WTF hasn’t Marshall…?

[V-man]

Your opportunity to vent on ideas that Marshall should have considered. While this may be something you have long-since wanted them to do, this is more of a bitch over something that would have benefitted Marshall and many of its customers - not a mere wishlist that you and maybe a few dozen others might actually pay for.

I‘ll start…


1. Dedicated Preamps - We have not had anything worthwhile since the JMP-1. Given all the DAW/IR capabilities, there are so many possibilities as large and elaborate as a “JMP-2/JVM-1” unit that fuses valve power with the latest digital tech. They could also go the other way with simple MiaB dedicated preamp pedals (1959/2203/2555). They could even take the pedals a step further with 12AX power as they pretty much have the groundwork laid out with the 1w amps technology.


2. Boost Modules - TBH, this one is so damned obvious IDK why ANY amp company has missed this. What is the 2203KK sig supposed to be? Essentially it was supposed to be a 2203 with a built-in EQ pedal the way KK set it with noise gate. What was the YJM (aside from the power scaling)? it was supposed to be a 1959 with his YJM 308 boost and a noise gate. Are we starting to get the picture yet?

I heard some known/boutique metal amp builder is adding an onboard TS to his circuit for an amp. All that shit is 15 years in the past now. Why not the same classic circuit (1959/2203/etc) that has a slot/bank for the consumer to either physically insert an analog pedal module into the slot, or download one into the bank? Why this? Because the on-board effect integrated into the amp’s circuit > amp + pedal. SD-1 Module, EQ module, etc. it can be bypassed for the original tube circuit or switched on for an amp that acted similarly to these sigs, only the consumer has freedom of choice in which modules to buy and install.

 

[Dave_11]

I know I'm not along in wanting them to bring back the 50th Anniversary 1 watt amps. Everyone is looking for bedroom volume these days, so I'm sure they would sell. I'd love a 1W JMP or JCM800, and I'd be gullible enough to pay up to $999 for a UK made one. The beauty here is that Marshall doesn't have to invest in any development. Just dust off the old schematics and start production -- ok, probably a bit more complicated, but they don't have to invent anything and start raking in the £££ (there's the benefit to Marshall).

 

[PelliX]

I heard some known/boutique metal amp builder is adding an onboard TS to his circuit for an amp.

Oh? I recall Ibanez themselves producing some amp (that didn't get much love) with a built-in TS....

All that shit is 15 years in the past now. Why not the same classic circuit (1959/2203/etc) that has a slot/bank for the consumer to either physically insert an analog pedal module into the slot, or download one into the bank? Why this? Because the on-board effect integrated into the amp’s circuit > amp + pedal. SD-1 Module, EQ module, etc. it can be bypassed for the original tube circuit or switched on for an amp that acted similarly to these sigs, only the consumer has freedom of choice in which modules to buy and install.

I think that would fall between the cracks; the 'purists' and 'wannabe purists' wouldn't want it because of "dem new fangled stuff in ma toob amp" (yes, despite running a current production digital FX unit or pedal in front). The 'new and cool kids' wouldn't want it because "not energy efficient enough, plus in my new DAW plugin I can emulate 4565782128 amps and cabs, yo".

The odd geekily inclined individual like myself might marvel at the sight, but I doubt many would pay the price tag which would have to cover R&D investment for something the company has never tried before.

and I'd be gullible enough to pay up to $999 for a UK made one

I bet you would, but I'd also bet that it you're missing the leading '1' on the price. Maybe 999 pounds or euros over here.... if lucky.

 

[LCW]

I know I'm not along in wanting them to bring back the 50th Anniversary 1 watt amps. Everyone is looking for bedroom volume these days, so I'm sure they would sell. I'd love a 1W JMP or JCM800, and I'd be gullible enough to pay up to $999 for a UK made one. The beauty here is that Marshall doesn't have to invest in any development. Just dust off the old schematics and start production -- ok, probably a bit more complicated, but they don't have to invent anything and start raking in the £££ (there's the benefit to Marshall).

That would be amazing! I was just talking to a buddy about this very thing yesterday. He has the whole collection of 1-watters. But trying to find them is unobtainium right now, and way overpriced if you do.

 

[Kinkless Tetrode]

JMD2 with IRs and data logging. Only models are the classic Marshalls and a few higher gain later models. Not every Marshall ever made. Simple to operate. A line out from power amp models and IR's. Tube power amp driving conventional cabs also.
JMD2-floor model without the tube power amp.

2. Boost Modules - TBH, this one is so damned obvious IDK why ANY amp company has missed this. What is the 2203KK sig supposed to be? Essentially it was supposed to be a 2203 with a built-in EQ pedal the way KK set it with noise gate. What was the YJM (aside from the power scaling)? it was supposed to be a 1959 with his YJM 308 boost and a noise gate. Are we starting to get the picture yet?

The JCM 900 DR essentially has built in boosts in front of and between the preamp tubes if one examines the schematic.

 

[Matthews Guitars]

In the 80s when the sound of the West Coast modded Marshall was THEE dominant tone in rock, Marshall completely failed to capitalize on it by doing what should have been done: Figure out what mods get that range of tones and build new model amps that were nothing less than factory modded Superleads (and 50 watt Leads) that had those mods built in at the factory. Even if they had to put a famous amp modder or two under contract or pay them a fat wad of cash for designing services, it would have been worth doing. Definitely.

Ever since the 80s, and the advent of the JCM800 line, Marshall's most consistent design philosophy has been to decrease manufacturing costs, and put their name on more and more products to increase revenue. This dive for the bottom of the market eventually led to today's scenario, where a former Marshall supplier is now the majority owner of the company and controlling its daily operations.

During the SAME time frame, Mesa/Boogie expanded from a boutique amp shop to a Top Three amp maker, and while none of those companies make their sales numbers public, there is plenty of evidence to suggest that Mesa has reached the No. 1 amp maker position with Fender and Marshall trailing. And Mesa did it without cheapening their product. In fact their cheapest amp today is 1500 dollars.

Marshall has made many errors.

 

[Dogs of Doom]

YJM has a boost pedal built-in...

not sure what the KK has for it's higher gain...

the problem w/ re-releasing LTD ED models is... they originally sold them, at a premium, under the promise that they would only release them as a limited quantity, once gone, they were gone. If they were to simply re-release that "limited" quantity, it's consumer fraud...

Imagine if Marshall made the holy grail amp, that everybody wanted, then said, "but we are only making one amp ever - so it's going to cost $1,000,000".

So, some guy buys it, thinking he's got the greatest deal, because noone else will ever have one.

Next thing Marshall says... "we lied, we have 300,000 on the assembly line, & we will retail them for $3400/ea USD"

How would that guy, who bought the "1-off" feel about this new production line of amp's?

He'd feel ripped off, just like the 1200 +/- that bought each model of the 50th Ann amp's feel.

A lot of Jube owners feel cheated that they were re-issued, even though I don't think that they were released under such a promise initially...

 

[fitz]

Why not the same classic circuit (1959/2203/etc) that has a slot/bank for the consumer to either physically insert an analog pedal module into the slot, or download one into the bank? Why this? Because the on-board effect integrated into the amp’s circuit > amp + pedal. SD-1 Module, EQ module, etc. it can be bypassed for the original tube circuit or switched on for an amp that acted similarly to these sigs, only the consumer has freedom of choice in which modules to buy and install.

Something like this?

Modules Archives - synergyamps.com

www.synergyamps.com

 

[Edgar Frog]

The only thing I can think of is some really good standalone all analog solid state versions of their popular tube amps. No all in one single head/combo does all these amps bull crap, no digital modeling and no IR's. Thinking in the realm of the Orange Crush Pro and Super Crush's. Otherwise IMHO Marshall is doing just fine with what they are doing already outside of the crazy prices in the US. They have plenty of choices from bedroom rigs to full out touring rigs. There are plenty of other brands to go to for modeling and IR based stuff if people are interested in that kind of stuff. I'd also rather choose the pedals I want to run in front and in a loop than have an amp built with a specific pedal built in or a plethora of onboard digital effects. Reverb is really the only effect I ever want to see built into an amp. Even then most people are going to want a specific type/brand anyways instead of the built in one.

 

[Whizzercone]

made TVs. My giant solid state TV is cold and sterile. At minimum I need a toob preamp to warm up the image.

 

[Dave_11]

YJM has a boost pedal built-in...

not sure what the KK has for it's higher gain...

the problem w/ re-releasing LTD ED models is... they originally sold them, at a premium, under the promise that they would only release them as a limited quantity, once gone, they were gone. If they were to simply re-release that "limited" quantity, it's consumer fraud...

Imagine if Marshall made the holy grail amp, that everybody wanted, then said, "but we are only making one amp ever - so it's going to cost $1,000,000".

So, some guy buys it, thinking he's got the greatest deal, because noone else will ever have one.

Next thing Marshall says... "we lied, we have 300,000 on the assembly line, & we will retail them for $3400/ea USD"

How would that guy, who bought the "1-off" feel about this new production line of amp's?

He'd feel ripped off, just like the 1200 +/- that bought each model of the 50th Ann amp's feel.

A lot of Jube owners feel cheated that they were re-issued, even though I don't think that they were released under such a promise initially...

Valid points, for sure, and probably at least one reason Marshall hasn't done this. When I bought my $999 SV20H a few weeks back (when they also have near half price SV cabs) I remembered reading just a few weeks previous someone posting on here they had bought a new SV20H and cab. I thought to myself, I'd sure be pissed if I were that guy. But darnit, I want my 1 watt JCM800

 

[PelliX]

made TVs. My giant solid state TV is cold and sterile. At minimum I need a toob preamp to warm up the image.

Don't be silly! You don't need a toob preamp, you simply need to upgrade to Audio Tuning Fuses!

Audio Grade Fuses by Revolution Power

Specialty High Performance fuses for audio reproduction, video, recording and amplification. At Revolution Power we stock a very wide selection of fuses from top quality manufacturers such as Isoclean, HiFi-Tuning, Furutech and Synergistic Research.

www.revolutionpower.com

Thank me later.

 

[Whizzercone]

Don't be silly! You don't need a toob preamp, you simply need to upgrade to Audio Tuning Fuses!

Audio Grade Fuses by Revolution Power

Specialty High Performance fuses for audio reproduction, video, recording and amplification. At Revolution Power we stock a very wide selection of fuses from top quality manufacturers such as Isoclean, HiFi-Tuning, Furutech and Synergistic Research.

www.revolutionpower.com

Thank me later.

That fuse really shows when you have the trees of little wood blocks strategically placed in the room to tame frequencies.

 

[Deftone]

Someone mentioned in another thread a 20w Studio version of the AFD or perhaps some of the other sig amps.

How about a 2204 reissue?

More reproduction parts for the older models: Faceplates, pointer knobs, etc...

 

[PelliX]

That fuse really shows when you have the trees of little wood blocks strategically placed in the room to tame frequencies.

Don't forget that half the people that buy them get the polarity wrong, anyway....

 

[Crikey]

Your opportunity to vent on ideas that Marshall should have considered. While this may be something you have long-since wanted them to do, this is more of a bitch over something that would have benefitted Marshall and many of its customers - not a mere wishlist that you and maybe a few dozen others might actually pay for.

I‘ll start…


1. Dedicated Preamps - We have not had anything worthwhile since the JMP-1. Given all the DAW/IR capabilities, there are so many possibilities as large and elaborate as a “JMP-2/JVM-1” unit that fuses valve power with the latest digital tech. They could also go the other way with simple MiaB dedicated preamp pedals (1959/2203/2555). They could even take the pedals a step further with 12AX power as they pretty much have the groundwork laid out with the 1w amps technology.


2. Boost Modules - TBH, this one is so damned obvious IDK why ANY amp company has missed this. What is the 2203KK sig supposed to be? Essentially it was supposed to be a 2203 with a built-in EQ pedal the way KK set it with noise gate. What was the YJM (aside from the power scaling)? it was supposed to be a 1959 with his YJM 308 boost and a noise gate. Are we starting to get the picture yet?

I heard some known/boutique metal amp builder is adding an onboard TS to his circuit for an amp. All that shit is 15 years in the past now. Why not the same classic circuit (1959/2203/etc) that has a slot/bank for the consumer to either physically insert an analog pedal module into the slot, or download one into the bank? Why this? Because the on-board effect integrated into the amp’s circuit > amp + pedal. SD-1 Module, EQ module, etc. it can be bypassed for the original tube circuit or switched on for an amp that acted similarly to these sigs, only the consumer has freedom of choice in which modules to buy and install.

improve US distribution. stop doing exclusives single distributor/importer deals. Marshall should be their own importer.
this would allow Marshall to keep prices reasonable as well as capture the US market directly versus some importer gouging the market and curtailing growth.
Marshall should locate office/warehouse/repair center in Norfolk, Va and have plenty of tech skills and warehousing options.
partner with good music shop dealers and have Marshall stores within a store to showcase a broader amp selection.
Bring back Astorias.

 

[anitoli]

I know this may ruffle a few feathers but here goes. I think Marshall did more for the pedal industry than many are willing to see. Their either intentional or unintentional inability to keep up with the players tone requirements in the 80's metal/rock scene drove a small limited industry into the sky. Companies making pedals were popping up all the time. The established companies had no choice but to make more new designs to meet the ever growing demand and some of which are still in production today. It drove the digital rack industry as well imo. If Marshall had done what everyone thinks they should have done half of these companies would have been put out of business. From an industry standpoint Marshall helped all these guys along.

Basically i think Marshall was playing the you scratch my back i'll scratch yours game with the pedal companies. The players wanted the core Marshall tone, the amp needed a bit more to get it over the top, and the pedal companies designed their pedals around Marshall circuits. Everybody won.

That's how i see it. Fire away, lol.

 

[What?]

I know this may ruffle a few feathers but here goes. I think Marshall did more for the pedal industry than many are willing to see. Their either intentional or unintentional inability to keep up with the players tone requirements in the 80's metal/rock scene drove a small limited industry into the sky. Companies making pedals were popping up all the time. The established companies had no choice but to make more new designs to meet the ever growing demand and some of which are still in production today. It drove the digital rack industry as well imo. If Marshall had done what everyone thinks they should have done half of these companies would have been put out of business. From an industry standpoint Marshall helped all these guys along.

Basically i think Marshall was playing the you scratch my back i'll scratch yours game with the pedal companies. The players wanted the core Marshall tone, the amp needed a bit more to get it over the top, and the pedal companies designed their pedals around Marshall circuits. Everybody won.

That's how i see it. Fire away, lol.

It seems like Marshall used to do, Do one thing, and do it well. None of the later amps that included what is essentially pedals in the frontend and higher gain and multiple channels are nearly as endeared as the older and simpler amps.