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SurfGuitar101 Forums » Gear »

Permalink Any one else surf on a Marshall?

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JohnnyMosrite
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Joined: Jun 14, 2006
Posts: 858
New York City area
Link Posted on May 01 2023 07:01 AM

I never really went for Marshalls - a bit too shrill for my tastes. But I do like Sunn amps. They are particularly good to my ears with a Mosrite although nothing really beats a Dual Showman.
So - I surf in the sun with a Sunn.
J Mo'

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Tqi
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Link Posted on May 01 2023 04:36 PM

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Last edited: Feb 02, 2024 16:15:54

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synchro
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Link Posted on May 02 2023 01:04 AM

I’ve wondered about this, myself.

I’ve never gigged with any Marshall, but I’ve spent some time with three models of Marshall, and have some impressions.

The Marshall Bluesbreaker is a 30 watt amp in a 2x12” combo cabinet. It’s the amp Eric Clapton used for his work on the John Mayhall and the Bluesbreakers album and is a definitive example of natural overdrive. When I played one, my impression was that there was a lot of rectifier sag, and the amp felt sort of spongy. It was delightful for overdrive, but clean just wasn’t its forte. IMO, a nice amp, but it wouldn’t be high on my list for Surf sounds.

The 18 watt, is a famous amp, and has a lot of adherents. It actually felt like it had more clean headroom than its larger, Bluesbreaker, sibling. It has a lot of midrange, but is a fairly predictable amp, with an even curve between clean and distorted. It also has a tube rectifier and there’s a bit of sag, although not to excess. You could use it as a Surf amp, if you were willing to have a bit more midrange than the average Fender.

The Marshall 2061 is a descendant of the 18 watt. The rectifier is solid state, and large enough that sag is not really in the picture. This amp also comes in a 2x12” slant-back cabinet, with a closed back, which gives it a lot of punch and the bass range. The 2061 is tighter than the 18 watt, and seems to have a broad plateau between clean and broken up. Add some reverb and it would be pretty decent as a Surf amp. It’s not ultra bright, but it reminds me of a Brownface Fender, with a nice even response curve.

I love Vox amps for Surf. I’ve played a lot of Surf on my Winfield Cyclone, which is essentially a refinement of the early AC 15, with an EF-86 front end. These have an even broader plateau dividing clean and broken up. It’s one of my favorite amps for Surf.

—

The artist formerly known as: Synchro

When Surf Guitar is outlawed only outlaws will play Surf Guitar.

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Tqi
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Link Posted on May 02 2023 01:51 AM

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Last edited: Feb 02, 2024 16:15:48

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synchro
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Link Posted on May 02 2023 07:55 AM

Tqi wrote:

synchro wrote:

there was a lot of rectifier sag, and the amp felt sort of spongy.

and there’s a bit of sag, although not to excess.

solid state, and large enough that sag is not really in the picture.

I'm sure I've heard before the idea that solid state rectifiers are one of the harder design elements that make an amp suitable for surf?

The Brownface Showman had solid state rectification.
image

Tube rectifiers and solid state rectifiers both work about the same, but it’s easier to have a higher capacity rectifier using solid state diodes, hence, there’s usually less sag. The question becomes whether a player wants some sag, or not. For my tastes, I want a Surf amp that doesn’t have any sag, and that Marshall 2061 sounded pretty good.

—

The artist formerly known as: Synchro

When Surf Guitar is outlawed only outlaws will play Surf Guitar.

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