As Clapton and Hendrix clearly demonstrated, an electric guitar plugged into a wall of dimed Plexis is the definitive sound of classic rock.
Posted on 04/05/2012 7:02:18 AM PDT by Drew68
The man who gave rock one of its key visual and sonic props has died. Jim Marshall, known as "The Father of Loud" for inventing the Marshall amplifier, was 88 years old.
Marshall was a drummer and drum teacher who used his earnings to set up a music shop in west London in 1960. Among his customers were the likes of Ritchie Blackmore and Pete Townshend, and it was through talking to them that Marshall realised there was a gap in the market for a guitar amplifier cheaper than the American-made models popular at the time. When, at Townshend's request, a Marshall 1959 amplifier head was teamed with a cabinet, the "Marshall stack" was born, becoming the defining feature in rock bands' backlines for generations to come.
Virtually every major guitarist has used Marshall amps at one time or another, and giant arrays of Marshall cabs – often suggested to be empty boxes, with no actual amplification purposes – have become key stage props for generations of metal bands, especially.
Among the musicians paying their respects to the late innovator was former Guns N' Roses guitarist Slash, who tweeted: "The news of Jim Marshall passing is deeply saddening. R & R will never be the same w/out him. But, his amps will live on FOREVER!"
(Excerpt) Read more at guardian.co.uk ...
As Clapton and Hendrix clearly demonstrated, an electric guitar plugged into a wall of dimed Plexis is the definitive sound of classic rock.
I have worn several out in another life.
LLS
The accostic set in heaven has just ended!
"I said, REST IN PEACE AND THANKS FOR ALL THE MEMORIES!!!"
"What? I can't hear you... Let me turn this down a bit..."
"It goes to 11."
The accostic set in heaven has just ended!
Did you turn them up to 11? I knew this electronics guy who got his start soldering wires for Apollo rockets and NASA. His name (I think he’s still around) was/is John “Dawk” Stillwell of Freeville NY. He had his own business called Dawk Sound Limited. He specialized in amp mods. Ritchie Blackmore, Keith Emerson, and Chris Squires were among his clientele. Back in the ‘70’s Jim Marshall even came stateside to see what Dawk was doing to his amplifiers. Many of the mods became production items.
Ping to you for the FR headbangers’ ping list.
Dammit that was my line!
So, why not just make 10 the highest number.......
I'm proud to own a British-made Dual Super Lead 50 watt.
One day I'll convince my wife that I really need a 100 watt plexi full stack in the bedroom. That's my dream anyways!
A number of years ago a young woman told me she had gone to a rock concert over the weekend. “Was it good?” I asked. “Oh yeah,” she replied, “We had blood coming out of our ears!”
Isn’t he the guy who ran 70 yards the wrong way for the Minnesota Vikings?
The inventor of Marshall Law??
RIP Mr. Marshall, you created a well designed product albeit with the known limitations an amp/speaker for audio generation.
A pipe organ can run at full volume all day long with ZERO distortion which cannot be said of ANY amp/speaker combination as there is always some inter-modulation distortion.
Unfortunately there are a few instruments a Theater Organ cannot play/emulate and one of those very few is a guitar.
With a 10HP blower I have the potential of well over 7000 watts of distortion free sound.
Loved Rock before the electronic guitar and the DELIBERATE distortion introduced by the Fuzz Box.
Also, the beloved “Wall Of Sound” is only wonderful for hiding the voices of humans and individual instruments be they good or bad voices.
But as anyone who has seen a McDonalds/Burger King/Microsoft bottom line, mediocrity can be very profitable.
“So, why not just make 10 the highest number.......”
But.... these go to 11!
The hearing aid industry owes this man an enormous debt.
RIP Mr. Marshall.
He died and went to 11...
“A pipe organ can run at full volume all day long with ZERO distortion which cannot be said of ANY amp/speaker combination as there is always some inter-modulation distortion.”
Unfortunately, the same can’t be said about the buildings housing the organ. I swear I saw St. Patrick’s Cathedral in NY shake when they hit the low notes. :)
R.I.P. Jim Marshll.
Marshall was no doubt the definitive guitar amp. Sunn made the first bass guitar amp that couldn’t be drowned out by the Marshalls and Fenders. Now Sunn is just part of the Fender empire.
http://jarod-rhoades.suite101.com/the-legendary-sunn-amplifier-and-its-origins-a350306
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