Marshall 1987X Head

I bought this head new, and it was made in 2005. It has very basic features like the old Marshalls used in the 60s and 70s bass, mid, treble, presence and volume. So don't expect gain and crunch knobs. It has 2 non-switchable channels one is called high treble and the other normal and the names of the channels are self described. It has an effects loop which is very cool and I use it often. These are all the features I expected from a vintage remake. If it had anymore than it wouldn't be a faithful vintage recreation.


There is a lot of power in this amp so don't underestimate 50w.

I play it with a Gibson Les Paul Standard with burstbuckers and a Robert Cray strat. Strat sounds like a strat through it - clean, glassy tones. My favorite is the Les Paul through the Marshall - very nice and warm crisp sound with the humbuckers.

This is a great amp for the music I play which is mostly blues, rock, r&b and hard rock like Thrice and AC/DC. And the clean sound is awesome. So much head room in this monster. People here said theirs distorted at higher volumes, I cranked mine all the way and it was still clean. I can hear some break ups but its not your classic Marshall crunch found on the JCM series. The break up is very good for blues but you would probably go deaf playing at high volumes all day so a powerbreak or hotplate is essential especially in small clubs and at home jam sessions like I do.


The amp hisses and is noisy compared to my DSL201 but again its a vintage remake so everything is normal. The noise isn't that bad at all unless you're hearing is equal to that of a bat. This thing has clean tones for days! put it through some pedals and you got everything at the push of a button

This is meant to be played out on gigs - it sounds so good. I mostly have jam sessions at home so I play it every weekend for 3 to 4 hours along with my friends so it holds up in this situation. I think its very road worthy unless you're the type that doesn't know how to load and pack your equiptment.

Just like all tube amps it will require retubing, speaker changes when it blows out or when the fuses blows out etc...standard tube amp maintenance.

This is only my second Marshall and I haven't had to deal with them yet.

I've been playing for little over 5 years, which is a short time but by now I know what sounds good for my music and what the top brands and equiptments are out there as far as guitars are concerned.

If you are into clean tones and vintage look of old Marshalls then this is a great amp to invest in. Don't expect Lambo Of God tones from this. If you want that kind of Thrash Metal sound go with the newer Marshalls or better yet a Messa Mark IV.

Clean tone paradise is what I love about this amp and also all my pedals sounds awesome with it.

I always played Fender amps until I bought a DSL201 and now this 1987x. This is about the same level as a Super Reverb except for the reverb which I wish it did have because I am a reverb freak.

If it was lost or stolen I definitely get another one

This Amp was manufactured in England 2004. This amp is just what I have been looking for sound wise. I play good ol' Rock 'N Roll, and this amp was made for it. I also play the blues. A Stratocaster in the neck position hooked up to this sounds like all the blues players I look up to. This amp may not knock your socks off right off the bat, but when those tubes have burned for awhile, this thing sounds fantastic. If you're looking for an amp that has like 5 channels, and digital effects, and all the bells and whistles, check out some solid state turd that, let's face it, you will not be happy with in the long run anyway. This amp has an effects loop. It doesn't have a line out. But this is how they were made back in the day, hence the term "Vintage Series". It would be nice if it did have one, but then it wouldn't be authentic. A good condenser mic will do just as good in my opinion. I use this amp down in my basement. It's in a carpeted room, and I think that enhances the sound even more. You're probably think 50 watts, that's not loud enough. I thought that too. I got this thing home, and turned it up and my ears rang for 2 days straight. It's plenty loud. I even hooked up my Power Brake to it. Fully cranked sound, and it saves your ears. If you are a vintage fan, and you like that PAF sound, you'll love this amp. This amp can go beyond PAF though. I have played metal on this. But most metal plays have distortion pedals they play through anyway. Yeah, it's a hefty price tag. Don't let that stop you. This is one killer amp!

I play Strats and Les Pauls through this amp. Single Coils, Humbuckers, P90s, they all sound awesome. It suits my music styles perfectly. Yeah it's noisy if you have it cranked up to ten and have your guitar leaning against your cab pickups down. Otherwise no. The amp sounds very good clean. The Clean channel will distort at high volumes, but that's a given. The Distortion isn't heavy. It's good, but Slayer fans may not dig it. Again use a Distortion pedal if you want that sound, or buy a Mode 4. Great for '60s and '70s Rock N Roll. I'm suprised John Fogerty doesn't play one of these, because this sounds more like him that he does. Makes my $100 knock off Strat sound like and American Deluxe.

It's Marshall. It's dependable.

Never Dealt with them. I doubt I will ever have to. I'll take it to the dealer I bought it from for service. They deal with Marshall. It eliminates the hassle.

GREAT AMP

You all know the features. Presence, Bass, Mid, Treb and two separate volume knobs.

And this is why you buy such amp. Mine was made in 1973 just got re-tubed and it simply ROCKS! I play in the band mixing early punkrock with hardrock and classic rock and this amp do the business. It took me few years to get to this amp and for the time being I'm fully satisfied with it. The point with this Marshall is that you either love the sound or not. Think of all those Great rock bands like Led Zeppelin, AC/DC etc. In my opinion it is not much versatile amp, you must be looking for the exact type of sound before you buy this. I'm using it with Gibson Les Paul Classic and this combination is simply born to win. Sometimes I think Marshall and Gibson are somewhat made to be played together it's the classic combination... You can't do wrong here. I'm using the patched combination when you patch the channels together, it brings the best outcomes. Next month I'm gonna record another album through this amp (for the first time) so I'm looking forward.

This head bears all my touring, regular rehearsals, gigging and all. No troubles at all. I had JCM 900 50w and this 73'head beats it in every aspect. I feel special bond and somehow rely on it. I always recommend to get it overlooked by a qualified technician. You know these are old amps and you simply cannot expect it will play 31 years without retubing etc. When you buy it, get it retubed, serviced and checked. Then it will outlast you!!!

I've heard they're great, though the custommer support here in Czech republic sucked. They didn't bother to even answer my emails. I had to contact Florida based company to send me some special sparepart.

If you love the sound of Led Zep, AC's and all 70 rock bands, there's nothing better. The point is that a lot of them used the same amps and often with Les Pauls so you can get very VERY close to their sound.

It's a year 2000 Marshall 50 watt superlead reissue with the Drake (as opposed to Dagnall) transformers. What features?

Currently I run an 82 Gibson LP Standard w/ Seymour Duncan 59's in the bridge. The amp's setup right now w/ ElectroHarmonix 6CA7's (NOT EL34's) and RCA long grey plate 12AX7As in the preamp. Now, stock, this amp sounds phenomenal. With the inputs patched, it's a hard rock machine, ala Van Halen, Zeppelin. I can even pull off a great Tool tone, so it'll do the real heavy stuff as well. ONLY, however, with the channels patched or hotwired together. Patch the lower left to upper right inputs and plug into the upper left.

This thing's a sheer wall of volume, except it never loses its coherentness, stays tight, focused, and has tone to boot. It does everything I want it to do and then some.

Bear in mind though, this thing is LOUD as HELL! It's bar none the loudest 50 watt amp you've ever heard. I recently had a peek inside and the only thing I really hate to say is that Marshall REALLY skimps on the parts. Carbon Film resistors, crap caps...it all contributes to making an overly noisy, under consistent amplifier. I went through and replaced all the 1/2watt resistors with precision 1% Metal Films and all the 1W and 5W's with precision Ohmite wirewounds. This alone reduces ALOT of hum and general noise. It also bumped the plate voltage up 20V to 470VDC. Desirable for more headroom and control. All the caps were replaced with Metalized Polypropylene's/Orange Drops/Silver Micas, and the treble rolloff is alot nicer now, and the general sound is more controlled and easier on the ear.

It DOES sound great stock though.

Solid as a rock. If you're cranking it regularly though it'll EAT some EL34's though. This is my main stage amp, and its seen its fair share.

Never dealt with them. Never had to, I guess thats a good thing.

It's not versatile, not quiet, not very pretty, not very complicated.
It'll tear your balls off in a QUICK second though. It's a one trick pony, but it's the master of that trick. Wouldnt trade it for the world.

I am a "weekend warrior" and play in a blues/rock band throughout the Chicagoland, far south suburbs and Northwest Indiana.

I rotate between a Gibson Les Paul 58 Reissue, Gibson Les Paul/SG and a couple of standard Fender Stratocasters. I play these guitars through a Marshall 1987x Plexi and a Marshall 1922 (two 12" spkr)cabinet.For effects, I use a Hughes Kettner Rotovibe, Crybaby Wah Wah and a Barber Distorton unit. I can play clean to crystal clean rhythm through it, but this amps forte' is playing solos, it simply sings. I also have a '59 Reissue Fender Bassman that I can compare this amp to. Although the Bassman is very versatile as well, if I were to play in front of a national audience or lets say at the Tweeter Center, I'd use the Marshall. No wonder Jimi, Eric, Peter Green, Duane Allman, Dickey Betts and Angus to name a few used these, they are just simply very robust. To some, there may be drawbacks like it isn't versatile like some of the boutique amps out there, I happen to have a Reverend Hellhound, which is a "low-end" boutique amp that is great for playing small gigs. The only problem, depending how you look at it, is you can't really play the Marshall at low volumes and do it justice. This amp was made to be played at a respectable volume. I am old school and believe that you should be able to crank the amp at least at about 4 or 5. You really can't do this unless you play outside. In clubs I am lucky if I can get it past 2 and a half before a club owner/manager complains. With the Barber distortion unit I can assimlate the Clapton "Cream and BluesBreaker tones" or the "Brown Sound" but I'd rather get these sounds with no effect pedals. Like I said, I am old school. When I first started playing in clubs (early 70's) I was able to crank a Fender Twin to get the tones, but nowadays, the club owners usually don't let you get away with it. What a drag it is getting old (Jagger/Richards...)! To anyone who thinks "old school," you will be very happy with the Marshall 1987x Plexi. Another plus here is that the head is relatively light (about 30 pounds) lighter than a Bassman or a BluesBreaker, and if you get a Marshall 1922 or 1936 cabinet, those are approximately the same weight. So it is easier to transport. Hope this helps, long live Marshall.

So far I haven't had any issues with this amp. It does hisss a bit, like eggs frying, but I am told (by other Marshall users) that this is common.

The only drawback that I see here, service from an authorized dealer takes over a month. I have considered getting this amp checked out, but the predicted wait time is much too long for me to wait, although I know that at some point I will have it done.

I've had this for about 8 months. I would buy another. Apples and oranges to a Fender, different species altogether. I wish that I had a Marshall BluesBreaker, two issues here, everyone wants an arm and a leg for it and you need a fork lift to carry it. The BB weighs about 95 pounds so I am told. How did Clapton lift it? back then he must have weighed 90 pounds. If you really want "authenticity of tone" and you play blues rock ala, BluesBreakers, Savoy Brown, Allman Brothers, etc...get one of the reissue Marshalls like the 1987x Plexi, or the JTM 45 or the BluesBreaker.

You cant really rate this amp for its features. No one buys a classic Marshall for its features. Standard Prescence, Bass, Mid, Treble tone controlls. Volume 1 and Volume 2. I wish it had a switch to jump the channels automatically like those Cage amps...just cuz it looks kinda weird with a cable going in and out of the inputs. (looks like a patchbay)

Alot of people give amps 10s in the sounds category but unlike most of the amps out there this one really deserves a 10. It does "sound awesome!" Strat or Les Pauls unforgettable rock & blues tones are at your fingetips. Its relatively quiet with single coils (none of the buzz you get with those high gain monsters) Since it is 50 watts, its technically 3dB quieter than the 100 watt superlead. It also compressess and overdrives easier. All the "balls" one could ever ask for. If youre like me and dont know what "balls" means, I think that it is the effect of these marshalls have on your testicles. (makes them shake I guess) Anywho I play it through a Bogner cabinet with 2 Celestion G12H 30 watt speakers (greenbacks with the heavier magnet on the back for better bass response) "Sounds awesome!" The amp sounds great through all speakers but for the classic marshall tone that people are talking about, most people choose 25-30 watt speakers.

Hard like a penis!

these amps are easy to service.

All the ledgends at least own 1 of these amps. Its time to throw away your Boss metal zone and get some real tone!

No channel switching or any other frippery. A tone control bypass might be interesting, but that would be a different amp. If you need to play a t a low

A great amp. It has that thick Marshall sound that can't be bettered by any fancy boutique amp, and I've owned some of tho$e. It does not sound quite like a vintage Plexi, at least not the ones I've heard on record. It has its own sound, which is idetifiably Marshall without a doubt, but it doesn't have that moaning sound a la All Right Now, or the Bluesbreakers. The thing that it does do is give a great deal of pleasure when you peel off a phrase. It really likes the hinge point between clean and overdriven, and you can play happily in that zone for hours. It has that sense of breathing with you and expressing your phrasing the way you hear it in your head. Big fat notes come out of it, and the dynamics are superb. It makes you want to play at a lower volume, then sting hard when you want to emphasize a note. Hard to describe, but it's a feeling that is very, very rare in my experience. Any speakers will work fine with this amp, I'm sure, as long as they can handle 50 watts. I started out with a 2X12 Vintage 30 cab and it sounded great. My $299 Fender Mexican Tele sounded unbelievable through it. A match made in heaven. Now I've got the Marshall 2X12 cab loaded with Celestion Alnico Blues. A totally different sound, much brighter and more detailed. The 50 watts is too much for the two Alnicos, (which are rated at a delicate 15 watts) they flap the cones at anything over volume 5. Probably four would be better, but that would be almost a thousand bucks for speakers, for pity's sake. But at volume 4 or 5, the sound is involving. Lots of detail. Every nuance of your attack comes through. Country Telecaster players would love this sound. The clean rhythm sound is similar to a Vox AC 30, with a lot of complexity and beautiful harmonics. The Alnico Blues obviously have a lot to do with getting that chimey sound in a Vox amp. I slapped a Power Brake on it to heat up the power tubes without smoking the Alnicos. Certainly don't want to do that! Now I can play it in the same room with me and it won't damage my hearing. I can't imagine dragging all this stuff around as a gigging musician, but as a no-compromise tone producer for my studio, it works just fine.
The amp was a bit noisy until I replaced the stock ECC83s with NOS Mullards. Not cheap, but now the amp is the quietest I've ever owned. That's right, virtually no hiss. I also have a pair of NOS Mullard EL34s which I haven't gotten around to putting in. We shall see. I think what the amp wants is for me to get a 4X12 with Vintage 30s for the leads. I might even footswitch to the Alnico Blue 2X12 for clean/rhythm. The sound I've described is without any pedals, of course. A Tube Screamer elicits a wail not far from SRV's The Sky is Crying. Nice tight distortion and sustain for a long time, without too much grunge around the notes. Tasty! What to do about reverb: I want to try a Fender outboard reverb with this amp and see how it sounds. I tried the Boss Rev-3 pedal and it was a no go, too digital sounding for my golden ears.
In summation, I'm not in any hurry to trade this amp in, boys, that's for sure. I've been playing for over thirty years, and now FINALLY I've got an amp I really like. Trying one in a music store will be difficult, because all they usually have on display is channel-switching Marshalls, which are good amps too, of course. Trying it out at the volume you need to do without getting eightysixed might be tough, too. Order one in and see what the fuss is about, and if you want the sound of hard-driven power tubes at small room volume, get the Power Brake while you're at it.

Haven't had any trouble in three years, but it doesn't get used 8 hours a day.

Features on this amp allow you to get legendary tone if you have the musical ability.

When used with a gibson solid body w/humbuckers it shines like no other.
Proco Rat is the best enhancement to tighten/filter the crunch when the amp is full out.
A Hot Plate attenuator/ full stack of Celestions G12L/M/H produces excellent response.
No attenuator needed for large stages, etc. It sounds better louder.
NO OTHER AMP SOUNDS BETTER FOR 60's/70's Hard Rock Cruch/Blues Lead Sounds

Care must be used with this or any other old-style tube amp.
There are mods including lowering voltage that will keep the amp from blowing up when played hard cranked for extended jams.
Control the high voltages and keep good tubes in it and you can depend on awesome tone time after time.

The warranty is only as good as your local AUTHORIZED service rep.
Some of them are REALLY BAD!
You're better off if you know how to service it yourself.
Then you will know it was serviced with the care it deserves.

It is the one amp that satisfies me most since becoming obsessed with electric guitar distortion in the late 60's
Fender/Laney/Hiwatt/Vox etc. are just as good - just different flavor.
If lost or stolen I would die.

Its got six knobs (well actually mines now got seven), 4 inputs and is about a simple as you can get. Originaly this amp came with 5881 tubes as did all UK Marshalls for a short time, however I've now changed the grid bias resistors and replaced them with EL34's. I've done countless gigs and studio sessions with this amp and it's never once let me down, or run out of power. I've owned 100W versions and my opinion the 50's are way loud enough (and they are smaller).

Guitar wise I'm using a Fender 52 re-issue tele, a Fender Strat fitted with Fender custom shop Fat 50's pickups (which are awesome)and an 80's Kramer Pacer. All the guitars sound fantastic with this amp. The Strat sounds like a Strat the Tele like a Tele etc etc.
I'm using a straight 4X12 marshall cab fitted with celestion vintage 30's which seem to complement this amp really well.
As I have said, this amp originally came with 5881'output tubes fitted. I've replaced them with EL34's but it's really hard to know what sounds best. I know some of you probably won't believe what your'e hearing (Marshalls should always come with EL34's) but it's true. With the 5881's the tone is sort of Fender like (this amp after all is very similar to a fender bassman which was fitted with 5881's) but with a little more grind when the volume is maxed out. I'm gonna stick with the EL34's for now because they break up a little easier which suits my style a little better but it would be nice to swich between the two.
This amp gets real loud quickly! It goes from quiet to OMIGOD kill the first three rows of the audience with a minor volume change. It stays clean up until around 4 then start's to clip gradually until you get into that classic AC/DC,Blackmore,Page etc sound. What do you expect they probably recorded it with a superlead!!
What a clean sound! Chords have a bell like chime with clarity and bottom end. The distortion is just magnificent.
I've modded my amp by adding a master volume pot. It's a real easy mod and I use one of the inputs for the volume knob so it can added/removed without cosmetic damage. when the Master volume is on full the amp operates exactly as it did before and it doesn't change the tone of the amp. The amp is a much more versatile now than it was before. I link the two channels together and plug in though channel 1. It's now possible to blend the inputs and keep the volume at a reasonable levels. By linking the channels and changing the amount of drive to the output tubes you can get a really complexed tone from the amp. Sort of like playing through two amps. Effects wise I'm using a vintage RAT, Boss OD1 and a Marshall Bluesbreaker II which I reckon was made for this amp. Set the gain on the High treble around 6 and the Normal around 4 and hit the bluesbreaker pedal. WOW! I've owned all sorts of great amps/racks but this is seriously the best tone I've ever had. and yet it's so simple!

Never once let me down.

I contacted Marshall previously and always found them to be very helpfull.

I've been playing for the best part of 15 years now and I actually had an original 1987 when I started playing, but being young and foolish I didn't know what I had and spent many years buying new gear Racks etc. I've also got a Line6 2X12 combo which is cool but I only use it in the house cos just doesn't compete with the real deal.