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Audiofanzine FR
Published on 03/08/09 at 17:38
(Originally written by BigB/translated from Audiofanzine FR)
100-watt tube amp (four EL34 in the first series, four 5881 starting from 1993). Switchable 50-watt operation (pentode /triode), two channels (normal and lead) and two Celestion 12" G12T75 speakers.
Two inputs (hi and low), FX loop, direct outs with and without speaker simulation (for recording), two 4/8/16 ohm switchable speaker outputs, footswicth connector (for channel selection and reverb on/off).
Settings: independent gain, master, reverb in each channel, shared EQ (low, mid, high, presence).
Well equipped amp (for a Marshall) considering when it came out, although only one EQ section for both channels is a pity. It's ok for me but it limits the sound possibilities.
An overall master control would have been nice to avoid having to deal with the volume of two channels once you found the right balance.
UTILIZATION
Settings couldn't be easier (especially considering that the EQ section is not very effective). There are only two things that must be understood:
1/ Play with enough volume (min. 4 but preferably 5 or 6). Disadvantage: with such settings even a loud drummer won't be able to hear his drums (it's a 100-watt tube amp with two high-efficiency speakers!). Even the 50 watt operation is jaw-dropping! Based on this I would now buy its small brother (4502 = 50/25 watts), which is more than enough.
The following comments are valid if you set a good volume and wait until the tubes have warmed up!
2/ Regarding the EQ section, I boost the mids and presence and adjust the highs and lows depending on the guitar.
SOUNDS
The normal channel produces a very good clean sound (which is surprising because it's not Marshall's specialty): round, warm and accurate. With higher gain settings you get a typical Marshall crunch, although it sounds a bit harder and with less lows than on older amps (it probably has to do with the open speaker cabinet).
Lead channel... You either like it or not! The sound character is the same as with the normal channel but overdriven. An internal overdrive circuitry (like the Tube Screamer TS9) increases the saturation. I personally like this sound, but it's not the typical vintage Marshall sound (the JCM900 was clearly conceived as a modern amp) nor the modern heavy metal sound. With high gain settings the sound becomes fuzzy and the precision decreases. If you set the gain below the halfway mark you get a nice distortion sound and don't need to buy a Tube Screamer.
It applies the same as for the normal channel: the sound is a bit harder and with less lows than on old Marshall amps. In both cases the problem comes from the speaker response and the open speaker cabinet. If you connect the amp to a 4 x 12" cabinet with Greenback speakers you can almost get the sound of old Marshall amps. If you can't do this, a good EQ in the FX loop will help you change the frequency response.
The reverb effect has only an average quality: Fender Twin fans shouldn't expect a thing! But it provides sound a natural deepness.
So it's neither a typical vintage Marshall nor a monster amp for shredders! It's just an excellent amp for rock (I don't care about what purists say[1]) and it would be even better with softer sounding speakers and a more effective EQ.
[1] or unlucky users who bought a faulty model...
OVERALL OPINION
I bought it new in 1993. At that time I played in a grunge, fusion and old-school hard rock band and it was the best partner for my Vox Custom 24, which has a very fat sound (I tested dozens of amps in the same price range but they had either clean sounds and slight crunch sounds that were too sharp or distortion sounds and lead sounds that were too compressed. I never had any problems to stand out in a mix with this combination (both live and in the studio).
I now play either blues or rock and I'm still satisfied with this amp, even if I'd like to replace the G12T75 speakers with Greenback speakers... I only use the 50 watt operation so the power handling of the Greenback speakers should be enough and they would allow me to use higher master settings because of their lower efficiency.
As I mentioned above, I regret not having bought its small brother (4502) that shares the same features with a lower output power (which is monstrous on my amp). Up to now this amp has been perfectly reliable (except for the potentiometers, which are a well-known Marshall defect). I still like both clean and distortion modes because, unlike many other Marshall amps, the clean channel sounds really nice.
100-watt tube amp (four EL34 in the first series, four 5881 starting from 1993). Switchable 50-watt operation (pentode /triode), two channels (normal and lead) and two Celestion 12" G12T75 speakers.
Two inputs (hi and low), FX loop, direct outs with and without speaker simulation (for recording), two 4/8/16 ohm switchable speaker outputs, footswicth connector (for channel selection and reverb on/off).
Settings: independent gain, master, reverb in each channel, shared EQ (low, mid, high, presence).
Well equipped amp (for a Marshall) considering when it came out, although only one EQ section for both channels is a pity. It's ok for me but it limits the sound possibilities.
An overall master control would have been nice to avoid having to deal with the volume of two channels once you found the right balance.
UTILIZATION
Settings couldn't be easier (especially considering that the EQ section is not very effective). There are only two things that must be understood:
1/ Play with enough volume (min. 4 but preferably 5 or 6). Disadvantage: with such settings even a loud drummer won't be able to hear his drums (it's a 100-watt tube amp with two high-efficiency speakers!). Even the 50 watt operation is jaw-dropping! Based on this I would now buy its small brother (4502 = 50/25 watts), which is more than enough.
The following comments are valid if you set a good volume and wait until the tubes have warmed up!
2/ Regarding the EQ section, I boost the mids and presence and adjust the highs and lows depending on the guitar.
SOUNDS
The normal channel produces a very good clean sound (which is surprising because it's not Marshall's specialty): round, warm and accurate. With higher gain settings you get a typical Marshall crunch, although it sounds a bit harder and with less lows than on older amps (it probably has to do with the open speaker cabinet).
Lead channel... You either like it or not! The sound character is the same as with the normal channel but overdriven. An internal overdrive circuitry (like the Tube Screamer TS9) increases the saturation. I personally like this sound, but it's not the typical vintage Marshall sound (the JCM900 was clearly conceived as a modern amp) nor the modern heavy metal sound. With high gain settings the sound becomes fuzzy and the precision decreases. If you set the gain below the halfway mark you get a nice distortion sound and don't need to buy a Tube Screamer.
It applies the same as for the normal channel: the sound is a bit harder and with less lows than on old Marshall amps. In both cases the problem comes from the speaker response and the open speaker cabinet. If you connect the amp to a 4 x 12" cabinet with Greenback speakers you can almost get the sound of old Marshall amps. If you can't do this, a good EQ in the FX loop will help you change the frequency response.
The reverb effect has only an average quality: Fender Twin fans shouldn't expect a thing! But it provides sound a natural deepness.
So it's neither a typical vintage Marshall nor a monster amp for shredders! It's just an excellent amp for rock (I don't care about what purists say[1]) and it would be even better with softer sounding speakers and a more effective EQ.
[1] or unlucky users who bought a faulty model...
OVERALL OPINION
I bought it new in 1993. At that time I played in a grunge, fusion and old-school hard rock band and it was the best partner for my Vox Custom 24, which has a very fat sound (I tested dozens of amps in the same price range but they had either clean sounds and slight crunch sounds that were too sharp or distortion sounds and lead sounds that were too compressed. I never had any problems to stand out in a mix with this combination (both live and in the studio).
I now play either blues or rock and I'm still satisfied with this amp, even if I'd like to replace the G12T75 speakers with Greenback speakers... I only use the 50 watt operation so the power handling of the Greenback speakers should be enough and they would allow me to use higher master settings because of their lower efficiency.
As I mentioned above, I regret not having bought its small brother (4502) that shares the same features with a lower output power (which is monstrous on my amp). Up to now this amp has been perfectly reliable (except for the potentiometers, which are a well-known Marshall defect). I still like both clean and distortion modes because, unlike many other Marshall amps, the clean channel sounds really nice.