RANT - WHY MARSHALL WILL FAIL

I don't have all the information and these are just my thoughts and speculations. I'd be happy to be proven wrong!
#marshall #marshallamplification #marshallgroup
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[@GearZenChannel]

The problem is that no company is satisfied anymore with just making good products for a fair price and employing great people at a competitive wage. Every company now must always be growing, which is why we have the shittification of everything.

[@walth9092]

Excellent summation! Too many of these companies becoming owned by conglomerates who worried more about there port folios than the companies making the products so there portfolios can grow. Everyone seems to want to get rich over night, at the smallest cost possible. The music industry is fickle, and if you don't have a winning idea' it will show where the door is.

[@wangd000dle]

I wholeheartedly agree with all of this, and this applies to entertainment across the board, especially with movies and video games. It hurts everybody and only benefits the higher ups, even when they burn their companies to the ground with pure greed.

[@NintenDub]

It's cuz the investors own the companies, they want growth. It's all self inflicted. It'll all turn to shlt.but it'll come back around

[@arminbreuer7968]

What do you mean „now“? It‘s always been that way - that‘s capitalism. The growth imperative is baked into the cake. And yeah, the whole damn economic system sucks ass. No accountability of ecological impact („externalities“ they call it), no regard for anything except the bottom line, need for planned obsolescence, exploitation of workers … ready to become a marxist yet? Have your cake, or eat it, bro. 😁

[@Traumglanz]

Sure, but it works for venture capital. Though that strategy has zero chance to be successful for marshal. Mainly because you start with a great product for a great price, dominate the market and THAN you start to become shitty when you have the market in your pocket on both ends, supplies and customer side. Marshall was never and will never be in that position. And those Marshall headphones, the bt ones, were pretty shitty already, so instead of using that shittification and making everything and anything a subscription ... they just milk dry the brand till it's worth nothing. And afterwards the label will be used for some china shit before vanishing completely. See Nokia, etc

[@marmadukewinterbotham2599]

Best memory of my life: telephoning the Bletchley factory in the 1980s and asking if I could come and see the factory. Expected a polite refusal, of course. But no, and they gave me a date! I drove down and Jim's son Terry gave me a two hour detailed tour of the whole factory, and at the end he took me to Jim's office where Jim chatted away to me (even though he was obviously busy working at the time). Then he told Terry to fetch a load of items for me to take home, including a signed copy of the Marshall book, which I still cherish. A gentleman through and through and a great man.

[@briantost7125]

I did this very thing with Mike Soldano 18 yrs ago. Super chill guy and let me play a bunch of his amps. Even offered me a crazy deal on a sweet Avenger 100 amp with a minor ding where you don’t even see it. It would’ve been $1,200, which I did not have at that moment, but would go for 3x that now.

[@FrankOWahl]

I can go up to Toledo and knock on Reverend Guitar's door and those guys will open up excited to have a conversation and show us the shop. I emailed Morley support in the 2010's for some bulbs for that old chrome Vol Wah from the 70's and the guy was so excited that a 20 something had one he sent me a bag of them. There are great people in the industry still.

[@gercarey3261]

Totally jealous .... 🙂

[@PlatinumBlack90038]

Jim Marshall would always personally sign the Christmas cards he would reciprocate and have sent to me during the holidays. 🎄🎛✉🖊📬

[@Gayamongusballs]

Wow. Your best vid. Viking killer!!

[@Denver_Risley]

I'm seeing this disturbing trend in companies being bought by private equity firms which then drive the company into the dirt and make some kind of short-sell profit. These private equity firms, of course, have NOTHING to do with the companies they acquire and aren't serious about the company succeeding because of what they intend to do. This almost sounds like what you're describing.

[@malthus101]

hit the nail on the head - it's ALL about BlackRock profit andf takeover control these days.. in everything!!

[@mr.giggles4995]

They destroy everything they touch, it's horrifying.

[@JimBischoff1184]

It’s being done on purpose .

[@SeaOfMadness]

*cough* Gibson.

[@skeeterbodeen8326]

This happened to my job. The company was 100 yrs old. Bought out by S&P 100 company and within 3 yrs we lost all of bread and butter customers and now the plant is a sad shell of what it was.

[@honigdachs.]

Imagine if these highly paid business people were good at business.

[@DMSProduktions]

LOL! You WISH!

[@feanor70115]

Business school doesn't teach it's frat and sorority douceh students how to run a business well. It teaches them how to run it into the ground while paying shareholders.

[@guyfawkes8873]

The thing is... People with a drive to make good product normally don't go into business. They go into engineering or other creative fields like architecture, product design or traditional fields like joinery or smithing. People go to business school to learn how to make money. Money is itself their goal. And businesses that only prioritize money are, by and large, terrible businesses. Some of them unfortunately stay around for a very long time after making the shift from being 'good business' to 'terrible business'. Marshall, Gibson, Nvidia, Intel, Ford, and a trillion others come to mind. Most S&P 500 companies started with someone doing very good business. Then when they died, left, or forgot themselves, it shifted into money for moneys sake and became late-stage capitalism.

[@Smurfman256]

Lol who said anything about being good at business? Everything is a pump n dump now. Push for constant quarter over quarter over quarter growth to inflate the value of your stock, then the moment you hear the bubble start hissing, sell off all of your stock and get out Scott free before the company collapses.

[@DMSProduktions]

@@feanor70115 Douceh?

[@ScienceofLoud]

I might be biased on this, and even if I'm not it's probably already too late for them - but if Marshall can't immediately get connecting with online influencers in the guitar space, work towards building community interest and repairing the poor reputation they now have with guitarists, then anything else they do is a nonstarter. They need to very swiftly get a strategy together that will bring them in line with their competition, not just on modernising their product line, but on how they promote and build interest around it. Paying the magazines to gush about legacy is only reaching the old and nostalgia blinded at this stage. They NEED to be courting the people who are actively influencing the purchase of equipment that young bands use.

[@EytschPi42]

Word!

[@K707OR30]

I agree. I love Marshall amps but I’m into my 4th decade of existence so I’m old enough to have that nostalgia that they helped create, but I’m also young enough to where I struggle to see how they can make themselves relevant to the younger generations of guitarists. To Henning’s point, modeling isn’t the way for them. They’re way too late to the game on that because of market saturation and their image just doesn’t exude “we know modeling” when you compare them to Line6 or Fractal or Neural or whoever. I feel Fender, while they’re doing a better job of courting the younger crowd with EVH and some other brands they have, we’re too little too late with the Tone Master Pro modeler. All I can think is “nice of you to show up” or “better late than never…maybe?” with that one. I’m seriously worried for Marshall as a brand. I feel like they’re a victim of their own success/nostalgia and without a complete rebrand/facelift and doing something innovative, they’re going to fail. I don’t see how they make it in the future without alienating and cutting bait on those of us over 30-35 or so, as much as I hate to see “the Marshall I know” go the way of the dinosaur. I don’t think there’s another way.

[@thisdyingsoul76]

I agree. So many brands that have a "Marshall" based amp that is better than modern Marshall's. They need to get with the times, release a product that is not only relevant but also innovative. Give us the classic amps that are loved but also something new that competes with modern amplifiers by competitors

[@dm8579]

@@K707OR30 I don't think being late to the game is a problem. I do think there is room for a Marshall modeller as well as there is room for a Marshall speaker or a Marshall backpack. What they need to do is work on the interface side because that's where most modelers fail. What made Marshall so great in the 1960s was that Jim Marshall, Ken Bran and a few others worked with the guitar players who explained what they needed. This is how they must approach it today as well.

[@bassyey]

Young people don't have the money. Boomer money is still the best market. Gibson proves this.

[@TheOligoclonalBand]

Ironically, the piece of Marshall gear that could do well today is the JMP-1. The Friedman IR-X is more or less a modern version of it. The JMP-1, updated a bit soundwise, with Two Notes technology and an editor would still sell, I think. The state of Marshall is sad. I remember the Musikmesses, when Jim Marshall surrounded himself with the greatest players.

[@zacharysmithingell5460]

Ooooooh, that's a good call. Hope *someone* at marshall sees this comment or its equivalent somewhere.

[@roberteismann1929]

Except that the JMP 1 is fully transistor. Take the valves out and the preamp still works.

[@vibrevtonez2421]

Love the JMP-1, but in my experience (owned both) is the JVM can copy all those tones the pretty easily. What they need is a 20w JVM made in Vietnam to compliment the DSL20

[@craigoriopequeño505]

Don’t forget the JVM1 with its (5) tubes…

[@TheOligoclonalBand]

@@roberteismann1929 Still sounds good.

[@eoinc_Ire]

And… Like ToneKing, build an attenuator into your 50w or 100w amps… work with ToneKing or Fryette…. And go back to sourcing English parts! It’s why we still have Marshall amps from the 60’s that work ( with a capacitor change … ) but the big stuff ( output transformer!) in those were 100% quality.

[@PainkillerX12]

I 100% agree, we get it, they can't really deviate from "the Marshall sound" as Marshall but if they want to be relevant again, they need to reissue their old amps but with modern features. The 2203X is exactly the same as the 1982 one except it has crappier parts... Do a 2203XT with a built-in attenuator, a proper line out or something like that (and with quality parts I beg you) and it will sell, no wonder why the marshall Yngwie Malmsteen signature is so sought after, it's not only a collectible, it has unique features like a master volume and a built in DOD 308, and we never got another plexi reissue with a master volume on the back again... even the studio vintage didn't have it despite being released almost 10 years later and still being too loud for 99% of use cases for a 20w amp... They want to bring back the CODE lineup from the grave but they're following the wrong path, CODE was extremely bad, the worst modelers ever, you just can't make it good without spending too much money and therefore cutting corners on other things like output transformers... Anyway, Marshall is dead, if you want a marshall amp, stick with used old ones and the studio series. Don't buy the reissue ones with the vietnamese output transformer, they with break way too soon.

[@bluedawn2669]

Could not have said it better than the two posts above. My secret tip would be to look at the used TSLs. All amps that survived to this day have quality PCBs, they are super cheap now and blow any of the current affordable Marshalls (original, dsl) out of the water. Plus, you get an EQ for each channel unlike in the DSL which makes them much more usable

[@ajlsrv5490]

My JVM rules. No attenuator needed.

[@Mikey__R]

A valve amp will last indefinitely, if it's serviced and kept in good order. Analogue gear, or at least good analogue gear, doesn't rot like digital gear does. I'm not keen on putting digital tech into analogue kit, unless I know it's not going to need software and driver updates. Anything that'll stop working once the company stops offering software support has at max a ten year life span. I want my music equipment to last much longer than that.

[@disco4535]

Just buy a Tone King (the Royalist is disgustingly good). Buy once cry once. Fryette's stuff is top tier as well

[@eddiecancelmusic]

"Friedman is a good Marshall". 100% Spot on!

[@maciejduda5257]

"Control the prices in the US" first thing I thought when I heard that was "Yeah, and control the prices in the EU, Mesa/Boogie"

[@pauljackson2938]

Agree but now gibson are involved it's never ever coming down in price

[@maciejduda5257]

@@pauljackson2938 Oh I have no doubt they will never come down. Used is the only way to get a Boogie in the EU without going bankrupt.

[@nisroch]

Prices already dropped in the US. JCM 800 is now 2200 down from 3600.

[@falling6783]

Mesa boogie is also expensive in the US.

[@indiecrust]

@@falling6783not nearly as expensive as in Europe.

[@jantelega9310]

Marshall already cooperates with Softube, their Marshall suite is exellent, probably one of the best VST I've tried. However, in my opinion, Marshall needs to make a line of UK made, modern two channels high gain amp with scaleable power, something in between SC20 and JVM, kind of modified plexi/jcm800 tone but with decent clean channel. DSL20 is a cool amp, especialy for the money, but lacks in many regards. And really, Marshall should call their former empoyees from Blackstar and ask for advice :)

[@zvirb]

The crow perching on the balcony railing is listening very attentively.

[@the4thway51]

The best answer i ever read.

[@lukasvandewiel860]

He is bringing the message right back to Odin.

[@pauleuro123]

The crow is a spy for a competitor company.

[@BillDerBerg]

the crow is a drone recording for Marshalls lawyers

[@warrioroflight2781]

My dear Henning, indeed, I am an old fart, love my Studio Series Heads (Plexi and JCM800) more than any other amp I ever played. Unfortunately, I totally agree ... I wish this new CEO would see your vid .... he should listen carefully, because your thoughts are the thoughts of the Marshall players, no Marshall modeler needed - thank you ❤ And, btw: you understand JUST A LOT about business, about developing business 👌

[@ikestoddard2458]

Oooo. There is more than one of us oldsters! I’m in the other camp: Fender not-Marshall. My cleans are delivered in California style. HOWEVER, I see Marshall as needed for variety in the world. And to make folks like Eric Clapton happy. Thanks for taking the time to rant. Your insights hold merit in my house. 😁😎 Proceed.

[@alchemysticgoldmind4164]

Look at Guitar Ctr.. These NON Musicians that don't live or understand music..are killing this Business ...and Music itself 😢

[@alchemysticgoldmind4164]

Brilliant Rant!!!

[@jltrem]

Perhaps Marshall should hire Henning as a consultant.

[@scottdunn2178]

Marshall Amplification died with Jim...

[@SLloyd-p2x]

this is true

[@zvirb]

Now everyone wants a Marshall fridge, but not everyone wants a Marshall amp. And nobody wants a Marshall modeller, because there are modellers, and they are good modellers, and they are not Marshall.

[@thisdyingsoul76]

I'd love a Marshall fridge for my music room... but you're right. The Marshall amps I can afford are horrible and I got much better for less money.

[@grishyroy9271]

Ha! I have a Marshall fridge. It was only about $300 US at the time of my purchase.

[@indiecrust]

I really appreciate these industry insight vlogs. Keep em coming!

[@andrews6505]

I love this chat Henning, I drank my coffee with you and nodded to everything you said. Hopefully someone at the new-&-improved Marshall considers your logic.

[@NCWEBM]

Remember the first Valvestate series? Sturdy, lightweighted amps with a flexible range of sounds. Of course these amps could not compete with the big tube amps, but they were affordable and a great value for the money. For many kids (at that time) the Valvestates opened the gate to the Marshall world. I mean... my 8100 is 30 years old, reliable and i'm still using that amp. So I totally agree with you, adding the point that they also have to keep an eye on the middle price segment. You need something to bait the people and make them stick to the brand.

[@Eliphas_Elric]

Bro those amps are awesome, they were the amp exclusively used by Chuck Shuldiner of Death.

[@i.m.22]

The Valvestate amps are great. I have the 8010 (10w Combo) and the 8240 (2x40w stereo Chorus) in my Amp collection, these amps are legit!

[@melexdy]

Kinda like fender tone master, you are right

[@strumminronin]

You're right in that my old Valve state 65 was my first Marshall! And last, so far. I was going to get one of their 1W heads, but still haven't been tempted to the point of actually buying one, yet.

[@LucasLeCompteMusic]

100VS combo was my first big boy amp from the pawn shop

[@lebroucke]

Marshall lost its own train.it’s by far my favorite “sound” but if I’m looking to get a new Marshall I’d buy a Friedman.

[@DerSilvano]

As you should

[@TheJoern]

I always liked the Marshall practicing amps because they're NOT modeling amps. I'm a guitar teacher and i think a beginner should not get a modeling amp. Modeling amps are not for beginners! They're for players that are intermediate and better. A beginner should get a 2 channel amp with a little bit of reverb, and focus on playing! My first amp was one of these battery driven Marshall pocket amps. It was broken all the time, so i practiced a lot on my unplugged Strat. I got huge benefits from that in my playing technique.

[@robmcd]

Peavey nailed the practice amp with the 40w studio pro 210.

[@BradPham]

Modellers are jam-packed with cabs and mics. Most young people have never and may never ever mic up a cab. But this is the way of things.

[@gercarey3261]

I agree with every word (not the hoodie) As a Marshall lover and a rock guitar lover, the new company should stay away from modelling amps entirely. If you want the Vox sound, get a Vox, if you want the Fender sound, get a Fender. There is a huge, huge difference between the sound of a modelling amp and the actual real amp when played in the room. I have a great Roland Cube which has a Marshall setting and I love it. But there is no comparison to the sound of a real Marshall with EL34 valves. Why sell an amp to sound like another brand of amp when you are already the World leader in amp sound and design? OK, they started with an RCA designed circuit and built from there, but they had the best R&D team imaginable, Eric Clapton, Pete Townsend etc. Every other amp and speaker cabinet company from Ampeg to Zilla copied the Marshall Head and Cab design, and tried to copy the sound performance, but not successfully. In some cases like Freidman, they copied the colours scheme and finish and look also. Its a bit like Rolex selling a watch, which comes with Tag, Timex and Seiko faces, so it can look like any other brand. Why would you want to sound like anyone else, when everyone else is trying to sound like you? Long Live Marshall .... 🙂

[@k.peterdingain2499]

Something like this happened before with Marshall, only Jim Marshall was still alive to sort the problem out by putting new Amp's out under the Park brand until he could get the name back, We can only hope that someone will take notice and do the same again.

[@rsr_brian]

As a software product manager & business person that plays guitar, this video really tickles my fancy. Great insights!

[@shorerocks]

Same here.

[@csiszerg]

you're absulutely right. If I'd want to have a good modeller, I'd buy a Boss Katana or the Line6 equivalent of that. Marshall should do low wattage lunchbox heads with proper attenuation options, and even hey, I'd be already happy if they would have a 40 watt head in their current DSL lineup (the 40 W version available only in combo).

[@lewisbarnes]

I love the fact we're in 2024 and you're still having to discuss the benefits of open innovation for a company as big as Marshall. I'm with you 100% about working with people like Neural/Softube, Two Notes etc. Marshall has that great image of walls of amps and cabs and need to keep working on bringing that sense of rockstardom to the home environment, ie. the small JTM/JCMs etc. Bringing back the 50th anniversary 1 watt amps at a lower price point would be a quick win given they've already done the R&D 🤷‍♂

[@peterhall4852]

They need to concentrate on small home valve amps, heads for cabs, and pedals. The days of the big multi speaker cab/combo are almost done.

[@peterhall4852]

Thinking about it, how long has modelling got? It's always difficult to predict technology, but it always gets smaller and easier to use. Stand alone cabs with some sort of digital interface? Where do Marshall sit in this space?

[@bassyey]

@@peterhall4852 Modelling has stagnated. It's at its peak for 4 years now. Nowhere to go. 1W-7W amps is where things can improve.

[@hoboroadie4623]

Well, unless Marshall will make me an 8X12 Cabinet they are going to have to rely on someone else to give them money, but they are going to suit your lifestyle just fine.

[@ChaptermasterPedroKantor-kv5yw]

@@bassyey If modeling has stagnated that means it has become as good a real amp. And those have stagnated for decades. After all, everybody still wants the same amps of the 60's and 70's. And modeling can add pedals, the whole rig a guitar player needs. The limiting factor was and is DSP, and the more powerful chips we get, the more complicated virtual rigs we can build.

[@bobdillon1138]

That is probably their biggest market but to grow it its all about advertising they need established and upcoming bands to be seen using their products on the large stages so 50 and 100w heads and large speaker cabs are not going anywhere.

[@robertritchie2860]

Marshall needs to up their quality on their pcb boards, switches and amp components. It's run by accountants. It super worrying. This isn't rocket science. Their channel development is crap as is their artist management. It's fine being a bean counter - cost control is super important - but at street level they need to get the right people in. They need to hire George Metropolous. I did my MBA and the key learning was: it's all about the people. You hit the nail on the head!!!!

[@johnnywomack548]

They TOTALLY need to hire George Metropolous.

[@IainThacker]

I've just had a great experience with Marshall support... A friend's AS50D (acoustic/mic solo performer amp) had died.. lights on, nobody home. A bit of prodding around with a multimeter and some google-fu led me to conclude the transformer had died. A bit of searching and, assuming an OEM part would be horrifically expensive, I found on Australian product that's not available and about £70 GBP (not that you can buy an out of production item). Emailed Marshall support, £24 delivered a week later. What??? That's a company that gets at least one part of the equation right. It'd be nice to see Marshall get their core business right. As a Brit I'm probably biased!

[@HowardFrischer]

I stand by your side. It’s time for companies to make a slight change and roll in the right direction. Standing still isn’t moving.

[@em001868]

You know... there was a reason Marshall artists taped over and removed their logos in the 70's and 80's. It's because Marshall is, and always has been reluctant to have anyone sponsor them. So musician who loved the sound would just mask the product name and go ahead with the great tone that they built anyway. I met and I had a conversation with Jim Marshall in 1999 where I had asked him a plethora of questions that was eating at me at the time. One of which was why was Slash the first and only artist sponsoring for Marshall. His answer was brief and simple. When you have artists like Jimmy Page, Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Ritchie Blackmore, Pete Townsend, Angus Young, Judas Priest, etc... all promoting your product without endorsement, who needs to pay anyone. The reason Slash was brought on board was because, first of all he was huge with GnR at the time and Marshall's JCM900 line was starting to drop. He knew he had to do something he had never done before and do it fast. Anyway, all this to say, Marshall was never a big advocate of the people but at least was controlling the market at the time so there was no worry back then. Now that there are a thousand and one competitors that all do the same thing and more, and better, they are scrambling. I fully agree with you that they need to change their strategy to save the name. I do want a Marshall fridge though!! 🤗

[@pauln6803]

I don't think anyone masked the logo due to Marshall itself, more the use of logos can also be a legal minefield as it's considered intellectual property, so rather than bother with permission, it's easier to remove the logos. Remember the infamous Gibson video where they were directly threatening and insinuating that their legal department would get twitchy about the use of whatever Gibson considers their IP? There is also the issue of product placement, with media productions wanting money for product placement. Some media outlets also have their own rules about what they consider advertising.

[@dreamcaptureweddingfilms]

Beautiful words said from the heart, all us old farts feel the same.. yes we know Friedman etc all make great amps but in our hearts we want to play Marshall..

[@wraith1977]

Spot-on, Henning. They need to do the classics with variable power output, and direct outs.

[@fives.]

Probably an obscure reference here, but this is the polite version of a Sodapoppin rage-quit style video I've wanted to record since that interview came out. All correct points. Great video Henning.

[@edneyhelenedossantos1875]

I bought an Origin 50W and even with low it's impossible to play without bothering the neighbors, that thing is SO LOUD AND FUN! got an attenuator from HB and it works nice. The amp is FANTASTIC! I would say one of the best marshall releases on last 10 or 15 years! So clean and powerfull!

[@wolfgangdevries127]

Combo or head?

[@edneyhelenedossantos1875]

@@wolfgangdevries127 HEad

[@wolfgangdevries127]

@@edneyhelenedossantos1875 ok thanks for the info!

[@paulkobylensky851]

As a fellow industry guy/guitarist, I agree with everything accept the modeling. I think Marshall could drop a modeling pedal or rack unit (JMP-1 update?) with all of the classic Marshall amps and cabs onboard. Don’t be all things to all people. Own the Marshall thing! JTM-45, 1959 Plexi, JCM 800, Bluesbreaker, JVM, etc. But I agree that they need to stay away from a Tone Master style modeler. Thanks for tackling the subject, my friend.

[@justmehere6094]

Agree with you mostly. But, they need to also focus on the Home player/recorder/hobbyist as well. And they can do it much like the Firedman IR-X and IR-D. Plexi and JCM versions of those, would sell like hotcakes, become standard use in studios everywhere.

[@chadmorral1326]

I will say this, sweetwater did reduce the price of a lot of Marshall products recently. Very acceptable prices. But I would love to see a Vietnam made marshall that's kind of like a revamped version of the jcm 900 4100 amp. 2 simple channels, a plexi based clean channel and a jubilee based gain channel), no funky pre-eq on the od channel like the 4100 has, digital reverb to free up a tube to use as a v1 tube, solid state fx loop to free up a tube for the od channel, built in torpedo XLR out, and a small head shell.

[@DrKevGuitar]

As a guitar teacher to teenagers (or I was, pre-long covid, ugh) I can tell you most of them initially don't know Marshall is an amplifier brand rather than headphones. "Oh they make amplifiers too?" And yes, I agree, Marshall competing against established modeling companies seems crazy.

[@EytschPi42]

haha

[@nstrug]

Wow, where are you based? In the UK I can't imagine there is a single young guitarist who is unaware of Marshall. Our local music school has Marshall amps and they are on the backline of every pub and club venue and in every practice and recording studio. They are completely ubiquitous and I can't see that changing any time soon.

[@alchemysticgoldmind4164]

I asked a group of teens who here plays guitar.One of them said to me who plays guitar Anymore..it was like thunder bolt hit me

[@nekkon1989]

Have they never watched a Guns n Roses or ACDC video? Do they learn to play the guitar to play Dua Lipa?

[@DMSProduktions]

@@christophersorel6056 * Citation Required *

[@anangryranger]

Well sir, I use old Marshall and Vox tube amps from the 60's that I bought new in that age. They worked then, and they work now.

[@hoboroadie4623]

And Marshall already spent the money, the fools.

[@alfsmith4936]

My mk2 Selmer Zodiac still blows a bluesbreaker, or jmp50 out of the water but Marshalls looked beefier..

[@2550marshall]

To MARSHALL If You are reading these comments: As a long time and aging Marshall amp fan I have a few ideas. 1) Do what PRS does. Have a Pro line (made in England or have B.A.D. from the US make these) and a Vietnam made (VM line?) 2) The Small 20 watt series is great....keep it but maybe add a "VM" line to that to initiate the younger players to Marshall. 3) Bring back the 1 watt series. 4) unlike this youtuber says, I think a Marshall "Tone Master Pro" type amp modeler would be a great idea. Just do it differently: 97% Marshall amps and cabs and only 3% others. Make a Dynamic IR section, where as you turn up the volume on the amp model the captured IR is recorded at that volume. This could be the "JMP-2 Pro". This can/should be used with #5 below. 5) make tube power amps at 5-20-50-100 watts to use with modeling gear...all EL34 based with a switchable "Vintage/Modern" voicing that is Midi switchable. Price should be cheaper than just buying a head with an FX loop. Make these in a Head format, so we still have that awesome Marshall stack look. #6) ditch the ugly goofy looking vertical 2x12 cabs and make 2x12 cabs the size and dimensions of the older 2061CX. Maybe even add a Bottom straight cab to fit under this cab as well.

[@flyingrat492]

I think the vertical 212s look really good and are basically the only Marshall product I’d consider buying, they remind me of the old 810s and the high volume 412s

[@markmcdonald5711]

I have a Marshall DSL1CR as a bedroom amp and I'm very happy with it. If they made a 1 watt Silver Jubilee with a 10 inch speaker for under 1200 dollars I would buy it tomorrow.

[@djpgreek]

would love EL34 tube power amps. Would also love a usable two channel or 3 channel amp that has a great clean AND usable dirt channels a la plexi or jcm800. The DSL and JVM were not it

[@alexc2680]

Your spot on brother!! I just bought a new amp and after looking at the market place, went with a Friedman Little Sister. Build quality, tone, design, features and a fair price, so it was an easy choice. We appreciate you and your channel!!

[@jubei7259]

How the f**k did they let Slash move to Magnatone? That's just insane. I mean, it's not like the dude is one of the biggest names in rock & shifts tens of thousands of guitars bearing his logo or anything.... oh wait! lol. In an age where brand ambassadors are everything, them not making the most of all those artists who are famous for playing in front of a wall of Marshalls will come back to bite them in the rear big time.

[@adamwatson6916]

He hasn't ended his relationship with Marhshall but I really don't see what else they can with Slash at Marshall . They have done signature versions of every Marshall he had used. It works with Gibson because he has used so many different gibsons over the years and he has been collecting vintage Gibsons since the very early 90s so there are many guitars in Slashes vintage collection and his collection of iconic working guitars he used for live work and studio work so you have almost endless possibilities but with his amps not so much . There are only so many vintage 30 loaded Signature Slash 4 by 12 cabs you can do .

[@BrunodeSouzaLino]

@@adamwatson6916 He probably has by now because they no longer make his signature model. Satriani is not even listed as an endorser anymore.

[@edwardskol1812]

You make a lot of sense! Hope Marshall listens to this!!

[@chaz__]

I agree with a lot of the other comments here. They need to follow Fender's lead and start catering to the mid market. An FRFR cab and a "tonemaster" type series would get a lot of people on board. Perhaps a floor amp like the Victory V4 series would interest a lot of people since the Friedman IR-X has had a lot of praise recently. Also, they should reimagine the MS2 and make it an updated practice amp since other companies are miles ahead of them in that regard.

[@markinthemix6055]

Best videos lately. I can’t really pin down anything but your passion is absolutely resonating through the screen.

[@heyokastu2]

Marshall is a culture based business not a hedge fund or gas station. The business is inherently eccentric and requires a balance between artists vision vs accounting needs.

[@Ghostman1846]

I agree with everything said in this video. 100% spot on review of Marshall's dismal place in the industry. As a company that has a VAST majority of their business in the lifestyle segment of the market, it will be a hard message to get across to the board to invest more in the amplifier segment of their business. Marshall needs a top down refresh of their amp product line, while maintaining the small fraction of the market with their core models. But how many people are buying "new" legacy amps like the JCM900, or Bluesbreaker? Maybe it's my American viewpoint but those amps are only bought/sold in the used market especially since the quality of the products are no where near what they once used to be.

[@beautague9163]

"Let's jump into over Saturated markets! "

[@stevef4010]

The profit margins on headphones must be astounding and these kids are paying $250+ for air pods and the like. Insane.

[@beautague9163]

@@stevef4010 for real!

[@blokkadeleider]

I've been playing Marshall since 1983. Nothing beats a good Marshall. My first proper amp was a 50 Watt JCM800 combo. Brandnew. My money was in it. Ma and grandma helped out with half of the price. Had it for a ocuple of years, went over to a Kitty Hawk Supreme I (great amp) and at age 19 bumped into a Super Lead from 1967. A Black Flag, for what is now 35 Euro. Nothing beats it in my book and it is still my main amp, Although now I mostly use profiles of it on my Tonex pedal. Added to that I got a JMP-1 preamp a couple of months ago.

[@RYAN-cj2fp]

Marshall needs to build a FRFR cab for all the modelers like Laney did. How many people have Fractal, Helix, QC, etc? I think they’d clean up with a quality FRFR cab that looks like their classic 2x12’s and 4x12’s…

[@lukasvandewiel860]

Those cabs are typically known as keyboard cabs. PA speakers. They cost a fraction of the guitar-FRFR cabs, and are just as good.

[@martine.210]

That's actually a good idea.

[@parcosmaulo1]

instead they'll just try to gaslight younger guitar players into thinking amp sims suck and that they NEED to have real amps. which won't work of course, especially with how good sounding, practical and especially cheap sims are becoming

[@alfsmith4936]

@@parcosmaulo1 In the bedroom and often in the studio, sims are better but I can tell you have never dimed a decent tube amp on stage, which is a shame.. You should do it and tell the sound engineer to concentrate on making the vocals loud enough at the front of the stage..

[@BrunodeSouzaLino]

@@alfsmith4936 Having amps full tilt on stage nowadays is unnecessary. We're not in the 70s anymore. Even artists which do have full amps on stage often will have an iso cab or some sort of indirect feed outside of the stage with the cabinets being just for show.

[@willbarnz6960]

Marshall, if they do plan on staying in the modelling amp business, also needs to make sure their amp models on their amps don't just give a "Marshall like" sound, but actually deliver the Marshall sound. Their modelling for their own brand needs to be bang on. Marshall needs to get back to basics if it wants to live. It needs to develop long term plans and goals to this effect instead of trying to get the most money it can in the shortest amount of time. Marshall needs solid products that sound good in their solid-state (valvestate) and valve/tube amp lineups especially in products designed for on-stage use. When holding companies get involved, they're interests are basically, make as much money as they can, as fast as they can. They never have any long term goals that don't center around that. There's been many great brands of specific products in the past, that have gone under because of not being able to compete any longer, have cut the price points in production to such levels that too many corners have been cut and the product suffered, or have forgotten their core market and customers. In some cases, their name lives on because someone seen the name had a good reputation and are trying to cash in on those who forgot, or didn't see how the original company ended itself. Part of the American market pricing issues, outside of shipping and tariffs is the distributors here know the reputation of Marshall. So, just like Apple products have a premium attached, (you're paying more because of the brand,,,, you're paying for the name,) Marshall, and I think Gibson too, certainly Rickenbacker, all suffer from this, Sadly, if a few people blindly pay these exorbitant prices, they will keep them raised.

[@Kunnel87]

Back in the days when Ir was not so popular. The 50th anniversary 1W / 0.1 W Amps from Marshall are killer amps for Home use. I have bought the JTM-1C and now the price are double today. Cause they are very popular. They are light, sound good in low volume and with a Mic you can play easy in FOH mixer with a band.

[@spkay31]

Absolutely spot on analysis. This business is like most others, it's about people and relationships first and foremost. Great people who maintain great working relationships with their major artists and distributors have more to do with success than having the very best product. Taking care of customers and standing behind your products always brings good karma and people take notice that you are honest and care about their satisfaction.

[@arjanhurkmans9190]

FYI, a few months ago Marshall prices did drop here in the US. A 2203 is now $2,199.00 (was $3,549.99) @ sweetwater. So now the 2nd hand market is f*cked...

[@Nedly79]

Good, the resale on the JCM800 was getting ridiculous.

[@alfsmith4936]

There are too many of them already. Buying new and thinking you will make most the money back on he second hand market is a mugs game and it has been since the 1960s.

[@jimshomestudio4669]

When one of our bunnies escaped my wife was talking to the neighbors one property down and behind our house. The older lady knew I played guitar because she can hear me all the way over there, although my cabs are in a small ISO booth. She requested House of the Rising Sun, btw. She can hear my Marshall, I’m sure. That 50w amp is loud when you get up to 6, and above. The other Marshall amps have a preamp gain and I can get distortion at lower volumes. Using a few different preamps I can change the flavor dramatically, so I like the variety. It’s not Marshall all the time, can pull a few tricks with them. The Marshall power amp is dual mono block, versatile, running different Greenbacks. I think that’s a great feature. My favorite amp because the sound is distinctly Marshall, and can accept the variety of preamps. I like the Mesa too, it’s different. Nice to have those few core sounds at my disposal. I’m not sure what to say, I’m getting old and will probably die from various organ failures. Before I do, I just want to make some noise. I… will fail. That’s all I know.

[@RobertKeeleyTV]

Great talk Henning! Loads of great advice.

[@EytschPi42]

Can’t believe you are watching those videos! Honored!

[@RobertKeeleyTV]

@@EytschPi42 duuude, what's not to love about a funny, loveable, intellectual, industry expert such as yourself.

[@DMSProduktions]

@@RobertKeeleyTV Get a ROOM you 2! ;o)

[@cowbellsuperstar1948]

Always love your videos and yes, I do think you’re one of the most honest people on KZbin… Keep telling it like it is

[@MAX96MENDES]

When the CEO´s of major companies just think about "profits" and neglect their loyal customers, then that business is doomed to fail. High prices (some ridiculous high) can also be a "turn off" to many people who cannot afford such music gear , or guitar. I agree 100% with Henning´s point of view. Great ideas ! You should be the CEO .

[@easyhelp]

Well, yes and no. The CEO is primarily responsible to make the company profitable and there are indeed more strategies how to achieve that. I think the problem of Marshall is that they are too big to operate on a niche market (classic Marshall sound amps, high quality) and too small to be able to compete with cheap products that do essentially the same. They tried to expand on new market territory with audio products but I also don't see it building up. And with musicians doing their music directly on computer, I am not sure how big is the guitar market...

[@gfkeenan4]

Repair point you raised; In my mid 30s and my dream amp was always a Marshall. Finally bought a JVM210 brand new (or so I thought). Did a couple of gigs with it and started having problems. I took it myself to the Marshall factory to get it fixed 10 days after purchase. The Marshall tech spent about 30 mins with it and told me it was fixed. Next gig it failed again (sound cut out completely mid song). I then moved due to work and carried on doing gigs. Lots of hissing and weird noise from the amp, took it back to Marshall again - all fine apparently but the issues continued. Eventually took it to a local amp tech who found several bits of damage and a set of miss-matched valves. Explained how I bought it brand new and took it back to marshal for repair etc. Local tech thinks the shop sold the amp and then took it back a few days later as the customer 'changed their mind' - but they have just swapped the valves and nobody caught it. Rang marshal who said they couldn't do anything about because a 3rd party had taken it apart (despite being a Marshall approved tech). They lost me as a customer at that point (I use a Victory amp now). If the Marshall tech had just asked 'why are the valves all random' - would have sorted it out then and there 10 days after purchase. Instead I gig'd for nearly 2 years with a dodgy amp as I couldn't justify buying another and all the younger bands would notice it hissing like crazy and state that's why they stick with modelers. Dream amp growing up to an amp company I avoid.

[@dewey7330]

I think some people sleep on the DSL40CR. For me it’s perfect. Great clean and crunch channel. Master volumes lets you get good tone at “bedroom” volume. And for 729 here in the states can’t go wrong.

[@thechad5540]

I've done a lot of research for awhile looking at new amps. "I want an amp that dose that J rock sound very well," and I see so many good things about the DSL40CR as well. However, I was cautious that they would release an upgraded DSLCR range. Do you think that's a possibility due to the massive discount in the DSLCR we're seeing? Also, if you could recommend any other amps you'd think I'd like, I'd appreciate that.

[@dewey7330]

@@thechad5540 the only one I see that still has the discount is Sweetwater. The others are at 950 or 1050. I didn’t hear of an upgrade to the CR. That was released in 2018. The original C had a 10 year run before the CR. So maybe an update in a couple years.

[@sinfirma23]

The thing is that modeling has taken over a large part of the guitarist market and honestly, right now at Marshall, the most useful thing is its 20w amplifiers. It is very difficult to assume that you buy an amplifier for 2,000 euros and then your friend arrives with his Quad Cortex, clones it for you and it sounds practically the same. In the 80s and 90s, people were very analog, now everyone has gone digital and in the world of guitar, modelers have given a huge boost, you can sound without problems at the biggest concert in the biggest football stadium with a Fractal or a Quad Cortex and no one will know the difference.

[@christopherlewis1847]

When short term goals are more important than long term survival...

[@peterschaefer1665]

If Marshall released a JMP-1 modeler in a one rack space format, they would sell like hotcakes.

[@thesash7063]

Absolutely. I just bought an Friedman IR-x but it could have been a Marshall. I do also have a BE 100 Deluxe but the IR-X is my go to gear for gigs, rehearsals etc.

[@trevor4533]

Yeah, A modern take on the JMP-1 would be pretty cool. Heck, a floorboard version would be interesting too. My guess, is they're going to do preamp pedals like Friedman.

[@TheSouthernCrossband]

Line 6 actually had a couple tube mosels. The Spider Valve was their first one, no great by anybody's standards, but they worked. Then they came out with the DT series, which are phenomenal. Probably the most versatile Tube amp on the market, and the fact that they were designed to work seamlessly with the POD gear, which likewise worked seamlessly with the Variax guitrs make them far more versatile than they already were.

[@DizzyKrissi]

I only had one blackstar amp - it was a core ID from the first series and I immediately sent it back because it was the worst sounding practice-amp I've played so far.

[@thechad5540]

Yeah, same here; not sure how that amp did so well. I also have a Blackstar HT5 and it sounds bad as well. I feel like Blackstar are just bad amps in general.

[@DizzyKrissi]

@@thechad5540 : to be fair - I never had a blackstar tube-amp. Maybe it's like with Hughes and Kettner: they have very good ideas but soundwise it lacks in certain respects.

[@markhollis8000]

Hi Henning! As usual a great video. You are spot on. I remember meeting Jim Marshall in 1989 at a Marshall promotion in a small venue. He was so approachable, to talk too and happy to sign posters (still treasured on my wall). I met him again, approx a year before he passed away, again he was happy to talk. Last year I emailed Cornell Amplification to enquire about the Romany 12, and you what? Denis Cornell himsrlf replied the same day! A lot of companies could learn a lot from the original amp builder greats, by talking and listening to its customers face to face and via email; to find out their concerns to get meet their specific needs and aftersales care/maintenance. These meetings and email have been more enspiring to my memory for 'that tone' search than anything else in my 40 years of playing. 😊

[@ntanglr]

Marshall is so iconic that I really wanted their amp. Bought brand new broken DSL40, which got replaced with a noisy one. Sold it, bought UAFX Lion and I love it. Recently replaced my Gibson with FGN Sagmeister Special and now not only my setup is well made, it is also asshole-free.

[@robertmellang6998]

I am a boomer. I imitate what the relevant artist of the late sixties and early seventies did. All I can do now is have fun. We won’t be here much longer. It’s in the hands of the younger generations now. I have a Marshall DSL5. Thanks for your video. I watched the entire video.

[@rinkydinky-ob9pe]

if i was to buy another amp it would be a Friedman plex or be50 ,, it’s what’s under the hood that counts

[@warddolfin7038]

first thing I noticed when I went to see slash in amsterdam was the lack of marshall amps on stage. Same thing with zz top. They now use Magnatone amps. And why wouldn't they, those amps sounds amazing and look great.

[@AudaciousAce1989]

Because Marshall doesn't make the amps they should be making. Friedman is making those instead.

[@alteredbrain]

De Maillard is just a CEO who went from company to company. The guy is not a musician

[@DavidEidelberg]

Tone Master Pro sounds and feels great to me. The new update brought some great new quality of life features and some great content. No regrets selling my Helix.

[@sythe77]

I have been a Stagehand for 35 years. The last dozen "Marshall" amps I have touched on a stage were either never on or hollow props. There are no big amps anywhere on the stages I work, local bands to Def Leppard (Fractal). Modellers have thoroughly dominated the scene for many years. The days of big amps is loooong gone. Marshall doesn't need to make a Modeller, they are part of all Modellers already.

[@EytschPi42]

Agreed

[@serpentsbane9166]

So then where does that leave Marshall? No room for Marshall's on stage, or anywhere else modelers are commonplace because there's already too much competition? Many players and producers of the younger generations are using modelers / plugins in the studio also, so how much room does that leave for Marshall to stay relevant? What can they even make as far as that goes?

[@sythe77]

@@serpentsbane9166 It is not just Marshall, of course. It's the shrinking market for Rock Music. That's been apparent for a long time. Without the music, there is no need for the tools that used to make that music. Look to the bands that don't make or use generic "Rock" sounds and cliche riffs. Rock used to be about adventure and new ideas. Marshall is stuck in the past but there is no reason anyone that plays guitar has to be.

[@Grili561]

Maybe open a custom shop like Gibson and Fender? I get that the gear from a custom shop is expensive, but they’re already a heritage company and like it or not it may be the best way for Marshall to make the amps that people want to play. I’ve never liked Marshall amps, so I don’t have too much advice for them but I’d still like them to be making amps instead of luggage.

[@KaddysJamKave]

Nice take Colonel Klink. I'll reserve my judgement and hope my favorite amp brand survives the future! If not, who cares... they won't top their past amps that I already own anyways 🤘

[@basedgodandrews]

all these legacy brands need to start giving product, promoting and making connections to high potential up and coming artists that young people relate to. If you see another young artist being supported and loving their new marshall amp, they’ll start to get back on the pulse of modern guitar centric music

[@turov2661]

Only thing I wish for is Marshall Super Crush 100. Or Marshall Valvestate Crush 100. Or whetever it would be called.

[@DMSProduktions]

Black AND Orange? ;oP

[@JamesBond-ol3bv]

Exactly. The Super Crush 100 is THE only amp in its category right now. A Marshall equivalent would be hugely popular. Guitar players still want simple straightforward analog gear.

[@doofwop]

@@JamesBond-ol3bv not many players actually want solid state though. They settle for it since it's much cheaper, but that doesn't mean they want it. Tube amps just sound better and hold their resale value much better.

[@rocknrollresignation93]

The fact that they let Slash get away is massive! Even Gibson knows Slash is a cash cow for them and continued their relationship when their ownership changed hands a few years ago. Marshall needs to do something to get the American market. Maybe start a factory just for the US division. Lots of people realized in the past few years that many companies and even small builders are doing Marshall better than Marshall and for cheaper.

[@CorNigrum]

I had my electricity shut down on me this week due to a mix-up during contract change, and nothing digital worked, which was a bit of a revelation. I'll stick to analogue as much as is reasonable. Something is missing here with software, phones, iPads, modellers, emulations, approximations, virtual digital girlfriends. A tube, a wooden instrument, you can touch. It will be there 20 years from now. It can die because it lives. It can be loved because it can die. I work in technology, I'm not against it, and maybe I'm becoming an old fart or a hopeless romantic, but something's missing. Money's not real anymore. Even a lot of jobs are not real anymore. You are buying virtual products with virtual money. The matrix is wearing thin. A discussion on who owns Marshall, what products are they making, and are those real products or virtual product launches, sounds very much like an old world vs new world story and a sign of the times.

[@RobStrings]

Marshall will be just fine. Guitarist will always love them and probably not give a shit about the company’s headphone and Bluetooth products. The lover of those products don’t know Marshall makes amps anyway. It’s the same company but it’s two different companies. Different staff, different budgets, different marketing.

[@guitartoneSA]

It's interesting. Marshall were actually ahead of the game when they released the DRP-1 and their Valvestate amps. If they had continued in that direction, repackaged and innovated on those concepts into small pedalboard friendly units everyone's using these days they'd be killing it today. IMO

[@blacktapes3475]

Funny thing, did you know JC was previously an adidas leader too (TaylorMade and Salomon VP/CEO) before Gibson? On a positive note, I am also an adidas employee and suddenly working for a music brand seems like a possible next career step 😀 100% agreed with your rant, I was thinking all of these thoughts too when I read the article.

[@EytschPi42]

I am an Adidas shoe addict… I have more shoes than amps and that means something…. JC worked for Levis as far as I know. Just a good business mind isn’t enough, I think… being able to relate just a bit to your customers is needed as well and that is tough if you come from a different field. For Adidas it’s easy, we all wear clothes, but for Amps?

[@Andy_Yates]

@@EytschPi42 All Day I Dream About Soldanos 😁

[@nobirdsnomasters]

More to your point, freidman is now what marshall should have been already. Headfirst now is what marshall should have been already. These guys are taking classic marshall sounds, knowing them inside and out and making changes that are better for the players, as they are players and understand what is missing.

[@alongcomesandy]

I mean I hope they don't fail. But seeing what has happened at Gibson with James Curleigh really concernes me. Best regards from "the neighbors" in Austria

[@Dan_Ranger]

All the old Marshall guys went to form Blackstar. Taking some great ideas with them. Sadly, Marshall have been trading on past glories for decades. I quickly moved on from JCM 800’s to Laney then Peavey from the 80’s through the 90s. Great video and I totally agree.

[@rjh1469ii]

Put your quality tube amps in the hands of everyone. Price them accordingly and lower the wattage. We want the Plexi JCM's in the U.S. at a attainable price.

[@bradleejaymz]

Prices in the US are now better for sure. $2,200 for a JCM 800. Now, Marshall, make me a "JCM803"...a three channel JCM800!!! All tube gain stages, Ch2 is standard 800 circuit, CH1 is clean-ish, CH 3 is high gain. No diode clipping (save that for the 3 channel silver jubilee).

[@Rose.Of.Hizaki]

The thing with Marshall trying to enter or compete in the modeller market is they are about 10-15 years (or almost 30 years in the case of Line 6) too late. They arent going to be able to compete with these brands whose whole existence as a business is built of amp sims, effects and modellers. Both BOSS and Line 6 have managed to expand their businesses beyond just guitar effects but for Marshall to try and get in now where there are brands and manufacturers that do it extremely extremely well and some of them for a very very competitive price in the case of Moer, NUX, Hotone etc etc. Its going to be an up hill struggle unless they have a product or can have a product that is absolutely innovative or revolutionary that will shake up or redefine the amp sim/modelling market.

[@wolfmaxem2583]

Yeah,,,, that it,'s !!!! You HIT it the nail on the head,,,, being 4 years product manager for Marsbal at Musik Mayer I have to say the same like you....

[@EytschPi42]

Thanks!

[@jamesbordy4506]

I agree. It's so insulting to want a Marshall to have to pay nearly double, just because I'm in the states. At least make it so that Thomann can ship Marshalls to the US. I get it that it would undercut the dealers in the US, but a reduction in price would more than make up for itself with more units sold, so they SHOULD be competitive with European pricing.

[@GuitarBassCigar]

Frankly, the last time Marshall mattered was the 70's...wayyyy too many other options to care about whether they go under or not. Same goes for Fender and Gibson. Make products worth buying and the people will buy. There are always those who want a G or an F on their headstock, but I'd have a Schecter any day before one of those "authentic" guitars these days. I definitely enjoy your videos!

[@demokraatti]

Marshall’s main problem is that for decades they have been making their amps worse. They were well made great sounding amps way back in the early 80’s. Those amps are still rocking. The modern Marshall’s are cheaply made amps, that most likely won’t survive the test of time. I have to admit that the new JTM Studio sounds really good and looks nice with the matching 2x12 noise box.

[@davidkervin]

This is actually an excellent business analysis of the company. As he said, Marshall lifestyle products hinge on their amps being desired by real musicians.

[@chrishaertwig]

Marshall want to become a lifestyle brand. They are selling more bluetooth speakers than amps and that's the only thing that counts for investors. That's why they put people from other lifestyle brands in charge. They don't care about who they sell stuff to. Legacy doesn't matter, it's just a nice marketing asset.

[@zoomzoom3950]

I have a few 100W and 50W Marshall amps; I'm frequently encountering more and more guitarists who are into these "lunchbox" amps, like the Marshall Studio series 20 W amps, and not only don't see the need for 50W+ tube amps, they have zero interest in 50W+ tube amps. From a market perspective, I'd expect, and hope, Marshall has sales data that supports their decisions on what to build. Now I do have a DSL40CR that is 40W, and the 20W setting is nice at home since I don't need my earplugs like I do with my 50W+ amps; FWIW, I also have a '76 Fender Super Twin (no reverb) that is a 180W 6L6 2x12 combo. I got my big Marshalls, and I hope they continue to make them; if not, I got mine and will continue to enjoy them, but I do realize the times are changing; not many places to play that will accommodate big tube amps around here. My Helix Floor and a pair of small powered 2-way PA cabs set like monitor wedges works great for me. I also have a computer rig for guitar that is working great too, built on a Dell rugged tablet with touchscreen.

[@brightfalls6788]

The studio series appears to have gone back down to $1,300, but lowering prices means lowering quality and the studio amps are already the most cheaply made things on the planet. What I would want Marshall to do to “save” themselves, is take these 20 watters, replace the EL34’s with EL84’s (make them 15 watts), put in larger transformers (like Friedman), include a functioning (good sounding) low power mode (like Orange), mount the tubes to the chassis instead of the board and improve the wiring (like Friedman). Then, release the amp everyone wants, a Studio JMP (late 70’s Master Volume) and also a Studio JVM (or anything with some built in high gain to compete with Victory and Friedman). They need to hyper focus on the Studio series and make it their bread and butter. Up the build quality (while keeping the price under $2,000) and add a bunch of extra models (tolex color options would also sell more amps).

[@tomcat2260]

i think their move to release the studio series line was brilliant and innovative and right at the zeitgeist.

[@PaliPalisandro]

Wonderful rant. Lets the viewer understand what's really going on behind the curtain. Thanks a lot.

[@m.a.6478]

The good thing for us as consumers is, that we are not dependent on these companies. Everybody with a basic understanding of electronics can copy a Plexi. There is a huge number of companies who are capable of building good amps. When Marshall is going down the Harley Davidson route, let them do it. Big innovations are not coming from the "big rock'n'roll brands" for years. Altough with tube amps there is still a huge potential for innovation. Look at the Zuta LA25 MK II for example. This is what I mean.

[@bostep2]

This is actually the beginning of the end. Let's just hope that they will keep the old production lines on which they will still make amplifiers, as they are now.