It's Saturday night, the wife is watching her series and the kids are asleep. I sneak off to the guitar cave with a beer in my hand and BAM, Pete Thorn serves up this beautiful piece of guitar nerd gold. Thanks Pete, really inspiring playing and tones, not to mention your channels great production values and presentation.
+Darryl Isaacs that’s exactly what I was hoping, putting this up on a Saturday afternoon- the scenario you just described! 👍😂🎸🎸 🍺glad you enjoyed it! Thanks
Id rather have an amp and Guitar than a wife. Theyll make you put.your things on a shelf then one day, when shea tired.of you and has no need.for you, shell liquidate your ass... ets. SCREW DAT.
@@stevelove597 Wow. I just got done playing, thinking about how a relationship could mess up my life again. Men often get tapped for resources, and when the well starts running dry, their women leave with what they can. I think you find a way to get back some of what you lost.
there's just nothing better than hearing some vintage EVH through a vintage Marshall...especially by a player who can do it justice! Eddie is the king...and has been since he was a kid!
love this video. Finally someone who understands that treble, and presence are critical for good tone. Also glad the mids aren't scooped out either. Nicely produced
If y'all are not watching R.J you are missing out, go look him up (now!) R.J. If the stars aligned and you and Pete got together, you could help so many people just by doing what you do. Both of you and Tim Peirce are just like a lite in the storm of half ass guitar players that are on here. I am so grateful for guys like you that play hard, keep it real, do the work and never fake it. Quality guitar players are undeniable, you got the gift man!
Wow the 1969's tone (between 20:30-22:00) before you rolled back the bass, was for me pure awesome yumminess!!!!! Thank you so much for doing this video Mr Thorn! You ROCK!!!! :-)
This video made me realize the master volume mod that some previous owner did on my JMP 73 Super Lead was affecting the overall quality of the amp. It didn´t even sound close to this, so I had the master volume replaced (on Revamp in Hollywood, Andy is awesome) and now it´s pretty close in character to the one in Pete´s video, God I love this amp! Thanks Pete!
Damn Pete, I have a 1970 100 watt SL sitting right next to me that I haven’t been able to play for about 10 years. It’s in perfect electrical condition but I sold the cabinet before I moved. This video is really making me crave that true Marshall tone. Maybe some day I’ll have the space for it. Thank you for reminding me what it is to have a sound that is really alive.
Get a Fryette Power Station, and use it with a small cab at any volume, or Suhr Reactive Load and through your computer/interface and some studio monitors or even headphones!
"The Sound I Hear in My Heart"...Gibson through a cranked Marshall, the pure sound & dynamics of the 69-WOW! For me, it's the 69SL, 50w JMP and the Suhr in that order of tone goodness...great video Pete!
Really crystallised my view that chords and riffs really show what an amp sounds like more than lots of soloing. Even through my iPad speakers all those chords and song riffs still sounded great. I went back and listened through decent headphones! Keep them coming, I loved it. 🤘🏻👍🎸🎸🤘🏻
Pete Thorn thanks for the reply. Just a small personal view! It would be great if you could do similar vids for other amp types. Don’t know if that works but man those chords were great. Cool stuff. 👍🤘🏻🎸🎸
Loving those Marshalls. I was going to comment in here how that was a 'sound in my head' when text appeared on the video saying it was a sound that was in your head. Awesome vid.
Well done as usual from Pete Thorn. I have to say one thing here that some people might think is odd. He utilizes Billy Squier licks several times...because like it or not, Billy is a true Marshall tone guru. Frankly, I love some of Billy's songs and he really liked to utilize that Marshall tone in a pop(ish) setting. Not that he needs to hear it from me, but kudos to Pete for recognizing how infectious some of Billy Squier's hooks are, and how relevant they are in a Marshall setting.
Pete, from a recorded audio stand point, the jmp and plexi were 'The Sound' because they are The amps. Absolutely nails that tone we have in our heads from 100's of recordings. The Suhr sounded wonderful and anyone would be grateful to own and play that amp BUT it is different because it isn't The amp and can never be. The Marshall's own this video. Dont touch the bright cap!
I dunno, it’s just a formula, a bunch of parts. Just because it says Marshall doesn’t mean it’s not a bunch of caps and resistors and transformers that were all sourced from other manufacturers and assembled. They were just the first ones to do it.
Dude this video series is honestly what I wish I had my whole life hahah. For so long people just kinda "estimated" what this stuff sounded like. Good to hear it in an honest context. SO much character in that marshall
Really enjoyed that, those amps must have been so loud without an attenuator. I used to have a 4 input 100w Marshall from 1976, should have kept that one. Still have a 1981 2303 JCM800 but you are right that the 4 input Superleads have that sound that hits you like a thump in the chest. Great playing too, love that Custard Pie riff!
Wonderful and informative video Pete. I drew up a single-ended Plexi-ish circuit years ago with a blend pot instead of separate volumes. Traditionalists on my favorite amp building forum said “Nooooo!” Your demos here convince me that it’s a worthwhile experiment at the very least.
Cool video. I had a '67 Super Lead 100 and a '68 Super Bass years ago, they were just SOOOO loud I could never really use them. When I combined them with a THD hot plate, it just didn't sound the same. I wound up selling both. Part of me really regrets that purely from a nostalgic perspective. The Super Lead was actually signed by Jim Marshall, which I certainly miss after his passing.
Dont think Pete knew of Malcolm's passing he was just picking some of his fav riffs and how befitting that he landed on Riff Raff. Many AC/DC fans are not aware that Malcolm wrote many of the most memorable and historic riffs from way back in the day. RIP Mal
You're givin' away the keys to the kingdom Pete lol! Bein' kinda old 'n all, when I was a kid, the guys that knew what you just demonstrated wouldn't show you that business if they didn't like you a lot, thought you had actual talent and thought you deserved to know the "black magic"! My turn came when I was hanging out with an older, wiser, very talented player and builder who knew Marshalls backwards and forwards. When he'd acquire one or work one, he'd pop it out, turn it up on the floor and squat with his knees up by his ears and just "study" on it. Eventually, he'd take a wooden probe and start pokin' at bits and muttering "Nawp, thass not right... nawp, this either. Yep, "Boyce" has been here..." After watching this process several times, and during another watch, I finally asked "who's Boyce?" Without missing a lick or looking up, he replied "Boyce is my name for all the TV and radio repair guys that know how to read a scope an' a meter, but don' know _shit_ about fixin' a Marshall and do it anway." One day I was _trying_ to play his '74 50 watt four-holer and sounding like ass. I had the controls all set somewhere reasonable except the midrange knob, which was turned way down, almost off. Trying to get a "scooped" 80's thing going on lol. I was getting right frustrated in the effort when my friend came over, said "It's in the middle for a reason dude" and spun the mid control all the way up, then backed the Bass off a nudge. Of course, the amp roared to life and I was happily astounded. His next statement was just as prolific and simultaneously obtuse. He said "If y'don't like that, y'don't like a Marshall" Best instructional tip ever. Lesson learned. Thanks Robin Barber. Rest well buddy, you're much missed. Great demonstration video Pete, great tones and picking as well. Your "Ed-hands" are badass imho, and the SL-68 just nails I & II tone. Felt like the '72 sounded very "Fair Warning" when you wound it all the way up. A little darker and a little less "hash", very cool sound. Thanks for the upload, I hope that it piques folks interest in these awesome vintage British workhorses! Just had to add one thing. I didn't know 'til just a bit ago, but Rest peacefully Malcolm Young. Real high-gravity loss of a great guitar player and musician...
When you first start playing Ain't Talking Bout Love, there's this extra whomp whomp echo after playing the first two notes of the A minor that I haven't heard from anybody besides the actual VH album and I hear it here while you play it so you've completely nailed the sound and more importantly the touch of VH.
Best video for me. I bought in 1973 an early point to point super lead 100 stack. That amp has got me arrested so many times after almost 40 years I finally learned to put a Fultone OCD into my jumper and use that believe it or not as a volume control I’m not looking to color the sound but I keep both channels on a volume of 6 and the other knobs A bout 4. All I do is crack the volume on the ocd and I can play all night long the same riffs you play and my wife one room over doesn’t hear a thing. It’s amazing how the knobs on the amplifier still color the sound even when the OCD is only barely cranked open.
Great playing, nothing can beat the sound of an old Marshall. For me they just sound better on your recordings than the Suhr. The Suhr sounds more in the background and the Marshalls cut more through. Would like to hear the Suhr with a bright cap. Could you make a video with all of the amps but played with a band? thx
For me the magic was only there when the amps were dimed. Seems like that opened up Pete's playing as well. It's great to see where some of EVH's tone comes from. Very impressive.
You're not wrong. I love cleans and delays and reverbs, as well as high gain amps with tubescreamers in front of them, but this is what guitar should sound like. Keep it simple and crunchy.
If the bright cap is a bit too aggressive - run a longer guitar cord. That's a performance/stage amp for back in the day before P/A systems - it's not something to jam on in an 8x10 room. I am sure if you were running a cable 30-50 ft long - you'd be blessing the fact you have a bright cap.
Brennan C The bright cap is a component within the amp’s high treble channel (I believe) which causes the amp to be bright and kinda thin until you turn the amp up (higher up the amp is, the more the cap gets “taken” out). Because the amp is so loud volume wise, it may seem dumb nowadays because it’s so bright even at high volumes, but back in the day 100 watts was normal. The cable phenomenon is cable capacitance, or just capacitance in general. More capacitance = darker sound. Somewhat like potentiometer resistance but backwards. Louder amp needs bigger stage which needs longer cable. Longer cable = more capacitance = darker sound so you need bright cap.
Hey Pete... Thanks Really. I've used solid state and modelers for most of my guitar journey... And I've bought my first tube amp very late. There is something about watching those tubes glow... Theres something magic about it. And yeah modelers can be a lot more versatile and achieve great sound too... And its most likely irrational, but having a tube amp, knowing it, learning the sounds he makes, "wasting time on them" instead of jumping to the next modeled sound. Working with it. Turning knobs... Its magical. I dont have another word for it. Please keep doing this and try to keep the tube amp alive... (and tube distortion too, although that is getting unpratical unfortunately in these days)
How about representing some KT88 magic with a Ubershall Twin Jet. I would love to see what you might dial in on that monster! The tone controls are very interactive, so it doesn't qualify as a simple amp, though. I stood in front of a '72 Super Lead II for almost 30 years and, amazingly, my ears still work! Our settings just about match. I used to call it my Mick Ralph's tone. I used to use the "Johnny Winters settings", too: a '63 Firebird with the amp's bass and treble dimed and season the mids to taste. Wonderful video. Cheers!
Pete, first off...this video just sold an early '70s JMP for a TGPer, LOL. Secondly, the 50 watt JMP had the best VH tone. I think it sounded fuller than the Suhr (sorry John) and the bright cap gave it that tone that Ed got by mixing JBLs and GBs. It was the winner for me on all of the riffs...especially the VH.
There's THE SOUND I grew up hearing and wonderfully demonstrated.. All the right riffs. Loved the Rick Derringer stuff. He's been so overlooked. And that Led Zep riff I play it till this very day for the very same reason.... An absolutely incredible video! It doesn't get any better than that. Thanks, I needed that..
Fantastic video! Loved all three amps and at the end of the day, the SL68 did it self proud. I have to say, I was most enamored with the 69 Plexi. That to me just epitomizes Marshall grunt and tone. Can't wait for more of these, Pete. You sir, do a great job with the videos and it's always a pleasure to hear your playing and commentary. Thanks again for your work!
I once owned and gigged a 1972 super lead 100. Guitars were a mid sixties 335 and a seventies LP standard. It had a sweet spot around 2 on the volume and put out about 140 watts RMS on the bench. Cost me $300 back then. Doh!
One of my favorite mods for these amps is to switch out the mid pot for 50K. It just gives you the ability to add more mids. It works for great for me in the 4 hole 1959/1987 based Marshalls... especially with the .022 V1B cap
Thanks Pete, just got a Plexie 100 clone Marshall 68, and this was great help to me, as I never thought I would ever have 100 watt, but I love it. In the Zone, Great show.
That was too cool. Just today I wired up a speaker cab to try my recently modded Traynor that has a JMP style mod. This video was perfect for me not having personally played a plexi. Going to compare settings. Thanks so much!
Thanks very much for this video, Pete. I love the old Marshall amp tones, and I learned a lot about how to tweak them to get the best out of them from this video. Appreciate the great insights!
Only just watched this, nearly 3 years after it was released. What's interesting is that I've come to the same 2 conclusions as Pete in regards to a) the mid pot - it's just much better dimed and left there, and b) the presence pot - it needs to be at 6 minimum, and anything less can begin to sound anaemic (this is on a bass spec though for me).
Awesome eddie work, love those 2 songs you did of early eddie. I just bought a marshall 1987x 50 watt. I love the tone, but its tough to push this amp living in a condo. I have made an isolation box for my 2by12, but still sounds to loud, and to much bottom end rattles the walls.
Pete! Where have you been all OUR LIVES??!!?? Thank you for making a video that takes the things we hear ALL the time, and actually TEACHING us how to apply them. More proof that you genuinely care about the “art of music”. I ALWAYS refer to you as a SELFLESS and (way too) humble musician. This video once again shows us, how true that really is. Rock on brother, and again...Thanks!🤘🏻😎🤘🏻
Takes me back to my wild teenage years in the late seventies when I was buying and selling and looking for the holy grail. For bass it was my SVT with the 810 house shaker, and my guitars seemed to sound best through my DR 201 Hiwatt that supposedly had toured with the Moody blues, or so I was told. Nice, but just too loud and heavy. I was so happy to hear Burn from Deep Purple (Extra Old Stock two four helper 3AM), that I thought you might finish off with something from the second set of Band of Gypsies 69/70. Gotta get back to reality, my drinking days are over!
GREAT VIDEO! Now you should do a "Yesterday and Today" video comparing the Friedman BE100 and the Suhr and the Marshall Reissues against the real thing for those of us that may never find an original. It would be cool to see the differences and how you gain and lose with new tech vs the OG amps! Once again, love your videos!
I thought the 1972 JMP50 had a lot of much coveted "glassy chime" tone more than the others. I get additional chime from using a fender medium pick with a slight sliding motion across the strings. But that's just me. Love your video postings !!!
Your budget might allow for top of the line NOS tubes, but I've found that Ruby Tubes are a very cost effective option. I really enjoy the tone. My amp came with JJ's across the board. I find the Ruby's a little hotter/gainier, but still very sweet and good note definition remains. If you like to experiment, I'd give em a shot.
Thank you Pete. Your opinion on issues like these is invaluable. My Marshall has been around awhile, but you still give me the tools to get more out of it. Thanks again for sharing your knowledge and expertise!
Those late 70's AC/DC records were not Plexi amps. Listen to If you want blood you got it. Live in Glasgow in 1978. The backline is rented. Not a plexiglass frontpanel there. It may even be 2203 master volume models there.
Really fun tones!! And I LOVE that BIG reverb you're getting in the Van Halen section!! Your emulation of Eddie's playing is excellent great job ive never seen you play that style before!
It's Saturday night, the wife is watching her series and the kids are asleep. I sneak off to the guitar cave with a beer in my hand and BAM, Pete Thorn serves up this beautiful piece of guitar nerd gold. Thanks Pete, really inspiring playing and tones, not to mention your channels great production values and presentation.
+Darryl Isaacs that’s exactly what I was hoping, putting this up on a Saturday afternoon- the scenario you just described! 👍😂🎸🎸 🍺glad you enjoyed it! Thanks
Id rather have an amp and Guitar than a wife. Theyll make you put.your things on a shelf then one day, when shea tired.of you and has no need.for you, shell liquidate your ass... ets. SCREW DAT.
Haha nice
@@jonhmonroney12 my divorce cost me around $60,000 in guitar gear. I know and lived the pain!
@@stevelove597 Wow. I just got done playing, thinking about how a relationship could mess up my life again.
Men often get tapped for resources, and when the well starts running dry, their women leave with what they can.
I think you find a way to get back some of what you lost.
I could listen to Pete play through a Plexi style amp all damn day long.
Thanks Christopher!
RIP Malcom Young. King of riffs. Really quite amazing.
And Jimi... the riff master general.
there's just nothing better than hearing some vintage EVH through a vintage Marshall...especially by a player who can do it justice! Eddie is the king...and has been since he was a kid!
1977 when I first heard the Ramones as a babe in New Jersey? The Marshall Super Lead has been my favorite sound by far.
Nice to hear Billy Squier getting some love - his tone in the '80's is one of the reasons I fell in love with guitar.
agreed, great tones! And riffs
@@PeteThorn that strat on the stroke, the low riff you can hear the cab pumping,, Marshall goodness.
love this video. Finally someone who understands that treble, and presence are critical for good tone. Also glad the mids aren't scooped out either. Nicely produced
Still coming back to this video to compare my tone, it is still amazing, thanks Pete!!! 🤘🎩
Great in depth, amp tweaking demo. EL34 amps make me happy. Looking forward to the next ones.
If y'all are not watching R.J you are missing out, go look him up (now!) R.J. If the stars aligned and you and Pete got together, you could help so many people just by doing what you do. Both of you and Tim Peirce are just like a lite in the storm of half ass guitar players that are on here. I am so grateful for guys like you that play hard, keep it real, do the work and never fake it. Quality guitar players are undeniable, you got the gift man!
@Aiko Stenger you are hacking into people's accounts !?
That's sorry ass degenerate behavior pal.
Wow the 1969's tone (between 20:30-22:00) before you rolled back the bass, was for me pure awesome yumminess!!!!! Thank you so much for doing this video Mr Thorn! You ROCK!!!! :-)
I LOVE LOUD TUBE AMPS TOO!!! The only problem I have is that my neighbors don’t appreciate them as much as we do...😎🎸🔊🎶🤘🏻
You're the only one who does this. Amp, no pedals. You and Johan. God bless you both.
Rest In Peace Malcolm Young...
This video made me realize the master volume mod that some previous owner did on my JMP 73 Super Lead was affecting the overall quality of the amp. It didn´t even sound close to this, so I had the master volume replaced (on Revamp in Hollywood, Andy is awesome) and now it´s pretty close in character to the one in Pete´s video, God I love this amp! Thanks Pete!
got an almost identical '72 50 watter, and it's slightly different, but equally fantastic as that one
So refreshing to hear a muso with experience put quality gear through some isolated workouts.. still hoping to get a Marshall one day!
Have to thank you for this, especially the Suhr SL68. I just bought one and it is a tone machine. An amazing amp.
Damn Pete, I have a 1970 100 watt SL sitting right next to me that I haven’t been able to play for about 10 years. It’s in perfect electrical condition but I sold the cabinet before I moved.
This video is really making me crave that true Marshall tone. Maybe some day I’ll have the space for it. Thank you for reminding me what it is to have a sound that is really alive.
Get a Fryette Power Station, and use it with a small cab at any volume, or Suhr Reactive Load and through your computer/interface and some studio monitors or even headphones!
Pete Thorn Thanks Pete! Looks like I’ve got a couple more things for ole Santa Claus to bring me.
"The Sound I Hear in My Heart"...Gibson through a cranked Marshall, the pure sound & dynamics of the 69-WOW! For me, it's the 69SL, 50w JMP and the Suhr in that order of tone goodness...great video Pete!
Best sounding Plexi I've ever heard.
Man every one of your videos has me watching end to end, theyre fantastic!
Thanks Dan!!!
Who the heck thumbs-down a Pete Thorn video?!?!? Heck, I'd thumb-up a video of Pete washing dishes 'cause he's just that cool.
Great video Pete.. Dialling in my amps is exactly what I'm doing these days.. So timing couldn't have been better.. Thanks mate
Really enjoying your videos, (nodding my head as I transfer your settings to my amp) Chur buddy, thanks for sharing. Brian in New Zealand
Really crystallised my view that chords and riffs really show what an amp sounds like more than lots of soloing. Even through my iPad speakers all those chords and song riffs still sounded great. I went back and listened through decent headphones! Keep them coming, I loved it. 🤘🏻👍🎸🎸🤘🏻
+Simon Williams oh yeah!! I muuuuch prefer to hear some riffs, chords, and songs, than solos!
Pete Thorn thanks for the reply. Just a small personal view! It would be great if you could do similar vids for other amp types. Don’t know if that works but man those chords were great. Cool stuff. 👍🤘🏻🎸🎸
Loving those Marshalls. I was going to comment in here how that was a 'sound in my head' when text appeared on the video saying it was a sound that was in your head. Awesome vid.
Ive been waiting for a video Like this one for a looong time!!
yeah me too....really good stuff pete.....was an ass kickin vid .
Awesome video Pete! Great idea. There is nothing like a dimed, older Marshall with a dash of plate verb!
Well done as usual from Pete Thorn. I have to say one thing here that some people might think is odd. He utilizes Billy Squier licks several times...because like it or not, Billy is a true Marshall tone guru. Frankly, I love some of Billy's songs and he really liked to utilize that Marshall tone in a pop(ish) setting. Not that he needs to hear it from me, but kudos to Pete for recognizing how infectious some of Billy Squier's hooks are, and how relevant they are in a Marshall setting.
Pete, from a recorded audio stand point, the jmp and plexi were 'The Sound' because they are The amps. Absolutely nails that tone we have in our heads from 100's of recordings. The Suhr sounded wonderful and anyone would be grateful to own and play that amp BUT it is different because it isn't The amp and can never be. The Marshall's own this video. Dont touch the bright cap!
I dunno, it’s just a formula, a bunch of parts. Just because it says Marshall doesn’t mean it’s not a bunch of caps and resistors and transformers that were all sourced from other manufacturers and assembled. They were just the first ones to do it.
Dude this video series is honestly what I wish I had my whole life hahah. For so long people just kinda "estimated" what this stuff sounded like. Good to hear it in an honest context. SO much character in that marshall
Well lately yes with all the modelling , and tbh many supposed Marshal models are not like any Marshall Ive had .
Man! The 69 100watt is instant album. It’s got that headroom and panther space around the note.
Thanks Pete for the great video!
Great video! All amps sounded great but I preferred your 72 Marshall to my ears.
Damn!! You got two EXTREMELY great sounding old Marshall's there! Sweeeeeeet tone out of the 69' & 72'. It just doesn't get any better than that 69'.
Thank you, Pete! This is a great video to see the beauty of plexi style Marshalls! Great playing as well, as usual!
Omg!!! The whole time I was hearing Billy Squire right up until the time you riffed it. Awesome riffing and info. Keep em coming eh!!😉
Really enjoyed that, those amps must have been so loud without an attenuator. I used to have a 4 input 100w Marshall from 1976, should have kept that one. Still have a 1981 2303 JCM800 but you are right that the 4 input Superleads have that sound that hits you like a thump in the chest. Great playing too, love that Custard Pie riff!
Wonderful and informative video Pete. I drew up a single-ended Plexi-ish circuit years ago with a blend pot instead of separate volumes. Traditionalists on my favorite amp building forum said “Nooooo!” Your demos here convince me that it’s a worthwhile experiment at the very least.
Cool video. I had a '67 Super Lead 100 and a '68 Super Bass years ago, they were just SOOOO loud I could never really use them. When I combined them with a THD hot plate, it just didn't sound the same. I wound up selling both. Part of me really regrets that purely from a nostalgic perspective. The Super Lead was actually signed by Jim Marshall, which I certainly miss after his passing.
russwsoper you can buy some of the Studio Series, they are not that loud
Wow I love Gibsons and Fenders. I've owned many of both (and still do). The Strat style ruled the day today. Great video.
Great to hear you playing Malcom's riffs on today of all days. Vale Malcolm Young.
Woah!! And some David Bowie and Billy Squier thrown in for good measure. I love his "Don't Say No" album.
Was going to say the same.
Dont think Pete knew of Malcolm's passing he was just picking some of his fav riffs and how befitting that he landed on Riff Raff. Many AC/DC fans are not aware that Malcolm wrote many of the most memorable and historic riffs from way back in the day. RIP Mal
Of course. He probably shot the video days ago. It was just a nice coincidence is all. Was good to hear it when Malcolm was on my mind.
Agreed, great to hear a real pro like Pete pay respects to his influences, couldn't have happened at a more fitting time. Cheers
I could listen to you talk about guitars and amps all day long. Perhaps the best gear videos on TH-cam.
You're givin' away the keys to the kingdom Pete lol! Bein' kinda old 'n all, when I was a kid, the guys that knew what you just demonstrated wouldn't show you that business if they didn't like you a lot, thought you had actual talent and thought you deserved to know the "black magic"!
My turn came when I was hanging out with an older, wiser, very talented player and builder who knew Marshalls backwards and forwards. When he'd acquire one or work one, he'd pop it out, turn it up on the floor and squat with his knees up by his ears and just "study" on it. Eventually, he'd take a wooden probe and start pokin' at bits and muttering "Nawp, thass not right... nawp, this either. Yep, "Boyce" has been here..." After watching this process several times, and during another watch, I finally asked "who's Boyce?" Without missing a lick or looking up, he replied "Boyce is my name for all the TV and radio repair guys that know how to read a scope an' a meter, but don' know _shit_ about fixin' a Marshall and do it anway."
One day I was _trying_ to play his '74 50 watt four-holer and sounding like ass. I had the controls all set somewhere reasonable except the midrange knob, which was turned way down, almost off. Trying to get a "scooped" 80's thing going on lol.
I was getting right frustrated in the effort when my friend came over, said "It's in the middle for a reason dude" and spun the mid control all the way up, then backed the Bass off a nudge. Of course, the amp roared to life and I was happily astounded. His next statement was just as prolific and simultaneously obtuse. He said "If y'don't like that, y'don't like a Marshall"
Best instructional tip ever. Lesson learned.
Thanks Robin Barber. Rest well buddy, you're much missed.
Great demonstration video Pete, great tones and picking as well. Your "Ed-hands" are badass imho, and the SL-68 just nails I & II tone. Felt like the '72 sounded very "Fair Warning" when you wound it all the way up. A little darker and a little less "hash", very cool sound. Thanks for the upload, I hope that it piques folks interest in these awesome vintage British workhorses!
Just had to add one thing. I didn't know 'til just a bit ago, but Rest peacefully Malcolm Young. Real high-gravity loss of a great guitar player and musician...
you couldve avoided a novel by saying you thought you scooped the mids on a marshall and you were wrong
@@trillrifaxegrindor4411 enjoyed the novel
It's in the middle for a reason :)
trillrif axegrindor you don’t like his story then don’t read it dipshit . 63 ppl beg to differ I thought the story was cool
th-cam.com/channels/-hSf-JUbpA5HoP4bNO81zg.html Also loved the novel but then your comment really brought me back down I feel sorry for you
Great video - losfer words to describe it - but as an amphead, this video is pure gold
When you first start playing Ain't Talking Bout Love, there's this extra whomp whomp echo after playing the first two notes of the A minor that I haven't heard from anybody besides the actual VH album and I hear it here while you play it so you've completely nailed the sound and more importantly the touch of VH.
Great Video! I love these Marshall tones.
Awesome series! Totally digging the concept.
Best video for me. I bought in 1973 an early point to point super lead 100 stack. That amp has got me arrested so many times after almost 40 years I finally learned to put a Fultone OCD into my jumper and use that believe it or not as a volume control I’m not looking to color the sound but I keep both channels on a volume of 6 and the other knobs A bout 4. All I do is crack the volume on the ocd and I can play all night long the same riffs you play and my wife one room over doesn’t hear a thing. It’s amazing how the knobs on the amplifier still color the sound even when the OCD is only barely cranked open.
Great playing, nothing can beat the sound of an old Marshall. For me they just sound better on your recordings than the Suhr. The Suhr sounds more in the background and the Marshalls cut more through. Would like to hear the Suhr with a bright cap. Could you make a video with all of the amps but played with a band? thx
Great video, I have 73 small box, last of the handwired, I have nos Tesla’s in is and bright cap removed. It sounds so great.
For me the magic was only there when the amps were dimed. Seems like that opened up Pete's playing as well. It's great to see where some of EVH's tone comes from. Very impressive.
Information, presentation, soundwise, the best 70’s rock licks… all perfect! What do you wish more?
Thanks Pete!
Awesome. To me, that's THE tone. Les-Paul and a cranked Marshall 4 hole amp. Great video. Thanks.
You're not wrong. I love cleans and delays and reverbs, as well as high gain amps with tubescreamers in front of them, but this is what guitar should sound like. Keep it simple and crunchy.
I play a 1972 100w super lead and dial it in the exact same way! And clipped the bright cap when I got it.
If the bright cap is a bit too aggressive - run a longer guitar cord. That's a performance/stage amp for back in the day before P/A systems - it's not something to jam on in an 8x10 room. I am sure if you were running a cable 30-50 ft long - you'd be blessing the fact you have a bright cap.
That makes a lot of sense.
Great point, never thought of it that way
Always Amazing
Could you explain more about what this means? What’s a bright cap? And how does the longer cord react to it?
Brennan C The bright cap is a component within the amp’s high treble channel (I believe) which causes the amp to be bright and kinda thin until you turn the amp up (higher up the amp is, the more the cap gets “taken” out). Because the amp is so loud volume wise, it may seem dumb nowadays because it’s so bright even at high volumes, but back in the day 100 watts was normal. The cable phenomenon is cable capacitance, or just capacitance in general. More capacitance = darker sound. Somewhat like potentiometer resistance but backwards. Louder amp needs bigger stage which needs longer cable. Longer cable = more capacitance = darker sound so you need bright cap.
Hey Pete... Thanks Really. I've used solid state and modelers for most of my guitar journey... And I've bought my first tube amp very late. There is something about watching those tubes glow... Theres something magic about it. And yeah modelers can be a lot more versatile and achieve great sound too... And its most likely irrational, but having a tube amp, knowing it, learning the sounds he makes, "wasting time on them" instead of jumping to the next modeled sound. Working with it. Turning knobs... Its magical. I dont have another word for it. Please keep doing this and try to keep the tube amp alive... (and tube distortion too, although that is getting unpratical unfortunately in these days)
How about representing some KT88 magic with a Ubershall Twin Jet. I would love to see what you might dial in on that monster! The tone controls are very interactive, so it doesn't qualify as a simple amp, though. I stood in front of a '72 Super Lead II for almost 30 years and, amazingly, my ears still work! Our settings just about match. I used to call it my Mick Ralph's tone. I used to use the "Johnny Winters settings", too: a '63 Firebird with the amp's bass and treble dimed and season the mids to taste. Wonderful video. Cheers!
Pete, first off...this video just sold an early '70s JMP for a TGPer, LOL. Secondly, the 50 watt JMP had the best VH tone. I think it sounded fuller than the Suhr (sorry John) and the bright cap gave it that tone that Ed got by mixing JBLs and GBs. It was the winner for me on all of the riffs...especially the VH.
It's about damn time somebody did a demo on the proper way to use classic Marshall! Thanks, Pete. As always, YOU'RE THE BEST!
Yes, this will be useful to me as I will be able to tweak all my vintage Marshalls...
*and then I woke up*
Matt Gilbert I share your pain! We are just mere mortals!!
Ah yes. A man can dream!
Hahaha 😅
Hey, same observations would apply to a new SLP or 1987x reissue or SL67/68 etc
I got a JVM 410 with some vintage mods, just looking for a reference
There's THE SOUND I grew up hearing and wonderfully demonstrated.. All the right riffs. Loved the Rick Derringer stuff. He's been so overlooked. And that Led Zep riff I play it till this very day for the very same reason.... An absolutely incredible video! It doesn't get any better than that. Thanks, I needed that..
That 335 sound incredible.
Michael McGlynn yes mate! Thats what I feeled! The LP is not getting it at all...
I love cranking up my headphones and listening to these awesome amps.
I forgot how good "the Ocean" is by Led Zeppelin.
Had to go jam it out to teach to my students. Awesome tones
Maybe my favorite drum track, ever!
Fantastic video! Loved all three amps and at the end of the day, the SL68 did it self proud. I have to say, I was most enamored with the 69 Plexi. That to me just epitomizes Marshall grunt and tone. Can't wait for more of these, Pete. You sir, do a great job with the videos and it's always a pleasure to hear your playing and commentary. Thanks again for your work!
I once owned and gigged a 1972 super lead 100. Guitars were a mid sixties 335 and a seventies LP standard. It had a sweet spot around 2 on the volume and put out about 140 watts RMS on the bench. Cost me $300 back then. Doh!
Wow Pete, those amps sound fantastic!!!
One of my favorite mods for these amps is to switch out the mid pot for 50K. It just gives you the ability to add more mids. It works for great for me in the 4 hole 1959/1987 based Marshalls... especially with the .022 V1B cap
Thanks Pete, just got a Plexie 100 clone Marshall 68, and this was great help to me, as I never thought I would ever have 100 watt, but I love it. In the Zone, Great show.
Would love to see one of these videos for an old Orange OR120 or Matamp GT120!
That was too cool. Just today I wired up a speaker cab to try my recently modded Traynor that has a JMP style mod.
This video was perfect for me not having personally played a plexi. Going to compare settings.
Thanks so much!
That Les Paul looks and sounds particularly nice too.
Thanks very much for this video, Pete. I love the old Marshall amp tones, and I learned a lot about how to tweak them to get the best out of them from this video. Appreciate the great insights!
Only just watched this, nearly 3 years after it was released. What's interesting is that I've come to the same 2 conclusions as Pete in regards to a) the mid pot - it's just much better dimed and left there, and b) the presence pot - it needs to be at 6 minimum, and anything less can begin to sound anaemic (this is on a bass spec though for me).
Love seeing good Canadian lads like you and Phil X doing so well. Peace
I heard the clear difference pete when you went to the ol marshall plexi thats my favorite sound its sizzling
Man, those sounds just blow my mind! Totally sick! Awesome!
Damn I love those sounds!
Great video Pete as always. Just clip the bright cap on Vol 1. I did on my '71 50 watter and it made the amp much more usable
Awesome eddie work, love those 2 songs you did of early eddie. I just bought a marshall 1987x 50 watt. I love the tone, but its tough to push this amp living in a condo. I have made an isolation box for my 2by12, but still sounds to loud, and to much bottom end rattles the walls.
Pete! Where have you been all OUR LIVES??!!?? Thank you for making a video that takes the things we hear ALL the time, and actually TEACHING us how to apply them. More proof that you genuinely care about the “art of music”. I ALWAYS refer to you as a SELFLESS and (way too) humble musician. This video once again shows us, how true that really is. Rock on brother, and again...Thanks!🤘🏻😎🤘🏻
Takes me back to my wild teenage years in the late seventies when I was buying and selling and looking for the holy grail. For bass it was my SVT with the 810 house shaker, and my guitars seemed to sound best through my DR 201 Hiwatt that supposedly had toured with the Moody blues, or so I was told. Nice, but just too loud and heavy.
I was so happy to hear Burn from Deep Purple (Extra Old Stock two four helper 3AM), that I thought you might finish off with something from the second set of Band of Gypsies 69/70. Gotta get back to reality, my drinking days are over!
Gotta be one of the best Marshall demos ever! The Page and EVH was so bang on too! Awesome job Pete!!
GREAT VIDEO! Now you should do a "Yesterday and Today" video comparing the Friedman BE100 and the Suhr and the Marshall Reissues against the real thing for those of us that may never find an original. It would be cool to see the differences and how you gain and lose with new tech vs the OG amps! Once again, love your videos!
This is a great idea! Pete, come on with it!
Geez Pete that EVH tone was I have to say quite remarkable and spot on!! All the tones were awesome. Man Ritchie Blackmore yes!!
Loved this!!! Great video Pete! I dunno man...I'm kinda digging that 72!
Heya Shawn!
Wish I could be at NAMM.. Be good to hang with you Pete.
Classic tones! Well explained and without deception. Thank you!
"I'll build you one!"; how awesome is that!
Not as awesome as the real thing!
Omg! The whole time I was thinking Billy Squire!!!!! Excellent riffing and info!!!! Love all the vids keep up the good work
Great video. Shocked to hear how less punchy and one dimensional was the first IR sound though. I still prefer the miced up amps.
Best Marshall tones on youtube Pete.......YES DUDE!!! i'm addicted to listening to this........
I thought the 1972 JMP50 had a lot of much coveted "glassy chime" tone more than the others. I get additional chime from using a fender medium pick with a slight sliding motion across the strings. But that's just me. Love your video postings !!!
The smell of new Marshall is divine and the smell of a mesa boogie baltic marine grade plywood is heaven to me!
I got an overdose of 4k, and I liked it :)
Best series you could think of, thanks Pete!
All of your plexi themed vids are great! A 335 into a Plexi Panel 100W is THE classic Lifeson/EJ tone - also known as "heaven"!
Brilliant! Nuff said RIP Malcolm \m/
The Professor of Tone strikes again! Thanks so much for taking the time, for this great lesson!
Your budget might allow for top of the line NOS tubes, but I've found that Ruby Tubes are a very cost effective option. I really enjoy the tone. My amp came with JJ's across the board. I find the Ruby's a little hotter/gainier, but still very sweet and good note definition remains. If you like to experiment, I'd give em a shot.
Thank you Pete. Your opinion on issues like these is invaluable. My Marshall has been around awhile, but you still give me the tools to get more out of it. Thanks again for sharing your knowledge and expertise!
Plexi, the epitome of Marshall tone. I'll take Plexi Marshalls all day long over the other stuff.
Those late 70's AC/DC records were not Plexi amps. Listen to If you want blood you got it. Live in Glasgow in 1978. The backline is rented. Not a plexiglass frontpanel there. It may even be 2203 master volume models there.
@@Heatfarmer late model 78-79 jmp,, great amps.
I can hear every tinny capacitor in a modem amp
Both of those Marshalls spanked that shur amp, bottom line.
Really fun tones!! And I LOVE that BIG reverb you're getting in the Van Halen section!! Your emulation of Eddie's playing is excellent great job ive never seen you play that style before!