Hot Rodded Marshall

[LLL]

I see this term slung around quite a bit... came to the realization that it could mean a variety of things.

So, specifically, what exactly is a "Hot Rodded Marshall"?

[FuseG4]

Re: Hot Rodded Marshall

I always thought it came from like back in the day when people would add another gain stage or other such mods to increase overdrive. When I hear people say it I feel like "hot-rodded" seemed to imply more gain. Sometimes thicker low mids and bass which some perceive as less pronounced than the cutting marshall upper mids.
If someone told me to play this "hot-rodded plexi" I would expect lots of brown sounding dirt, otherwise I would be confused.

[JMP/HBE]

Re: Hot Rodded Marshall











Exhibit A ...

[Ascension]

Re: Hot Rodded Marshall

Was common back in the 80's-90's to see Marshalls that were modded for more gain. Marshall actually did a couple amps them selves most notable IMO were the JCM 900 Dual Master volume amps and the SLX. Lee Jackson, Soldano and several others offered mods and a number of the hair band guys made them famous.
Now we see quite a number of amps designed to give the hot rodded Marshall tones.
Back in the day many offered amps with this theme. My 1991 Carvin X50 B head with the factory Hot Rod Mod is a good example and is also one of the better sounding amps from that era I have heard.

[Kamanda~SD]

Re: Hot Rodded Marshall

Yup, basically a modded Marshall with more gain as one of the intentions

[Gtrjunior]

Re: Hot Rodded Marshall

I define it as an amplifier that is either:

-internally circuit modified to get a higher gain “brown type” tone. Not necessarily trying to cop Eddie’s sound specifically.

Or

-an amplifier that is externally “goosed” either by pedal or other type of preamp boosting means to achieve the same results as described above.

[FuseG4]

Re: Hot Rodded Marshall

Also, in contrast, if you hear hot rodded fender, do you all assume more gain? Some people might call a deluxe reverb with bigger transformers and 6l6 and a JBL, looking for louder, bolder cleans, "Hot-rodded". I think I would be ok with calling it hot-rodded.
But generally people don't mod marshalls for more headroom.

In general I would say it's a loose term but I would say

Hot-Rodded Amp
noun
An amplifier which has been modified from it's original form with the goal of increasing performance and/or utility. i.e. not altered purely for cosmetic or aesthetics.
c.f. vintage american cars modified for more speed, possibly due to the camshaft or "rod" becoming "hot" or modified for performance.

[dpaterson]

Re: Hot Rodded Marshall

I see this term slung around quite a bit... came to the realization that it could mean a variety of things.

So, specifically, what exactly is a "Hot Rodded Marshall"?

This is a GOOD question. And I ain't gettin' involved!!! LOL!!!

Regards,

Dale.

[Gtrjunior]

Hot Rodded Marshall

This is a GOOD question. And I ain't gettin' involved!!! LOL!!!

Regards,

Dale.

Oh, you’re already involved!!! Lol

[formula73]

Re: Hot Rodded Marshall

An older marshall(1959, 2203/04, etc.) with an extra gain stage and/or various other mods. Lee Jackson, Mike Soldano, etc.

Ex. B:

[LLL]

Re: Hot Rodded Marshall

This is a GOOD question. And I ain't gettin' involved!!! LOL!!!

Regards,

Dale.

Yes.

[JMP/HBE]

Re: Hot Rodded Marshall

[SFW]

Re: Hot Rodded Marshall

These days it refers to a high gain amp with a British style voicing. Friedman, Splawn, Camren, Suhr, etc..

If you would like to hear original examples, listen to Lynch, DiMartini, Mick Mars, etc...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[NegativeEase]

Re: Hot Rodded Marshall

TS


in the 80s lots of various Mods became popular:

Most involved things like:

changing preamp voltages
changing the performance of the EQ section
making a master volume version sound like a non master volume
making a JCM series sound like a Plexi,
making a JCM 800 Bass series preamp into guitar preamp
making your amp sound like Jimi Hendrix
making JCM800 EL34s to KT88s or KT88s to EL34s
Changing the rectifier circuit for more aggressive amp
putting a killer reverb or vibrato in a JCM 800
overbiasing the output section
powerbreaking or starving a transformer

lots and lots of others

Aspen Pittman published a book called "The tube Amp Book" in 1993 which outlined the classic mods that were of great success. You should read it.

Robert Watkins wrote one called "A Desktop Reference to Hip Vintage Guitar Amps" . the following year -definitely worth a read.

and of course you have to read the original RCA tube books or later ones like "The RCA Recieving Tube Manual" . -Since RCA invented the application circuits that would become every tube amp -its really helpful to understand the origin circuits.

[LLL]

Re: Hot Rodded Marshall

TS


in the 80s lots of various Mods became popular:

Most involved things like:

changing preamp voltages
changing the performance of the EQ section
making a master volume version sound like a non master volume
making a JCM series sound like a Plexi,
making a JCM 800 Bass series preamp into guitar preamp
making your amp sound like Jimi Hendrix
making JCM800 EL34s to KT88s or KT88s to EL34s
Changing the rectifier circuit for more aggressive amp
putting a killer reverb or vibrato in a JCM 800
overbiasing the output section
powerbreaking or starving a transformer

lots and lots of others

Aspen Pittman published a book called "The tube Amp Book" in 1993 which outlined the classic mods that were of great success. You should read it.

Robert Watkins wrote one called "A Desktop Reference to Hip Vintage Guitar Amps" . the following year -definitely worth a read.

and of course you have to read the original RCA tube books or later ones like "The RCA Recieving Tube Manual" . -Since RCA invented the application circuits that would become every tube amp -its really helpful to understand the origin circuits.

Ya got the Pittman book... History of Marshall too. I work on my own Marshalls etc...

Was curious what other people defined "hot-rodded" Marshall as.