Back then.....probably cost $40.00 for a pair.
Heck, I own a pair now!
That style is known as a 'campus boot'.................and they're hard to find.

Good-God....look at me.
Probably 140 lbs............jeez.
Oh, well.

The only items (shown in that pic) that I still own:

1) The EH LPB-1 sticking out of the Marshall.
2) The Cry-Baby wah.
3) There's a guitar stand.....just in front of the bottom cabinet.....just behind the red/white/blue milk-shake cup.

The Mu-Tron 'Bi-Phaser' is long gone.
You can see it mounted on a mic-stand.

The strat: Sunburst 1973 3-bolt.
Nice axe.
Learned a LOT of Blackmore/Deep Purple tunes on that axe.
Gone.

I also had a 1973 3-bolt blonde strat at the time....and also had it at that gig.
Years later, Yngwie would swear by that same model.
The neck on mine sucked.
An absolute piece of garbage.



*NOTE!*
I found Wayne on Facebook.
Messaged him......asked for any news/memories of that stack.
If/when I get a reply I'll share.



All the best!

 

[SkyMonkey]

I had mistakenly double-posted my story......but couldn't figure-out how to delete it.

I don't think there is an easy way for forum users to entirely delete a post.
Just go back and edit the repeat to clear the text.
Then put something like - (Double Post) - to explain.
Some just leave a period (.), because I don't think a post can be entirely blank.

 

[Maggot Brain]

Hmmmmmmmmm.............

I had mistakenly double-posted my story......but couldn't figure-out how to delete it.
I'd reported it...and asked that it be removed.
Perhaps that was the reason for the "Last edited by a moderator' notice.


Also..............

I sold the stack in 1978 to a local guitarist.
He and a buddy (Wayne.....another kid I knew from high school) came to my place and carted it away.
Fast-forward 10 years.
I run into Wayne at a studio.
I ask him about the stack.
"Gone."
Me: "What do you mean...'gone'..?"
It seems the kid who'd bought it had the cabinets re-tolexed.......and he mentioned possibly swapping the speakers.
Made no sense to me at-all.
When I sold the stack, I told them about the keyboard-player and the 'possible' Hendrix connection.
They shrugged it off at the time.

Keep in mind that this was 1978.
Jimi had been dead for 8 years.
And think of the music that was popular in the late 70's: Skynyrd....Frampton....Kiss................................disco.................
Jimi wasn't at the top of the heap anymore.......not in my neighborhood, anyway.
So the Hendrix story was met with: "Yeah.............whatever......"

So............I was a high-schooler who LOVED Jimi.
I would draw Marshall stacks on my notebooks.
I would practically wet my pants anytime I saw a Marshall amp.
And it's possible that I actually owned a stack of Marshalls used by Jimi at Woodstock.

................and I sold them...................

And now God-knows where they are.

I'd read that the Experience would stencil their name on their equipment.
There was no stenciling of any kind on those cabinets.

Deep-down, I'm not sure I want to know if they were Jimi's.
During the past 40-plus years....every now & then....it doesn't matter where I am or what I'm doing.
At the gym....at a business meeting.....in a movie theater......sailing in the Caribbean......
All of a sudden it pops into my head............like a bubble of air breaking the surface:

"You sold a Marshall stack that possibly belonged to your hero."

And then I close my eyes..............take a really deep breath............and exhale with a sigh.


So............that's my story.


All the best!

Man... Pretty cool story! Thanks for sharing plus the vintage pictures of you are great!

I can relate, as growing up and even today Jimi is my biggest hero. I would go nuts if I was you BUT you can look at it glass half full... Atleast you were lucky and blessed with the oppratunity to own and play for a periode of time, speaker cabs possibly belonging to Jimi. I doubt anyone could ever stumble upon anything like that today, I say your very lucky in my eyes to even have that moment... If your ever in Washington state, let me know and we can go visit Jimi!


On topic... wow I stayed up half the night reading this thread from start to finish. I knew Ken posted here but hadn't discovered this incredible piece of history of a thread. Even before hearing Ken's perspective of the Marshall begening, I always had a feeling there had to be more that was unknown, forgotten or just glossed over. I am happy to know the names and contributions and milestones of Dudley Craven and I believe he should be part of the Marshall hall of fame as Dudley is "The Father of Loud".

I want to thank you Ken Underwood for taking the time, all these years, to tell your side of the story and to help bring the truth of Dudley's contribution. I am sure he is extremely proud of you, you are a true friend to have his back all these years later. May he rest in peace and his legacy not forggoten and for his legacy to be celebrated.