Marshall 1987XL Head

My 1987XL is a NOS 2005 model. It's a 4 holer and it's not channel switching and it doesn't have a master volume and for me that's what I like the best in an amp. Didn't think I'd like the added effects loop but it sounds wonderful when I plug my Echohead pedal through it. It has plenty of power and sounds pretty decent out of the box.

This amp makes glorious clean sounds and frightfully good overdriven sounds. Ok first things first, I removed the bright cap for vol.1 at C5 on the board and that made the vol 1 knob useful since before it's removal the volume went literally from 0 to full blast at 1.2 and was waaayy to bright. Removing that cap got the amp working much smoother at lower volume and the overdrive now kicks in after reaching past 4 on that knob. I play the amp through a newer Marshall 425A VM cab with the Hendrix Greenbacks. The amp is a loud mofo so I picked up a 16ohm hotplate and play the amp mostly between 6 and 9.5, sometimes with both inputs bridged to fatten up the low end sometimes straight into the top left input only. The Hotplate probably gets used most at the -8db reduction setting although the -12db setting can be made to sound useable if the amp isn't driving too distorted. That really saves the ears although to be honest, they're still getting hammered! Mostly I use either of my stock Historic Les Pauls with Burstbuckers and this amp does NOT need any extra outboard overdrives to sound fantastic. I can go from clean dirty Bluesbreaker type tones through Frees warm grind and from Zeppelin on to Van Halen and Scorpions type drive with the amp wound up all the way

If anything breaks down other than tubes it would be fairly easily serviced. These bad boys are built to a very high standard however so I would be suprised if it failed for any reason other than tubes or a fuse here and then in less than 10 years.

I've played off and on since the late 1970s and I own currently 2 Les Paul Historics, a '57 Goldtop and a '58 sunburst as well as a newer American Series Stratocaster with a SD Little 59 in the bridge position. My other amp is a Mojo JTM45 handwired clone that was specced out like an original JTM45. That amp sound's really good with both inputs briged and dimed to get the KT66s singin. It's mushy in the low end like it's supposed to be but it does have a unique early Marshall tone. The 1987XL has a more solid and massive low end with a lot more gain and drive on tap, like it's supposed to. It does a wider variety of music more convincingly than the JTM and I would buy another in a second. Gobs of good tone and I wouldn't change a thing on it. Marshall still makes a killer amp!

I've had the thing for a week and can't do anything with it.

Disappointing. Okay, it sounds good clean. So what. Turn it up and the low end sounds are like something from a bad fuzzbox. No raw Marshall sound, just muffled garbage as far as I'm concerned. I tried my Strat, Ibanez Roadstar, and Jackson SL1. Let's see... crap, crap, and more crap. I'm running it through a 1960TV cab, but that's not the problem, it's the head. I tried a couple of the mods posted here, namely, adding a 100k resistor to NFB resistor R21 (in parallel resulting in 50k), and adding a cap in parallel with R9. The extra 100k resistor cut the treble quite a bit for me, but the low end still sounded fuzzy when set at 4 and up, and it just gets worse after 4. The cap in parallel with R9 just made it sound like crap a little quicker.
I don't know if the amp is supposed to sound like this or not, because I haven't found audio files anywhere for comparison.

Like I said, it's disappointing. All these great reviews led me to believe that I would be happy with it. I'm not happy. I'm hoping to find something that I can do to make it sound better.

No opinion.

I'm just starting to do some research to see what I can find.

Bought this amp a month ago as "New/Old Stock" from 2005. This "features" category is somewhat misleading because although it's a single channel amp, by controlling the volume on the guitar you can get a very good clean sound similar to amps with multiple channels. The effects loop is a nice addition and my reverb works nicely through it. Not having a master volume takes some getting used to, but being able to bridge the inputs and that Marshall sound more than make up for it.

Hendrix, Townshend, Page, Clapton. I can't play like them, but I can now get their sound. It really is hard to make this amp sound poorly. (aside from poor playing). It's exceptionally loud for a 50 Watt head. I use a Hot Plate and a Tube Screamer to keep my marriage and my childrens hearing intact. Great for Classic Rock and Blues. A noise gate would be the only thing I'd add, but I can live with some buzz given the tone it produces with my PRS, Les Paul's and my Strat.

Seems rugged enough, but I've only owned it a month.

See above.

I've been playing about 5 years. I own three Gibsons, a Fender, PRS and a Peavey. A 4x12 loaded with Celestions. I'm not a pedal freak as I only use a Electro Harmonix reverb and a Ibenez Tube Screamer re-issue. If it were lost or stolen I'd replace it for sure. I love the tone, it defined the rock I grew up with. The price was a little stout, but a few licks of Zepp or Cream and I tend to forget about the price. I wish it had a master volume, but then it wouldn't be a plexi.

Is tone a feature? If so, this amplifier has the best feature ever!

Ok, it's got an effects loop! Really does need one however. I'd prefer the amp without the effects loop.

Is it versitile? It's great for blues, rock, metal or grunge so I guess it covers all good styles of music.

I've been a Marshall snob since 1980 when I bought my first Marshall, a 1973 50 Watt head. Since then, I've bought and sold another ten or more.
I was at Guitar Center yesterday and plugged into one of these guys and I am amazed at how good it sounds. Really does sound like my friends old Marshall 1969 50 watt head. There are no bad setting on the amp. It has tons of compression and sustain (something amps have been missing since 1973). I think it sounds better than a 1972 small box 50 watter!

I like it way better than the JTM 45 reissue!

I guess it's the best sounding stock Marshall I've ever heard!

I spoke to Jim Marshall at the Namm show back in the mid 80's and told Jim Marshall that I hated his new amps! (LOL) He must of listened to me because he started his reissue line of amps and cabs the next year. There's some customer support!

The price tag of over $1600 is a bit overwhelming but I guess Marshalls have always been pricey (for the good ones).

2004 model, being able to strap the channels is a feature in itself and a must to get the most out of it. It's got a true bypass effects loop on the back but i havent used it yet, i hear a chorus or delay sounds great there. This amp would be good for almost any style of music if you spend enough time tweaking it to suit your needs. You'd need a distortion pedal for metal, but it responds well to pedals. It responds well to anything you plug into it! It's a very loud 50 watts with the most headroom i've ever heard from a 50 watt amp. I'm giving a 10, not because it's loaded with features but you can do alot with what it does have.

I'm using a Les Paul with Burstbuckers, they seem to play well together. I play mostly classic rock type music but as i said before, this amp can do it all. It's the perfect foundation for many different types of music. It's not noisy at all, it could be turned up loud enough to blow your head off and you wouldnt know it until you hit the strings. It can go from clean and punchy Motown, Reggae and Jazz to Black Sabbath, AC/DC and Judas Priest. It's pretty much required to strap the channels to get a warm grind out of it. The distortion is not brutal but a distortion pedal can easily put it into Metallica territory or get you some crunch at lower volume levels.
My only gripe about it is that the stock tubes really dont do this amp any justice. I was actually worried about whether or not i was going to keep it until i put some different tubes in it, dialed it in and it gave me chills! Now i know i'll keep this one for a long long time. It sounded pretty good with the stock tubes but really REALLY nice with different tubes.

I would have a backup no matter what amp i was using just because sometimes poo happens. I wouldnt expect anything and would be shocked if i had any problems out of it for many years. The Mk2 circuit has been around since before Jimi, to Eddie, Alex Lifeson, AC/DC, Led Zeppelin, the list goes on and on and on, it's a very classic amp that responds differently to each player. It's a time tested standard that's still kicking butt today!

These amps are very basic and tech friendly. I bought it newly used and dont expect to ever need Marshall customer support, i can get anything on this fixed by a tech.

Been playing 25 years, mostly Marshall Mk2 master volume models so i'm used to getting distorion at lower volume levels. This one sounds much better when you hit the spot though. I love it's massive sound, dont like the stock tubes and the particle board back panel is kind of cheesy, the rest of the cabinet is plywood, why couldnt they make the back panel plywood too? I'm glad i bought it used and didnt pay retail. I dont expect crappy tubes and a particle board back on a $2000 amplifier. If it was lost or stolen i would definately get another one. When i first bought this, i didnt have very high expectations since it was "new Marshall" and i've had mostly 1970's Marshalls. This may be a re-issue but it's definately got the old superlead characteristics but tighter all around.
Another thing about this amp, if your playing isnt that great, it will show. It forces you to play better but rewards you with sound that will give you chills. Awesome amp!

It's fairly new, 2004 probably. I was truly drawn to this amp, it defies logic as I like a lot of gadgets and features. This has no features,
no effects, nothing. It does have an effects loop tho.

This amp has caused me nothing but great joy and great sadness. I have truly tried very hard to get it to sound bad, dull, sterile, muddy.....
but alas it just sings and cries out with deep tones. It has completly ruined me for almost all of my other amps. I will never be the same.
It accepts pedals like a preacher on the proverbial rainy night. I can only wonder why the other amp companies refuse to make a simple devine
amp such as this, after all, it is a mere copy of the vintage Fender Bassman.
Jim Marshall or whomever makes the decisions in the company, just seems to get it right. The reissues are just lovely. Thanks Jim.

I don't know, do I? I'll get it fixed if it breaks!!!

Great and incredible! (in the UK) Shit in the USA
I never mess around with the corporate bastards. I want to talk to the guy what fixes my stuff.

Compared to the (boutique) wannabe's who charge three times more for this amp, it is a bargain!!! Buy a Marshall, don't waste money on a garage "boutique" amp, they have no resale value.

This amp is a marshall plexi reissue. It's exactly what?s its suppose to be, four input, three band eq, one presence control, and NO master volume. The fact that this amp has so few knobs, and no master volume gives the amp its amazing unique sounds. This amp will do anything you want it to, as long as you don't want it to give out mesa distortion.

I use a Gibson sg, and a squire strat. The amp is quiet as can be, and starts go get nice and crunch at 4 on the volumes. Please note that 3 on this amp will be loud enough to play with a drummer, higher volumes just get nice overdrive. 50 LOUD watts. I use to use a 65 watt solid-state Roland amp. id practice with it at around volume 3. with the Marshall i just tern it on, and slightly (about 1 mm) move the two volume controls up and its loud. Amazing high end sparkle. Other reviewers say that the channel one is to bright, and channel two is too muddy. well, that?s the way its suppose to be! For those of you who haven?t used Marshalls, bridge the inputs!!! That?s how you get the amazing Marshall sound!

Marshall=TANK. This guy is built to last. Only thing that may go are the tubes, but there suppose to do that so no worries.

Never needed.

Amazeing amp, won't need another in my life. If it broke, i'd buy two more! Its got the small box, nice and light, easy to move around. HUGE sounds, amazeing tone. Unless your into mega distortion, this is the way to go, every note has a harmonic ring, every chord is clear as can be. Truthfully an amazeing amp.