I've been around a while (and I do mean a while). I started playing in the mid 60s and have owned many vintage amps (of course we didn't know it at the time). Old Fender, Marshall, Hiwatt and quite a few in between. My old 70s Marshall MkII 50 watt head through a Marshall 8x10 cab was my favorite but after becoming a weekend warrior I was playing in smaller venues and the amp was just too loud. I sold it back in the 80s and have been looking for THE SOUND ever since. Well, this amp is IT! Even some of the old Marshalls I used to play through (none combos) never sounded as good or had the feel of this amp. I have many guitars. Strats, LPs and everything in between and they all have a great sound. This amp really brings out the sound of the guitar itself. Not the other way around. It just SINGS! It's just the right volume. Although I did play a large venue here lately and it was not quite enough but I'm going to buy the cab that matches for a little extra umph when I need it. It cleans up fairly nice when you roll the guitar volume down also. I hardly ever do any reviews because nothing has really jumped out at me in a long time, except my new 2014 LP Traditional. Had to do it for this amp though.

underhr

Cincinnati, OH

I have used this amp on hundreds of gigs. it gets so many compliments. sound guys love it, the crowd loves it. it makes your guitar sound amazing, what a tone. i use it with a vintage tele, or a lp and both sound great. if i somehow lost it, i would immediately buy another one.

jeremy

nyc

The sign on the demo Marshall 1974X said:"Best Amp In The Store". It was sitting amidst some excellent company - Matchless, Top Hat and a few other boutique amplifiers at Manny's Music on Sunset Boulevard in L.A.(now part of Sam Ash Music). I grabbed a seafoam green U.S.A. Telecaster off the wall and started comparing amps at substantial volume. What stood out for me was the sparkle and shimmering quality to the Marshall's tone. The tube driven tremolo was liquid and lush. The other amps were excellent in their own rights but overall they sounded 'dryer' to my ears. This is totally subjective, but I opted for the sparkling el-84 tones of the Marshall. The amp is incredibly responsive and it makes many guitars that I normally don't care for sonically actually sound good! I enjoy 'tube rolling', that is, swapping various brands and ages of 12ax7's and el-84's. You may be surpriszed at the subtle - and sometimes not so subtle - differences that this will make to the Marshall's tone. Some combinations sound better than others, but I haven't found any that I don't like yet. It would be nice if the amp had a built-in tube reverb but then it wouldn't be an 'authentic reissue' would it? I have seen mixed reviews on this amplifier on other sites, but it works perfectly for my purposes. It is hand crafted with superb quality and will no doubt retain a large percentage of its value if you should ever want or need to sell it. You should at least check this amp out if you get the chance. And try to find a demo or B-stock and save a couple hundred bucks as these babies are not cheap for a small amp. I have never seen a used one for sale (yet). As with any amplifier you are considering, don't rely too much on this or any other 'review'. Rely on your ears. They will not lie to you.

Donny "Nuke" Valdez

Northern California