Marshall Teased Modded SLP1959 and 800

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assume previous decent quality Marshall transformers - don't think they changed too long ago.

Not sure there is anything substantial demonstrating a drop in quality for Marshall transformers. Lots of youtubers talk doesn't make a truth.
 
Not sure there is anything substantial demonstrating a drop in quality for Marshall transformers. Lots of youtubers talk doesn't make a truth.
I don't disagree - at least my ears cannot discern such differences particularly in a mix but, for argument's sake
 
Maybe it’s low demand that drove the prices - not many can use a 100W non-mv amp in any practical scenario- but i’m starting to think that if the unmodded ones had been more expensive- and imo they could- people wouldn’t complain about the on-cost of the modded ones.
also, more demand for modded marshalls so why not charge more.
Why charge less? To sell product.

The Marshall brand is stagnant. Simply too many companies out there in this price range that do the job better and everyone knows this. Bring those in at 1.5k cheaper and reset the market for modded Marshalls. That puts a dent in the competition, that claws back some of your market space.

Not only that it gives them room to grow in the future with more mods and products. You're basically topped out right out of the gate, zero room to grow. I mean let's say they added more bells and whistles and suddenly the next amp is 4.5k, anyone buying that? Nope, might as well get a Wizard at that point.

I mean they essentially priced themselves out of the very market they created and are trying to recapture.
 
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I think what Marshall will always (??) be able to bank on is the emotional reaction at the site of an amp stack associated with arena rock stages and video clips of rock awesomeness. add a smidge more gain to that and you're competing with the boutique bois.
Well yeah, that's called branding. Marshall isn't innovating or doing anything noteworthy. They're resting on their laurels.

Out of curiosity/ naivity then bc I honestly don't know? why would one buy a Friedman plex, Suhr SL68, Germino, Metro etc over a HW1959 or even a good kit? assume previous decent quality Marshall transformers - don't think they changed too long ago.
Well I personally wouldn't. But I can imagine others might prefer one of those over a 1959HW is that with some of the ones you mentioned, you're actually getting a proper "hot-rodded" Marshall. But if we're talking a one-to-one, stock 1959, there really isn't any difference between a 1959HW and a Marshall clone from a boutique builder as far as I can tell. Other than maybe you can specify exactly which "version" of the 1959 you want from a boutique builder. The 1959 circuit went through various, minor, changes over the years. The Marshall 1959HW is only one version of that. Whereas, with a boutique builder, you could request a '68-spec or a '72-spec or a whatever you want-spec.

That said, I'd rather just do it myself.

What is there inside these amps the potentially warrants their boutique status and pricing? From a tech POV - don't want to start a measuring contest on who's amp sounds the best.
If we're talking a stock 1959 circuit, I don't see anything noteworthy to warrant a "boutique" price in any of them.
 
I don't disagree - at least my ears cannot discern such differences particularly in a mix but, for argument's sake

Why pay such a high premium for a transformer set made in Vietnam? I can get a custom-wound set of transformers that are still made to be exact replicas (or even custom request my own specs) as vintage Drake or Dagnall iron from the '60s or early '70s. For LESS.

Now... if what someone wants is a real hot-rodded, high-gain Super Lead, I would totally recommend a 1959HW. It's cheaper than a vintage specimen and still built on a turret board, so it's easy for any tech to work on and you can get exactly what you want. But if you want to buy an amp that's already "hot-rodded", this new 1959 Modified isn't what I would go for. Because it's pretty lackluster and costs too much.
 
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Why pay such a high premium for a transformer set made in Vietnam? I can get a custom-wound set of transformers that are still made to be exact replicas (or even custom request my own specs) as vintage Drake or Dagnall iron from the '60s or early '70s. For LESS.

All the other components, resistors/caps/tubes/sockets/jacks etc. are already made in Asia. If anything, it's more congruent LOL
 
Why charge less? To sell product.

The Marshall brand is stagnant. Simply too many companies out there in this price range that do the job better and everyone knows this. Bring those in at 1.5k cheaper and reset the market for modded Marshalls. That puts a dent in the competition, that claws back some of your market space.

Not only that it gives them room to grow in the future with more mods and products. You're basically topped out right out of the gate, zero room to grow. I mean let's say they added more bells and whistles and suddenly the next amp is 4.5k, anyone buying that? Nope, might as well get a Wizard at that point.

I mean they essentially priced themselves out of the very market they are trying to recapture.
You're not wrong. imho they could have priced the unmodded a bit higher, the new modded ones lower and retain some room to grow and charge even more if they ever offered any augmentation in the future. Like add another tube - would that be a JVM lol?
 
Jason at Headfirst has run into two Vietnam-made transformers on the new Marshall reissues that have an audible, annoying hum when the amp is on. They’re not well-made.

A guy selling modded marshallesque amps is criticizing Marshall. I guess suspension of judgment is the most rational stance here.
 
Highly unlikely any high gain circuit marshall does is going to be as good as Ground Zero.
Fucking truth!

Like we always say here on the forum, why the hell does it take companies so long to hear about what players want???
yeah they really missed the boat and under- delivered
Even if it were the best mods ever its 40+ yrs too late. Folks been doing workarounds themselves.
They should go back to sunglasses & mini fridges.
Yep. Lots of guys have build solid reps off doing what Marshall has had the opportunity to do for decades.
 
A guy selling modded marshallesque amps is criticizing Marshall. I guess suspension of judgment is the most rational stance here.


Jay is on solid ground here as a critic and a builder. For the $3500 USD pricepoint Marshall is cheating. I'll be damned if id buy this POS.
I seriously doubt the average Joe Blow knows whats inside. I give a shit call me a consumer.
Aussie's rarely have an axe to grind about anything ever. PSA.
 
As a direct competitor, I'd rather say he's on shaky ground. My SLO DeYoung tranny emits a slight buzz when I really push the thing. I never heard DeYoung trannies labeled as sub-par. I wouldn't pay $3.5K for a new Marshall either but for $2K used, why not ? Paying new price on high-end guitar gear is foolishness anyway, unless you're filthy rich.
 
I can take Marshalls shady business practices at face value. Not sure why so many conspirosy theorists here. A CHEAP ASS TRANSFORMER IS JUST THAT. GOD DAMN.
Ask how many wouldn't buy a SLO-100 w/o the DeYoung transformers. Like a shit ton.
Australia is like the USA w/o all the Fucking problems.
 
I can take Marshalls shady business practices at face value. Not sure why so many conspirosy theorists here. A CHEAP ASS TRANSFORMER IS JUST THAT. GOD DAMN.
Ask how many wouldn't buy a SLO-100 w/o the DeYoung transformers. Like a shit ton.
Australia is like the USA w/o all the Fucking problems.
THE POINT IS THERE IS NO EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE ITS A CHEAP ASS XFORMER - IN FACT, GIVEN ALL THE REGULATION, TAXES, AND COST OF LIVING DIFFERENCES US COMPANIES ARE PROBABLY MORE INCENTIVIZED TO CUT CORNERS TO MAKE ANY SORT OF PROFIT
 
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I have a shit ton of amps. Many have noisy transformers.

Shit happens with electricity and magnetics.

I am not saying the Marshall Vietnam transformers are equal to the UK models.

Only that I have some amazing amps that have mechanical noise. It is usually quieter than the fans in some amps.
 
But for some reason, people are asking MORE for used ones on Reverb than the price of a new one. Delusional sellers I guess.
While I agree with you, Marshall hasn’t shipped a decent amp to the US in years. All we get here are DSLs and whatever the cheap stuff is this season. Marshall prices on 2203x/1959hw/1987x are smoke. They literally do not exist
 
While I agree with you, Marshall hasn’t shipped a decent amp to the US in years. All we get here are DSLs and whatever the cheap stuff is this season. Marshall prices on 2203x/1959hw/1987x are smoke. They literally do not exist

Interesting. Can't buy a new 1959HW?
 
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