Marshall 3540 Integrated Bass System Head

I bought this bass amp in 1986...when it first came out. Trusting the Marshall name for guitar amps, how can you go wrong? I have never had a more trustworthy bass amp. I used the Marshall 3540 head (hot-rodded to 600 watts) to use as a stage amp. I love it . I use the jcm 800 cabinets with it ( one 4 x 12 ...and one 2 x 15 ) I will probably never get rid of this amp for obvious reasons.

I play a Guild advanced pilot with this amp with Bartolini active pick-ups. It works great for everything i need it to do!

I have never had this amp in the shop , other than to have it hot-rodded from 400 factory watts, to 600 watts. Very reliable and can take abuse of the road as well as high bass pounding volume.

I have lost the owners manual, but i know what all the inputs in the back do.. so if you need to know also.....email me tpodwdog@hotmail.com

I love this amp and will never part with it ( of course ,,,money talks ) but for the right price i might!

I have owned one of these amps for about 5 years now for solid gigging. It has a boatload of great features, most of which aren't even necessary for the average user, and without owning an original users manual are very difficult to navigate!

On the whole the EQ's are simplistic and effective. The amp has a HUGE amount of power, even when only utilising 200W, and for practical stage volume I have never had to juice it up past 6-7. When using the 400W bi-amp crossover function, the rig is amazing, and opens up your tonal range

I also own a Hartke 500W Bi-amp with crossover function, and the Marshall blows it out of the water every time no argument.

My main bass is a 1984 Fender Precision Elite, which is basically a P-bass with two pairs of split coils, rather than one. I also use a custom bass (Bralan) for selected tracks. This custom bass has a humbucker 'stingray' set up.

I have found most basses gel well with this amp, although a humbucker set-up tends to become a bit cloudy and muddy.

I find the amp to be ideal for any brand of rock, but also versatile enough for the smooth tones of jazz/groove, and popiness of funk.

The amp is more than loud enough for any live show, and unless playing a stadium with a dodgy PA, will never need to be boosted to anywhere near full volume.

In bi-amp mode I have it hooked up to a vintage Acoustic 4x15 cabinet for the lows, and a Hartke 4x10 box for the mids and highs. This is a truly exquisite set up!

In terms of tonal range I must say that the amp can sometimes be limited, but this is really only when using the single amp 200W mode. When utilising the 400W bi-amp mode the tonal range increases greatly, especially upper mids and highs

I do have a back-up amp but it never leaves my storage room....seriously! The only problem I have ever encountered is a missing EQ knob that fell off after a gig, which was easily replaceable. Other than that just keep it serviced and it will never let you down.

Built like a sherman tank. Try to break it....it won't happen!

I have never had to deal with Marshall. As long as you use a trusted and/or reputed service crew, you won't have anything to worry about.

I do have the ORIGINAL SERVICE AND USERS MANUAL for this and all other models in the range, so if anyone has any questions regarding the amps use or functions, just email me and I will try to help

This is by far the best investment I made as a bass player. For $400 Aussie dollars it was a bargain (from a former church-choir bassist) and has never let me down.

Although quite heavy and a pain in the butt to gig around with, at least it keeps you fit, and I would hope to find another if something happened to mine. It is an amp I am sure I will never part with

I purchased my 3540 brand new in '86.
I bought marshall bass stack, one cab loaded with 4 10" speakers, the other loaded with 2 15" Sidewinder speakers.
1 channel.
There is an effects loop. Also a balanced out so you do not need a direct box to send signal to Front-of-House. (caution-if you use the balanced line out to the board, tell them to pad the channel, as the signal is "hot")
The amp has plenty of power and since I have owned it for almost 20 years, all that I have replaced was the front power switch and I did have a loose connection at the back, a little solder and she was back in fine form.
This came with a boost pedal, but I have never had occassion to use it.
With the configuration I have, the cabinets appear the same as a marshall 4x12 straight cab, only deeper.
This is a good sounding, reliable head, and it has adequate power for club gigs.
warm sounding solid state amplifier.

P-Bass Passive
Good Rock Amp
reasonably quiet operation

Very dependable.
Power switch failed once in 20 years.
one of the output jacks loosened in the solder.

Playing 28 years.
Own two Ampeg SVT's (the original)
1 8x10 SVT cab
1 9x10 Ampeg V9 cab
an assortment of Fender bass guitars
assorted aboard gear.

Will somebody who has the handbook for one of these things PLEASE write a detailed review accurately describing the functions of ALL the knobs on the front AND ALL the holes at the back?!!!

I've got one, it's great but I'm working in the dark here folks, especially in terms of how to get the full 400 watts out of this thing.

I'm using an 8 ohm 4x10 and an 8 ohm 1x15 plugged into the bottom two inputs of CH.A where it says 200w/4ohm - my guess is that this gives me 200 watts and thus I am only utilising half the amp's capability. Do I really have to plug in FOUR cabs to get the full 400 watts?

I've spent hours on the internet and shown it to various people in music shops who actually know less than I do but just don't like to admit it!

PLEASE, PLEASE could somebody write a definitive review.

Sounds good but I'm sure it would sound better if I knew what I was doing!

Very solidly built unit.

Marshall have always been great with me but I got a frosty reception when I asked them for an owner's manual...

..."we stopped making that a long time ago and no I can't suggest another source for a manual" CLICK

I am not a total idiot when it comes to amps but this one is not at all intuitive to use and I would only recommend you buy one if you are VERY CONFIDENT and KNOWLEDGABLE about amplifiers of all kinds, if you know someone who is OR if someone writes a definitive review on this site - which I really, really hope they do!

I promise to write a proper review when I eventually find out how to use it properly.

This is an absoloute no-nonsense piece of Marshall quality.

11 control knobs, managing Sensitivity, Contour (full EQ), Bass Boost, 100hz/1khz Crossover, Treble Volume and finally Bass Volume.

There is also a jack for a Boost Switch, as well as the standard single-channel Input jack.

Easy to operate, simple frontal layout, good, solid jacks.

I use a Burgundy 1972 Rickenbacker 4001, obviously famous for its treble punch/growl.

This amp fully supports the 4001's characteristics, and it can 'tame' the bass in effect, by adapting to smooth, subtle jazz-esque tones.

This is a rocker's amp, though. And boy does it rock.

Made in England, superb Marshall English quality.

Need I say any more.

Not needed! This amp has gone 20 years without ever needing so much as a replacement screw.

Brilliant amp. It only has 200w and is single-channel, however...

...maybe if I found another, I could get me a stereo rig for my Rickenbacker's stereo jack!! :)

Dont know the year it was made but its between 1986 -93. A very versatile amp suited to loud rock. Only the 1 channel but is a bi-amp with loads of sockets on the back, most of which I dont use as no-one can tell me what they do. I wish it had another channel. It is only used on a stage as it is way to loud to use at home. The power it puts out is painfully loud even at low volume.

I run a Rickenbacker 4001 and a Yamaha RBX270 through it and they both sound superb. The Marshall handles whatever I do to it, from Motorhead to Rush, it does it all. It doesnt distort at all and gives a clean sound all the way up to full volume. I have a 2 x 15 500 watt JCM800 cab and a 4 x 12 600 watt JCM800 cab for it and they are a perfect match. I would like a bit more bottom end on it but I think it would break windows if there was. Another 2 cabs would be nice.

100% no backup required.

Marshall as always are very helpeful and friendly. It has never broken down.

Been playing for 30 years on and off, I have an explorer, a les paul, a fender amp, carlsbro pa anda pearl drum kit. If I had to replace the Marshall it would be with another Marshall. I love the Marshall because nothing else comes close when its being driven, theres nothing to hate, ITS A MARSHALL!
The only thing it really needs is another channel and 2 more cabs.
If anyone out there has the manual or can tell me what all the sockets on the back can do I would be very grateful.

this solid state head has alot of features as mentioned above. mine was made in 1986 but is in great condition. is has two 200 watt channels. at the moment i just use one of the channels using a 2X10 trace elliot with horn. this is LOUD and ground shaking even though im only using half the amps capability. soon i will get a trace 1X15 to round it off.

i use an ibanez ATK 300 active 4 string bass which is practically ibanez's take on the stingray. this sounds great through the head after months of tweaking with the eq. i was originally unhappy with the sound and was going to use an ampeg tube preamp but now i feel ill have no need for it. the sound is warm, deep and punchy. i use no effects and am amazed by the sound of this head.

i wont give a ten because i dont feel the head gives a huge range of tones. although ive managed to find a few GREAT tones ive found many bad sounding ones, but thats all up to the player. i play moderate to hard rock and like deep rounded off vintage tones which this head can deliver.

its big and heavy and has a solid metal casing. ive owned it for only 6 months yet its 16 years old and still sounds amazing so ill have to give it a ten.

ive been playing for 2 years and before this i used a 60 watt laney combo witch sounds alright but compared to the marshall sounds shit.

if it were stolen or lost i would still be willing to pay 1200 AUS (600 US) for another. to get tone like this brand new i would be looking 3000 dollars so im just happy i got it when i did.

Originally sold for around $1000
"Produced between 1986 and 1989", very hard to find info on I'll warn you now!
Extremely versatile, you can do anything with it, although I prefer to just sound like bass (j/k)
It has tons of features:
Five-band e.q., Bi-amp Capability, Crossover, Footswitchable Volume Boost, Effects send, a preamp output, and a DI for recording or gigging. It also can be removed from its original enclosure and be rack mounted.
I can blow my guitarist out of the water with this baby, it is solid state, but has a great tone, kind of ampeg-like, but a little more unique (an SVT would be nice, if you have about three times as much to spend). Only needs a Standby switch to be perfect.

I use a B.C. Rich Warlock Platinum, and use a Zoom BFX-708 Effect Pedal (usually set to "Tube" effect and the "warm" amp simulator). I run the BFX through the effects loop and find that to make it sound better.
The head runs two cabinets so far:
a Traynor 2x15 and a Traynor 2x12

It's built like a tank! But I've only had it a few weeks, so I won't rate this one yet

I've been playing bass for about two years now, and until I got this bad-ass I swore that I'd never be playing anything but my restored 1968 Traynor YBA-1, but I needed a crapload more power and reliability so I looked into Ampegs and such, and eventually found this weird Marshall contraption. I must say that if you can find one, get it! It blows Ampegs, Fenders, Traynors, and dare I say it... Edens away, especially for the price!
I would like to have an Ampeg 8x10 to play it through, that's all.
I wish it had a standby mode.
I have pictures of it on our website:
http://www.Soulshadow.com/gear/mbassamp.jpg
http://www.Soulshadow.com/gear/mbassamp2.jpg
If you find ANY official information on this amp, please e-mail me!!