Marshall 1987 Head

Sheer simplicity
This amp lay under someones bed for 10 years, my mate purchased it for the princely sum of #35 (about $50)and i remember not being very impressed with it at the time i was using a Calsboro sting ray tranny combo at the time (there's no accounting for taste sometimes). I purchased a second hand superbass and had it modded for guitar, a meety amp but not a great sound. I went to a jam session with my mate who was trying out for a band and the only amp available was the plexi Marshall. I plugged in turned everthing up full and the sound was simply awesome. At the end of the session I begged my mate to sell it too me but he refused, after a year of begging he agreed to sell it too me for the same price as he had paid definately the bargin of the centuary. Broke down and went to get it repaired the guy in the shop went apeshit, anyway he did the repair and found that the original owner had done a mod which was causing the fault so he had removed it. He said this was the second best Marshall he had ever heard (Purple 50 the best)and that the amp relly sang a low volumes. Went to a practice session and plugged in and incredibly it sounded even better. I eventually got my hands on a late 60's 4 X 12 120 watt celestion greenbacks for #100 ($140) the ultimate setup. I think that this amp could have been one of the first JMP 50 produced at the new factory. I saw JTM 50 with a serial number seven lower than mine (I'll need to find out)so possibly about 1965/66 also the chassis has an extra hole in it.

The sound is awesome think of any rock band of the late 60's/70's and this setup will reproduce it absolutley 100% authentic. This amp sings like a songbird plenty bass mids and sweet treble the brown sound. Turn all knobs up full except volume which you set to 8 (my amp tech said eight and i agree), please note this amp is at full volume at 2 going to 8 increses the cream not the volume. Use the guitars volume to control thr sound 2 for clean 5/6 for crunch and full for full cream. this amp is for playing rock/blues. When i used to play with this rig in my band people were always trying to buy it off me no chance. If there is a holy grail of setup's then this is the one too have, never part with yours and look after it and always make sure it is well insured. Others may say that their triple channel all singing and dancing amp provides them with the versitility sadly lacking in a plexi then they seem to be missing the point (a jack of all trades and a master of none). These amps add an inherant musicality through the rich harmonic distortion they produce and is therefore more pleasant sounding to the listener(s). They allow you to express youself more distinctly just listen to the differnce in the sound between hard picking and soft then mix the two together and you'll see what i mean. I have listened too and try'd out many of the other amps out there and there is nothing out there that sounded as good, I accept that i am biased in this matter however musicians have always coplemeted me on how good the amp sounds and has even converted some to using Marshalls. I use to use a distortion pedal but I don't now just an old Jen wha-wha (white room no probs). I did plug in a binson echorec2 (rare valve echo fx used by pink Floyd on early albums)I picked up the echo fx were'nt working so it was like adding an extra valve stage to the preamp shit hot sound at low volumes (about 1/3 up from vol zero this amp is ridiculously lous at very low volume settings) so was good for home recording setup.

The mod made this amp extremely unreliable however since this was removed I not had it repaired. The amp is relly tattie no plastic marshall logo and no tolex on the front and back. Difficult to know it's a marshall unless you look close but I was burgled once and lost alot of my equipment thankfully not my amp. So don't know whether to have it restored as it's in need of a good sevice and re-valving, however still sounds good.

In my experience they have always been very helpful and forthcoming with me and my friends.

Been a musician for about 21 years both live, studio and currently do a lot of home recording (well no other ego's to compete with). If stolen It means the earth is about to be hit by a comet, quite simply my amp is irreplacable i've tried the rest this is the best and that includes others like mine.

PS! The price I paid was for the amp AND the 4 x 12 cabinet
According to the serial number, this was made in 1974. It's very basic: Precense, bass, midrange, treble, vol1 (bright), vol2 (normal). 4 inputs (two for bright, two for normal). Two power tubes (EL34), three preamp tubes (ECC83/12AX7). Two speaker outputs with three impedances (4, 8, 16 ohms).

I've had this amp since 1987 and due to its sound I haven't even bothered to look for anything else. I've tried other amps (Mesa Boogies, newer Marshalls, Peaveys, Oranges, etc. etc.) but nothing matches this thing. I must stress, however, that it isn't the worlds most versatile amp. It's pure rock'n'roll/bluesrock and does not produce the kind of chrystal clean sound of f. ex. a Fender Twin Rewerb or a Hiwatt Custom. But for classic rock and related music forms, this is what you should get.

I use an old, beaten Fender Stratocaster for this amp. I don't, like most purists, plug directly in (it's so fucking loud, despite only 50 watts). Instead I was lucky to find, after having searched thorougly for many years, a tube preamp that actually matches this thing, namely a Mesa Boogie V- Twin. I've tried avariety of fuzz boxes and preamps, but most of them ruin the actual sound of the amp. The V-Twin does not! Part of the reason is that you can easily adjust all the tone metres the same way as the Marshall (namely all of them all the way up). With this set up I get a good blend of sounds from rock guitarists from the seventies (Blackmore, Page etc.). And, yes: it can be a bit noicy if you forget to change tubes or do regular service.

Also, I have the right cabinet for it (a must, at least in my opinion), namely a Marshall 4 x 12 from early 70s with Celestion Greenbacks.

This is an old amp. And old amp do break down every now and then. I've had mains power condensator dry-outs a couple of times. This causes it to produce an awfull lot of noice (like someone frying pork on full volume). It's quite normal, really, for this to happen on old amps, but there is nothing to worry about. The awful noice does not damage the amp and the repair is not a tricky one.

Another thing that can happen to these that did happen to mine, is that the power switch burned out after years and years of use. This is also something you may expect from old equipment.

Other than that it is very reliable. I've dragged this thing in and out of vans and venues in all kinds of weather conditions and circumstances and it has indeed stood the test.

Never had anything to do with Marshall the company. I fix amp problems myself.

There can be few doups that these amps are among the best ever made. I don't have any other amps allthough I've tried a whole bunch. They're simply the best classic rock amps. If you have this thing for distorted sound and a Fender Twin Rewerb (which I do not have, at least yet) for clean, you've got the best vintage sound, really.

This was originally a 1976 Marshall 2204. I bought it on ebay for $200 last May. It needed a little TLC, so I replaced a few parts and undid a few mods the previous owner put in. The amp sounded fine, but it wasn't what I was looking for. The master volume amps sounds great, but it just didn't suit me. I bought a Hoffman plexi board to put in, but it sat in my closet for about 6 months with the amp. I finally got around to replacing the original circuit about a month ago. The amp sounded pretty good before, but it ROARS now. There's nothing like it.. The 2204 had more gain, but this circuit (which is a 50 watt plexi) just rocks! My jaw drops every time I crank it up.

I'm using this amp with a gibson les paul std and a 2x12 cab with celestion vintage 30's. I've tried plugging a Fulldrive 2 and a Boss SD-1 into it, but nothing beats the sound of just the amp and the guitar. It's an unbeatable combination. I play mostly older rock covers with a band, and this amp is just what the doctor ordered. The components are all high quality, and the amp still has theoriginal beefy transformers. It sounds close to a 50 watt reissue, but not quite. This one has more balls and a gut wrenching low end when you want it. Jumpering the two channels together can get you a good variety of sounds. I like to keep the normal volume around 7 or 8 and the bright volume at 6. The volume control on my guitar can clean the sound up a good bit, but it's not as clean as my Deluxe Reverb. I love it.

I would definitely depend on it. The board is very well put together. I also replaced all the filter caps while I had it apart, so I don't expect anything to fail for a long time. The tubes are new Valve Arts KT66's. I tried some Svetlana EL34's, but I prefer these tubes. They have a fatter sound. Unfortunately, nothing lasts forever.

I've never dealt with Marshall, and I never will. This amp is so old and simple. I can fix anything that goes wrong myself.

I've got about $350 in this amp (hoffman board, new filters). I wish I could get another one like it for that price. This amp is not for everybody. It's loud as hell, and not all that versatile, but it does what it does better than anything else. Every rock guitarist should play one of these at least once. There's nothing like it.

This head is from 68 or 69, dunno exactly because the serial number is not available anymore... it was dated thanx to his features...
i play mostly Rock and Blues from the late 60's and early 70's
two chanel, classic 4 input 50W head, presence, low, middle, high, vol1, vol2... power and standbye quite simple...
i think it's enought buttons... no need for more...
enough power for rehearsing and playing on stage...

i use two guitars, a 71' strat and a Les Paul, i guess i have all sounds with this two guitars...
this amp is not noisy at all... never seen such a quiet amp... of course the strat introduce some buzz but i guess everybody can live with it...
with the strat and a good germanium fuzz, a good ol' italian wah and a ts808, i can have all the classic sounds of Hendrix, gallagher etc...
with the Paul, i can reach led zep, allman bro', zztop, the who sounds, depending on the setting ofthe amp... and the boxes used...
ok, this amp is Creamy... the control are verrrry efficient... lot of combinations of sounds can be create depending on the setting, the chanel used etc... hours of fun looking for sounds... i noticed that i prefer to play it without no boxes... sound so good with just the Paul... the distortion increase as you increase the volume... so nice...

i definitivly use it without back up, cause it's verry simple amp, and it was checked by a good tech, cap replaced good tubes... of course this kind of ol' amp must be serviced to be reliable but it's part of the fun...

this amp has a story... one day i went to a pub to see a friend playing with his band... he lend me his amp to play a few songs... it was on a dark stage... i plugged into this strange marshall combo, i noticed that the buttons were upside down... i played with this fabulous sound, powerfull, acid, tasty and creamy at the same time...wow!!! after the gig i asked him what this amp is supposed to be... in fact he had this old marshall head without the wood that a friend found in a trash... after servicing the electronic, he putted it in a marshall combo with a vintage30 HP... i asked him to sell it... he didn't wnt at the time but after one year, he had a failure, and didn't want to service it anymore so he trade it for a guitar and a few pedal that i didn't use anymore... i brough it to a good tech that found dead diode on the power stage... he replaced 'em and the amp now sound awsome... i build a wooden box for the head and a wooden cab loaded with 2 65W celestion that a friend gave me... i realize how much i'm lucky to play on a plexi 50W... for such a low price...

i got this amp for 2 years now, i'm so happy i got this classic amp...
i also got a 76' twin reverb which sound awsome too...
if it was stolen, i would commit a crime... because it's a one chance in your life finding such a good amp...

this amp was sold to me as a 73 but it is a 74. it has only vol, bass, tone, pres and middle. It's got balls for days and can generate a lot of cool sounds at the turn of a volume knob. If you need more than that then you suck and you also probably own a cheesy effects board and pay hommage to vai or suckriani.

with p-90's it sounds great but they are very noisy. Humbuckers are great. On a strat you get that "live" Hendrix sound for days. the amps does not goe any louder after you turn it passed 2. It just compresses and distorts beautifully.

this amp has been through the ringer and has the battle scars to prove it. I have not had any problems with it, but then again, I have had it re-tubed and all that other good shit that goes along with that.

this amp is the best amp I have played with. It kills a twin, and barks meaner than a boogie. for the money it was well worth it

All early Marshall are easy to use. Just run your finger along the bottom of the knobs until all are on full! Simple.

It's a Marshall. It should sound good. Keep in mind, early stock heads only sound good turned up all the way. The 1987 and the 1959 ( bka Plexi Super Leads, four inputs, no master volume) have to be turned up to get crunch. Depending on the type of music you play, you might want to consider having it safely modified to take advantage of the heads capability. Pre amps are just distorion boxes. The sheer balls of an amp (the ones that shake your moms china cabinet) come from the power tubes, not pre amp tubes. If you have it modified make sure it can be reversed and thier are no cosmetic changes. Amps of this type are roughly 25+ years old and are collectors items and ever increasing in value. I can restore my plexi to its original condition. ALSO, THE HOUSEHOLD VOLTAGE WILL EFFECT THE SOUND OF YOUR AMP!!!!!! It's amazing how many players and tech I come across who don't know anything about tube amp sound and how it is related to voltage. In order for the amp to remain consistant in sound, it must have a consistant power suplly. The adverage house current can flex between 100-130 volts. I can remember those days when my Marshall would sound so sweet and those days when I wanted to drop it of the Eiffel Tower with no hard feelings. Get a voltage regulator. Make sure it can handel your amps amperage rating.

It's A Marshall. They have stood the test of time and the abuse of Pete Townsend!

Never neede it.

There is nothing like the sound. Sad to say a lot of people are buying the originals and the reissues only to find that thier sound is based on thier effects and not the amp. If you are using a tube pre amp, it doesn't matter what tube amp you use. I bought mine years ago used and am very happy with it. Unless you are a collecto or a rock star and play lage stadiums, do yourself a favor, don't buy a 100 watt plexi (1959). I have seen countless people here who are selling both originals and reissues because they are too much for them. ANY club will kick you out if you try to use one of the 1959's up all the way. Thats 170 watss of rageing power. British ratings are conservative, i.e. the standard rating on a 100 watt plexi (1959) is before distortion. The 1987 is the 50 watt brother to the 1959 plexi. Both are the same. I have 6550's in mine which I prefer over EL34's.