Your first Marshall amp

[pinto79]

why was that stupid ??

Mostly because my parents paid $700 for the JMP as my Grad present when I finished highschool, and the asking price on the 800 was $320, and it didn't sound as good as I'd hoped. That 2203 is long gone now too. Thinking back on things, I should have re-tubed the JMP and used it in stereo with my JCM800 2204 at the time. Live and learn...

 

[Benito]

Hmmmm mine was a Micro stack..... but just the head, can't remember what the model was, but we are talking 94-95 at that point so not any MG thingy, sounded awesome with my Vester Strat copy oh yeah! tranny gain oh how innocent we were back then.

 

[(war)thrash5150]

Fisrt amp was a Marshall Lead12 combo bought at Daddys Junky Music in Nashua, NH 1988. Used that with a rat and I was in love at first crunch.

 

[kcwm]

My first Marshall was a valvestate combo I can't remember the model of...pawnshop special I bought with my first paycheck at 16. It was stolen within a week of my purchase.

My first REAL (aka Tube...jk) Marshall was a JTM 3x10". I really liked the way it sounded, but due to OT and tube issues, I moved it.

I currently own a boutique clone of a 1974x amp. I live in an apartment, so I'm not able to get as much out of as I'd like. It sounds pretty good at lower volumes, but I have another amp that I think sounds a smidge better at bedroom levels, even if it's not a handwired amp.

 

[rockbutt]

jcm 800 50 watt bought new early 80s when I was a teen and still lived at home

That also was my firs Marshall amp. Bought it new in january 1984. The current owner is still using it.

 

[HOT TUBES 70]

My first Marshall was a 1974 model 50 watt (solid state) with a 2x12 Marshall cab. Sounded OK, not real great. It was bought for my use by the keyboard player's father who outfitted the band.

The first one I bought was a brand new JCM 800 model 2204 50 watt with the vertical inputs & master volume. I had a 4x12 straight cab with G12-65's in it. That amp & cab kicked serious booty for the last three years of my club gigging days, along with a Randall RG-80 1x12 combo (G12-80 Celestion) I had as well.

Then I had several different Plexi's, JCM 800 combos, Studio 15, and wound up with a 30th Anniversary stack which I sold 6 years ago. I've owned around 20 different ones over the years, including a rare 20th Anniversary JCM 800 white stack (which was stolen in a house robbery in 93), which my homeowner's policy replaced with the 30th Anniversary stack pictured below.

And there it is .....for me ....the" HOLY GRAIL OF MARSHALL " !!!!!!
WOW !! thats nice !!!

 

[zslane]

DSL-401, which I bought in 2000 and still own and use. I performed the Marshall service bulletin heat mod on it myself last year. Wonderful little amp.

 

[TubeStack]

My first Marshall was a 50W JCM900 half-stack. I remember the guy explaining that getting a 50W would make the tubes work harder and get a juicier tone. Bought it in 1990, if I recall correctly. Worked all summer, only spent about $50 of the money I'd earned, and paid for the half-stack in full at the summer's end.

I was so happy!

Funny thing, at the time, Steve's in Toronto only had the cab in stock, so I had to take just the cab home, with no head, and sit and look at it for a week. LOL

Went back to pick up the head, and the guy wheeled out a second cab to my car, unaware that I'd already brought one home. Being the honest kid I was, I told him I already had one....

I got about 12 years use out of that rig. Countless live gigs, rehearsals, studio sessions... used and abused it with all sorts of tube-care no-no's, never had a problem. Was a real workhorse.

Playing an outdoor show at my high school, on a big rickety truck trailer, the stage shook from our feet and the whole half-stack fell forward, face down on the stage... right in the middle of the big solo-riff part in 'Cold Gin.' LOL A few years later, I even dropped the cab down a flight of stairs at my apartment (plastic handle broke, coming in from the Canadian cold), worked fine afterwards.

Sold it in '04 to help get a down payment for a house. Bought a JCM800 last year and I am fucking LOVING it!

 

[ProfChaos]

My first Marshall amplifier was a 100-watt JCM 900. To buy it, I traded-in a Carvin 2x12 100-watt combo that was wayyy too loud and wouldn't overdrive, even if you cut it up with a chain-saw.

I had the JCM 900 for a few years before trading it in on the Marshall that I have now (and will likely never sell): A Model 6100, 30th Anniversary Head with EL34 power tubes.

cheers,
professor chaos

 

[dualampman]

christmas 1981 my senior year, I got to pick out a brand new jcm 800 100 watter, later i purchased a marshall slant top 1960 a cab. Nice, a few years later, had to sell as I need cash. Now I have a 50 wt plexi reissue 1987 xl and a 1960 tv cab. I used to use a line 6 pod xt live and model a marshall, now I just play one.

 

[spacerocker]

Bought my first Marshall in around 1984 it was a second-hand 1980 2203.

Bought a second-hand Marshall 4 x 12 cabinet from a friend for £35. Ideally wanted something a little smaller (like a 2 x 12) Turns out the cab is a 1967 basket weave, with original celestion green-backs! Much sought after today.

I still have both the amp and cab. I bought a JVM410 in January, but I still use the 4 x 12, which is the sweetest sounding cab I've ever played through!

The 2203 is still on it's original valves, and sounds great! I only use the JVM for it's versatility, and it's great lead sound - but the 2203 has it beat for rock rhythm sound!

 

[NewReligion]

In 1984 I bought a used 1882 JCM 800 2204 head at the going rate of $500 at the time. I loved that head, wish I still had that and my first Strat, but as a kid I could not afford to collect so somethings had to go to allow for the "GAS" to run its course LOL.

David C. Hopkins on MySpace Music - Free Streaming MP3s, Pictures & Music Downloads

 

[custom53]

A 1977 JMP MKII 2204 Half Stack.... I found the head first (near mint...!) than I acquired and 100 watt 1977 Slant bottom (not mint...lol) Then, like a dumbass, I sold the head... I now have a 1980 JMP 2203...

Before that I played thru a couple of Peaveys and a modified Fender with a modified Marshall bottom...Still have the Peaveys...

 

[ThreeTone]

My 1983 JCM 800 2203 was my first, and only, Marshall. Purchased it new in 1984 in Fort Lauderdale Florida. Bought the 1960A 4X12 loaded with Celestion G12-65s at the same time.

Started playing guitar around 10 years old. Bought a '65 Fender Malibu and was hooked. At 12 I bought a '76 Strat and my metal shop teacher gave me his Silverface Champ which didn't work. But my dad found a guy who got it working. At 14 I traded that Champ on a Peavey Bandit 65. It had lots of knobs and the Black Widow speaker! How cool! Still regret giving up that Champ to this day. What a great little amp.

When I was 16 years old, I knew almost nothing about Marshalls, except that many of my favorite players used them, and I wanted to have one too. I had the '76 Strat, and needed a Marshall as I wanted to be like Jimi Hendrix. But if you had asked me anything about models, circuits, speakers, etc, I wouldn't have had a clue. There have been times I've wished I had bought a 2204 instead, but at the time I knew nothing and 100 watts has to be better right?

So I consider myself fortunate that I happened to be 16 when the JCM 800 was the current model, and that the 65 watt speakers were still the ones they were loading in the cabs. And it was the early vertical input circuit. My stars were aligned.

Of course my amp used 6550s, which were fine, but I could always tell it wasn't exactly what I thought of as the classic Marshall tone. Through time I came to know more about amps in general and Marshalls specifically. Decided to change it over to EL34s and it was more like what I envisioned for my amp.

In the past few years I've really been able to dial it in, and make it more usable. An attenuator was worth every penny, and trying different tubes has paid off. With big thanks to the members here (and in particular Marty's great advice in the pre-amp tube thread) I've finally tamed the brightness with an RFT in V1. And switching to SED Winged =C= EL34s has made this amp the best it's ever been. Fantastic sustain, warmth, harmonics, it's now my tone. It was always a great amp, yet I could pinpoint something here or there that I felt could be improved.

The other day I was talking to a coworker about the amp, and I found myself describing it's sound as glorious, and it is (at least to me). So it's 25 years and counting. I'll have this amp until I stop breathing. Marshalls forever!

 

[StootMonster]

Well, my history with Marshall is not quite so prestigeous as you guys. I have this, my one and only Marshall. It's an MG250 DFX. I would love to have a half stack, but I don't play in a band anymore, and I really don't think I need that sort of power around my house or even at Church (where I play on Sundays).

OF course, back in the day when I WOULD HAVE LOVED TO HAVE A LARGE MARSHALL, I had an old Peavy Classic tube combo. It was pretty nice. But, not what I wanted. I"m happy with my MG250 and my old Fender Vibro Champ for now.

 

[Lespaulnmarshall]

8080 valvestate, good amp, but not as not half as good as my current marshall (Vintage Modern)

 

[30stringsandblackdog]

My first and only Marshall (so far) is the one coming on Tuesday. It's a 1971 Super Lead 100w. I'm going up to Disney and on the way home, I'll be picking up a '97 1960-TV 412 cab with Weber Blue Dogs and Silver Bells

 

[truckdub]

Just got it. DSL50. Running into a lopo with Weber speakers(a blue dog and a silver bell). So far I love it.

 

[Rev-al]

'73 JMP 50. Got it in 1975 i think - I was just a kid. It cost me £50.
I've still got it - use it regularly. I've gigged that amp all my life and it's in incredible condtion. Sounds wonderful.

 

[felim]

A Marshall 8080. Back in that days that was a great amp for me. I had A MARSHALL wooowwwww

It was great to be a teen.....

Ha, me too. If I recall correctly it was Marshall's biggest seller at that time. Came with a G12T75.