Marshall Amplification

Jim Marshall started building amps in 1962. He did this together with technical friend Ken Bran. Their first amps were very heavily "inspired" on the 1959 Fender Tweed 4x10" Bassman. Little did they know then that they were at the threshold of a rock 'n roll revolution...1962 The very first Marshall amps that saw the light of day were called the JTM45 amps. These amps were more or less a copy of the Fender 1959 Tweed Bassman. These amps were built as heads (or tops) separated from the speaker cabinets. The speaker cabinets were closed 4x12" Celestion loaded cabinets. 1965 The first combo's (models 1961 & 1962) appeared halfway this year. Desperate to build a factory large enough to meet demand, Jim Marshall made a deal with the Rose Morris company. In exchange for the necessary funding (to build this new factory) Rose Morris acquired the exclusive worldwide rights to distribute Marshall amps for the next 15 years. In this year the Plexi face plates were introduced. The first 100W models were introduced this year. 1966 The JTM45 panels were changed to the JTM50 panels with the switch to the EL34 output tubes. The GZ34 rectifiers were phased out to be replaced by solid state rectifiers. 1967 The hand bent aluminium chassis was replaced by the steel machined chassis, making the amps much more robust and road proof. The Marshall 200's were introduced this year. The JTM panels were replaced by the JMP panels. 1968 The Marshall 200 was redesigned and renamed to the Marshall Major. 1969 The Plexi panels were replaced by gold brushed aluminium panels. 1975 The introduction of the Master Volume amps (2203 & 2204). 1981 The introduction of the JCM800 amps. 1982 The 20th anniversary of Marshall. The introduction of the JCM800 Split Channel amps (2205 & 2210). 1985 The introduction of the Integrated Bass System (IBS) amps. 1987 The Silver Jubilee 25th Anniversary amps. 1988 The first 1959 and 1987 reissue amps. 1989 The introduction of the Series 9000 19" rack system amps. 1990 The introduction of the JCM900 amps. 1991 The introduction of the first Valvestates. 1992 The 30th Anniversary amps. 1993 The introduction of the JCM900 SL-X amps. 1994 The introduction of the Dynamic Bass System (DBS) amps. 1995 The introduction of the JTM30 & JTM60 amps. 1996 The introduction of the second Valvestates. 1997 The 35th Anniversary amps. The introduction of the DSL JCM2000 amps. The introduction of the JCM600 amps. 2002 The 40th anniversary of Marshall Amps!Viewing this brief history of the Marshall amps, several era's can be distinguished:The sixties (1962 - 1967) which is "Jurassic" period of Marshall and is the time of the JTM's. The seventies (1967 - 1981) was the era of the JMP's. The eighties (1981 - 1989) was the era of the JCM800's and the first anniversary amps. The nineties (1990 - 1999) was the era of the JCM900's and the reissues. Year 2000+ is the realm of the JCM2000's and 40 years of Marshall Amps. Although this division is not entirely accurate, it does give a good impression of the different era's. The first decade in the history of Marshall is regarded by some as the "Golden Years".In the following overview, I try to place the amps in some kind of chronological ordering. Keep in mind that allthough I try to be complete, this is obviously not a complete list, though I hope it will be some day...1962 - 1966 The JTM45's. 1966 - 1967 The JTM50's. 1965 - 1967 The JTM100's. 1967 - 1974 The Majors. 1965 - 1967 The 18W Marshalls. 1967 - 1974 The 20W Marshalls. 1967 - 1981 The JMP's. 1971 - 1978 The Artiste's. 1981 - The 2000 Series. 1981 - 1989 The JCM800's. 1974 - .... The Solid State amps. 1984 - .... The Mini Stack's. 1985 - .... The Integrated Bass System (IBS). 1987 - 1990 The 25th Anniversaries (Silver Jubilee). 1988 The 1988 Re-Issues. 1989 - .... The 9000 Series. 1990 - 1999 The JCM900's. 1993 - 1999 The JCM900 SL-X's. 1992 - .... The 30th Anniversaries. 1992 - .... The JMP-1. 1994 - 2000 The Dynamic Bass System (DBS). 1995 - 1998 The JTM30's. 1995 - 1997 The JTM60's. 1997 The 35th Anniversaries. 1997 - 1999 The JCM600's. 1997 - .... The JCM2000's. 1998 - .... The VBA400. 1990's The Other Re-Issues. 1991 - 1993 The Valvestates Mk1. 1993 - 1999 The Valvestates Mk2.