 | This article contains promotional content. (June 2018) |
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| Company type | Public limited company |
|---|---|
| Industry | Amplification Musical instrument manufacturing |
| Founded | London, England (1962)[1] |
| Founder | Jim Marshall |
| Headquarters | , England, Sweden |
Area served | United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Europe, Asia, United States |
| Owner | Marshall Amplification PLC (1962-2023) The Marshall Group (2023-present)[2] |
| Website | Marshall.com |
Marshall Amplification is a British company that designs and manufactures music amplifiers and speaker cabinets. Founded in London by shop owner and drummer Jim Marshall, the company is based in Bletchley, Milton Keynes, England.[3] Since March 2023, Marshall Amplification has been one of several divisions of the Swedish conglomerate, the Marshall Group.[2]
The company first began making amplifiers to provide an alternative to expensive, American-made Fender amps, releasing their first model, the Bassman-inspired JTM45, in 1963. Following complaints over limitations in amp volume and tone from visitors to Jim Marshall's drum shop, notably Pete Townshend, guitarist for The Who,[4] Marshall began developing louder, 100-watt amplifiers. These early amps were characterized in part by their Plexiglass control plates, leading to models such as the 1959 Super Lead (released in 1965) being popularly known as "Plexis." Their adoption by guitarists like Townshend, Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, and Jimmy Page helped establish the brand's legacy. Further development led to the JCM800 series in 1981, which was widely adopted by the hard rock and metal community, while the brand celebrated its 25 years of making amps by releasing the Silver Jubiliee in 1987. Marshall updated the JCM lineup in the 1990s (JCM900) and 2000s (JCM2000) and developed new amp lines, like the DSL and JVM models.
Many of the current and reissue Marshall amps continue to use valves (tubes) rather than transistors, as is common in this market sector.[5] Marshall Amplification also manufactures solid-state, hybrid (vacuum tube and solid state) and modelling amplifiers.
- ^ "The First 30 Years of Amplifiers". Retrieved 31 March 2012.
- ^ a b Parker, Matt (30 March 2023). "Marshall Amps sold to Swedish speaker company, bringing an end to family ownership". guitarworld.com. Guitar World. Retrieved 31 March 2023.
- ^ "Contact us". Marshall Amplification plc. Retrieved 15 January 2024.
- ^ Hann, Michael (5 April 2012). "Jim Marshall, creator of the Marshall amp, dies aged 88". The Guardian. Retrieved 5 April 2012.
- ^ Blenkinsop, Richard (3 February 2022). "Tube Amps Vs Solid State Amps: What's The Difference?". Guitar Player. Retrieved 19 November 2023.