Marshall Major 69-69

[SONICSWAMI]

Anyone with any info on the Marshall Major 200wt guitar amp head???? Please e-mail me. Thanks!!!
[email protected]

 

[hogy]

https://www.thegearpage.net/board/index.php?threads/110158

 

[Red Planet]

Me thinks they might just be a little loud.

Well theres the Pig and the Non Pig. and boaf of em will hurt you.

Be carefull.

 

[SONICSWAMI]

Not really wanting it to use just to add to the collection. Have a chance to pick it up for $350. Just checking with all of you gear gurus to see what you thought!!!
Thanks

 

[fenderbender4]

I'll buy it AND play it Seriously....I'll buy it if you're not going to play it.

 

[Glaze]

Originally posted by SONICSWAMI
Not really wanting it to use just to add to the collection. Have a chance to pick it up for $350. Just checking with all of you gear gurus to see what you thought!!!
Thanks

Sonicswami


Ok, I actually owned a 1969 Marshall Major Plexi about 18 years ago. It was just an ok sounding amp and sounded nothing like a great 50 or 100 watt Marshall Plexi. The Marshall Major also has a bad reputation of being unreliable. I had a friend who owned two Marshall Majors also and he had problems with his far more than any other Marshall. I had problems with the one I had. A good sounding 50 or 100 watt vintage Plexi just sounds 10 times better than the Major.

There is a reason why the Major was not made for long and will never be a reissue amp from Marshall...

I would put your money toward something that really is what you want. Even at $350.00 which is cheap I know you will be wasting your money on a Major. Just experience talking here and I'm a vintage Marshall fanatic, so I'm not putting Marshall down at all.

Mike

 

[JerryP]

I think you've reached your limit on Majors Joe! I just found one locally. I'm waiting for pictures. It sounds beat. No tolex, master volume mod, and a bad OT.
Jerry

 

[drbob1]

$350? Grab it, try it, if you don't like it resell at a slight profit

 

[hogy]

I couldn't disagree more with the descriptions givem. I have two '68 Majors and they are among my most favorite Marshalls. Not bright and and high endy at all, very fat and creamy. Mine sound like giant JTM45s. Very nice breakup and very sweet tone, apparent volume is about the same as a Super Lead. They can blow output transformers, don't use them on attenuators and keep your tubes fresh. Anti arching diodes on the power tube sockets are a cheap insurance. Tubes are expensive. They are killer amps IMO.

A good example of a stock Major in capable hands is the '94 BBM record (Baker, Bruce, Moore) where Gary Moore plays Greenie's LP through a Major. I know there is video footage from one of their gigs, I've seen it and the guitar tone was spectacular.

Ritchie Blackmoore used Majors of course. Yes, they were modded a bit, but you can get that tone from a stock Major by boosting the front end. Check out the video "California Jam '74" for some of the best Strat tones ever acchieved by anyone.

Hogy

 

[guitarman_1]

Hogy
Speaking of loud amps. Here is a rare one for you.
My 1965/66 Park 100 watter. Aluminium chassis. Partial re- cap.
What do you think.

 

[hogy]

Wow, thanks for sharing those pics, that's a very rare bird indeed. Basically the same amp as a Marshall JTM45/100 it seems.
What's the plate voltage? My 45/100 has close to 600V on the plates and is every bit as loud as my Majors.

Hogy

 

[Rich M]

I'll take it if you don't want it. I have a '69 and it sound great!

 

[guitarman_1]

Hogy
Its close to 600 volts too. The amp is one loud Park.The tone is killer too. I might put it up for sale soon, but im torn, as it is a very early example, and not replaceable. The vox vents were only used in the top mounted panel ones. I've never seen a big box front panel model with it. Other than this one. Its serial # 214.
Thanks.
Orlando

 

[hogy]

My JTM45/100 has the Vox vents, too. Not all of them did.

Hogy

 

[guitarman_1]

Hogy
Thats a beauty too. I bet that amp sounds amaizing.