A friend of my father has one of these and a 2x12 with a matching serial number that he brought from Jim’s shop back in the 60’s, it’s either a 63 or a 64. He still gigs it in to this day and it still sounds amazing.
Damn, I mean it was made to be played though wasn’t it, to him it’s not an investment piece, it’s his amp… I won’t tell you about the 59 strat that he has owned since new and also gigs with.
Ive got. 1965 JTM45 212 Combo - the 8th combo made - Roy Orbison’s Marshall - the FIRST Marshall in America. It is currently on display at the Rock HoF. In three years it goes to auction.
I was in England in 1963, and my dad was doing showcases for Fender (mainly in London). The interest in their products was phenomenal, but due to the high duty fees no one could afford American products. Funny thing, very few people had ever seen my dad's Fender 1000 pedal steel. In fact, a very young Keith Richards spent several hours watching him play and trying to understand the steel.
Swapping preamp tubes is one of the easiest and inexpensive ways to fundamentally change your tone. Just for clarification FYI: 12AX7: Known for its high gain factor (100) and moderate distortion. It’s commonly used in guitar amplifiers and audio equipment where a strong, crunchy tone is desired. 12AY7: Has a lower gain factor (40) and less distortion compared to the 12AX7. It’s often used in applications where a cleaner, more nuanced tone is preferred, such as in high-fidelity audio equipment or vintage-style amplifiers. 12AT7: Offers a moderate gain factor (60) and a balance between distortion and clarity. It’s a versatile tube suitable for a wide range of applications, including guitar amplifiers, audio equipment, and even radio and television circuits.
I’m just waiting for Skip Simmons to pop in and go “Smokes paprika!” every time they talk about how it was based on a tweed Bassman but with parts available in England at the time.
I had one in 1977; the 1969 100 w double stack... Sounded AMAZING, at first, but, after a while, when the tubes wore, It didn't sound so great; it was identical to the one that Jimi played at Woodstock, but again, and... It's only good for ONE SOUND... PICTURE WOODSTOCK AND JIMI , and Alvin Lee! GREAT SOUND AND TONE, BUT... IT'S A ONE TRICK PONY!!!!!!!!!!! The Marshall is designed around the fender bassman, which was an amazing sounding amp, But they added more gain stages, and incidentally, the Mesa boogie built upon that, also! Even more gain stages!
Runs on 220v? Definitely not! UK has always been 240v and dropped to 230v in the year 2000. We've never been 220! EVER! And the storey I heard was Jim Marshall got a delivery of all the Fender Amp models back in the early 1960's, however nobody could afford to buy them! Everyone liked them, but very few could afford them. So Jim and the shop staff sat around one weekend and tried all the Fender amps out. It was unanimous that the Bassman was the biggest and loudest, so that's what they chose as the amp to copy. However, they didn't have to worry about any copyright infringement as such, because as pointed out in this video, the components used in the "UK version" of the Bassman ended up quite different, simply because it was built using European parts, hence it differed and sounded different too! As a result, the Marshall sound was born! And the rest is history!
In UK in early 60s, Anything from the USA was unofficially BANNED in an attempt to regrow the home economy after the war . So only personal items were able to be snuck in via merchant seaman coming back from USA and selling on dockside.
Unbelievable how good it sounds. Still one of the best amps ever made. If you add pedals when run at the edge of breakup, you can get all the sounds you ever dreamed of. From Jimi to Stevie up to early VH and all in between.
This would be a great video just for the history and the story, but this story would not matter so much if that amp did not sound completely amazing! The playing was ace as usual, John!
Great job as always, John - controversial one this… That is actually a Marshall PA set up, not intended for guitar use… if the transformers have been swapped, then not authentic sound - needs to be unadulterated with a 220 V feed- probably same circuit as JTM45 but 2 2*12 PA cabs are not gonna help - better test would be with an SM 57 ;-)
I find the PA cabinets interesting. Also, that the typical Marshall character is already there, this is not really a Bassman tone anymore, already closer to - for me - typical Hendrix cleans, but also similar to a WEM sound. Nice presentation!
Marshall reissued these around 1998-1999 - the head came with an offset 2x12 cabinet - at least thats what the store I worked at got. It was a small mom & pop store in Northern California and one of the only Marshall dealers around north of S.F. We only got one, I think it was something like only 2000 made. Looking back I wish I bought it. I believe it was $5k at the time....which is why I didnt buy it lol
Surprising that the circuit was designed by an 18 year old kid but the differences from the Bassman: it had a 12AX7 not a 12AY7 preamp tube, KT66/EL34 tubes instead of 6L6, modified negative feedback circuit, Celestion speakers instead of Jensen and closed back instead of open back cabinets
the reason American guitars and amps were hard to get hold of in England in the 50s is because there was a trade embargo on many, if not all , American products. This is because the UK was indebted to the US for it's help in WW2. £60 million of debt which was not paid off until 2006...👈
Thanx for the interesting history info.👍 Wait…60 million? Took them 60 yers to pay back 60 million? That’s only a million a year. Just doesn’t sound like very much.
Was it a music studio amp? I have a '65 Bandmaster that is in great shape and I heard it was a studio amp, meanwhile the 78 Twin I used to own was a basket case that had lived in a trailer and smelled of stale cigarette smoke.
@@Jason-cm6uh "Old Marshall heads." We aren't living in "old Marshall" times. Most contemporary Marshall, Orange, and Blackstar amps (and many more, but you can look for yourself) will accommodate 2 speaker cabs with the same ohms.
Ummm.... aahhh....that video could of ..... um ...ah taken .....aaahhhh. yeah..............taken ......ahh.... 15 minutes .... um ...aahhhh, and it 's got ....... narbs.......
Too bad JB doesn't play anything that would be reminiscent of what was played through those amps that made them **famous. Same old plink plunk plank. I know that is his jam, but it gets old.
Exactly what was the iconic music that you think was played on these amps? There were only maybe 60 ever made, and it was 1962/63 -The iconic guitar players of the time were guys like Chuck Berry, or Les Paul. Clapton was still using a Vox that early. Nobody was rocking these amps out. Anyone playing an offset JTM45 in ‘62/‘63 would have been playing pretty much exactly like John plays in the video.
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A friend of my father has one of these and a 2x12 with a matching serial number that he brought from Jim’s shop back in the 60’s, it’s either a 63 or a 64. He still gigs it in to this day and it still sounds amazing.
Gruhn is asking $200,000 for this amplifier!
That is an expensive amp to gig with!
Damn, I mean it was made to be played though wasn’t it, to him it’s not an investment piece, it’s his amp… I won’t tell you about the 59 strat that he has owned since new and also gigs with.
The JTM45 212 wasn’t sold until 1965. I own number 8. It is now in the Rock HoF.
@@michaelmastro2408 interesting, I guess I’m mistaken and it’s a 65.
I was completely engrossed in the story behind this and early Marshall amps. Thank you!
My pleasure!
The priest knows a lot about Marshall amplifiers.
😅 the tone priest ? 😅
I was trying to figure out the collar too.
I’m glad I’m not the only one who sees it.
That's hilarious! I did think that same thing!
Mic clip.
John... your version of "Little Wing" is beautiful...
Ive got. 1965 JTM45 212 Combo - the 8th combo made - Roy Orbison’s Marshall - the FIRST Marshall in America. It is currently on display at the Rock HoF. In three years it goes to auction.
Excelent, as always. John is a precious person
Loud efficient speakers too... X4 ouch! Bet that in the room sound was amazing! Sounds great on my end!
The intro was beautiful!
I was in England in 1963, and my dad was doing showcases for Fender (mainly in London). The interest in their products was phenomenal, but due to the high duty fees no one could afford American products. Funny thing, very few people had ever seen my dad's Fender 1000 pedal steel. In fact, a very young Keith Richards spent several hours watching him play and trying to understand the steel.
That's what the HP is for (hire-purchase) aka the never-never!.
Plenty people had Strats in the early 60's here in the UK.
Great interviews always with you guys! Lovely sounds. And John is the best host. Love it.
Great history of early Marshalls. Tasty playing John
Swapping preamp tubes is one of the easiest and inexpensive ways to fundamentally change your tone. Just for clarification FYI:
12AX7: Known for its high gain factor (100) and moderate distortion. It’s commonly used in guitar amplifiers and audio equipment where a strong, crunchy tone is desired.
12AY7: Has a lower gain factor (40) and less distortion compared to the 12AX7. It’s often used in applications where a cleaner, more nuanced tone is preferred, such as in high-fidelity audio equipment or vintage-style amplifiers.
12AT7: Offers a moderate gain factor (60) and a balance between distortion and clarity. It’s a versatile tube suitable for a wide range of applications, including guitar amplifiers, audio equipment, and even radio and television circuits.
I agree. Even replacing tubes with the same spec will alter sound. big variation in vacuum tubes output and q.c.
Thanks!
Educational and inspirational. Worth every minute, thanks PG.
I’m just waiting for Skip Simmons to pop in and go “Smokes paprika!” every time they talk about how it was based on a tweed Bassman but with parts available in England at the time.
Great interview, John! Ebo knows his stuff!!
I must confess to having always wanted a Marshall.
I had one in 1977; the 1969 100 w double stack... Sounded AMAZING, at first, but, after a while, when the tubes wore, It didn't sound so great; it was identical to the one that Jimi played at Woodstock, but again, and... It's only good for ONE SOUND... PICTURE WOODSTOCK AND JIMI , and Alvin Lee! GREAT SOUND AND TONE, BUT... IT'S A ONE TRICK PONY!!!!!!!!!!! The Marshall is designed around the fender bassman, which was an amazing sounding amp, But they added more gain stages, and incidentally, the Mesa boogie built upon that, also! Even more gain stages!
Yep, modded Marshalls were soon copied by Soldano, Mesa, Peavey, and others. The distortion era. I still love a cranked Plexi, though.
John , that was good playing , very good
Runs on 220v? Definitely not! UK has always been 240v and dropped to 230v in the year 2000. We've never been 220! EVER! And the storey I heard was Jim Marshall got a delivery of all the Fender Amp models back in the early 1960's, however nobody could afford to buy them! Everyone liked them, but very few could afford them. So Jim and the shop staff sat around one weekend and tried all the Fender amps out. It was unanimous that the Bassman was the biggest and loudest, so that's what they chose as the amp to copy. However, they didn't have to worry about any copyright infringement as such, because as pointed out in this video, the components used in the "UK version" of the Bassman ended up quite different, simply because it was built using European parts, hence it differed and sounded different too! As a result, the Marshall sound was born! And the rest is history!
The double vertical cab aesthetic is underrated 🥵😍
Oh, it also sounds magnificent. I bet it's *juicy* in person 🤤
In UK in early 60s, Anything from the USA was unofficially BANNED in an attempt to regrow the home economy after the war . So only personal items were able to be snuck in via merchant seaman coming back from USA and selling on dockside.
They also increased the nfb resistor. Speakers and cab also madr the difference.
Unbelievable how good it sounds. Still one of the best amps ever made. If you add pedals when run at the edge of breakup, you can get all the sounds you ever dreamed of. From Jimi to Stevie up to early VH and all in between.
All Exact Truth : The 67 68 100w Plexi's were and still Master of the Amp Universe . Super Rare
Ebo looking like the father of tone with that white mic on the black t lol
Sounds glorious! And that guitar!
As usual,...
THANKYOUJOHN.
I have the st20 version and it is glorious
Blimey! What a amp. Crazy good condition. $200K is all.
This would be a great video just for the history and the story, but this story would not matter so much if that amp did not sound completely amazing! The playing was ace as usual, John!
Ebo!
great playin John
He's gonna buy it.
That's a great sounding one even with the reissue blue bells.
I love the knobs on that thing🤓
Where’s Uncle Larry when you need him✌🏻🎸🎶
He was there hanging out!
Tone King Royalist done did the aesthetics proper
Exact same story of Traynor amps from Long & McQuade music store 1963 Toronto Canada.
Great job as always, John - controversial one this… That is actually a Marshall PA set up, not intended for guitar use… if the transformers have been swapped, then not authentic sound - needs to be unadulterated with a 220 V feed- probably same circuit as JTM45 but 2 2*12 PA cabs are not gonna help - better test would be with an SM 57 ;-)
Man, it sucks that Marshall didn't give the Studio JTMs the offset design! I bet that'll come down the line in a limited edition, for a premium...
So do you think the beam tetrodes sound better than the pentodes? I think the kt66 tubes had a fatter bottom end and more chimney top than either.
I find the PA cabinets interesting. Also, that the typical Marshall character is already there, this is not really a Bassman tone anymore, already closer to - for me - typical Hendrix cleans, but also similar to a WEM sound.
Nice presentation!
I wonder how that ended up in the states. If only it could tell its story.
The voltage would be 240v.
Those KT-66's are nothing like the tubes in a late 50's Bassman too.
Someone call Joe quick
Marshall reissued these around 1998-1999 - the head came with an offset 2x12 cabinet - at least thats what the store I worked at got. It was a small mom & pop store in Northern California and one of the only Marshall dealers around north of S.F. We only got one, I think it was something like only 2000 made. Looking back I wish I bought it. I believe it was $5k at the time....which is why I didnt buy it lol
Surprising that the circuit was designed by an 18 year old kid but the differences from the Bassman: it had a 12AX7 not a 12AY7 preamp tube, KT66/EL34 tubes instead of 6L6, modified negative feedback circuit, Celestion speakers instead of Jensen and closed back instead of open back cabinets
Yes me haha.
the reason American guitars and amps were hard to get hold of in England in the 50s is because there was a trade embargo on many, if not all , American products. This is because the UK was indebted to the US for it's help in WW2. £60 million of debt which was not paid off until 2006...👈
Thanx for the interesting history info.👍
Wait…60 million? Took them 60 yers to pay back 60 million? That’s only a million a year.
Just doesn’t sound like very much.
Was it a music studio amp? I have a '65 Bandmaster that is in great shape and I heard it was a studio amp, meanwhile the 78 Twin I used to own was a basket case that had lived in a trailer and smelled of stale cigarette smoke.
incredible SAG N GRUNT, KILLER POWER SUpPLY WIRING IMHO :)
Very nice !!!!
VERY COOL!
The 2x12 cabinet's are surprising to see. I wish more amp builder's would give you two speaker output's. Stereo preferably
I know man. What's up with that. 2x12 stereo seems so obvious.
Most amps have the capability to run either 2 x 8 ohm or 2 x 16 ohm speakers.
@@castleanthrax1833 "most amps"? Give me 3 examples that aren't boutique 100w heads. I've seen 2 outputs on an old Marshall head that's it.
@@Jason-cm6uh "Old Marshall heads." We aren't living in "old Marshall" times. Most contemporary Marshall, Orange, and Blackstar amps (and many more, but you can look for yourself) will accommodate 2 speaker cabs with the same ohms.
To have true stereo, the amp would have to have 2 seperate power amp sections.
Just splitting a mono amp to 2 outputs isn’t stereo at all.
Partridge output transformers made the sound as well as the preamp valves but partridge tx were a bit unreliable haha. Regards
BEAUTIFUL... Are those vertical cabs loaded with stock Blue Alnico's or were they swapped? I thought the original JTM's came with Silver's.
My 1965 JTM45 212 Combo has Goldbacks with Jim Marshall’s name and addtess.
@@michaelmastro2408 Oh hell yeah, how many watts? And what's his address, btw? I'm thinking about sending him an amp for repair.
@@rocknrollboise - I took ine to Jeff Hime in Nashville.
who's the guy on the right? link? awesome vid btw!
www.ebocustoms.com
Will it Chug 🤘👈
"No Amazon Prime then". True. But you could paddle along the Amazon river to the local music store, or drive with Volvo Amazon then. 😜
Full noise Rose Tattoo next time mate. Get it spittin’!
So did He buy it?
Instead of offsetting the chassis, they could have just offset the handle to balance it out when carrying.
So cool, to see & hear this amp, s/o @premierguitar for bringing the goods!
How much?
It's on Gruhn's website
200k.
AC is actually 240v in the Uk.
well actually...
Uk is now 230v it was reduced a few years back to make it more compatible with 220v equipment. There is a +/- percentage on it
Theres still no Amazon delivery in New Zealand lol yup..weird.
There is, but you can only buy sheep there. 😉
This my reminder to order a Del Rio while they're still being made and only cost $3K...
I thought, why is there a southern Rev. sitting there because the white mic looked like the white thing they wear. 🤣
funny what he said about waiting for the records because here in brazil is still this way in 2024
And why are we not cranking this thing wide open?
Ummm.... aahhh....that video could of ..... um ...ah taken .....aaahhhh. yeah..............taken ......ahh.... 15 minutes .... um ...aahhhh, and it 's
got ....... narbs.......
I heard many times, that the early Marshall amps were a cross between Fender Bassman and WEM Dominator.
Thought dude on the right was a priest.
oh no, not little wing the forbidden riff, been done to death for crying out loud
Too bad JB doesn't play anything that would be reminiscent of what was played through those amps that made them **famous. Same old plink plunk plank. I know that is his jam, but it gets old.
Who complains about John playing Hendrix? Go check yourself dude, you're not healthy.
@@Beelzehump
He is totally right.
John is the sloppiest player ever!!!
He plays like 💩
And this is a Marshall for Christ sake !!!
@@Beelzehump plink, plink, plink... 😂😂
It’s funny, the guys always talking about other peoples playing have no videos of themselves playing on the internet. Losers
Exactly what was the iconic music that you think was played on these amps? There were only maybe 60 ever made, and it was 1962/63 -The iconic guitar players of the time were guys like Chuck Berry, or Les Paul. Clapton was still using a Vox that early. Nobody was rocking these amps out. Anyone playing an offset JTM45 in ‘62/‘63 would have been playing pretty much exactly like John plays in the video.
Joe Bonamassa will snatch it coming soon ...
Joe yried to buy my 1965 JTM45 212 Combo - the FIRST Marshall in America. I told him he doesn have enough money.
@@michaelmastro2408 😆
Kemper smokes it :)
He's not gonna buy it...