Marshall 2098 JMP Lead Head

1975 Transistor 100W Amp head.
Front:
Two channels, 3 inputs (1, 1+2, 2), master volume, presence, bass, mid, treb, cut switch, boost switch, channel 1 volume, channel 2 volume. On/off switch with red light above. Marshall logo on front panel.
Rear panel:
Voltage and Ohms (16,8,4) selectors, effects loop (stereo insert), footswitch input, 2 speaker outputs.

I use it in full on band situations, and have in maximum tilt, hardcore rock and it holds up to the job against other 100w all valve rigs. With friends of a more gentle persuasion I never have to put it louder than about 2 and it's still very loud.

The hardware is all there.

I use a Hagstrom Futurama and a Fender Strat XII to play, well I'm not sure yet. Indie rock probably, erring towards pavement, the pastels, buff medways, etc. Also Can and Neu type stuff. I'm still working out how to deal with this amplifier. I also use the following pedals. Crowther Audio Hotcake > Vox Tone Bender > Amp. And in the effects loop: Boss DD-3 delay > Cry-baby wah-wah > Amp. My speakers are a pair of Celestion Vintage 30's at 8ohms parallel wired to 4Ohms, still quite new and being broken in, so the speaker breakup isn't as sweet as it's going to get (I hope).
The amp is really loud. And it doesn't really distort when you turn it up. You can go right up to the top and it's still pretty clean and very little noise. The boost switch behaves pretty much like a fuzz/transistor overdrive pedal and is a good solid kick of lead and sounds good. I've been reading a bit about the Vox Conqueror and the same things apply here, though I'm sure this would not compare favourably with those amps, but - dry distortion and a sgt.peppars beatles sound.
It doesn't really bring out the best from my distortion pedals. I have to be quite careful about how I set them as the amp seems to get to a distortion point really quickly and then after that it doesn't really sound any different with more gain and distortion from the pedals.
So not to be played as a valve amp. It's good for quite a dry sound. I'm thinking of the guitar sound on Tago Mago by Can. It does that very nicely.
I would say that this amp is not very versitile.
I think that it is a very subtle amp - you can't just pile on overdrive and gain endlessly and the tone controls are either very subtle or just plain crap, depending on how you look at it.

Seems very solid. When I got it it had been messed about with and had been modified inside and it was not all working properly. The heat sinks on the back would get really hot really quickly. But it still worked. And didn't sound too bad either. I sent it off to Marshall to get it repaired and since then it's been working perfectly. It's robust.

Marshall were pretty good. It cost money to get the amp repaired but it was in a bit of a mess. I also got them to dig out and send me the circuit diagrams. Plus I've queried them on a few things about the amp and they've always been friendly and helpful.

I've been playing for about 10 years and have yet to use a valve amp so I'm afraid I cannot give the best review in comparison to such gear. I do know that this amp sounds and behaves differently from valve amps and also other transistor amps that I've owned (Calsbro glx80 special, Peavey 50w backstage, Park 15w practice). I'm still getting to grips with it and finding it's strengths and weaknesses. When it sounds bad it sounds pretty bad - a lot of the general complaints of transistors can apply here (unmusical dostortion etc). But I have used it in a band set up and it can sound very nice indeed. A loud fuzz tone can be got that sounds very 60's psychedelia and also krautrock sounds, loud and that cut through the mix well.

It could do with reverb and better tone controls.

If I lost it, or had it stolen I would probably look around for something else. But I got it pretty cheap and it's a good amp to have around.