What is This Generation's Marshall?

[MGuts]

I was thinking as I was in class today...Back in the day when Jimi Hendrix and a few years later when Billy Gibbons hit the scene, they were playing Marshalls, which were the big thing of the time. Louder and more overdriven than amps of the past. They also were playing more "modern" music of the time. Their stuff was harder and louder than music of years past. They didn't played stuff like Buddy Holly or to go with blusier influences Hubert Sumlin, Albert King, etc.

Being 19, what would be the Marshall of my time? A Dual Rectifier? Also, would I be more following in the greats' footsteps if I played music that is more modern or the classic stuff like they did?

What does everybody think? Just something that popped into my head today.

[jads57]

I think you need to listen to good music of the past, so you can build upon that foundation. That`s what most players do, both known and unknown. As far modern pop artists and what they use, they have way more available to them including software.etc. that was previously unthinkable. But the Beatles recorded Sgt. Peppers on a basic 4 track. It wasn`t the tools as much as their(especially George Martin`s) creativeness!

[Gas-man]

Line 6.



:stir

[brian b]

Definitely in the Mesa family, Dual or Triple rec as far a out there for the masses type amp. If you go into the boutique arena that not every one can afford you would would get a whole lot more suggestions. Another mention though I hate them would be the Fender Hot Rod Deluxe

[MBreinin]

Yeah, a modeler or a 5150/Recto, I would say. For me, it is still a Marshall...but I am 38 and those are the sounds that made me want to play.

[sovtekking]

As much as I hate to say it...probably the dual rec...a lot of bands using those things. Not my favorite amp though.

[Smakutus]

There is no one amp now.. There's so many great sounding amps to choose from there never will be that one amp again.

Jeff

[bobcs71]

Every artist has had influences from people they listened to. I'm not sure what would be the Marshall of today. A lot of new(er) bands that I listen to use 'retro' gear. Derek Trucks, Wilco & even John Mayer come to mind.

[Gas-man]

Fractal Axe-FX.


:stir

:stir

[Toggle]

Determining this generation's amp is easy once you've determined what this generation's music is.

-Tom

[phretbored]

Bogner.

[Aaron Cheney]

There is no one amp now.. There's so many great sounding amps to choose from there never will be that one amp again.

Jeff

Bingo.

If you really pushed me on this, I'd have to agree with the digital modeling suggestions. (seriously)

ac

[Solomon]

Crate V32 Palomino!!!!

:dude:dude:dude

Best tube amp for under $500.

[shane88]

there's so much choice around now and it's easy to get hung up on some endless quest for "perfect tone"
imo u need a 1/2 decent valve amp + guitar that speaks to you and follow your own ears to the music that moves you

[reverendfrankie]

Great question - but they used Marshall because it let them get 'the sound in their heads' out to their (and our) ears. The Marshall of your time is what lets you get 'your sound' out.
For me it's a little 18 watt Traynor with a hempconed speaker.
You'll find yours ... just be willing to find your own path (as Hendrix and Gibbons did).
The search is as rewarding as the finding!
Rev frank

[rwe333]

VHT? THD? Matchless?

[Shine]

I think the new generations Mesa, the godfather of high gain.

[atomicmassunit]

From a music store perspective, the kids eyes dazzle when they see a Rectifier stack. Imo that's the most popular, visible, and idolized amp out there these days.

[axehunter]

It's still Marshall for me....JVM 410!

[loudboy]

Recto, w/o a doubt.

[TieDyedDevil]

I find it interesting that so many of you are going to bleeding-edge short-run products for the answer to this question. Marshall was a household word back in the day, not a secret shared amongst insiders...

[pir8matt]

I'd probably vote for Mesa dual or triple recto's. Those are the holy grail for a lot of younger players, I think - moreso than Marshall or Fender.

And thats for Gen-Y players. I think 'Millenials', who are starting to get into the mix now, its probably gonna be Line 6. Barf.

[Derek Q]

From a guitar-centered standpoint, (no pun intended) probably a Mesa Rectifier of some sort.

From a technology for the time standpoint: a software amp from Native Instruments or IK Multimedia.... or even Line6

[saltydogg]

Try the Mesa Stilleto- EL34 Equipped, tons of headroom and variable gain capacity. the Mesa Lone Star is also a great amp. If you're on a budget- try the B52 100W Triple Recifier tube amp- the poor man's Mesa Boogie. If money is not an issue go with the Marshall JCM800 or the 1959SPLX (Plexi).
Just my 2 cents..

[haymaker]

Yeah - Mesa Rectos for sure. Line 6 as a close second.

I think Marshall has 'your dad's amp' status attached to it. That being said - I'd kill for my dad's marshall - but I'm 37 and a Marshall player so . . . . :rolleyes:

[TommyMambo]

Marshall!

[Jahn]

I think generational amps are just like generational music and generational TV.

In the old days, you had Rock and Jazz. Marshall and Fender. CBS/NBC/ABC. That's it.

Then you started getting Fusion and Punk, and as a result some strange solid state offerings and hybrid channel switchers, but still pretty fringe compared to Rock and Jazz, Marshall and Fender. Think the early days of Cable TV.

But then the Alternative explosion happened, where a ton of music could reach the waves yet still be considered a mainstream genre. This might be the last music genre to be created as a mainstream genre, in fact. The definitions of Rock started getting muddy. HBO starts winning Emmys instead of the Big Three. Cable packages are becoming the norm, not the exception. Boutique companies now are as established as the Mainstream Amps as well, think Mesa and Rivera, etc.

And now, The Internet. Even "old cable" like TRL Live can't keep up with the newest fads in music. Everything is so fractured, there isn't a common Main Stream anymore for electric guitar genres. Youtube gives you a slew of stuff like a waterfall (old as well as new music), and even myspace and facebook doesn't give a clear path for up and coming bands that might be bringing a cohesive voice to the industry. Rock only lives on in its pure mainstream form via Video Games now (Guitar Hero, Rock Band). Amps are all over the place, tons of boutiques in every flavor and price point. Everyone likes everything, including the old standby Fender/Marshalls.

What's next? Who knows!

[hudpucker]

Rectumfryers, no doubt...

[todd richman]

For the better part of the last decade, the big "Nu-metal" bands were mostly Mesa Recto powered.

[violetlove]

Another nod the the mighty Dual Rectifier.
But, it's not as much a monopoly as Marshall had. CUrrent music is and has been too diverse to make too braod a generalization.
Indie/punk/metal/Grunge (how I hate that term) all co-exist and all use different stuff.

[kludge]

I hate to say it, but modelers is the right answer. The problem is, most people aren't using them creatively! They're busy trying to get the modeling amp to slavishly reproduce the sound of a Boogie or (badly) reproduce a Fender Princeton, rather than looking at the stuff that can only be done digitally. This is why I want to get one of the Soundblox distortion pedals... the foldback and octave-synthesis stuff is actually, truly modern, trying to create sounds that couldn't exist in Hendrix' heyday rather than trying to copy the Hendrix sounds, only cheaper and lighter.

[ROKY]

I think generational amps are just like generational music and generational TV.

In the old days, you had Rock and Jazz. Marshall and Fender. CBS/NBC/ABC. That's it.

Then you started getting Fusion and Punk, and as a result some strange solid state offerings and hybrid channel switchers, but still pretty fringe compared to Rock and Jazz, Marshall and Fender. Think the early days of Cable TV.

But then the Alternative explosion happened, where a ton of music could reach the waves yet still be considered a mainstream genre. This might be the last music genre to be created as a mainstream genre, in fact. The definitions of Rock started getting muddy. HBO starts winning Emmys instead of the Big Three. Cable packages are becoming the norm, not the exception. Boutique companies now are as established as the Mainstream Amps as well, think Mesa and Rivera, etc.

And now, The Internet. Even "old cable" like TRL Live can't keep up with the newest fads in music. Everything is so fractured, there isn't a common Main Stream anymore for electric guitar genres. Youtube gives you a slew of stuff like a waterfall (old as well as new music), and even myspace and facebook doesn't give a clear path for up and coming bands that might be bringing a cohesive voice to the industry. Rock only lives on in its pure mainstream form via Video Games now (Guitar Hero, Rock Band). Amps are all over the place, tons of boutiques in every flavor and price point. Everyone likes everything, including the old standby Fender/Marshalls.

What's next? Who knows!

Good post .. I enjoyed it . :D

[FlyingDutchman]

Still Marshall...

[edgewound]

That's kind of like asking what's the new Mercedes?....A Hyundai Genesis? Nope....a Mercedes...the original.


Marshall still makes Marshall.

I used my Marshall for 20+ years....still do sometimes.

For the record...I play a Rivera Rake head. It's like having both a Marshall and Fender in one neat, bullet proof little package....with an effects loop and plenty of gain.

[Rocketfire Guitars]

That's kind of like asking what's the new Mercedes?

The old Mercedes are the Mercedes. The new ones still look cool, but the engineering of the old ones... won't see it again!


But back to Marshall... kind of the same story. I think it's been somewhat of a downhill travel for a while now.

I think the amps of the next generation are..........

the amps based on the amps of the last generation. Has anything new really been invented. Everything is based on Marshall or Fender. This includes most of all the brands mentioned in most of the modern amps. Matchless.... Lots of Fender/Vox/Marshall ideas. Mesa, Bogner, Crate, Peavey, Orange, Bad Cat, etc... all takes on the original two.

Marshall... same thing... originally a Fender Bassman copy for the guys across the pond who didn't want to pay for an imported amp.

So really... has there been more than one amp? Not really... Fender... who took their designs from Western Electric and RCA manuals.

So, other than variations based on taste with gain and EQ shaping, physical components, speaker and cabinet choices, we're all just playing souped up Western Electric amps with higher gain and a few tweaks to taste. If it sounds old, it'll be a success in the future.

[Tone_Terrific]

So, other than variations based on taste with gain and EQ shaping, physical components, speaker and cabinet choices, we're all just playing souped up Western Electric amps with higher gain and a few tweaks to taste. If it sounds old, it'll be a success in the future.


Ah yes, 'the more things change, the more they stay the same'.:D

[Josh O]

Fractal Axe-FX.


:stir

:stir


Bogner.

Yes and yes. Or in my case, the both combined for one helluva un-stoppable force in my little fantasy land I call my jam room.

[Captain Midnite]

Marshall

[Chuck Snider]

Carvin!:D

[brlfq]

I was thinking as I was in class today...Back in the day when Jimi Hendrix and a few years later when Billy Gibbons hit the scene, they were playing Marshalls, which were the big thing of the time. Louder and more overdriven than amps of the past. They also were playing more "modern" music of the time. Their stuff was harder and louder than music of years past. They didn't played stuff like Buddy Holly or to go with blusier influences Hubert Sumlin, Albert King, etc.

Being 19, what would be the Marshall of my time? A Dual Rectifier? Also, would I be more following in the greats' footsteps if I played music that is more modern or the classic stuff like they did?

What does everybody think? Just something that popped into my head today.

Let the music lead you. It's not about the gear. (I can't believe I just typed that!) Don't worry about being right. Listen to the music that moves you. It'll change throughout your life. Pick an amp and a guitar that strikes your fancy and play. Don't worry about pleasing anyone but that man in the mirror. He's usually right.

[sosomething]

Guitar Hero.

[GerryJ]

For youngin' guitarists, it's the same stuff, even tubes etc.

What's changed is how so many young musicians now can - and do - use a laptop with a midi keyboard for....everything - drum loops, recording, live playing, etc.

[Jazzydave]

I have to give a +1 to the modeling amps. I'm not a big fan of them but everyone wants to be a rock star and anyone can cover up bad playing with one of these.

Yep, that's right! Come on! :boxer

But seriously, the "all-in-one" concept has taken over the younger generation on every level. I'd almost venture to say that Pro-Tools answers this question as well. Many 'young' bands aren't even using amps in the studio. They're plugging straight into the board and dialing in whatever they think they need.

Call me crazy...give me a nicely built guitar, tube amp, and something to drive that signal and everything else is just added details.

[JRenn]

Guitar Hero.

:rotflmao:crazyguy:JAM

Definitely.

[Jazzydave]

:agree I was in a music store a few weeks ago and this mom had brought her son in to look at guitars. We got talking and she asked me what I thought about guitar lessons, etc. Then she said, "Well he's already so good at Guitar Hero!" I said, "Ok, take care!" Hahahaha

[pir8matt]

:agree I was in a music store a few weeks ago and this mom had brought her son in to look at guitars. We got talking and she asked me what I thought about guitar lessons, etc. Then she said, "Well he's already so good at Guitar Hero!" I said, "Ok, take care!" Hahahaha

So is guitar hero going to be on the cirriculum at Berklee next semester?

[rwe333]

:agree I was in a music store a few weeks ago and this mom had brought her son in to look at guitars. We got talking and she asked me what I thought about guitar lessons, etc. Then she said, "Well he's already so good at Guitar Hero!" I said, "Ok, take care!" Hahahaha

Well, obviously she has little experience w/ the instrument.
Did you actually answer her question?
Just curious...

[Jazzydave]

Yeah, of course I did. I couldn't mislead her. I think I said something like, "Well, its a little different than that..."