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In trying to grasp parts of the Phaez circuits based on Marshalls, I realized I needed schooling in the sequence of Marshall models. Apologies if this has already been posted, and additions / corrections are always welcome.
It came from History | Marshall Amps which has a lot of cool pictures. Additional information from Wikipedia.
1923
The Birth of Jim Marshall
On July 29th, 1923, James Charles Marshall was born in Kensington, England. Suffering from Tuberculosis of the bones Jim spent much of his young life in hospital and plaster casts. Despite no formal education Jim worked for his father, among many other jobs, during his teenage years - working whenever and wherever he could.
In the 1940s Jim began playing the drums professionally and performed regularly as a big band drummer. This led to him opening his own drum school in 1953, teaching Mitch Mitchell (The Jimi Hendrix Experience), Micky Burt (Chas and Dave), Micky Waller (Little Richard), and Nicky Underwood (Ritchie Blackmore) among many others.
1962
The First Marshall Shop
On Thursday July 7th, 1962, Jim Marshall and Son music shop opened its doors at 76 Uxbridge Road, Hanwell, London. Opened by Jim's old drum teacher, Max Abrams, the shop sold a variety of musical instruments, from brass and woodwind, to Jim's favourite - drums.
It was here where Jim met many guitarists, like Pete Townshend and Ritchie Blackmore, who persuaded him to stock guitars and amplifiers in his shop. And it was through talking with this new breed of rock 'n' roll guitarist that Jim realised they couldn't find the sound they were looking for. So Jim decided to give them what they wanted, and with his small team began to produce Marshall amplifiers.
1962
Number One
In September 1962, the very first Marshall amplifier, affectionately named 'number one', was created after a series of prototypes. 'Number one' was the forerunner of the legendary JTM45.
Placed in the window of Jim's shop, twenty three orders were taken on the very first day. The rest, as they say, is history.
'Number One' today resides under glass in the Marshall museum.
1965
The Birth of the Marshall Stack
In 1965 The Who were performing in increasingly larger venues and their Vox amplifiers and speakers were simply not loud enough. Pete Townshend and John Entwhistle of The Who wanted more volume to be loud enough to compete with the drums, and loud enough to make sure The Who had their audiences undivided attention.
Pete discussed the problem of not being able to get the volume he was looking for with his friend and ally Jim Marshall, and Jim set to work with his small team of engineers on solving the problem. Jim and his teams solution was to created the first 100 Watt Marshall amplifier, the Super 100 head, and the colossal Marshall 8 x 12 speaker cabinet.
The 8 x 12, while devastatingly effective, proved too cumbersome to transport around easily. So Jim and Pete came up with a practical solution - stack two 4 x 12" cabs together. And so the Marshall stack was born.
Over the past half century the Marshall stack has played a significant role in defining the sound of rock music, with the image of a wall of Marshall stacks onstage being one of the most enduring in rock history.
1966
The 100 Watt Series
While the nickname 'Plexi' describes all plexiglass paneled Marshall amplifiers built between late 1965 and July 1969 it is mostly associated with one particular amplifier that changed rock music forever: the 1959 Super Lead.
Evolving from the Super 100 head favoured by The Who, the 1959 became the amplifier of choice for Cream, The Jimi Hendrix Experience, Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple and many more to follow. Also, the popularity of the 'Plexi' was aided by the fact that PA systems were still in their infancy - and groups needed louder amps to fill bigger venues.
1967
Marshall Major - The Pig
The Marshall Major (Model 1967; also nicknamed "Pig") was introduced in 1967 as the "Marshall 200" (in reference to the wattage of the amplifier). It had a plexi panel and four inputs in two channels, but in contrast with the 100 watt heads made by Marshall, the first series it had active tone controls. For the second series, in late 1968, Marshall reverted to passive tone controls, and was called "Marshall Major" on the back panel.
1969
Jimi Hendrix and Marshall
One of Marshall's greatest ambassadors, Jimi Hendrix made history with his legendary 1969 performance at Woodstock.
According to Hendrix, Meeting Jim was beyond groovy for me. It was such a relief to talk to someone who knows and cares about sound. I love my Marshall Amps; I am nothing without them!"
And in Jim's own words, During the mid '60s a lot of well-known and up-and-coming guitarists used to visit me and see me at my music shop in Hanwell, West London, but theres one particular visitor that Ill never forget. His name was James Marshall Hendrix and he quickly became the greatest ambassador my amplifiers have ever had. Jimis playing is still the best ever and heaven above knows what hed be doing if he was still with us today. Plus his showmanship was just fantastic! Jimis talent was so extraordinary that he didnt only influence his generation; hes influenced every single generation since then.
1975
2203 and 2204 Master Volume
Introduced in 1975 the legendary 2203 and 2204 master volume models provided the driven, harmonically distorted Marshall sound without having to play ear-splittingly loud. This was achieved by dividing the amplifier's preamp and power amp stage for more detailed control of the gain-structure.
Initially called the "JMP" ("Jim Marshall Products"). This was in response to the demand for yet more distortion, and many had been modifying the amps for years by connecting the two input stages in series rather than parallel as in the original Marshalls. A master volume was introduced to make the volume levels more manageable. Per Rick Reinckens, who was a short-term Unicord employee electronic technician who tested the first units when they arrived from England, Tony Frank, Unicord's chief design engineer, came up with the idea for a dual-volume-control. This gave the new breed of Marshalls a different voice, more cutting and edgy. The 1959 and 1987 non-master volume models also continued under the JMP line, but their voicing became slightly harder/brighter during the 1970s.
The 2203 became the standard by which other rock amplifiers were judged, and remained so for the whole of its fifteen year production life.
1981
JCM 800
With a revised distribution system and new self-confidence the JCM800 Series was introduced in 1981. With its bold new look the JCM800 quickly became renowned for it aggressive 'modern' sound.
Soon after the Rose-Morris deal had ended in late 1980, Marshall repackaged two MV models, the 2203 and the 2204 (at 100 and 50 watts, respectively), along with the 1959 and 1987 non-master volume Super Lead in a new box with a new panel, and called it the "JCM800" series (named after his initials and the registration plate of his car). Marshall made several amplifiers under the JCM800 name.
Both the new distribution system and the cosmetic redesign lowered costs and made the new series affordable for a whole new breed of young bands, spreading from Punk to New Wave to the evolving Heavy Metal scene.
1987
The Silver Jubilee
A landmark year for Jim Marshall, marking 25 years in the amplifier business and 50 years in music. This was honoured with the creation of the Silver Jubilee Series, consisting of the 2555, 100 Watt head, 2550, 50 Watt head, and other 25xx models in the range.
Based on the JCM800, this limited edition series looked stunning in its silver vinyl and chrome-plated control panels. It remains ever popular and is still sought after by collectors and enthusiasts the world over.
1990s
JCM900
In the 1990s, Marshall updated its product line again with the JCM900 series. This move by Marshall was again an outgrowth of musicians' desires, featuring more distortion than ever and retaining popular aspects of the late JCM800 models. However, despite such marketing claims they were not as hi-gain as advertised and lacked a full gain stage. Marshall rectified this with the SL-X series.
The early JCM900 range featured the 4100 (a split channel, dual reverb head descended from the 2210), and the 4500 (same in a 50 watt configuration), along with the usual range of combos along the same lines. It also featured a single-channel descendant of the 2203/2204 line (the 2100 or 2500 Mark III), which is now quite rare and was essentially replaced by the SL-X (2100 or 2500 Mark IV) in the early 1990s itself quite rare in EL34 form. Although the EL34 had at this time begun to return to prominence, a number of these were shipped with 5881 valves, a now uncommon valve similar in tone and build to a 6L6. Most of the JCM900s and 6100s built between 19941998 left the factory with the 5881s.
1991
Valvestate Technology
The Valvestate Series included a variety of configurations, including the highly popular 8080, 80 Watt combo the best selling Marshall combo ever - and 8100, 100 Watt head, and was used by many Metal guitarists during the early 1990s.
1992
30th Anniversary Series
The 30th Anniversary Series was described by Guitar Player magazine as "an encyclopedia of classic Marshall tones". And today some of the 30th Anniversary's infamous tones still live on in the Joe Satriani Signature JVM4. Enough said.
1997
White Anniversary Series
Commemorating 35 years in the business, in 1997 250 limited edition amplifiers were produced, clad in stunning white vinyl. The series included the following legendary amplifiers:
1959 WSP head - 100 Watt Super Lead Plexi
1987X WSP head - re-issue of first 50 watt Super Lead
1962 WSP combo amp - 2x12 'Bluesbreaker' re-issue
1060AX WSP cabinet - 4 x1 2" angled cabinet loaded with Celestion G12, 25 watt Greenback speakers with salt and pepper fret cloth
PB100 WSP Power Brake - in white to match the other 35th anniversary models
1998
JCM2000
Split into the two- and three-channel series, known as the Dual and Triple Super Leads. These amps are a continuation of the JCM800 and 900 series, although the controversial diode clipping circuit used in the later 800 and 900 amps has been removed in favour of additional valve gain stages. Although lumped together as JCM2000 models the DSL and the TSL have different circuits and are more distantly related than the model range suggests. The DSL is an extension of the JCM800 series with several changes including dual reverb controls and is generally considered to be an excellent workhorse although it lacks the direct foot switching of all 4 possible channel options - clean/crunch/OD1 and OD2 - instead it only offers 2 channel switching and both channels share the same tone knobs.
Marshall looked towards a new flagship to nail all the compromising of the earlier models, the JVM, made in a variety of models and ranges. These amps have up to four channels, each with three-foot-switchable modes, dual master volumes, reverb controls for each channel, and a foot-switchable effects loop. These features can be programmed into the standard foot-switch to be foot-switchable as "patches", so now the user can switch from, say, a clean channel with a chorus in the effects loop and reverb, to a medium-gain rhythm sound with no effects, to a high-gain lead sound with boosted output volume, with one click of the foot-switch per sound. The JVM range consists of a 100-watt four-channel head (JVM 410H ), JVM 410C (2x12" speaker combo), a 100-watt two-channel head (JVM 210H, used by Joe Satriani for some time), JVM 210C (2x12" speaker combo) and 50-watt versions of these (JVM 205H (head), JVM215C (1x12" speaker combo) and JVM205C (2x12" speaker combo), respectively).
Effects Pedal Series
Marshall's history in FX pedals stems back to the 1980s, with the release of the original Guv'nor, and then the BluesBreaker, DriveMaster and ShredMaster in the early 1990s.
Returning with a sleek chrome look, the current compact pedal range was released in 1998. Featuring three overdrive/distortion pedals in the GV-2 Guv'nor, the BB-2 Bluesbreaker II, and the JH-1 Jackhammer, and others including the VT-1 Vibratrem, ED-1 Compressor, EH-1 Echohead Delay, RF-1 Reflector Reverb and RG-1 Regenerator Modulation pedal.
Still in production today, and still as popular as ever.
2003
Mode Four Series
None more Metal, the Marshall Mode Four was released in response to evolving playing styles in Hard Rock/Metal music in the late 1990s and early 2000s, with more guitarists opting for drop tunings and heavier guitar sounds.
In keeping with Jim's ethos of always building what the customer wants, he developed and launched the Mode Four in 2003 - a 350 Watt beast that accompanied taller, 400 Watt speaker cabinets with brushed aluminium script logos.
With a valve driven preamp and solid-state power amp, this hybrid beast quickly became the amp of choice for guitarists such as Mike Mushok of Staind, John 5, Dave Navarro and Daron Malakian of System of a Down.
2005
40 Years of Loud
2005 marked 40 years of the Marshall stack. Still going strong after four decades, the stack had become one of the few genuine rock icons.
2007
JVM Launch
The all-valve JVM Series was launched in 2007 and set a new industry standard for tonal and functional versatility.
From Guitar World Magazine: "Marshall's JVM410H houses a virtual encyclopedia of Marshall's finest stock and modified rock tones, including stout 'Plexi' power, stock JCM800 crunch and modified JCM800 high-gain insanity... [it] may just be the most significant Marshall amp since the JCM800." High praise indeed.
Around the same time as the release of the JVM, Marshall also released an amp called the Vintage Modern, which is designed to be much simpler, with a single channel and designed to be controlled more by the player's style and guitar than by channel switching or multiple settings, reminiscent of the vintage "Plexi" and JCM800 range, but with modern conveniences such as foot-switchable dynamic ranges (distortion levels), effects loop and reverb. The Vintage Modern series consists of the 2466 100-watt head and 2266 50-watt head with matching combos and a matching cabinet loaded with G12C 25-watt Greenbacks. The Vintage Modern is the first Marshall since the late 1960s to be powered by KT66s, a European version of the 6L6 tube.
2010
Marshall Headphones released
With years of amplifier design and manufacturing knowledge under its belt, Marshall entered the headphones market in 2010 with the aim of bringing Marshall brand quality to a new set of products, and a new audience.
The Minor, Major and Monitor headphones have been a huge success, featuring in-ear, over-ear and on-ear options, invoking the spirit of classic Marshall amplifiers, with the white script logo, black vinyl covering and heavy duty hinges & plugs, making them as roadworthy as the amps they are inspired by.
2011
Class 5
In response to customer demand for lower power amplifiers, in 2011 Marshall released the 5 Watt, Class 5 Series.
Basic, but brilliant, with just Volume, Treble, Middle and Bass controls, and with two ECC83s and a single EL84 in the power stage - the Class 5 was a true Class A valve amplifier, evoking the tones of historic Marshall amplifiers.
Classic crunch and drive, the Class 5 was a simple, beautiful and British-made classic.
2012
As of 2012 Marshall produced a wide range of amps with the look and sound of the Marshall valve amp. The longest running of such models is the JCM2000 range, which is split into the two- and three-channel series, known as the Dual and Triple Super Leads. These amps are a continuation of the JCM800 and 900 series, although the controversial diode clipping circuit used in the later 800 and 900 amps has been removed in favour of additional valve gain stages. Although lumped together as JCM2000 models the DSL and the TSL have different circuits and are more distantly related than the model range suggests. The DSL is an extension of the JCM800 series with several changes including dual reverb controls and is generally considered to be an excellent workhorse although it lacks the direct foot switching of all 4 possible channel options - clean/crunch/OD1 and OD2 - instead it only offers 2 channel switching and both channels share the same tone knobs.
Launch of Marshall Speakers
First headphones, what next? After 50 years in the business we took our legacy of loud from the stage to your home or work place, with the release of our music speaker range.
Named after significant London areas in the history of Marshall, the Hanwell and Stanmore feature signature Marshall design details including script logos, fret cloth, vinyl covering and gold metal finishing.
Detailed audio reproduction with classic Marshall looks.
2012
50th Anniversary
"The great thing about Jim is he's one of a handful of people in this world who've created something that's the standard of the industry. He's the man that's provided us with a great amp for about 50 years now. And not too many people can say that about anything. It really is few and far between to be able to provide a product that caters to the masses the way that Marshall has. Especially with the amount of integrity it's maintained all these years" - Slash
In 2012 we celebrated our Golden Anniversary and 50 years of loud.
With a mammoth concert held at London's Wembley Arena, featuring Joe Satriani, Paul Gilbert, Yngwie Malmsteen, Zakk Wylde, Kerry King, Doug Aldrich, Billy Duffy, Phil Campbell, Glenn Hughes, Corey Taylor, Nicko McBrain, Mike Portnoy and Brian Tichy among others - 50 Years of Loud Live was the only way to celebrate.
Throughout the year, a series of commemorative 1-Watt heads and combos were released, paying tonal and visual homage to classic Marshall's developed over the past 50 years. The 1960s were represented by the JTM-1, the 70s by the JMP-1, the 80s by the JCM-1, the 90s by the DSL-1, and the 00s by the JVM-1. Limited edition, and built only during the year of 2012, these truly are collectors items.
2012 was not only a celebration of 50 years in the business, but paid tribute to Mr Jim Marshall himself, who passed away in April 2012 .
2013
New products to Handwired Series
The Handwired Series of all-valve amplifiers celebrates the legacy of more than 50 years of Marshall's influence on the sound of rock and British blues music.
First launched in the 90s, this year saw four new products enter this series; 1973X, 1958X, 2245THW and the 1962HW.
These handcrafted re-issues capture in detail the authentic, legendary sound of Marshall.
2014
20 years of the Acoustic Series
A landmark year for one of our most understated and often surprising series, the AS Series of acoustic amplifiers.
Designed to meet the needs of all acoustic instrument players, this impressive series of amplifiers hasn't changed much in 20 years - because it hasn't needed to.
With a range of microphone and instrument inputs, built-in FX and EQ controls, these exceptionally clean and beautifully finished amps are probably some of the most popular acoustic amps in the world.
To celebrate 20 years of this incredible series, we released the AS50D in a stunning new Cream finish.
2014
Launch of the Design Store
2014 saw us open the doors on the Design Store - the go-to place for the Marshall amplifier of your dreams, customised to your specific requests.
With Factory Fitted and Special Product options, you can change the cosmetic look of your amplifier, including fret cloth and vinyl covering, and even the speakers, knobs, switches and panels
It came from History | Marshall Amps which has a lot of cool pictures. Additional information from Wikipedia.
1923
The Birth of Jim Marshall
On July 29th, 1923, James Charles Marshall was born in Kensington, England. Suffering from Tuberculosis of the bones Jim spent much of his young life in hospital and plaster casts. Despite no formal education Jim worked for his father, among many other jobs, during his teenage years - working whenever and wherever he could.
In the 1940s Jim began playing the drums professionally and performed regularly as a big band drummer. This led to him opening his own drum school in 1953, teaching Mitch Mitchell (The Jimi Hendrix Experience), Micky Burt (Chas and Dave), Micky Waller (Little Richard), and Nicky Underwood (Ritchie Blackmore) among many others.
1962
The First Marshall Shop
On Thursday July 7th, 1962, Jim Marshall and Son music shop opened its doors at 76 Uxbridge Road, Hanwell, London. Opened by Jim's old drum teacher, Max Abrams, the shop sold a variety of musical instruments, from brass and woodwind, to Jim's favourite - drums.
It was here where Jim met many guitarists, like Pete Townshend and Ritchie Blackmore, who persuaded him to stock guitars and amplifiers in his shop. And it was through talking with this new breed of rock 'n' roll guitarist that Jim realised they couldn't find the sound they were looking for. So Jim decided to give them what they wanted, and with his small team began to produce Marshall amplifiers.
1962
Number One
In September 1962, the very first Marshall amplifier, affectionately named 'number one', was created after a series of prototypes. 'Number one' was the forerunner of the legendary JTM45.
Placed in the window of Jim's shop, twenty three orders were taken on the very first day. The rest, as they say, is history.
'Number One' today resides under glass in the Marshall museum.
1965
The Birth of the Marshall Stack
In 1965 The Who were performing in increasingly larger venues and their Vox amplifiers and speakers were simply not loud enough. Pete Townshend and John Entwhistle of The Who wanted more volume to be loud enough to compete with the drums, and loud enough to make sure The Who had their audiences undivided attention.
Pete discussed the problem of not being able to get the volume he was looking for with his friend and ally Jim Marshall, and Jim set to work with his small team of engineers on solving the problem. Jim and his teams solution was to created the first 100 Watt Marshall amplifier, the Super 100 head, and the colossal Marshall 8 x 12 speaker cabinet.
The 8 x 12, while devastatingly effective, proved too cumbersome to transport around easily. So Jim and Pete came up with a practical solution - stack two 4 x 12" cabs together. And so the Marshall stack was born.
Over the past half century the Marshall stack has played a significant role in defining the sound of rock music, with the image of a wall of Marshall stacks onstage being one of the most enduring in rock history.
1966
The 100 Watt Series
While the nickname 'Plexi' describes all plexiglass paneled Marshall amplifiers built between late 1965 and July 1969 it is mostly associated with one particular amplifier that changed rock music forever: the 1959 Super Lead.
Evolving from the Super 100 head favoured by The Who, the 1959 became the amplifier of choice for Cream, The Jimi Hendrix Experience, Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple and many more to follow. Also, the popularity of the 'Plexi' was aided by the fact that PA systems were still in their infancy - and groups needed louder amps to fill bigger venues.
1967
Marshall Major - The Pig
The Marshall Major (Model 1967; also nicknamed "Pig") was introduced in 1967 as the "Marshall 200" (in reference to the wattage of the amplifier). It had a plexi panel and four inputs in two channels, but in contrast with the 100 watt heads made by Marshall, the first series it had active tone controls. For the second series, in late 1968, Marshall reverted to passive tone controls, and was called "Marshall Major" on the back panel.
1969
Jimi Hendrix and Marshall
One of Marshall's greatest ambassadors, Jimi Hendrix made history with his legendary 1969 performance at Woodstock.
According to Hendrix, Meeting Jim was beyond groovy for me. It was such a relief to talk to someone who knows and cares about sound. I love my Marshall Amps; I am nothing without them!"
And in Jim's own words, During the mid '60s a lot of well-known and up-and-coming guitarists used to visit me and see me at my music shop in Hanwell, West London, but theres one particular visitor that Ill never forget. His name was James Marshall Hendrix and he quickly became the greatest ambassador my amplifiers have ever had. Jimis playing is still the best ever and heaven above knows what hed be doing if he was still with us today. Plus his showmanship was just fantastic! Jimis talent was so extraordinary that he didnt only influence his generation; hes influenced every single generation since then.
1975
2203 and 2204 Master Volume
Introduced in 1975 the legendary 2203 and 2204 master volume models provided the driven, harmonically distorted Marshall sound without having to play ear-splittingly loud. This was achieved by dividing the amplifier's preamp and power amp stage for more detailed control of the gain-structure.
Initially called the "JMP" ("Jim Marshall Products"). This was in response to the demand for yet more distortion, and many had been modifying the amps for years by connecting the two input stages in series rather than parallel as in the original Marshalls. A master volume was introduced to make the volume levels more manageable. Per Rick Reinckens, who was a short-term Unicord employee electronic technician who tested the first units when they arrived from England, Tony Frank, Unicord's chief design engineer, came up with the idea for a dual-volume-control. This gave the new breed of Marshalls a different voice, more cutting and edgy. The 1959 and 1987 non-master volume models also continued under the JMP line, but their voicing became slightly harder/brighter during the 1970s.
The 2203 became the standard by which other rock amplifiers were judged, and remained so for the whole of its fifteen year production life.
1981
JCM 800
With a revised distribution system and new self-confidence the JCM800 Series was introduced in 1981. With its bold new look the JCM800 quickly became renowned for it aggressive 'modern' sound.
Soon after the Rose-Morris deal had ended in late 1980, Marshall repackaged two MV models, the 2203 and the 2204 (at 100 and 50 watts, respectively), along with the 1959 and 1987 non-master volume Super Lead in a new box with a new panel, and called it the "JCM800" series (named after his initials and the registration plate of his car). Marshall made several amplifiers under the JCM800 name.
Both the new distribution system and the cosmetic redesign lowered costs and made the new series affordable for a whole new breed of young bands, spreading from Punk to New Wave to the evolving Heavy Metal scene.
1987
The Silver Jubilee
A landmark year for Jim Marshall, marking 25 years in the amplifier business and 50 years in music. This was honoured with the creation of the Silver Jubilee Series, consisting of the 2555, 100 Watt head, 2550, 50 Watt head, and other 25xx models in the range.
Based on the JCM800, this limited edition series looked stunning in its silver vinyl and chrome-plated control panels. It remains ever popular and is still sought after by collectors and enthusiasts the world over.
1990s
JCM900
In the 1990s, Marshall updated its product line again with the JCM900 series. This move by Marshall was again an outgrowth of musicians' desires, featuring more distortion than ever and retaining popular aspects of the late JCM800 models. However, despite such marketing claims they were not as hi-gain as advertised and lacked a full gain stage. Marshall rectified this with the SL-X series.
The early JCM900 range featured the 4100 (a split channel, dual reverb head descended from the 2210), and the 4500 (same in a 50 watt configuration), along with the usual range of combos along the same lines. It also featured a single-channel descendant of the 2203/2204 line (the 2100 or 2500 Mark III), which is now quite rare and was essentially replaced by the SL-X (2100 or 2500 Mark IV) in the early 1990s itself quite rare in EL34 form. Although the EL34 had at this time begun to return to prominence, a number of these were shipped with 5881 valves, a now uncommon valve similar in tone and build to a 6L6. Most of the JCM900s and 6100s built between 19941998 left the factory with the 5881s.
1991
Valvestate Technology
The Valvestate Series included a variety of configurations, including the highly popular 8080, 80 Watt combo the best selling Marshall combo ever - and 8100, 100 Watt head, and was used by many Metal guitarists during the early 1990s.
1992
30th Anniversary Series
The 30th Anniversary Series was described by Guitar Player magazine as "an encyclopedia of classic Marshall tones". And today some of the 30th Anniversary's infamous tones still live on in the Joe Satriani Signature JVM4. Enough said.
1997
White Anniversary Series
Commemorating 35 years in the business, in 1997 250 limited edition amplifiers were produced, clad in stunning white vinyl. The series included the following legendary amplifiers:
1959 WSP head - 100 Watt Super Lead Plexi
1987X WSP head - re-issue of first 50 watt Super Lead
1962 WSP combo amp - 2x12 'Bluesbreaker' re-issue
1060AX WSP cabinet - 4 x1 2" angled cabinet loaded with Celestion G12, 25 watt Greenback speakers with salt and pepper fret cloth
PB100 WSP Power Brake - in white to match the other 35th anniversary models
1998
JCM2000
Split into the two- and three-channel series, known as the Dual and Triple Super Leads. These amps are a continuation of the JCM800 and 900 series, although the controversial diode clipping circuit used in the later 800 and 900 amps has been removed in favour of additional valve gain stages. Although lumped together as JCM2000 models the DSL and the TSL have different circuits and are more distantly related than the model range suggests. The DSL is an extension of the JCM800 series with several changes including dual reverb controls and is generally considered to be an excellent workhorse although it lacks the direct foot switching of all 4 possible channel options - clean/crunch/OD1 and OD2 - instead it only offers 2 channel switching and both channels share the same tone knobs.
Marshall looked towards a new flagship to nail all the compromising of the earlier models, the JVM, made in a variety of models and ranges. These amps have up to four channels, each with three-foot-switchable modes, dual master volumes, reverb controls for each channel, and a foot-switchable effects loop. These features can be programmed into the standard foot-switch to be foot-switchable as "patches", so now the user can switch from, say, a clean channel with a chorus in the effects loop and reverb, to a medium-gain rhythm sound with no effects, to a high-gain lead sound with boosted output volume, with one click of the foot-switch per sound. The JVM range consists of a 100-watt four-channel head (JVM 410H ), JVM 410C (2x12" speaker combo), a 100-watt two-channel head (JVM 210H, used by Joe Satriani for some time), JVM 210C (2x12" speaker combo) and 50-watt versions of these (JVM 205H (head), JVM215C (1x12" speaker combo) and JVM205C (2x12" speaker combo), respectively).
Effects Pedal Series
Marshall's history in FX pedals stems back to the 1980s, with the release of the original Guv'nor, and then the BluesBreaker, DriveMaster and ShredMaster in the early 1990s.
Returning with a sleek chrome look, the current compact pedal range was released in 1998. Featuring three overdrive/distortion pedals in the GV-2 Guv'nor, the BB-2 Bluesbreaker II, and the JH-1 Jackhammer, and others including the VT-1 Vibratrem, ED-1 Compressor, EH-1 Echohead Delay, RF-1 Reflector Reverb and RG-1 Regenerator Modulation pedal.
Still in production today, and still as popular as ever.
2003
Mode Four Series
None more Metal, the Marshall Mode Four was released in response to evolving playing styles in Hard Rock/Metal music in the late 1990s and early 2000s, with more guitarists opting for drop tunings and heavier guitar sounds.
In keeping with Jim's ethos of always building what the customer wants, he developed and launched the Mode Four in 2003 - a 350 Watt beast that accompanied taller, 400 Watt speaker cabinets with brushed aluminium script logos.
With a valve driven preamp and solid-state power amp, this hybrid beast quickly became the amp of choice for guitarists such as Mike Mushok of Staind, John 5, Dave Navarro and Daron Malakian of System of a Down.
2005
40 Years of Loud
2005 marked 40 years of the Marshall stack. Still going strong after four decades, the stack had become one of the few genuine rock icons.
2007
JVM Launch
The all-valve JVM Series was launched in 2007 and set a new industry standard for tonal and functional versatility.
From Guitar World Magazine: "Marshall's JVM410H houses a virtual encyclopedia of Marshall's finest stock and modified rock tones, including stout 'Plexi' power, stock JCM800 crunch and modified JCM800 high-gain insanity... [it] may just be the most significant Marshall amp since the JCM800." High praise indeed.
Around the same time as the release of the JVM, Marshall also released an amp called the Vintage Modern, which is designed to be much simpler, with a single channel and designed to be controlled more by the player's style and guitar than by channel switching or multiple settings, reminiscent of the vintage "Plexi" and JCM800 range, but with modern conveniences such as foot-switchable dynamic ranges (distortion levels), effects loop and reverb. The Vintage Modern series consists of the 2466 100-watt head and 2266 50-watt head with matching combos and a matching cabinet loaded with G12C 25-watt Greenbacks. The Vintage Modern is the first Marshall since the late 1960s to be powered by KT66s, a European version of the 6L6 tube.
2010
Marshall Headphones released
With years of amplifier design and manufacturing knowledge under its belt, Marshall entered the headphones market in 2010 with the aim of bringing Marshall brand quality to a new set of products, and a new audience.
The Minor, Major and Monitor headphones have been a huge success, featuring in-ear, over-ear and on-ear options, invoking the spirit of classic Marshall amplifiers, with the white script logo, black vinyl covering and heavy duty hinges & plugs, making them as roadworthy as the amps they are inspired by.
2011
Class 5
In response to customer demand for lower power amplifiers, in 2011 Marshall released the 5 Watt, Class 5 Series.
Basic, but brilliant, with just Volume, Treble, Middle and Bass controls, and with two ECC83s and a single EL84 in the power stage - the Class 5 was a true Class A valve amplifier, evoking the tones of historic Marshall amplifiers.
Classic crunch and drive, the Class 5 was a simple, beautiful and British-made classic.
2012
As of 2012 Marshall produced a wide range of amps with the look and sound of the Marshall valve amp. The longest running of such models is the JCM2000 range, which is split into the two- and three-channel series, known as the Dual and Triple Super Leads. These amps are a continuation of the JCM800 and 900 series, although the controversial diode clipping circuit used in the later 800 and 900 amps has been removed in favour of additional valve gain stages. Although lumped together as JCM2000 models the DSL and the TSL have different circuits and are more distantly related than the model range suggests. The DSL is an extension of the JCM800 series with several changes including dual reverb controls and is generally considered to be an excellent workhorse although it lacks the direct foot switching of all 4 possible channel options - clean/crunch/OD1 and OD2 - instead it only offers 2 channel switching and both channels share the same tone knobs.
Launch of Marshall Speakers
First headphones, what next? After 50 years in the business we took our legacy of loud from the stage to your home or work place, with the release of our music speaker range.
Named after significant London areas in the history of Marshall, the Hanwell and Stanmore feature signature Marshall design details including script logos, fret cloth, vinyl covering and gold metal finishing.
Detailed audio reproduction with classic Marshall looks.
2012
50th Anniversary
"The great thing about Jim is he's one of a handful of people in this world who've created something that's the standard of the industry. He's the man that's provided us with a great amp for about 50 years now. And not too many people can say that about anything. It really is few and far between to be able to provide a product that caters to the masses the way that Marshall has. Especially with the amount of integrity it's maintained all these years" - Slash
In 2012 we celebrated our Golden Anniversary and 50 years of loud.
With a mammoth concert held at London's Wembley Arena, featuring Joe Satriani, Paul Gilbert, Yngwie Malmsteen, Zakk Wylde, Kerry King, Doug Aldrich, Billy Duffy, Phil Campbell, Glenn Hughes, Corey Taylor, Nicko McBrain, Mike Portnoy and Brian Tichy among others - 50 Years of Loud Live was the only way to celebrate.
Throughout the year, a series of commemorative 1-Watt heads and combos were released, paying tonal and visual homage to classic Marshall's developed over the past 50 years. The 1960s were represented by the JTM-1, the 70s by the JMP-1, the 80s by the JCM-1, the 90s by the DSL-1, and the 00s by the JVM-1. Limited edition, and built only during the year of 2012, these truly are collectors items.
2012 was not only a celebration of 50 years in the business, but paid tribute to Mr Jim Marshall himself, who passed away in April 2012 .
2013
New products to Handwired Series
The Handwired Series of all-valve amplifiers celebrates the legacy of more than 50 years of Marshall's influence on the sound of rock and British blues music.
First launched in the 90s, this year saw four new products enter this series; 1973X, 1958X, 2245THW and the 1962HW.
These handcrafted re-issues capture in detail the authentic, legendary sound of Marshall.
2014
20 years of the Acoustic Series
A landmark year for one of our most understated and often surprising series, the AS Series of acoustic amplifiers.
Designed to meet the needs of all acoustic instrument players, this impressive series of amplifiers hasn't changed much in 20 years - because it hasn't needed to.
With a range of microphone and instrument inputs, built-in FX and EQ controls, these exceptionally clean and beautifully finished amps are probably some of the most popular acoustic amps in the world.
To celebrate 20 years of this incredible series, we released the AS50D in a stunning new Cream finish.
2014
Launch of the Design Store
2014 saw us open the doors on the Design Store - the go-to place for the Marshall amplifier of your dreams, customised to your specific requests.
With Factory Fitted and Special Product options, you can change the cosmetic look of your amplifier, including fret cloth and vinyl covering, and even the speakers, knobs, switches and panels
