GO AHEAD AND ASK
BY JOE COFFEY
Marshall Amplification
Dr. Jim Marshall, OBE
Some of us make gear, some of us play it, and, in our case, some of us work
at a media company that aims to keep everyone informed. That’s why we
facilitate this discussion every month. There are certain conversations that
need to take place just between us gearheads. This month, we wanted to
give you a chance to ask the folks at Marshall Amplification a few questions.
Company founder Jim Marshall’s face is undoubtedly one of the few that
belongs on the gear version of Mount Rushmore. His tones are already
immortalized in rock. Many of his amps, like the JTM- 45 and the JCM-800,
are more than just amps. In the greater scheme of things, they’re now
categories of amps—iconic to the degree of being tonal reference points for
a global industry of gear makers wanting to emulate and digitally model
those tones both out of respect and demand. The list of players to impact
the world with Marshall amps is literally endless when you consider that the
historic notables—Townshend, Hendrix, Rhoads, Mustaine, and Slash, to
name a few—continue to be joined by new generations of players. Quite
frankly, much of rock and roll’s history is Marshall’s history.
Below are 10 of the questions you submitted to us, answered by Dr. Jim
Marshall, OBE, his son Paul Marshall, and various company engineers.
1With the popularity of the Silver Jubilee series and the release of the limited-edition Slash amp, does Marshall have plans to release more amps based on the Silver Jubilee? Those are
great amps and it would be nice if you retooled and re-released a
similar amp. —Todd Cralley, Santa Maria, California
You are absolutely right. The Jubilee was and is a great amp. It is still used
today by many people. For instance, Joe Bonamassa uses one in his rig.
At the moment, there are no plans to release the Jubilee again, or indeed
another amp based on it. However, we work with many artists and listen
to what guitarists around the world—both professional and amateur—are
telling us, so you never know what might happen in the future. —Paul
Marshall, Artist and Customer Liaison Manager
2I’ve got a 25/50 Jubilee head/speaker combo that I bought secondhand a few years ago. It’s a little bit battered but sounds fantastic. I’d love to know a lot more about these
incredible amps—the history, the circuitry, the secret to why they
just sing. —Steve Cohn, Lower Hutt, Wellington, New Zealand
The Silver Jubilee was released in 1987. The line included the model 2555
100-watt head, the 2550 50-watt head, the 2558 50-watt 2x12 combo, the
2554 50-watt 1x12 combo, and the 2553 50-watt short-chassis head. A
range of cabinets were produced, including the 2551A and 2551B 280-
watt 4x12s, and the 2556A and 2556B 2x12s. From 1988-90, the Jubilee
range continued to be manufactured as the Custom range, with standard
Marshall black vinyl and a gold panel. In 1996 and ’ 97, we reintroduced
the 2555 as a very limited-edition Slash signature head and 4x12 cabinet.
This was Marshall’s first signature amplifier, and it continues to be much
sought after. —Marshall Amplification Service Staff
