Radio Spares grill cloth - with hippie painting for 4x12 cab?

[Tzurby]

Around 20 years ago I bought I bought a "63-65 Marshall White 4x12 Grill Cloth", "embellished" with some hippie paintings from a person living in California. I got it pretty cheap, put it in a drawer and forgot about it.



Recently I stumbled across it. The dimensions are 72,5 x 68,5 cm. Measured on my 1960b cab from 1969, one would need 68,1 x 66,8 cm + space for fixing it. So there would be 4,4 cm and 1,7 cm to fix it.



According to the Marshall 1964/65 catalogue, the early 1960 cab (the one with the Radio Spares grill cloth) was slightly smaller (less high) than the later 1960 cab (29" in 1964/65, 30” in 1965 and 1966, 29 ¼ from 1967 onwards). However, I measure on my cab from 1969 73,6 cm, which is exactly 29”…





Assuming this indeed is an original Radio Spares grill cloth for a very early, pre-Pinstripe Marshall 4x12 cab, it would be strange how such a cab should have found its way to California in the mid 1960s. These cabs are even extremely rare in the UK, or in Europe. (I assume just some dozens have been produced.)

Here is an example I found online many years ago:



Back then, UK musicians were keen to import guitars and amps from the US, not the other way round. I don’t know when Marshall started to export to the US. Maybe in 1968, surely not in 1965.

And then, a guitarist from one of those “San Francisco sound” bands must have found that the cloth needs some prettifycation in the style of the times.

Any thoughts? Which band / guitarist could it have been? I am not familiar with Band of the "San Francisco Sound".

 

[CptZar]

A 1964/65 Marshall 1984 would be 29" high but only 12" deep.

Here is a link to a thread to the JTM Club Forum on Facebook discussing the respective cab.

Facebook

www.facebook.com

There is also a reference to the original catalogs in one of the Doyel books with the 29" 1984 cab.

But that doesn't realy answer your question.....

 

[Tzurby]

Thanks for your reply. You are right, the 1964/65 4x12 cab was named "1984", according to the catalogue, taken from the Doyle book (which I have). The designation "1960" came in 1965 (still Radio Spares grill cloth), though this is an angle-front, not straight-front cab, as is the "1984", which was only available in the first catalogue. It is even not in the list in Doyles book, but mentioned with the "1960" in the list on p. 93.

The hippie grill cloth might fit an early "1984", or a slightly later early "1960" cab.

Unfortunately, the link to this facebook group does not work. But the group exists. Obviously, one need to apply. As I do not have any JTM gear (anymore - I once had a JTM45 and a pair of 1983 pre-pinstripe PA 2x12 speakers), I hesitate.

 

[CptZar]

Thanks for your reply. You are right, the 1964/65 4x12 cab was named "1984", according to the catalogue, taken from the Doyle book (which I have). The designation "1960" came in 1965 (still Radio Spares grill cloth), though this is an angle-front, not straight-front cab, as is the "1984", which was only available in the first catalogue. It is even not in the list in Doyles book, but mentioned with the "1960" in the list on p. 93.

The hippie grill cloth might fit an early "1984", or a slightly later early "1960" cab.

Unfortunately, the link to this facebook group does not work. But the group exists. Obviously, one need to apply. As I do not have any JTM gear (anymore - I once had a JTM45 and a pair of 1983 pre-pinstripe PA 2x12 speakers), I hesitate.

Tzurby, no need to hesitate. It is an excellent source of information , moderated by Pleximaster and Tomsvintage, two respected members of this forum here. The media library is extensive.

The 1984 is 12" deep as the 1960 are deeper at 14".AFAIK the 1984 also was made as slant.

Here is a famous photo of some...

 

[StingRay85]

Why do these cabs look white?

 

[London John]

Why do these cabs look white?

Because they are, special order, Brian Poole. The band sold their sandwich front amps to other bands in Dagenham, including a friend.