Marshall Astoria....am I lost or what...?

[solarburn]

I had the black 1x12 combo Custom sold by Chicago Music Exchange. Had it about 2 years never really bonded with it. I thought it was ugly and the to me was well nothing special! I liked and played my other amps more. I rotated tubes and still meh! So I sold it and I dont miss it at all to be honest.

that's what you do. Move it on.

 

[solarburn]

Thats why I went with the CME black one. Looked better but still it was an impulse buy. I bought it for 3k and sold it for 2100.00...good investment there!

I hate those 3K boners going limp. Sending you strippers for damage control.

 

[wolfpack]

Gonnae no dae that

 

[Flat5th]

I hear Jim marshall just got finished designing a new amp that players have nicknamed the "plexi". You might want to check that one out also.

I'm not that deep under a rock.

 

[Flat5th]

I kind of like the tolex scheme on these amps, anybody who can afford one can afford to have it retolexed in black and gold if they choose.

Agreed.

 

[Flat5th]

I hear Jim marshall just got finished designing a new amp that players have nicknamed the "plexi". You might want to check that one out also.

Oh, I forgot to mention,I saw Jim at the mall the other day.

 

[coolidge56]

Man now i want a astoria, thanks guys

Our work is done here.

 

[Rokstar]

I love my black Astoria Custom.
Heard them first on a Greta Van Fleet record.
Then just ordered one 2 years ago. Perfect amp!

 

[Intricate77]

Aaaaaaaastoooooriiiiiiaaaaa! /yelledlikebraveheart

Everything Marshall knew about making amps is in that line. 60 years of innovation, distilled into the 3 holy wise men of tone - Custom, Dual, and Classic. Steve Dawson (Vintage Modern, Super100JH, Class 5, JMP-1, to name a few) was directed by Jim Marshall to create something new and bold, while also staying true to the Marshall heritage. He was given carte blanche to design an endgame line of amps, drawing on the past but incorporating all that the company has learned since, and he spared no expense - top to bottom, Astoria is comprised of flagship parts, right down to the threading. The result was the Marshall Sound perfected.

But the Astorian reign was not to be as the champion of line died not long before its debut - Jim Marshall - and his company, now being run by soulless accountants in his absence, decided to go a different route and devoted not enough money and way too much Nick Bowcott to the marketing. Alas, the Astoria will be forever a footnote - possibly the last time Marshall will reach for the stars. From here on out, expect yet another 1959 re-re-re-re-re-issue, or maybe a JCM800 meant for the bedroom, to be the pinnacle of Marshall innovation.

Tell your kids, there once was a time when giants roamed the Earth, and they took chances and pushed things further, and they created things befitting giants.

 

[Wideflame59]

I LOOOOOVE my CME customs. I had one and had to find another just as a backup!!

 

[Luke V]

That sounds like fun. Especially the cathode bias with changeable tubes. I remember Orange used to make (discontinued) a 30 watt el34 head/combo (can't remember the model) and I really liked the tone of it. I kept a look out for a used one,but couldn't find one at the right price and now I can't remember the model. I have enough amps to get the job done at present anyway.

That would be a Rocker 30, great sounding Orange amp.

 

[LeeVitalone]

I somehow while hacking around on my computer I stumbled across a new hand wired Marshall called the Astoria. I watched a couple of videos and it seems 3 models were made,or planned to be made. This appears to have been in 2015. What's up ? What did I miss ? I worked many years in music stores and was able to really stay on top of who was releasing what. However,this model does not show on Marshall's site (or if it does I missed it). Did it get made ? Is it being made ? If so what's up with it ? I can't imagine there not being a thread somewhere on this,but I have not been able to find one and when I put Astoria into the site search nothing comes up.
Anyone know what the deal is with this elusive amp ? Thanks and forgive me if I am really stupid and just don''t realize it.

This was a great amp I bought one looking for something for cleaner tone for my pedals that I use and has been an outstanding purchase yes it was a little bit on the high-end cost-wise but there are not very many out on the market. I recommend but I am just a novice and not a professional musician but the amount of tweaking that you can do with this 30 watt amp is outstanding because of the control of the in and return aspects of the pedals that you utilize.

 

[usednabused]

Aaaaaaaastoooooriiiiiiaaaaa! /yelledlikebraveheart

Everything Marshall knew about making amps is in that line. 60 years of innovation, distilled into the 3 holy wise men of tone - Custom, Dual, and Classic. Steve Dawson (Vintage Modern, Super100JH, Class 5, JMP-1, to name a few) was directed by Jim Marshall to create something new and bold, while also staying true to the Marshall heritage. He was given carte blanche to design an endgame line of amps, drawing on the past but incorporating all that the company has learned since, and he spared no expense - top to bottom, Astoria is comprised of flagship parts, right down to the threading. The result was the Marshall Sound perfected.

But the Astorian reign was not to be as the champion of line died not long before its debut - Jim Marshall - and his company, now being run by soulless accountants in his absence, decided to go a different route and devoted not enough money and way too much Nick Bowcott to the marketing. Alas, the Astoria will be forever a footnote - possibly the last time Marshall will reach for the stars. From here on out, expect yet another 1959 re-re-re-re-re-issue, or maybe a JCM800 meant for the bedroom, to be the pinnacle of Marshall innovation.

Tell your kids, there once was a time when giants roamed the Earth, and they took chances and pushed things further, and they created things befitting giants.

Great reply! Well written!!!

 

[usednabused]

An Astoria thread heck yeah! Here's my Custom

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Size, here compared to my SC20 Studio

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Gut shot!

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such a sexy head...wow...

 

[TM1]

I have two Customs'. One is a head and the other a combo. Great amps and probably, other than the Handwired Series, the best amps Marshall has made in the last 45+ years! Bold statement I know, but the build quality and choice of valves are really the best they done incorperating old & new technologies. The effects loop is totally transparent. I run my Carl Martin Headroom reverb(spring) through it. The loop's level is adjustable. The Boost is pretty spectacular as well. It doesn't sound like a crappy TS9 or bees in a jam jar. It sounds like the amp cranked! The whole EQ section is really flexible and one can dial in some pretty nice sounds as well as having the amp sound like other amps. I run M.O.Valve KT66's and Mullard and Telefunken ECC83's/12AX7's as well as an original Mullard GZ34. It's a very loud 30 watts but I can always use a 5Y3 rectifier and drop the B+ down by 60v d.c.
I really think if Marshall had dropped the price by say 500 Euros(or pound sterling) that they would have had a huge hit with them! They never really even advertized them..wtf? I know Anderton's does special runs of black ones semi-regularly. Like I said.., best amps they've made in the last 45+ years!!

 

[TM1]

I know someone will ask here as it was asked on the other forum,, I put a Celestion "Ruby Alnico" in my combo! Great speaker and perfect for this amp. I use a 2061Cx with the head that's loaded with alnico Celestions.

 

[GretaZepFleet]

Jake from Greta Van Fleet uses the CME edition Astoria, and if you ask me he’s got the best rock and roll tone in many many years. Check out there live stuff if your looking to see how it sounds.

I saw the studio series being mentioned above. I’ve got the Studio Vintage head and let me tell you, that thing is the real deal. Sounds just like the old plexi’s except with modern features and you don’t have to be playing in a stadium to get that classic plexi break up lol thing is still the plenty loud though, more then powerful enough for almost any gig. If your thinking about getting the studio series, DO IT!

 

[bigbadorange]

I have to admit, they have only recently caught my eye. Really looking at an Astoria Custom Head. I have a Friedman BE-100 that I could sell and get me most of the way there. I have kept the friedman mostly because the circuit board is a work of art, but tone wise, its in the same area as my JVM410H, and I like my JVM410h better.

 

[coolidge56]

We Astoria owners are evil GAS enablers.

 

[Intricate77]

I LOOOOOVE my CME customs. I had one and had to find another just as a backup!!

As I understand it, Chicago Music Exchange's first Limited Edition Custom combos were actually limited to 10 units - so an actual "limited" edition. These first CME:LE's had black on black livery, gold piping, salt and pepper grills, golden anodized faceplates, and a gold CME badge on the rear. This is the version I have (it's the beauty on the left) and I plan to be buried with it. However, CME also received an order of a second run of Astoria Customs with black on black livery, black grills, silver faceplates, white piping, and no badge. These second LE's were produced in number more than 10 but less than 50, so are also quite rare. Anderton's in England received a similar colorway Custom a few months after Astoria's official production cease leading many to think the Anderton's versions were re-tolexed unsold Custom combos, but no one really knows one way or the other.

Regardless, for you jokers that need a Marshall to look like a Marshall or else it isn't a Marshall, places like Mojotone will take your fly racing striped Astoria and drop its guts into a me-too black amp cab just like your grandfather had for less than the cost of 10 years of your AARP dues. I've seen fantastic looking Astoria black cab mods that appear OEM in quality and would make a stylish place to set down your dentures while you crank it up and rock out.