On The Bench - Steve Howe (Yes / Asia) 1967 Marshall Super Lead Amplifier

This is a very special edition of "On The Bench" featuring a marvelous 1967 Marshall Super Lead amplifier with '68 100 cabinet formerly owned by the maestro, Mr Steve Howe of Yes and Asia. We left it largely "as found" but did a few little changes to help it along.

[@coffeecupman]

Thanks so much for this. I have a Super PA from this era and it is really hard to find an internal walk through like this. It helped me a great deal.

[@GranvilleGuitars]

Excellent! I'm glad you found it useful.

[@thebobhollyband]

The dark brown resistors that are not shiny are actually stock. They are a British resistor made by Allen Bradley and are are slightly different then the American version..

[@budandbean1]

Always enjoy looking at a great amps with a interesting provenance. Just thinking of what might have been played of been played through that amplifier and speaker is really cool. I thought it was pretty nice leaving so many of the original components, as long as it is working but glad you worked on that bias stage. Nice to be able to adjust the tubes again instead of balancing them with a resistor. Really wonderful video!

[@TeleCustom72]

Nice basketweave cab. Interesting that those cabs had bracing both horizontally AND vertically, plus the centre post. The rubber pad on the end of the centre post is something I’ve seen before on these early cabs, so I’d be inclined to say it’s original.

[@soapboxearth2]

You'll see those RS caps in early marshalls before they used mustard caps. Even in the prototypes, i think?? Also, it was common for them to use whatever they had on hand. They could easily be original to the amp, even if the amp before that one had mustards. I remember Dave Friedman talking about coming across an original that had .1uf coupling caps throughout ,in places you'd usually see .022uf and resistor values all over the place... you got what you got with early marshalls.. Also I have a feeling the RS caps were discontinued in the mid-60s ??

[@billbramlett206]

I’m curious as to why you chose just the normal channel to play through. The bright one (sometimes labeled high treble) is where the treble bypass cap and all the crunch is. I’ve had one of these since 1974 and used to jumper them. The normal channel is always way too dark to use alone. But great video, thanks for sharing such a special find.

[@GranvilleGuitars]

It sounded better.

[@joshuahymer15]

Looked like a smooth plate telefunken in V2. Great tune in that position

[@chokkan7]

I've enjoyed watching your vids; you know your stuff. I have a question: when you talk about 'swirl', I'm not sure just what you mean. I've heard from different sources that it's a desirable thing, and then I've heard it's a sign of other problems, so I'm a bit confused.

[@overtone85]

Those seem to be 30w g12h greenbacks, t1281 is the 55hz bass cone. Your mic was not a sm57 was it?

[@GranvilleGuitars]

overtone85 - you are correct, sir. The 100 cabinets generally had the 30 watt speakers. Very sharp ears there. The mic on the cabinet was indeed a Shure SM57.

[@jamesnewlyn1803]

2" OPT Transformer. Typically would see the 1.5" of that era. Very interesting.

[@brianneill3609]

tranny is correct.The 2" Drakes we`re in the JTM 100 watt heads and the first JMP heads up until around November 1967. The 1.5 " Dagnalls appeared in the 12000 series heads late `67 early `68

[@echoluxe2022]

Of course Peter Banks and Chris Squire played tons of Marshall gear, when would Steve have actually played a Marshall?

[@GranvilleGuitars]

ECHOLUXE - Proir to joining Yes.

[@echoluxe2022]

Interesting, I bet it sounded great@@GranvilleGuitars

[@douro20]

Olive drab magnet cans...

[@islanderwinder]

Mustards all removed = big decrease in value ...AS ALWAYS GREAT VIDEO ....Scooter

[@MrAletube]

If they were leaking it was the only way to go to actually use it

[@someoneelse101]

If they were leaking the amp could potentially have caught fire

[@TeleCustom72]

Mustard caps rarely go leaky in my experience. I think this amp probably ran into a tech that shot-gunned them unfortunately.

[@islanderwinder]

@@TeleCustom72 One of those Non Musician tech's

[@regortex3364]

I’d rather have a playable amp than an item coveted by a collector, never to be used for it’s intended purpose again.