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stratotone « Great amp but not for everyone »
Published on 03/15/11 at 20:50This is what most rock amplifiers were derived from, and many of your favorite classic rock tones were recorded using amps very similar to this one. 100 watt All tube amp. 4 EL34s and three 12ax7s, with a solid state rectifier. One channel at a time, but four inputs. Two volumes, bass, mid, treble, presence controls. polarity, standby, and on switch. No effects loop. No footswitchable channels or boosts. Hand built tube amp, non PCB construction. Rated this a 7 because someone used to a modern amp will likely be unhappy with this amp because of it's limited feature list.
UTILIZATION
If you can turn the amp up very loud, it's possible to get a nice overdrive tone. This will not get you modern levels of gain. Think Thin Lizzy, not Metallica. Most people use a boost pedal in the front end, have these amps modified for more gain, or use an attenuation device so that you can turn the volume up on the amp but the heard level stays the same. There's not a lot to learn about setting these amps up - plug it in and turn it up. EQ works ok, but newer amps have a greater range of tone controls. I gave this an 8 as many users may not have the extra gear needed (attenuator, overdrive/boost pedal) to really make the amp grind, or may not be able to turn it up loud enough to get the sonic goods. This is NOT a bedroom amp!
SOUNDS
Tone wise, this amp is very pure and every nuance of your playing, good or bad, will be showcased. Vintage Marshalls from the 60s and early 70s are THE tone of classic rock, and are difficult to play because of how clean/undistorted they are compared to modern amps. However, they cut like a knife through a mix, and reward the user with expressive tone. I've used dozens of different guitars through my '72, from Les Pauls to Tom Andersons to Fender strats, teles, Vintage Jacksons, newer Charvels, etc... and every guitar, even the same model, sound different through this amp Even when you boost it with a pedal for a little more gain or use a attenuator, it maintains the character of what guitar you are playing, and even subtle things like where you are picking along the string length, how hard, and angle. Most newer amps homogenize your tone, and make several guitars sound the same. Not this amp.
OVERALL OPINION
I love the fact that the amp takes what I put into it and blasts it back out, toneful and nuanced. I didn't like the lack of things that most modern gigging guitarists need - at least two channels and an fx loop... but it sounds so good and pure that you don't miss it as much. Run a pedal in the front or a hotplate for attenuation, and roll your guitar volume down for cleanish tones.
Almost 40 years after this amp was built, and there are many amp companies that try to make clones... and even Marshall tries to state in much of their product literature how their new amps sound like the old ones. Why get a copy when you can buy the real thing?
Value for the money used is great - find one in good shape reasonably unmodified and you could even make a profit when you resell. I didn't try other amps when purchasing this, when I bought it, it was the only one like it in the music store. It's not often that you find one '72 super lead marshall, let alone a wide selection. It's so different than modern marshalls that there isn't really a comparison. And yes, I'd buy it again.
UTILIZATION
If you can turn the amp up very loud, it's possible to get a nice overdrive tone. This will not get you modern levels of gain. Think Thin Lizzy, not Metallica. Most people use a boost pedal in the front end, have these amps modified for more gain, or use an attenuation device so that you can turn the volume up on the amp but the heard level stays the same. There's not a lot to learn about setting these amps up - plug it in and turn it up. EQ works ok, but newer amps have a greater range of tone controls. I gave this an 8 as many users may not have the extra gear needed (attenuator, overdrive/boost pedal) to really make the amp grind, or may not be able to turn it up loud enough to get the sonic goods. This is NOT a bedroom amp!
SOUNDS
Tone wise, this amp is very pure and every nuance of your playing, good or bad, will be showcased. Vintage Marshalls from the 60s and early 70s are THE tone of classic rock, and are difficult to play because of how clean/undistorted they are compared to modern amps. However, they cut like a knife through a mix, and reward the user with expressive tone. I've used dozens of different guitars through my '72, from Les Pauls to Tom Andersons to Fender strats, teles, Vintage Jacksons, newer Charvels, etc... and every guitar, even the same model, sound different through this amp Even when you boost it with a pedal for a little more gain or use a attenuator, it maintains the character of what guitar you are playing, and even subtle things like where you are picking along the string length, how hard, and angle. Most newer amps homogenize your tone, and make several guitars sound the same. Not this amp.
OVERALL OPINION
I love the fact that the amp takes what I put into it and blasts it back out, toneful and nuanced. I didn't like the lack of things that most modern gigging guitarists need - at least two channels and an fx loop... but it sounds so good and pure that you don't miss it as much. Run a pedal in the front or a hotplate for attenuation, and roll your guitar volume down for cleanish tones.
Almost 40 years after this amp was built, and there are many amp companies that try to make clones... and even Marshall tries to state in much of their product literature how their new amps sound like the old ones. Why get a copy when you can buy the real thing?
Value for the money used is great - find one in good shape reasonably unmodified and you could even make a profit when you resell. I didn't try other amps when purchasing this, when I bought it, it was the only one like it in the music store. It's not often that you find one '72 super lead marshall, let alone a wide selection. It's so different than modern marshalls that there isn't really a comparison. And yes, I'd buy it again.