I've been part of many a discussion on vintage Marshalls and I know what I do like in a 4 input non master 50 watter. I like my 50 to play clean and just begin to break up when turned up to 5. It has to take to dirt pedals well and have that beautiful complex midrange thing going on. What does everyone here consider to be the best vintage Marshall 50 circuit to achieve that?
Germinos, Roccafortes, Blockheads, Cornells. lots more choices. i'm particularly fond of Aikens. i stumbled across a Heritage Colonial and am mighty glad of it.
In my opinion the best Marshall 50w was and is (in re-issue) the 1987x head. It does break up at 5 on the normal channel, responds superbly to any effect, Is a fantastic rock amp and has been my favourite for a long time now, For tone the JTM-45 takes the cake, for rock tone......... you know the answer. I am still suprised how good it sounds every time I turn mine on. best ever. Marshall has gone in a different direction these days, I prefer their old stuff, after all, thats why they are famous in the first place.
No offense- but there is no way a traynor sounds like a plexi. I don't know where this comparison comes from. Maybe Smoother fender bassman- but it doesnt have the growl or overtones of a Plexi. S.
My thoughts too... I was surprised with the reissues of both the 1959 and 1987, and think they´re quite good. Not like the real thing but really nice amps for the price.
Shazam! End of story! Badda boom badda bing! Finito! I guess I forgot to mention an amp circuit or model. Oh well, I guess I just wanted to sound as officious as all the other posts.
In answer to your question, yes you should buy every 50 watt head to compare. consider yourself enabled. I get some good historic tones out of these heads. March '71, Feb '70.
+1 If you install the correct output transformer you'll be in the ballpark. The hammond is not multi-tap, and it needs a 16 ohm tap if you really want the correct neg feedback and tone of the early plexi circuit. Now, the stock amps circuit is somewhat close so I can see where this all started from, but stock, a plexi its not.
