Test Your Ears! Can You Tell Which Marshall This Is? Results Are In!

[Snow and Steel]

Can you tell which Marshall amp this is?

So many talk about a "plexi" sound or an "800" sound or a... well you get the idea, but can you REALLY hear the difference without knowing exactly what it is?

I have owned or do own all the options listed. Listed roughly in factory introduction order, so this has little bearing on what it may or may not be.

On recording 1 there are two sections - Section A is just the amp, section B is the amp "boosted" - a la lead/solo.Guitar is a Gibson Les Paul [Seymour Duncan '59, bridge]. For the boosted section I added a Paul C Audio "Timmy" and a an MXR "Carbon Copy" delay.

on recording 2 it is strictly guitar to amp.

Can YOU tell what it is?



Sample 2 [everything basically the same, but with the amp turned up as loud as I could get away with].



RECORDING DATA [for those interested]; Recorded with a Zoom H2N at 96khz/24 bits [higher than cd quality]. The 2 mic X/Y pattern was used, at about 3 inches from the speaker, about 9 o'clock just off the dust cap [which in my experience is the sweet spot every time I've ever recorded this amp]. NO post eq, reverb, or other effects or any editing were added or manipulated at all - I simply cut the audio for time [so you are only hearing the play, and not the dead air before or after]. Essentially - you are hearing the recording exactly as it is and exactly how it sounded in the room and dumped into video. I will grant that there is some amount of quality loss and compression in youtube audio - I have no control over that, and it is the most convenient media for this sort of sharing.

SEE TEH ANSWER ON PG 3!!!!

 

[Jethro Rocker]

I'm not sure if it's really about hearing the difference enough to tell what it is, rather, as a comparison. If one hears 4 or 5 amps you can often pick which tone you like best. I think if there was a comparison, you could likely hear the difference between some of these amps.
800s tend to be very bright and raw. 900 would be gainier except if you set it to sound the same it should be close, as an example. I have no idea off the top what that sample is. Doesn't seem to have the bite or thump that I know from an 800 or TSL but could be from settings.

 

[dslman]

I chose the 1962, based on what I thought it wasn't.

 

[clutch71]

I'm not trying to be rude but I think addition of the Timmy colored the tone obscuring what amp it could be. You could have used a clean fender and got the same effect IMO.

I was also expecting 2 recordings.

 

[Jethro Rocker]

I chose the 1962, based on what I thought it wasn't.

I'm thinking that way too but again, I think a comparison is more useful.
Meaning - the "classic" 800 tones many of us love are not really a blues based 1962 type tone but you could make an 800 sound similar by adjustments. Kinda defeats the purpose of an 800 IMO for example. I think if one could get a recording of each amp in it's classic, this is what we came for sorta tone then some would certainly stand out.

 

[HOT TUBES 70]

It would have been nice to hear the core guitar sound without OD , or Delay ...

 

[dptone5]

I am going with the 1974X. Doesn't sound like a 800, 900 or DSL / TSL to my ears.....

Thanks for posting!

 

[keennay]

You're not fooling anyone; it's a Crate!

 

[Snow and Steel]

I'm not trying to be rude but I think addition of the Timmy colored the tone obscuring what amp it could be. You could have used a clean fender and got the same effect IMO.

I was also expecting 2 recordings.

It would have been nice to hear the core guitar sound without OD , or Delay ...

Section A does not have the timmy or the delay, only the solo section B has the Timmy and the delay. This was a video/sample that showed "amp" and then "boosted amp".

 

[GIBSON67]

I voted for the 900...

 

[Blueslicks]

I voted for the 900...

To me it's a good enough recording but the amp itself sounds pretty much like most Marshall amps with a MV played at a low to medium volume level. I'm just not hearing the power stage at all.

 

[rick16v]

Kemper

 

[Philip Lyon]

Sounds like EL84s to me, squishy indistinct bottom end, no thump, prominent mids, softish highs.
I say it's the 1974x.

 

[Ghostman]

I went TSL.

When do we see the results Dr.?

 

[Snow and Steel]

I went TSL.

When do we see the results Dr.?

Poll ends on the 26th

 

[Snow and Steel]

Sounds like EL84s to me, squishy indistinct bottom end, no thump, prominent mids, softish highs.
I say it's the 1974x.

Just out of curiosity - would you consider it a 'good' tone?

I'm also slightly confused by your description - is it possible to have 'thump" and yet still make the bottom end 'distinct'? Turning up the bass to get more 'thump' would inherently make it less tight, would it not?

 

[mickeydg5]

Can you please disclose the cabinet model and loaded speakers?

 

[Jethro Rocker]

I think just plain volume. Perhaps a closed back 4x12 cab? Maybe Resonance if there was such on any of these amps like DSL. Some of the big boy EL34 amps have more thump - I think of 800, TSL, DSL. At least by my experience. That's why I didn't vote as as any of those!

 

[Snow and Steel]

Can you please disclose the cabinet model and loaded speakers?

If I admitted a cabinet and/or speaker that would give away things wouldn't it? For example, admitting a cabinet would eliminate that it was or wasn't a combo, and if I said a certain speaker it might confirm it was one of the combos.

So I'm sorry sir, but I must decline until I post the results...

...of course, that's sort of the point of this little fun exercise; taking away the visual element and leaving you with only your ears to determine if you're hearing a "vintage" Marshall, a "big" Marshall, a "small" Marshall.... Its very interesting how much we "hear" with our eyes!

 

[mickeydg5]

Well that is your prerogative.

You could plug any one of those amplifiers into a cabinet and just say something like this is my favorite 4x12 with my favorite G12-whatever speakers.

Besides, speakers and cabinet type are 50-60% of the sound heard, not the amplifier.

Oh, wait, unless it is a combo being recorded. Some can be combos.

Ok.