I believe Marshall has been owned by private equity from Sweden before this latest acquisition. Marshall has been a fridge and speaker headphone company for quite a while now.
Got into building a couple of years ago. I just finished a 68 plexi with vintage mustard caps. I've got less than 1500 into parts. I sold the last one I built for 3000. Made about 30 bucks an hour on my labor. I think this could be the future of classic tube amps. In the same way , if I wanted a 59 burst, I'd get a luthier to build one long before I'd shell out the money to big ol evil Gibson Corp.
Bingo. I'm an amp builder. If I want some classic Marshall amp then I'll just build it. I could care less that Marshall sold themselves. It isn't the first time.
@fullclipaudio it's an addictive hobby. Bassman and plexis were my favorite until I built a trainwreck ! I have some logos if you ever buikd one. Hit me up
Yea i built a jtm45 just because i knew id never be able to afford one. Probably about 400 bucks in parts, bent my own chassis and built the cabinet out of an old shipping crate!
Private Equity is what started Marshall in the first place. You think the government should have stepped in and we the people should pay to keep the dead ship afloat and keep paying the useless management team in a job, where nobody is buying the product any more?
I’ll have to read my comment again, I don’t remember saying anything about the government getting involved. Also the current form of private equity firms did not exist when Marshall was started
@@athonygraham8353 PE has its place when rescuing distressed businesses, but when they acquire healthy business, their game plan is to cut costs, i.e. cheapen the product and reduce staff, raise prices and hope by the time the peasants catch on, they can execute their exit strategy with billions 'made'.
@@kenichi407 It's not entirely their fault. People just aren't buying like they used to. And many in the industry say, it's either go to china or go out business. Still, they could have scaled-back. Automated etc.. But the corporate heads want to see the bottom line grow - always.
I'm going with Friedman now..The last Marshall I bought was a 2004 2203X , I have a 1978 and 1981 JMP, one 1987 Silver Jubilee, I`m good. Good Luck new Marshall you were great!
It's always about relevance. The Marshall sound isn't a requirement in today's music. Rock has already exited the mainstream sound. The cymbal sound on the other hand has kept its relevance throughout.
Marshall was just bought by a Bluetooth speaker company a year or so ago. I don't think any amp company is really gonna survive because of modelers. You can buy a pod go and a frfr powered speaker for around a grand new. That is the future of young bands playing live. Even the new amp in a box pedal line Marshall just launched can be used with an IR pedal and a powered speaker for pretty damn cheap.
The good thing about tube amps is that they are not very complicated from a technical perspective. Loosing Marshall sucks, but there will be others who fill the gap. I really had the hope they turn it around, but now I don't think it will ever happen.
I tend to agree with you most of the time, this time included. Although being an “old guy” myself I did take advantage of picking up the recently released Mesa Mark IIC+ reissue which sounds fantastic!! I once owned a MkIII regretted trading it in years ago for an early Dual Recto. This reissue thankfully fulfills a dream I didn’t think possible considering the pricing of the originals on the used market. Yes, $3,5K for a two mode amp is high but I am an “old guy” and this amp does exactly what I wanted and more. Surprised ole Mitt Romney didn’t try purchasing Digidesign when he was wood shedding out in Massachusetts! We probably wouldn’t be talking about PT these days 😂
Glad I have my English Marshall amps, before they flood the market with cheap digital products, before selling off the pieces at some point, after draining all they can from the name.
Here's a personal experience to back up your thoughts on the affordability for the younger adults. One of my family members is in that early 20 something crowd playing in a rock band in LA. I went to see him play last year at The Mint and also The Roxy. He had a good Marshall tube combo amp that had that sound (don't recall the model). After the show I asked him about it, and he told me how it was expensive, so he went in with another member to purchase it as co-owners. Of course, that deal wouldn't pass go for me, so I gifted my him the other side to make him the sole owner now. Backs up what you are saying. They can't, or barely can afford it.
Marshall has been tone deaf to guitar players all my life. So much they could have done that Dave Friedman and others had to do because they wouldnt do it. Just go get a Friedman folks.
Friedman, Bogner, Egnater, Ceriatone, and many, many others exist because Marshall refused to do what the people wanted. Now they release a "modded" Marshall with a tube screamer in the front end 😂😂😂
@@JohnWiku yup... I was considering one of the new modded series until I saw the prices and I just learned today that they sold to the communists... never again will I even support Marshall unless it's a pre 2025 product...
There is a difference though between a family owned investor like Servco that was with Fender since its resurrection in the 80s - and a bunch of CCP hand puppets. If you ask me, Chinese deals like this should be made illegal in the US, GB and Europe.
I remember when Marshall went solid state = Suck my opinion, I went lee jackson mods, 30 yrs ago for the built in power brake, nothing compares to a late 60 plexi running 6550"s my opinion. I regret selling it 20 yrs ago but oh well. But I love the convience of the kemper a Profiler by the way, I profiled my 25 yr old fender hot rod deluxe with it sounds 98 percent just like it. Without a built in power amp in my kemper, I run it through two 500 watt powered alto stage monitors on sticks to move Air and boy does it. I Love MARSHALL this is upsetting to hear.
It also happened to SWR years ago when Fender (I think) bought them. Euphonic Audio recently bought the farm as did Acoustic Image. The founder of Acoustic Image passed away. Didn’t Hamer guitars get bought out too. As long as I can buy a $100 Squier p bass and a Fender Rumble 40 amp off of Craigslist, I am still in business.
@ private equity firms have owned Gibson and Fender for years. They seem to not have any issues maintaining their core products. Not sure why you feel the need to insult internet strangers.
@@jetfirebird Does that really make it less concerning? 1 year, 2 years? Working with them since 2010? The point was, this will be the second time in 2 years someone took over the reigns of a legendary company.
@Darth.Shredder You are jumping to conclusions here. I merely added dates. Where did I imply it was less concerning? I more or less agree with Barry here.
@@jetfirebird What conclusion did I jump too? I simply stated that the company changed hand 2 times in 2 years, I didn't imply it was less concerning to YOU. No idea how you came to that conclusion. Maybe comprehension is a problem for you.
Barry, Did y9ou see the awesome booth they put together for NAMM. It is HUGE. You see the new amp line ups with mods. Marshall appears to me to be on the rise.
Hopefully Mesa has some good leadership for the meantime, they just announced a 90s version of the Dual Rectifier which is what we all want! Love to see it and some awareness of what their crown jewel is
The used market on amps is so huge it'll take years before cheap ones become pricey. It'll be like tape. People will come back to it but more for nostalgia,, feel Etc.
Back in the 70s, I inherited a 71 SG Custom and a mid-60s 100w Marshall. It was perfect! But it got stolen in the 80s. I have spent the rest of my life playing a ok G-5V Washburn and a cheep Gorilla amp. Now I am old and on a fixed income. Last year I got a small payout and finally got a super nice 2024 Blueberry Bursts 60s Les Paul Standered. But I could not swing a good tube amp, used or new. I did break down and got a Code 50 Marshall. It has very good flexibility and sound nice with the Les Paul. But you are right, it's no tube amp. I think they are fine for a home user and way more affordable to find your sound for the casual user. Many people just can't swing the price of better stuff. Me, I would throw down for one of those new 800s and some kind of 4×12 if I had the resources.
My understanding was that they were sold to Zzounds a while back. Did they flip the Marshall brand to private equity or did the entire parent company get acquired?
It’s a shame that these companies would rather chase short term profit rather than build and invest into a timeless entity. The dark side of capitalism I guess, oh well
The news of HongShan acquiring Marshall is truly sad. The Zound era was already a step in the wrong direction, diluting the brand with non-amp products. I had a flicker of hope with the reissue of the black pedal line (Bluesbreaker, Shred Master, Guvnor, and Divemaster), but it seems that was just a spark that faded away without a follow-up. These companies seem obsessed with doing everything except nurturing what made them great in the first place. It's like McDonald's stopping the production of the Big Mac. While I understand the challenges of tube amp production and the products that made them an icon, it's a reason to consolidate, not dilute, the core products. And a further brand dilution it's now a higher risk. Imagine a Marshall focused on a core lineup of legendary amps (JTM45, Bluesbreaker, Plexi, JMP) complemented by innovative pedals (like the UAD Amp sims) and modern tube-less designs (like the Fender tone masters). Scarcity and quality control, leveraging their history and the legends who played Marshall, would have been a winning formula. This approach, prioritizing quality and heritage, could have resonated deeply with musicians and cemented Marshall's legacy for a new generation. Sadly, this acquisition suggests a different strategy: mass production, market saturation, and a likely decline in quality, which would ultimately diminish the brand's unique value. I hope we're not witnessing the tragic loss of a legendary brand in real time.
Getting a new plexi with all the mods in it from the company is a huge departure and groundbreaking because that is the sound on historical recordings.
Marshall has been falling behind, even though their smaller amps are pretty nice. They just don't have the quality effects loop and things like the direct xlr out with IR that folks like Friedman do. I'm very happy with my Friedman WW20, and it gets me the Marshallesque tone I need and want with all that flexibility and modern usability. Sorry to see this happen, though. Thanks for the rec on Robert Jon and the Wreck! Good to hear some good new music!!!
I think it will be cyclical thing with tube amps and the less-informed generations. One day one of their favorite "artists" will happen to stumble upon a tube amp, plug in, and be blown away by what he hears. He'll rave about it on social media, use it on his next album, and take it on tour. This will spark interest in tube amps among the less-informed generations. In the meantime I will continue picking up great deals on tube amps, both PCB and handwired.
They should come out with remakes of their 80s mosfet soild state stuff, like the Lead 12. I owned SO many of those things in 80s and 90s, and I would buy a new one, as long as it sounds/looks the same as the originals and didn't cost too much. If nothing else... it would be nice if the DSL1HR would finally come back into stock... I've waiting to pick one of those up for over a year now!
Used Marshalls will still be there. But there isn't the demand for music bands these days. Some a little but like he says not like 30-40- years ago. PPS. Blackstar is an equal sounding power amp and usually reasonably priced, but again for the older ones.
You’re not wrong. I went from conservatory trained composer, into various management level roles in IBanking and other areas of finance- now, as an amateur back to composing. I know how the Financial Sponsor (aka private equity) sausage is made. It’s made to be parasitic. The thing is, the model, in the abstract, could be executed in a way that genuinely helps companies find their way, IF and ONLY IF, maximum extraction of value wasn’t the driving force. There is so much to write, but social media comment sections are not the place. Boogie’s situation is sad too. I hope Mr Smith is enjoying his very well deserved profit and isn’t too depressed by what KKR Guitars, er, Gibson have done to his life’s work
Simpson Sky Finger is over now 1-24-25. I have a Marshall Reverb 75 combo. It was built in 1985. Had the 900 dumped it. The cabinet handles broke apart with in 2 years.
I kept wondering why Marshall wouldn't do something like the Spark. I have the Mini and would have instantly bought a Marshall version with a FRFR cabinet, all nicely branded and looking like classic Marshall stuff. Now I don't care, I'll just play my Spark and when my DSL20HR is worn out I'll do away with it.
I mean Marshall seemed to only care about life style trends and Speakers for a while. Now they want to come out with modded versions of their amps when Friedman, Suhr, and other boutique builders been doing what Marshall should have done a long time ago. Its a shame, i enjoy playing through my JVM.
I think Friedman had already taken the Marshall legacy and just as Marshall seemed to be thinking about putting up a fight to prevent it, they were sold to China which is literally a death sentence in the US Market. It's an international brand, so it's possible other people don't feel that way, but I would image the UK guitarists will also take this news poorly.
Marshall are iconic. Along with Celestion but alas…..their work here was done. If there’s anything else anyone wants then it’s all for sale here in England , we don’t value anything, you can have it, not fussed, we don’t care.
its got nothing to do with brexit, it’s actually quite jarring hearing that word again 😂 This is what Britain has been doing for decades and decades now. Even British Airways is Spanish owned.
@ lol. True that, but piling it on top of all that certainly made matters worse as cheaper imports are no longer available, greatly contributing to inflation
@ maybe you should read more. Brexit has contributed to higher inflation in the UK through a combination of trade barriers, supply chain disruptions, and labor shortages. Here’s a breakdown of the key ways Brexit has harmed the UK in terms of inflation: 1. Increased Trade Costs • Customs Checks and Tariffs: The UK’s departure from the EU’s single market and customs union introduced customs checks, tariffs, and regulatory barriers. These have increased the cost of importing goods, particularly food, which is heavily reliant on EU trade. • Pass-Through to Consumer Prices: Businesses facing higher costs for imports often pass these costs on to consumers, driving up prices. Example: Food inflation in the UK has been significantly higher than in the EU, partly due to increased costs of importing agricultural products. 2. Weaker Pound • Currency Depreciation: Brexit uncertainty and reduced investor confidence in the UK economy have weakened the pound. A weaker currency makes imports more expensive, which has a direct impact on inflation. • Energy Costs: Since energy is priced globally in dollars, a weaker pound raises the cost of fuel and electricity, adding to inflationary pressures. 3. Labor Shortages • Decline in EU Workforce: Brexit-related immigration restrictions reduced the number of EU workers in key sectors such as agriculture, food processing, logistics, and healthcare. • Wage Increases: Businesses have had to increase wages to attract domestic workers, which has added to operating costs and, in turn, consumer prices. Example: Higher costs in the food supply chain have been exacerbated by labor shortages in farming and transportation. 4. Supply Chain Disruptions • Red Tape and Delays: Brexit introduced additional paperwork and border delays for goods moving between the UK and the EU. This has disrupted supply chains and increased costs for businesses. • Stockpiling: Businesses have sometimes resorted to stockpiling to manage uncertainty, which ties up capital and raises costs. 5. Loss of Trade Efficiency • Reduced Competition: Brexit has decreased competition from EU firms in some sectors, allowing domestic producers to raise prices. • Trade Volume Declines: Lower trade volumes with the EU have also limited the UK’s access to cheaper goods, pushing up prices domestically. 6. Dampened Investment • Business Uncertainty: Uncertainty around Brexit and the new trade environment has dampened investment, particularly in manufacturing and services. This has reduced productivity growth, which can exacerbate inflation over the long term. Comparative Perspective While global factors like the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine have driven inflation worldwide, studies suggest that Brexit has worsened inflation in the UK relative to other advanced economies. For instance: • A 2023 study by the London School of Economics found that Brexit increased UK food prices by 6% in the two years following the transition period. • Inflation in the UK has remained persistently higher than in the Eurozone, partly due to Brexit-related trade frictions. In summary, Brexit has harmed the UK by creating structural pressures on trade, labor, and investment, all of which have contributed to higher and more persistent inflation compared to peer economies.
Love your channel. Im over here in Daytona Beach, so a fellow Florida Man. But i am sick of the "moving air" thing. "I gotta feel the air moving ....maaaan". How often to people plant themselves in front of 4×12s just rippin it at home. To me, no marshall sounds good unless its cranked to ear bleeding levels. Thats its thing. Modelers have arrived in my opinion. Your "gaining" nothing by using a tube amp. I know, i love amos too, i have a Blackstar HT60 that i fire up once a month for 10 minutes. I guess im officially on the darkside.
It's not another one bites the dust. For many of us who felt the brand symbolized the music we literally grew up with - cue Auld Lang Syne. It won't matter to many however because chinese kaa-kaa products have become normalized or,....they didn't care about the brand to begin with. Equity firm takeovers generally mean the end of what made brands great. Those firms only care about return on invest asap so they quickly fire people and cut costs=quality. Chinese buyouts often leave struggling companies they bought, high and dry if the product doesn't produce a profit right here and now or adios country of origin = more chinese kaa-kaa. Sad this happened but they were hurting because people weren't buying like they used to. The times they are a changing. 😕
Amp sales have been less than 5% of their profits. They make all their money on headphones, bluetooth speakers and merch. This according to their current CEO
I have a '77 100wt JMP and a 50wt Plexi (not sure the year… don't care, it sounds great). Too, a Blankenship clone of a '57 Tweed Deluxe. There!… Marshall - and Fender - can both be owned by any tin can Chinese firm. Who cares. lol
Then so be it? Why do you assume that private equity will kill this business, especially Marshall. A lot of marshalls components including a lot of things inside your house are all made in china. There is no escape from it because US and uk have outsourced a lot of things. I dont see anything changing, who knows if they do a better job with marshall and release newer amps.
Meh, old guy here playing for last 45+ years through just about everything that came along be it 4x12 double stacks or basic rack mount effects and processing. Yes the amps were always more enjoyable when the desire to be annoyingly loud and have your hair blown around, but they were also always exhausting to deal with in so many ways. I remember when I purchased my ART SGX 2000 with the Ultra foot controller right in the middle of the MIDI explosion. It was heaven being able to create bizarre stuff and them pump it through the house PA. Honestly like you say Barry "nothing lasts forever" and for me my amps went bye bye about 15 years ago after I dove deep into the "box" and have never looked back (saved my hearing as well-just in time). Yeah there is personal nostalgia, but time to move on folks as the true blue world of wind thrusting stage amps are all but over. Cracks me up when these legacy bands are "trying" to tour again yet have fake cardboard images of walls of Marshal stacks behind them?!! I knew it was long done when I noticed AC/DC doing just that. I saw all the big heavy metal bands doing it for real in the 70s and especially 80s walking out with ringing ears for hours and loving every second of it. Ok then Ive got to get back to tweaking my Kemper... party on dudes (uh bros 🙄) and have a great day.
Technically, I’ve only gotten one wrong. And that was a new Apollo with improved DSP. Other than that every single one of my predictions have been spot on.
We may end up being surprised. The Chinese build the best electric cars so why not a decent amp. Lets see happens before we get into a fit. And its not like the UK is an amazing place to own a company...
No, the end of a product is when the market says so. The end of a company is just before they're bought by someone else to either try to resuscitate it, save it by better management or asset strip and sell on or try to save the buyers company or to extend their own market share. The phrase Private Equity is a communist phrase, everything that made the West great was born from Private Equity.
I hope Fluff has his ducks in a row. Aligning with Marshall was a dumb idea. Should've gone with BAD Distribution. Marshall was dead 15 years ago when they started trying to be a "lifestyle" band.
How is this a surprise? First, Marshall was sold a while back already to some Swedish company. It was obvious that those guys didn’t do this out of the goodness of their hearts. The Marshall brand has value as a brand. That’s it. Everyone here lamenting this should ask themselves when was the last time they bought a Marshall product made in England. For me that would be 1989 when I bought my JCM800 that I still own. It was the last noteworthy product they made. Plus, amps are dead anyway. That’s why the otherwise vastly superior Mesa Boogie was just bought up by “Gibson”. And we’ll see more of this. Why? Because every “TH-camr” and mega store under the sun is pushing cheap Chinese crap. If you recently bought an Epiphone or some cheap “super duper better than a Marshall” Chinese shitbox, you gave the money to our enemies to buy our traditional companies. So stop complaining and save up some money to buy good western products and respect the history and intellectual property that the Chinese and assorted other third world countries don’t care about.
I believe Marshall has been owned by private equity from Sweden before this latest acquisition. Marshall has been a fridge and speaker headphone company for quite a while now.
Got into building a couple of years ago. I just finished a 68 plexi with vintage mustard caps. I've got less than 1500 into parts. I sold the last one I built for 3000. Made about 30 bucks an hour on my labor. I think this could be the future of classic tube amps. In the same way , if I wanted a 59 burst, I'd get a luthier to build one long before I'd shell out the money to big ol evil Gibson Corp.
Bingo. I'm an amp builder. If I want some classic Marshall amp then I'll just build it. I could care less that Marshall sold themselves. It isn't the first time.
It ain’t Gibson that’s evil, it’s the private equity that bought them out
@fullclipaudio it's an addictive hobby. Bassman and plexis were my favorite until I built a trainwreck ! I have some logos if you ever buikd one. Hit me up
Yea i built a jtm45 just because i knew id never be able to afford one. Probably about 400 bucks in parts, bent my own chassis and built the cabinet out of an old shipping crate!
@@soapboxearth2 I may just do that. If you are curious, I own Black Box Analog Design. Look that up for giggles.
Private equity ruins everything
Private Equity is what started Marshall in the first place. You think the government should have stepped in and we the people should pay to keep the dead ship afloat and keep paying the useless management team in a job, where nobody is buying the product any more?
I’ll have to read my comment again, I don’t remember saying anything about the government getting involved. Also the current form of private equity firms did not exist when Marshall was started
@@athonygraham8353 PE has its place when rescuing distressed businesses, but when they acquire healthy business, their game plan is to cut costs, i.e. cheapen the product and reduce staff, raise prices and hope by the time the peasants catch on, they can execute their exit strategy with billions 'made'.
Yep,leans it out and destroys companies.
Don't worry. The new Marshall amps will have all of that legendary Chinese warmth and punch that Marshall amps are known for!
😁
Vietnamese warmth to be exact.
But, the good news is that repairs can now be organ harvested from other live (older) amps…. lol 😂
They'll do what Vox did with those cream colored AC30s. Chinese point to point for $3k
Ugh! Plus that great Vietnamese reliability. @@StillLivinginthewoods
If it aint British, it aint Marshall. Long live Wock & Woll.
10,000 percent agree.
well, if only the Brits knew how to run a company
@@kenichi407 It's not entirely their fault. People just aren't buying like they used to. And many in the industry say, it's either go to china or go out business. Still, they could have scaled-back. Automated etc.. But the corporate heads want to see the bottom line grow - always.
@@Nic1963D well, hasn’t been British in a while now.
I'm going with Friedman now..The last Marshall I bought was a 2004 2203X , I have a 1978 and 1981 JMP, one 1987 Silver Jubilee, I`m good. Good Luck new Marshall you were great!
His new Jose amp sounds 🔥
zildjian is going to last forever. I think they are like 400 years old or something right?
÷2
Sabian was half of zildjan
It's always about relevance. The Marshall sound isn't a requirement in today's music. Rock has already exited the mainstream sound. The cymbal sound on the other hand has kept its relevance throughout.
@@sunnyzamanthis is a pretty brilliant observation.
Don’t worry. They’ll still make Bluetooth speakers.
And good ones too!
Marshall was just bought by a Bluetooth speaker company a year or so ago. I don't think any amp company is really gonna survive because of modelers. You can buy a pod go and a frfr powered speaker for around a grand new. That is the future of young bands playing live. Even the new amp in a box pedal line Marshall just launched can be used with an IR pedal and a powered speaker for pretty damn cheap.
The good thing about tube amps is that they are not very complicated from a technical perspective. Loosing Marshall sucks, but there will be others who fill the gap. I really had the hope they turn it around, but now I don't think it will ever happen.
I've been using amp modelers for awhile now...I used to own tube amps, but I am happy with the tone I am getting from Bias FX 2.
I tend to agree with you most of the time, this time included. Although being an “old guy” myself I did take advantage of picking up the recently released Mesa Mark IIC+ reissue which sounds fantastic!! I once owned a MkIII regretted trading it in years ago for an early Dual Recto. This reissue thankfully fulfills a dream I didn’t think possible considering the pricing of the originals on the used market. Yes, $3,5K for a two mode amp is high but I am an “old guy” and this amp does exactly what I wanted and more. Surprised ole Mitt Romney didn’t try purchasing Digidesign when he was wood shedding out in Massachusetts! We probably wouldn’t be talking about PT these days 😂
And everyone freaked about Gibson buying Mesa.
Glad I have my English Marshall amps, before they flood the market with cheap digital products, before selling off the pieces at some point, after draining all they can from the name.
Here's a personal experience to back up your thoughts on the affordability for the younger adults. One of my family members is in that early 20 something crowd playing in a rock band in LA. I went to see him play last year at The Mint and also The Roxy. He had a good Marshall tube combo amp that had that sound (don't recall the model). After the show I asked him about it, and he told me how it was expensive, so he went in with another member to purchase it as co-owners. Of course, that deal wouldn't pass go for me, so I gifted my him the other side to make him the sole owner now. Backs up what you are saying. They can't, or barely can afford it.
Marshall has been tone deaf to guitar players all my life. So much they could have done that Dave Friedman and others had to do because they wouldnt do it. Just go get a Friedman folks.
Agreed... Friedman and other boutique makers have been kicking Marshall's ass for decades now... Marshall died with Jim
Friedman, Bogner, Egnater, Ceriatone, and many, many others exist because Marshall refused to do what the people wanted.
Now they release a "modded" Marshall with a tube screamer in the front end 😂😂😂
@@JohnWiku yup... I was considering one of the new modded series until I saw the prices and I just learned today that they sold to the communists... never again will I even support Marshall unless it's a pre 2025 product...
Maybe. Maybe not. I’ve played a bunch of Friedmans and think they’re shite.
@@swampscott2670 from my experience, the only people that hate on Friedman are the ones that can't afford them...
Fender was owned by a private equity firm for 6-7 years…and they did not ruin the brand…they helped set the brand on a path to almost double revenue.
There is a difference though between a family owned investor like Servco that was with Fender since its resurrection in the 80s - and a bunch of CCP hand puppets. If you ask me, Chinese deals like this should be made illegal in the US, GB and Europe.
I remember when Marshall went solid state = Suck my opinion, I went lee jackson mods, 30 yrs ago for the built in power brake, nothing compares to a late 60 plexi running 6550"s my opinion. I regret selling it 20 yrs ago but oh well. But I love the convience of the kemper a Profiler by the way, I profiled my 25 yr old fender hot rod deluxe with it sounds 98 percent just like it. Without a built in power amp in my kemper, I run it through two 500 watt powered alto stage monitors on sticks to move Air and boy does it. I Love MARSHALL this is upsetting to hear.
It also happened to SWR years ago when Fender (I think) bought them. Euphonic Audio recently bought the farm as did Acoustic Image. The founder of Acoustic Image passed away. Didn’t Hamer guitars get bought out too. As long as I can buy a $100 Squier p bass and a Fender Rumble 40 amp off of Craigslist, I am still in business.
No matter who owns them, I'm sure they're going to keep making the big ones forever (JCM, JTM, DSL, etc.). I wouldn't worry about it.
You obviously have no experience with private equity.
@ private equity firms have owned Gibson and Fender for years. They seem to not have any issues maintaining their core products. Not sure why you feel the need to insult internet strangers.
Barry! You forgot to post the link to the channel! Share it please, I'd love to check it out.
Wait? Didn't a Swedish company (Zounds) literally just buy Marshall like a year ago?
2023. But Marshall has been working with them since 2010...
@@jetfirebird Does that really make it less concerning? 1 year, 2 years? Working with them since 2010? The point was, this will be the second time in 2 years someone took over the reigns of a legendary company.
@Darth.Shredder You are jumping to conclusions here. I merely added dates. Where did I imply it was less concerning? I more or less agree with Barry here.
@@jetfirebird What conclusion did I jump too? I simply stated that the company changed hand 2 times in 2 years, I didn't imply it was less concerning to YOU. No idea how you came to that conclusion. Maybe comprehension is a problem for you.
Barry, Did y9ou see the awesome booth they put together for NAMM. It is HUGE. You see the new amp line ups with mods. Marshall appears to me to be on the rise.
R.I.P Marshall it was a good run.
Did you actually expect them to return to England?
The modern vintage is what i miss!!
How do you spell the Plexi clone you talked about, Serge, Surge, etc? I never heard of them till now.
Suhr
Hopefully Mesa has some good leadership for the meantime, they just announced a 90s version of the Dual Rectifier which is what we all want! Love to see it and some awareness of what their crown jewel is
You're bang on. The 900 sucked. I got a Peavey JSX and sold my JCM heads. Marshall thought they could become boutique. They're not good at it.
Marshalls current flagship amp came out in 2007. That explains everything lol.
NEVER PLAYED A PEVEY AMP TILL NOW. BLOWN AWAY BY RED STRIPE BANDIT. VOX TO MARSHALL TONE ,LOUD 1X12.
The used market on amps is so huge it'll take years before cheap ones become pricey. It'll be like tape. People will come back to it but more for nostalgia,, feel Etc.
Back in the 70s, I inherited a 71 SG Custom and a mid-60s 100w Marshall. It was perfect! But it got stolen in the 80s. I have spent the rest of my life playing a ok G-5V Washburn and a cheep Gorilla amp. Now I am old and on a fixed income. Last year I got a small payout and finally got a super nice 2024 Blueberry Bursts 60s Les Paul Standered. But I could not swing a good tube amp, used or new. I did break down and got a Code 50 Marshall. It has very good flexibility and sound nice with the Les Paul. But you are right, it's no tube amp. I think they are fine for a home user and way more affordable to find your sound for the casual user. Many people just can't swing the price of better stuff. Me, I would throw down for one of those new 800s and some kind of 4×12 if I had the resources.
My understanding was that they were sold to Zzounds a while back. Did they flip the Marshall brand to private equity or did the entire parent company get acquired?
We were broke and had to borrow the Mesa Boogie from the rich kids the Cheap Marshall's just wont cutting it😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
Universal Audio is next
I hope so. They are f****ng awful and con artists.
It’s a shame that these companies would rather chase short term profit rather than build and invest into a timeless entity. The dark side of capitalism I guess, oh well
The news of HongShan acquiring Marshall is truly sad. The Zound era was already a step in the wrong direction, diluting the brand with non-amp products. I had a flicker of hope with the reissue of the black pedal line (Bluesbreaker, Shred Master, Guvnor, and Divemaster), but it seems that was just a spark that faded away without a follow-up.
These companies seem obsessed with doing everything except nurturing what made them great in the first place. It's like McDonald's stopping the production of the Big Mac.
While I understand the challenges of tube amp production and the products that made them an icon, it's a reason to consolidate, not dilute, the core products.
And a further brand dilution it's now a higher risk.
Imagine a Marshall focused on a core lineup of legendary amps (JTM45, Bluesbreaker, Plexi, JMP) complemented by innovative pedals (like the UAD Amp sims) and modern tube-less designs (like the Fender tone masters). Scarcity and quality control, leveraging their history and the legends who played Marshall, would have been a winning formula. This approach, prioritizing quality and heritage, could have resonated deeply with musicians and cemented Marshall's legacy for a new generation.
Sadly, this acquisition suggests a different strategy: mass production, market saturation, and a likely decline in quality, which would ultimately diminish the brand's unique value.
I hope we're not witnessing the tragic loss of a legendary brand in real time.
Getting a new plexi with all the mods in it from the company is a huge departure and groundbreaking because that is the sound on historical recordings.
Marshall has been falling behind, even though their smaller amps are pretty nice. They just don't have the quality effects loop and things like the direct xlr out with IR that folks like Friedman do. I'm very happy with my Friedman WW20, and it gets me the Marshallesque tone I need and want with all that flexibility and modern usability. Sorry to see this happen, though.
Thanks for the rec on Robert Jon and the Wreck! Good to hear some good new music!!!
I think it will be cyclical thing with tube amps and the less-informed generations. One day one of their favorite "artists" will happen to stumble upon a tube amp, plug in, and be blown away by what he hears. He'll rave about it on social media, use it on his next album, and take it on tour. This will spark interest in tube amps among the less-informed generations. In the meantime I will continue picking up great deals on tube amps, both PCB and handwired.
They should come out with remakes of their 80s mosfet soild state stuff, like the Lead 12.
I owned SO many of those things in 80s and 90s, and I would buy a new one, as long as it sounds/looks the same as the originals and didn't cost too much.
If nothing else... it would be nice if the DSL1HR would finally come back into stock... I've waiting to pick one of those up for over a year now!
Used Marshalls will still be there. But there isn't the demand for music bands these days. Some a little but like he says not like 30-40- years ago.
PPS. Blackstar is an equal sounding power amp and usually reasonably priced, but again for the older ones.
You’re not wrong. I went from conservatory trained composer, into various management level roles in IBanking and other areas of finance- now, as an amateur back to composing. I know how the Financial Sponsor (aka private equity) sausage is made. It’s made to be parasitic. The thing is, the model, in the abstract, could be executed in a way that genuinely helps companies find their way, IF and ONLY IF, maximum extraction of value wasn’t the driving force. There is so much to write, but social media comment sections are not the place. Boogie’s situation is sad too. I hope Mr Smith is enjoying his very well deserved profit and isn’t too depressed by what KKR Guitars, er, Gibson have done to his life’s work
Love your videos Barry! Totally agree. Really hate to hear about this Marshall sale.
Simpson Sky Finger is over now 1-24-25. I have a Marshall Reverb 75 combo. It was built in 1985. Had the 900 dumped it. The cabinet handles broke apart with in 2 years.
If you want a vintage Marshall, get a vintage Marshall. If you want any other Marshall, get a Friedman.
Marshall will probably end up selling headphones and Bluetooth speakers
Marshall is not breaking any new ground with these new amps that's for sure. I want one of those 59s though!
You have to check out Blackberry Smoke.
Love that intro ! 🤣
See you there! We’ll definitely say hi.
Wow, yes you will we are excited!
RIP Marshall.
I kept wondering why Marshall wouldn't do something like the Spark. I have the Mini and would have instantly bought a Marshall version with a FRFR cabinet, all nicely branded and looking like classic Marshall stuff. Now I don't care, I'll just play my Spark and when my DSL20HR is worn out I'll do away with it.
When Jim Marshall passed that was the end. His heirs wanted the cash
Let's wait and see Barry.
I have DSL40CR made in Viet Nam. It’s great!
”Private Equity Buys...” When a brand gets cancer and dies
Who know's. Maybe Marshall will break some new ground and offer some great value amps?
I wouldn’t buy their garbage if it was $1
Who was the last owner
Zound Industries, out of Sweden.
I mean Marshall seemed to only care about life style trends and Speakers for a while. Now they want to come out with modded versions of their amps when Friedman, Suhr, and other boutique builders been doing what Marshall should have done a long time ago. Its a shame, i enjoy playing through my JVM.
I think Friedman had already taken the Marshall legacy and just as Marshall seemed to be thinking about putting up a fight to prevent it, they were sold to China which is literally a death sentence in the US Market. It's an international brand, so it's possible other people don't feel that way, but I would image the UK guitarists will also take this news poorly.
Marshall are iconic. Along with Celestion but alas…..their work here was done. If there’s anything else anyone wants then it’s all for sale here in England , we don’t value anything, you can have it, not fussed, we don’t care.
Sounds like Brexit wasn’t all that it was cracked up to be
its got nothing to do with brexit, it’s actually quite jarring hearing that word again 😂 This is what Britain has been doing for decades and decades now. Even British Airways is Spanish owned.
@ lol. True that, but piling it on top of all that certainly made matters worse as cheaper imports are no longer available, greatly contributing to inflation
@@markw9512 that’s just nonsense, and I was a remainer. It was supply side inflation…..people had too much money going after too few products.
@ maybe you should read more.
Brexit has contributed to higher inflation in the UK through a combination of trade barriers, supply chain disruptions, and labor shortages. Here’s a breakdown of the key ways Brexit has harmed the UK in terms of inflation:
1. Increased Trade Costs
• Customs Checks and Tariffs: The UK’s departure from the EU’s single market and customs union introduced customs checks, tariffs, and regulatory barriers. These have increased the cost of importing goods, particularly food, which is heavily reliant on EU trade.
• Pass-Through to Consumer Prices: Businesses facing higher costs for imports often pass these costs on to consumers, driving up prices.
Example: Food inflation in the UK has been significantly higher than in the EU, partly due to increased costs of importing agricultural products.
2. Weaker Pound
• Currency Depreciation: Brexit uncertainty and reduced investor confidence in the UK economy have weakened the pound. A weaker currency makes imports more expensive, which has a direct impact on inflation.
• Energy Costs: Since energy is priced globally in dollars, a weaker pound raises the cost of fuel and electricity, adding to inflationary pressures.
3. Labor Shortages
• Decline in EU Workforce: Brexit-related immigration restrictions reduced the number of EU workers in key sectors such as agriculture, food processing, logistics, and healthcare.
• Wage Increases: Businesses have had to increase wages to attract domestic workers, which has added to operating costs and, in turn, consumer prices.
Example: Higher costs in the food supply chain have been exacerbated by labor shortages in farming and transportation.
4. Supply Chain Disruptions
• Red Tape and Delays: Brexit introduced additional paperwork and border delays for goods moving between the UK and the EU. This has disrupted supply chains and increased costs for businesses.
• Stockpiling: Businesses have sometimes resorted to stockpiling to manage uncertainty, which ties up capital and raises costs.
5. Loss of Trade Efficiency
• Reduced Competition: Brexit has decreased competition from EU firms in some sectors, allowing domestic producers to raise prices.
• Trade Volume Declines: Lower trade volumes with the EU have also limited the UK’s access to cheaper goods, pushing up prices domestically.
6. Dampened Investment
• Business Uncertainty: Uncertainty around Brexit and the new trade environment has dampened investment, particularly in manufacturing and services. This has reduced productivity growth, which can exacerbate inflation over the long term.
Comparative Perspective
While global factors like the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine have driven inflation worldwide, studies suggest that Brexit has worsened inflation in the UK relative to other advanced economies. For instance:
• A 2023 study by the London School of Economics found that Brexit increased UK food prices by 6% in the two years following the transition period.
• Inflation in the UK has remained persistently higher than in the Eurozone, partly due to Brexit-related trade frictions.
In summary, Brexit has harmed the UK by creating structural pressures on trade, labor, and investment, all of which have contributed to higher and more persistent inflation compared to peer economies.
Love your channel. Im over here in Daytona Beach, so a fellow Florida Man. But i am sick of the "moving air" thing. "I gotta feel the air moving ....maaaan". How often to people plant themselves in front of 4×12s just rippin it at home. To me, no marshall sounds good unless its cranked to ear bleeding levels. Thats its thing. Modelers have arrived in my opinion. Your "gaining" nothing by using a tube amp. I know, i love amos too, i have a Blackstar HT60 that i fire up once a month for 10 minutes. I guess im officially on the darkside.
I went to England for the Marshall 50th. The consensus was they weren’t making money. Plenty of old Marshall’s to buy only will go up
It's not another one bites the dust. For many of us who felt the brand symbolized the music we literally grew up with - cue Auld Lang Syne. It won't matter to many however because chinese kaa-kaa products have become normalized or,....they didn't care about the brand to begin with. Equity firm takeovers generally mean the end of what made brands great. Those firms only care about return on invest asap so they quickly fire people and cut costs=quality. Chinese buyouts often leave struggling companies they bought, high and dry if the product doesn't produce a profit right here and now or adios country of origin = more chinese kaa-kaa. Sad this happened but they were hurting because people weren't buying like they used to. The times they are a changing. 😕
The irony of using a Scottish folk song written by a man very much against English colonial rule
Amp sales have been less than 5% of their profits. They make all their money on headphones, bluetooth speakers and merch. This according to their current CEO
Writing isbon the wall. Ask K-Mart and Sears.
Tick Tock? What's that?
their amps are usable, I never really liked them. the only thing i ever liked from marshall was the 4x12 t75 cab.
Marshall gave up years ago, back when they started selling Bluetooth speakers.
I have a '77 100wt JMP and a 50wt Plexi (not sure the year… don't care, it sounds great). Too, a Blankenship clone of a '57 Tweed Deluxe.
There!… Marshall - and Fender - can both be owned by any tin can Chinese firm. Who cares. lol
This is the end of marshall amps
Then so be it? Why do you assume that private equity will kill this business, especially Marshall. A lot of marshalls components including a lot of things inside your house are all made in china. There is no escape from it because US and uk have outsourced a lot of things. I dont see anything changing, who knows if they do a better job with marshall and release newer amps.
Meh, old guy here playing for last 45+ years through just about everything that came along be it 4x12 double stacks or basic rack mount effects and processing. Yes the amps were always more enjoyable when the desire to be annoyingly loud and have your hair blown around, but they were also always exhausting to deal with in so many ways. I remember when I purchased my ART SGX 2000 with the Ultra foot controller right in the middle of the MIDI explosion. It was heaven being able to create bizarre stuff and them pump it through the house PA. Honestly like you say Barry "nothing lasts forever" and for me my amps went bye bye about 15 years ago after I dove deep into the "box" and have never looked back (saved my hearing as well-just in time). Yeah there is personal nostalgia, but time to move on folks as the true blue world of wind thrusting stage amps are all but over. Cracks me up when these legacy bands are "trying" to tour again yet have fake cardboard images of walls of Marshal stacks behind them?!! I knew it was long done when I noticed AC/DC doing just that. I saw all the big heavy metal bands doing it for real in the 70s and especially 80s walking out with ringing ears for hours and loving every second of it. Ok then Ive got to get back to tweaking my Kemper... party on dudes (uh bros 🙄) and have a great day.
Buy a Revv g20... does everything a marshall does and more...
I wouldn't say you got many predictions right... Marhsall was already cooked when they got bought by a bluetooth speaker maker anyways
Technically, I’ve only gotten one wrong. And that was a new Apollo with improved DSP. Other than that every single one of my predictions have been spot on.
We may end up being surprised. The Chinese build the best electric cars so why not a decent amp. Lets see happens before we get into a fit. And its not like the UK is an amazing place to own a company...
Private Equity value extraction in 3...2...1...
I will own a damn Marshall 100-watt half stack before I die for no reasins other than I want to and can and I hate my neighbors.
Retired Rouge amps relabeled as mashall
they will be like vox
More like joyo
They will just move production to China and be able to sell them very cheap.
I own 10 or so 60s and 70s Marshalls. But when I record, I typically use a plugin or modeler nowadays.
They just got bought! WTH???
the used market is gonna go thru the roof
Gonna?? did you just land on earth 😅
@@georgejetson1923 YOUR REMOTELY FUNNY......go be cool at preschool trying to down other people
And it's GONE! So sad.
That’s usually the end of a product… when private equity takes over a company it’s usually to get as much out of it and then let it die off.
No, the end of a product is when the market says so. The end of a company is just before they're bought by someone else to either try to resuscitate it, save it by better management or asset strip and sell on or try to save the buyers company or to extend their own market share. The phrase Private Equity is a communist phrase, everything that made the West great was born from Private Equity.
Honestly i don’t think Marshall has come up with anything new that’s actually good in 25 years.
get an ENGL, and you really won't care... for now at least
I hope Fluff has his ducks in a row. Aligning with Marshall was a dumb idea. Should've gone with BAD Distribution. Marshall was dead 15 years ago when they started trying to be a "lifestyle" band.
How is this a surprise? First, Marshall was sold a while back already to some Swedish company. It was obvious that those guys didn’t do this out of the goodness of their hearts. The Marshall brand has value as a brand. That’s it. Everyone here lamenting this should ask themselves when was the last time they bought a Marshall product made in England. For me that would be 1989 when I bought my JCM800 that I still own. It was the last noteworthy product they made. Plus, amps are dead anyway. That’s why the otherwise vastly superior Mesa Boogie was just bought up by “Gibson”.
And we’ll see more of this. Why? Because every “TH-camr” and mega store under the sun is pushing cheap Chinese crap. If you recently bought an Epiphone or some cheap “super duper better than a Marshall” Chinese shitbox, you gave the money to our enemies to buy our traditional companies. So stop complaining and save up some money to buy good western products and respect the history and intellectual property that the Chinese and assorted other third world countries don’t care about.
This is the end.
Interesting
Bums me out. Sad day
Lmao hahaha intro was funny
Bad news 😢😢😢😢😢😢
Well Marshall Amps is dead! RIP: 2025!
Physical amps will never go away. But they will be like how people use record players now.