Good results for Shads sounds from an unlikely amp..

[cockroach]

Don't laugh, but after about 12 years hard use, I finally traded in my little old Peavey Envoy at a pawn shop a few months ago....on a secondhand Marshall!

It's one of their cheap Indian built transistor models called an MG50DFX- 50 watt, 1x 12 combo with built-in effects - delay, reverb, chorus, flange, tandoori, tikka marsala, korma etc etc (sorry about that)

Seriously though, using my cheapo Squier Tele and old Korean Strat copy, the delay/echo and reverb, the wide range of tones available on the 'clean' channel gives some excellent Shads tones.

And I thought that as people like Jet, Bert and Joe Brown use Marshalls, they can't be too bad!

After the trade-in, teh change-over to the Marshall cost me $295- about 150 pounds Sterling- and after a couple of gigs, it has paid for itself....

I certainly wasn't looking specifically to buy a Marshall, but there aren't many secondhand Vox, Roland amps etc around in pawnshops- you have to take what you can get...

[Bill Bowley]

'Roach Shahib!

Obviously we can expect to hear your 'authentic' rendition of 'Bombay Duck' sometime in the near future?

[ecca]

My Marsall all valve JTM60 sounds as authentic as any I've heard.... other than the 1963 AC15 of my mate Tony's.

[cockroach]

'Bombay Duck', Bill?- gotcha!

Mind you, after using this little Marshall on gigs lately, there is a bit less clean headroom than I would have liked...reading the manual it seems that they have designed the amp so that even the 'clean' channel starts to get warm and fuzzy above a certain level...to make it sound and behave more like a valve amp- like yours, ecca??...!!

[Bill Bowley]

'Roach,

I've just bought a Marshall 9001 rack mount amp (3 valve) and I am hoping to get a 'near VOX clean' sound out of that through the PA, here's hoping!

[ecca]

My Marshall JTM60 is a 60 watt valve with 2 EL34s so at normal Shad room volumes it remains as clean as I want it.
Not often these days, I prefer a dirty sound lately, something to do with the shorts, I think.

When I was out every weekend with the band I would mike it up whereby I could be as clean as I wanted, whatever.
I've had 3 Voxes in my time, AC15, AC10 Twin and AC30. I didn't like the AC30 one bit, it never growled . The AC10 was OK but the AC15 , I now know having heard it again lately, was the one I wished I still had.

The acquisition of the Marshall JTM60 followed on the heels of 4 or 5 modern amps none of which I was impressed with, they either broke your back or your heart. I've had this amp now for 12 years and I'm entirely happy with it.
Still, having said all that I still prefer the little Korg ampworks plugged into the PA for many reasons, the pricipal one being that I don't have to carry bugger all .
Cheers
Ecca

[cockroach]

I know what you mean ecca...

Some time ago, a mate helped me top carry my gear in at a band jam...he said "I wondered why when you walked in last time carrying that amp, you looked like Quasimodo...now I know"...

I suppose it's OK to just DI an effects unit into the PA- I've plugged my solidbody guitars directly into the PA with a DI box on many occasions...but it's really necessary and polite to help unload, set up, pull down and carry and load the PA if it belongs to some body else- otherwise they might get a bit peeved if you just show up, plug into their system, then at the end of the gig, just unplug, pick up your guitar and small box , say "cheers, thanks mate" then POQ!

[roger bayliss]

I have a truck with pneumatic tyres (£14 B&Q) and 4 castors on the bottom of my AC30 Heritage.. only have to lift in and out of the car boot... simples !

[ecca]

The worst amp was a Fender amp...... The Twin.
It was a 100watt valve amp. 4 off EL34s, switchable to 50 watts if you wish.
Ferociously loud, it was like the AC30, no growl at whatever setting, more of a clang.
Even worse you had to wear a surgical appliance just in case, and an athletes belt to stop the intestines bursting out when picking it up.
What a lump !
And only one handle!
I soon chopped that in for the one I now have.

[ecca]

In reading Roger's reply to this thread I have to reflect things......
In the late seventies I had an AC 30 and it worried me at the time...... my concern being the state of the valves in the amp as I wheeled it in and out of the pubs and clubs.
I put castors on it, rubber wheeled, good enough, so I thought.
Then , in fact , as I wheeled this thing across various, concrete, tarmac, etc car parks, the degree of of vibration bugged me so I fitted a spring suspension to the 4 castors on the amp.
Vast improvement, the bloody thing floated in and out of gigs.
It was ridiculous..... but worked a treat.