Not many guitar amp makers carry the weight as does Marshall Amplification. Founded by drummer and drum teacher Jim Marshall in the early 60’s, Marshall began making guitar amplifiers based on the Fender Bassman circuit. Instead of a 4×10 setup, however, Marshall chose to employ 12″ Celestion speakers and also increased the gain circuit. This modified Bassman amplifier resulted in the “Marshall sound,” as well at the JTM-45, which was named after Jim, his son Terry, and the output level of the amplifier.
The Marshall JTM-45 was just the start. The company has produced several quality amplifiers including the Bluesbreaker, “Plexi,” and JCM800. It would take too many pages to list the number of players who use Marshall amplifiers. Everyone from Jimi Hendrix to Zakk Wylde has used their amps. Along with Fender and Vox, Marshall has succeeded in defining pro-level guitar amplification.