Marshall 1974X

Well documented below. Pretty straightforward. I bought the amp to use it mainly at home as a practice and recording amp. There is more than enough power for a home amplifier. It'll actually be difficult to turn it all the way up if you live in an appartment and I'm buying a Hotplate to just do that at more neighbour-friendly levels.
The absence of a master volume is VERY impractical. It means you have to crank it all the way up to get full distortion, but that's probably why it sounds so good, and you know that when you buy it.
Forget about user-friendliness, but what a TONE...

I'm mostly using my Les Paul Goldtop 57 reissue with it. The sound is absolutely amazing if you're looking for a Marshall sound. I was actually demoing a Cornford in a shop, and about to walk out midly disappointed (they sound good but nowhere near like the samples on the website, which involve quite a lot of sound tweaking) when somebody turned a 1974X. I fell in love immediately but it belonged to the owner and wasn't for sale. I got one asap from GAK in England (special mention to this store for amazing price and customer service) and couldn't be happier. It's honestly the best amplifier I've ever owned or even heard. The clean sound is wonderful rich, mellow and rings beautifully. The amp responds to the way you pick, pluck, brush or bite (if you're into playing with your teeth...) the strings like no other amps I've heard. It breaks up pretty quickly and still keeps that lovely balance and warmth. What impresses me the most is the bass. It's loud and deep and very present without masking the other registers. The aged driver obviously plays a big part in that sound. Turned all the way up (couldn't do that too much), you get a classic distortion sound, fat and powerful. It's not a metal amp but it definitely rocks, and I think a good overdrive pedal can make it much more aggressive (I'm waiting for a Tubescreamer). If you're into death metal, you'll either pass or buy a specific pedal. Once more, it doesn't mean that it doesn't rock or distort!
Previous to the 1974X, I've owned a Marshall JCM900 and a Soldano Astroveb. Both featured a more brutal distortion (with the Soldano being largely better than the JCM900), but the 1974X is in a league of its own. Also, neither the Cornford Harlequin or the Hurricane could compare to the 1974X in my opinion, although they would be a good choice for somebody looking for a practical little amp in a neat package (better than the Astroverb).
That's it for now!
The

Don't know yet. Some of the tube covers were loose in the box when I received it but I put them back. I actually have no idea if they're really useful. Cosmetically, the 1974X is a real cutie and is beautifully finished. It doesn't look plasticky.

I've asked Marshall two questions before buying and received an answer each time. So far, so good.

I've been playing for 15 years (as an amateur). It's the best amp I've owned or heard. I'd buy another one immediately if it was stolen, providing it's reliable, which is too early to say. I love the way it looks, I love the way it sounds, I hate the absence of a master volume but once more, that's probably why it sounds so good, plus it's an exact reissue of an old model, so you know what you're buying.

The amp is simple, and it does not appear to need anything more than the tone and volume knobs. I never feel like reaching over to change settings; it always seems to sound better and better. It makes your pedals sound great too, and can be as complex as desired, depending on your pedal board. My amp is as quiet as any of my vintage Fenders.
It gets over the drums and P.A. at medium to small club gigs, and is the first amp that I have been consistently thrilled with in many different rooms and situations.

I use and Eric Johnson Strat, a relic (maple) strat, and a Goldtop. I usually never make it to the Les Paul because whichever strat I start with seems to get better, and if I need fatter I kick on a Blues Driver (analog man) or maxon 808. The goldtop just sits on a stand looking pretty, but when I do break it out, it is way over the top. I pretty much dime it the whole time and use my guitar volume to control distortion and mood.

The power trans went out while on standby at a gig, but I had an 18 watt head a friend built as a spare-very light. It is a great amp too, but I need to check values and tubes to see why I like the 1974X more. Things always sound the best when they are on the edge and ready to blow (like all the original P12N's I've had), and this may be the amp's majic (the 80 ohm cathode resistor means lets cook, baby). Paul Morte Technical services in Orange, CA turned it around in 10 days(and he took one in earlier that day- blown mains fuse)! He felt maybe the new power transformer was from a later production run, and the hope is that Marshall/Korg quietly resolved this issue. Either way, I guess if you have something this hot, you let her cheat on you.

Excellent- like I said 10 days, appearently Korg is stocking Power transformers, hopefully corrected.

I've been playing 40+ years, and I may bite the bullet and buy a spare one and an extention cab- that 20 watter rocks. I love my Fenders, but they are more room sensitive and moody.

Picked it up new, in a box Christmas week of 2005. Had a tear in the tolex so I returned it and Marshall shipped another one, this one had not been previously opened or inspected by KORG.
The simplistic features of this amp are well documented throughout this thread. I bought it because, well, it appeard to be a real Marshall. AND IT IS!. The 1974X as well as the 2061X are the look and sound of pure classic Marshall. One of the features that folks have been mentioning is the smell. Oh God, I LOVE that smell. The first one I had really put out that great odor, this one's a little less. But anyone who knows, knows that classic Marshall smell. It's a good thing, not a bad thing! It's not cranked until you smell it.

A bunch of Strat types and a Les Paul here. Suits blues, rock and funky soul very well. What's that I hear?....swirling chimey...?

Just a tad on the noisy side, depending on your power company or your inside/outside junction box hook up.

My favorite sound discovery? SHHHHhh......it almost out-voxes a Vox, given it has one 12' G-back Celestion. Just recorded 16 tracks and I discovered a huge palate.....I'll take this over..what's his name using...that David Howell guy?

It breaks up pretty quick, and that's what it is and what it's for. Buy something else for something else. Wood grain bite served here! Add a clean boost of any flavor to taste.

BTW, don't bother jumping the channels on the 1974x. Whilst the manual addresses doing so, doing so creates phase issues. I think this was probably so on the original issue. No worries!. It's not needed. Now, the 2061X, junping channels on that guy is HUGE! Almost allows you to dial in a sub-woofer:-)

These amps are the real Marshall deal. So, they'll have issues. The output transformer, as noted, can be an issue, but not necessarily. These things are organic, so expect a diva in the rough, no matter what the price. If you're serious, you'll know of a good amp tech. If not, buy something else. The 1974X is for players.

my 2061x had soldering issue that resulted in weirdness, was under warranty and was repaired. My dealer, from out of town, directed me to the right people in town, and the 5 year warranty was covered. It'll be the same with the 1974X.

I procurred my first Strat and Gibson amp at about the same time as the arrival of Cosmo's Factory and Jimi @ Filmore on New Year's eve. Stuff comes, stuff goes, but these Marshall re-issues are the goods! Best guitar recordings I've ever made have come from the 1974X and 2061X, which means, the last one! You get classic and modern rock, the vox thing(1974X), sustain whenever it suits you, and an amp that exposes you for what you are, what you are not, while encouraging you to sound better than those that guided you here as well as moving you to tred new territory should you be brave enough and have the guts to persevere. These amps have encouraged me to fill in the blanks. They have 'that sound' and 'that magic'. Nothing else can duplicate that except any other amp that has 'majik'. But, a Fender is a Fender, a Boogie a Boogie and so on, This amp series has taught me to appreciate amps for what they are and are not. I can now go on and find other amps to fulfill other needs, for, my Marshall(s) need has BEEN FULFILLED. Finally. AMEN. Well, except for a JTM 45 PTP.

new amp
18 watts one volume one tone
may not have enough headroom but have not played out,more later
great for bedroom,sounds good at low volume or cranked

I play many styles and many guitars the amp seems to be a one trick pony but it a very good trick

we have a real problem here.I played it a home for one week and blew a fuse.I am told it has a blowned power tranny and I will have to wait 4 to 6 weeks for replacement.
I now know of 4 others that have had the same problem.
This is why I have not played it out yet and I will not play without a backup when I do get it back

Marshall(Korg) should get trannies here so there won't be along wait when the go out.My tech.has worked with the company I have not dealt with them myself.Iam sure they will make it right but it should not take so long.Also they need to find out what is causing this failure
too early to rate willsee how this comes out

been playing 30 years,have many guitars and 4 amps mostly hand wired tube amps
will let you know how it works when I get it back

You know the specs by now, and since it's a faithful reproduction I will not rate it's versatility.

This is the most three dimensional guitar sound I've ever heard in all my life. Period. Forget anything you thought to know about versality and dynamics, this amp shows you how to control the entire sound range from clean to drive with nothing but two things: your guitar's volume and your very fingers! The 1974 seems to be pure amplification, pure tone without any alteration, a reference in clarity. Suddenly I don't like my Fender Super Champ, Marshall Jubilee or Framus Dragon Top in clean and crunch settings any more - this is THE THING, it alters the way you hear and play (in fact you can't afford the slightest mistake any longer for it WOULD be heard!!!). Okay, it's no grind core evil metal amp, but then with a little help from my friend Uber Metal (Line6) even that could be done for the Marshall does like to cooperate with stomp boxes.

Use it with an A/B-Box to switch between the "channels" and use one way for effects, the other for pure tone - and you've got infinite versatility !!!

And yes, it stinks when engaged (a certain "burning" odor mentioned earlier in this thread), but what little price to pay compared to it's real price tag! ;o)

Ask me again in 20 years... ;o)))

No experience.

This is not just an amp, it's an experience every guitar player should have made! Pure tone that takes you on a magic carpet ride back to the origins of all the records you adore so much and makes you forget time itself. I don't belive in channel switching amps any more, thanks to this little buddy and his mighty voice. It's got a heavy price tap on it, sure, but it's worth it. It alters your way of thinking and playing - and how is that measured in currency?

I bought this amp new in 2005 to see if the retro hand-wired thing is fact or just hype that allows manufacturers to charge a lot for a very simple old fashioned design. After all, not many of us would listen to a stereo that?s a 40 year old design or a use a car designed in that period, so why a guitar amp. Surely ? modern top end designs must be better ? or are they?
Features ? Ha! You certainly wouldn?t buy this amp for the features. It?s a normal channel and tremolo channel amp, with both mixed at the power amp stage, it has a single tone control on the normal channel ? no channel switching, no bass middle treble etc. And no reverb!

Well, this is where this amp should score. Does it? Depends on your point of view. The sound that this amplifier makes is a sort of happy accident. It has more natural compression than any other amp I?ve played. It?s low output, so at very modest volumes you?ll be getting overdrive and distortion. You can pretty much forget about clean sounds. The cleanest you get is bluesy light overdrive, and it goes upwards from there to that classic mid-pushed early Marshall sound. It?s a 60s bluesman?s amp really. And does quite passable classic rock sounds too. Forget Metal!
But, all that said, it can bring out a quality of tone and distortion from your guitar that?s very attractive ? especially on Strat type guitars. The amp is quite dark, so a bright guitar works well with it, and the complex overdrive sound it produces is quite addictive. This amp is a one trick pony ? it does what it does and nothing else ? but its act is tonally quite impressive if you like that sort of thing.
Trem channel. Good for fun ? and instantly brings to mind 60s music, and old film scores. Nice smooth tremolo sound.
Noise ? eeek! The heavy natural front-end compression of this amplifier means that it boosts all the noise from your guitar / pedals to levels you didn?t know existed, when you aren?t playing anything! The answer is a noise gate box in front of it of course, so that stuff gets shut off when you?re not strumming. So ? be prepared to invest in your little Boss noise gate pedal.
Reverb ? missing in action! Well, I need one, so I shoved a Holy Grail in front of the amp, and it sounds good with guitar turned up, but is no replacement for a good Spring reverb tank. Why ? because the at lower guitar volumes you don?t hit the Grail at the right level, so almost no reverb. The setup either gives you too much at high levels or not enough at low levels. No FX loop ? so can?t shove a digital box in there really.

Lord Knows ? Don?t think I?d be taking this to any Stadium Gigs! Might well record with it though, and it should be OK there. Marshall are usually helpful at fixing broken things too. Fuse blew once. Hums a lot too.

For once it?s good to be British. Marshall are local ? and will always help. Havent needed them on this one yet.

Ive been playing 30 plus years, but as a person who likes new things, I?m not impressed by having to use a re-make of something from the 60s, but then we all do just that with our Les Pauls, SGs, Strats etc., so maybe that?s just the thing of guitar playing ? that was the Golden Era that can?t be beaten?
But I don?t believe that for a moment. Today?s Strat Deluxe maybe the same shape as a 54 Strat, but the pickups, frets, neck profile, S1 switching, and tremolo are all updated. That?s what we need here ? to take this basic circuitry and add reverb, a few more tone controls, FX loop, and noise gate. Then we?d have a modern classic.
So, hand-wired isn?t hype, you can get a nice sound from it; one sound ? but a good one. But, you have to accept all the limitations that the 40 year old design imposes.
For me this will be my novelty one-trick pony, but for a serious session I would take along my Marshall TSL-122, or Boogie Lonestar, or Fender The Twin ? all modern versatile amps that do many things.
But - confirmed Retro Heads will love it!

The features are irrelevent on an amp like this. Simplicity is what it's all about. Volume and tone on one side, the same on the other with added tube trem controls.

*I've had the 1974x for over 6 months now and have deliberately not posted my review until now, so I have a reasonable idea what its like to live with. It's been in the studio, over 30 gigs and I bring it home to practice with.

I use a 2004 R9 Reissue, various 80's PRS's, early strats and a 68 tele. The R9 Gibbo through this thing is just wonderful. Those looking for Billy Gibbons dripping harmonics look no further! Try one of these with a chandler tube driver in front!
We also play some SRV covers, I use my 62 strat with no pedals, sounds very dramatic and immediate. Honestly, almost every time we play someone comments on how good it sounds.
The studio we used had an original one of these, but they can keep it, this sounds better (not to mention quieter)! You do need to mike it up if you play the larger places.
I've just ordered another one and some more matching cabs. My Dr Z and Badcat are for sale on ebay, take them away I won't use them again.

Mine gets thrown about a bit, you should always carry spare bottles and I have replaced a few sets. No technical issues though.
I have a DR Z and a Badcat for back up, but I'm getting rid so I can buy another 1974x for reserve.

12 month warranty. Never dealt with Marshall, should be all good.

Finally a superb amp that is cheaper for us Brits than our American friends, I love USA boutique amp manufactures but we get ripped off through importers.

Been playing 32 years, I play mainly blues rock.
Stolen? I'd buy another.
Great VFM but the waiting list is still too long.

Go and buy one before its too late.

Update

Still sounds the best! perfect match with my fender '65 DRRI, now using a Tonebone switchbone A/B, A+B + Boost pedal! This is all you really need to boost the amp in to a more saturated sound. The tonebone "Switchbone" has an adjustable gain boost which can be swithced on/off + if you want +5 or +10 Db Mid boost. If your'e running two amps ...get one, they're very good! Just got a marshall Bluesbreaker II Pedal and a Crowther Audio "Hot Cake", both these pedals work very well with the amp. Use the clean boost function on the Bluesbreaker with the amp set between 6-8 and it punches it up from smooth overdrive to an awesome lead tone, though not a huge volume boost, due to the basic nature of the amp's already pretty saturated sound!

This is a point. Mine blew a Power transformer(Mains). It just died...like someone turned the power off and she just faded away!

Its fixed now and sounds as good as ever! When the Mains Transformer blew, the mains fuse blew also. The person in the previous review said his Output transformer had blow! ..are you sure it wasn't the Power transformer? Especially as you said the mains fuse blew!

Took it up to the local Marshall and fender repair man, just a week before Christmas. I had it back in 4 weeks! This is quite good considering a new transformer had to be shipped from England! Especially at this time of year when all the freight services are overloaded with Christmas Stuff!

Worth every dollar! you just can't live without it once you've got it!

even if the Mains transformer blew! but I had put 150+ hrs playing time into the amp in the 8 weeks before the transformer Blew!

The specs are on the Marshall website. Normal channel and Tremelo Channel. 18 watts, but this thing can get loud especially with the external cabinet.

I use it with a Historic Les Paul and a Warmoth Strat. This suits my music style of late 60's/70's Blues/Rock perfectly without killing my ears. Warm, Woody sounding amp sound heard on countless recordings from the late 60's/early 70's. Not a lot of clean headroom, but like I said it suits my style perfectly. It is one of those rare amps where you just plug your guitar in and it sounds wonderful! It plays well with pedals also. The only concern is a strange smell as if something were burning. No problems yet, but am not sure yet if it's cause for alarm. I will post in the future any updates. Has anyone else had the same issue?

So far no problems, but am not sure about the 'burning' odor.

Cannot really say. I have never had to deal with Marshall directly.

Great sounding amp (Probably the best I have EVER heard), but am not sure about the burning smell.

all the features an amp needs. It depends on your guitar and fingers. pure tone and candy for the ears.

beautiful

well I bought it new took it home and after playing threw it for an hour it blew the main fuse. Took it back to the dealer where I have 1 year warranty. IT TURNS OUT I NEED A NEW OUTPUT TRANSFORMER.

I call teck support at marshall and ask why my amp would blow a fuse they said it was highly unlikely it would be the OT. And that I am the only one that has had this problem. I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR FROM PEOPLE WHO HAVE HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE MARSHALL 1974X.

we will see how it turns out