Stage 1: Research and Development Initial Amp Investigation
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 21 ม.ค. 2010
- Two days after the AFD100 project was announced at the 2010 NAMM show in Anaheim, Marshalls Senior Design Engineer travelled to a Hollywood recording studio to examine Slashs highly prized JCM800 amplifier. Voltages were measured and circuitry was scrutinised to provide the tonal foundations of the forthcoming AFD100 amp. There he met with the man himself Slash and producer Eric Valentine to discuss, among other things, the JCM800s modded circuitry, amazing tone and the famous Number 39.
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Oh, and I'm gonna go get and AFD100 next week out of sheer gratitude for this video journal. No joke, THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!
OMG!!! Marshall, THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!! So much, THANK YOU for putting this video journal together!!
I've been chasing a few vintage marshall tones for about 5 years. Bought a '71 100W SuperPA, built a '68 Serial 12xxx 100W SL clone, bought 2 2255 Sig Slash, a slew of JCM800's, a couple JCM900's so clearly it's important to me (which sounds better then obsessed with it, which is the phrasing F&F use).
I read about the SRI #39/#36...
awesome!
Lynch(ULAK)/Slash(AFD) connection years ago and was completely captivated.
But to run across this video series, with Slash and Marshall RnD discussing it and working out the details...my god, I'm shaking so hard from the sheer elated excitment it's difficult to type this message typed out. And for someone my age (I was 17 when AFD swept the globe), it's almost as startling as it is elating. I will savor every solitary second of it.
wow this is a dream come true.
SICK!
From all accounts, the original AFD amp was a JCM800 Marshall modded by Frank Levi at SIR. The original #39 was modded by Tim Caswell at SIR. From what I've been told, the #39 was being used by Warren Demartini during the recordings for Dancing Undercover in '85 - '86...Slash didn't have access to it; however, Frank Levi modded a JCM800 based on Caswell's designs. The entire story behind this amp is stuff of myth and legend. Somewhere in a dusty closet is where #39 is sitting.
Levi and Buckley made several works to replicate the exact modification and the exact sound of the #39 and Levi when heard and looked inside #39 amp, he was very impressed by Caswells work.
Very interesting! And of course - Night Train is the true test! :-D
Another interesting variation between #36 and #39 was that the modification to #36 was always on. Whereas #39 had a metal toggle switch mounted in place of one of the amps four input jacks (which was used to turn Tim Caswells mod on and off), the modification to #36 did not include a toggle switch or any other mechanism to turn the mod off. In fact, to someone looking at the outside of #36, the only perceptible modification would have been the addition of a master volume knob.
#36 was a 100W pre-master volume, Metal Panel-era (early 70s) Marshall. However, while #39 was a Super Tremolo, #36 was a regular (non-tremolo) Super Lead (Model 1959). As such, because #36 didnt have a tremolo circuit, the amp didnt have a fourth pre-amp tube as a stock feature. Therefore, when Frank and Glenn applied Tim Caswells #39 extra pre-amp gain stage design to #36, an additional (fourth) preamp tube was mounted in a hole drilled next to the original (three) pre-amp tubes.
Ok, probably the amp we're watching here is Slash's JCM800 modded with 6550 and hotrodded by Mike Morin and it's the amp he used to record the 2 Illusion albums, 'TSI?' and lots of his collabborations of that period (like Dangerous, Brick By Brick, Hey Stoopid [watch the video] and so on).
Slash used at the time the #39 and it was modded by CASWELL and Slash used it for rehearsals.Like bettset said #36 is basically made by Frank Levi & Buckley (why aren't they involved in this project?)
Nightrain is my favourite GNR song.
Show Gostei 🔱
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I can understand modding a Super Tremolo or Super Lead with an extra tube gain stage, but what modding would a nice golden-era 100W JCM800 need? Different power tubes?
Τhanks for the answer, I have also asked onthe official site. I am looking forward to the answer.
But it doesn't make sense to examine the Illusion amp, does it? It's ironic for producing a replica of the Appetite amp - they were not the same since both #39 and #36 were lost after 89, if I am not mistaken.
It probably could be another amp head with the same #39 mod but, from what we know, Slash ever used this Mike Morin modded JCM800 for lots of his collaborations. He also used Jubilee heads LIVE and in '96 he started using his sig. heads.
It's ironic 'cause they don't know what they're doing on that amp, 'cause anyone knows where's the stock #39. We only know that on that same year (1986) one Levi #36 was purchased by D. Aldrich (Whitesnake current g.) and used it for his 1st mini EP with Lion.
I just love how it simply says "Slash-Rock Legend". Anybody have any idea how much this amp will cost?
This is friggin maddening! Slash, the guy who recorded the friggin' album, played the amp for months, is telling you it was a jcm800. This guy is gonna stand there and tell Slash what amp he used during the pinnacle of his career? Forget the faceplate text, don't you think Slash would have a pretty strong recollection of the number of inputs on the historic amp he sat there and tweaked for months? It's astounding what lengths Marshall is going to in order to ask top dollar for these repros.
Exactly. Because then Marshall would have to pay Frank and Glen, who are really involved in the sound on AFD by way Of Tim Caswell. The amp they are looking at is #34 by Frank Levi.
@emeraldstudio Well the Randy amp is just his head. Its identical to his amp, but he also had the Altec speakers instead of the Celestians you probably have as well as an MXR Distortion+ for a clean boost, an EQ to shape it his tone and of course his guitars Not to mention that there is no one consistent Randy tone. What he sounded like in the studio is different from the live album which is different from his actual live sound which depended on the venue and the soundboard.
This amp is #34 they are looking at.
it's that amp. ;) I told it before. Anyway I just wanna see the next vid.
"they" read about it. but slash was actually there.
#39 was modded by tim caswell. #36 was done by frank levi & glenn buckley. both belonged to S.I.R. in los angeles. slash rehearsed with #39, but it wasn't available to record, so #36 was sent. #36 disappeared for about 1 year after that. it was found at a gnr rehearsal in the summer of 1987. sir found out--went & did a midnight requisition. as of 1989--sir still had both. no idea where they are now. caswell made several for george lynch prior to 1985 i think. find jr rymas--he knows the story
Slash. you used #39 in rehearsals before you recorded AFD. then you returned the amp back to SIR, then you wanted to rent #39 for the recording but they gave you #36 which was also a 1959 Super Lead circuit, but it could have been a JCM800 series super lead circuit which is why you are confused...
Marshall never made the 1959T and 1987T (100w and 50W tremolo) amps in the JCM800 series. The #39 and #36 amps used on AFD were built on a 1959T, using the tremolo circuit's 12AX7 as an extra gain stage. Slash was probably so out of it on drugs that he doesn't remember lol
Man, I dunno...based on the 4 clips of the Caswell 39 I've seen (2 on his website, and two on a JCM800 here on youtube), Caswell's mod just isn't the AFD sound. Hell, it's not even a good sound. I mean, no offense to the guy, but in all honesty, I think he's just trying to cash in on the fact that he happened to be involved with SIR and that specific amp. I don't know why the guys in this video are so sure that it was Caswell's work Slash played, and they talk about it with such confidence, as if they've seen the friggin amp themselves.
Since this mod (34) is confirmed to be Levi's work (the sticker says it all :P), and this amp sounds pretty similar to the AFD amp, I think it is much more likely it was Levi who was behind the AFD amp as well. I don't get why he doesn't do anything about it though, I mean, he could make some good money. My guess is the old fella bought the amp back and is waiting to cash in on it and send his kids to a good University or something :D
I think it will cost a lot... Slash don't know what he used on Appetite.. ok, it was 20 years ago.. but he could remember the FRONTAL PANNEL.. the CHASSIS.... and is it possible that Mark Canter could have a pic of it? Slash always mentioned a 1959T super tremolo.. then a late '70 JMP.. now he thinks it was a JCM800.. wtf?
@Wrangler4Life it's not it's $1200
i hope its not going to cost a bomb!
I don't understand why this amp says "JCM800". Is the guy on the left saying that it's the famous #36? That one was a Super Lead, not a JCM800, and #39 was a Super Tremolo. What is this amp we're looking at here, and why is everyone examining it for making the AFD100?
yes you do. i drink sometimes but i always remembeer EVERYTHING: how canslash not rememebr he even stole the amp from SIR.