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Big Guns


Sparky

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I really don't know why I still have it, but for some reason I don't want to sell it. I bought my '78 Marshall 2204 50 watt and 4x12 slant cab brand new. It is by far, the loudest amp I have ever owned. The last time I played thru them together was in 1995. I think I tested the amp (turned it on) in 2004. Thats it.

The pre-amp tubes are the same ones that came with the amp, and only one power tube (6550) has been replaced in 1989. I know... should have changed 'em both, but since the change the amp has been used maybe 4 hours total. I will probably never be inspired to lug both amp and cab anywhere to play it.

I still use the cab with a Vox Valvetronix AD60VTH. I think there is some kind of security to it, just knowing that I have all that tube power at my disposal

is oddly comforting. Anyone else have an ICBM tucked away that they never use? Also, the description line is a quote from a movie. Anyone know the movie?

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Back in the '70s when the first master volume Marshalls were out, I convinced myself I didn't like Marshalls. That buzzsaw, raw, raspy distortion that was anything but smooth. Flash forward to the late '80s when the first Plexi ressiues came out. I played the 50 watter, and with the channels jumpered suddenly there was the tone I had been looking for all those years and never knew it was Marshall. Then I played a vintage small box 50 and it was like "Woah, I gotta have this." So I did; '69 Marshall small box 50 from July of '69, the first month with a metal panel - plexi tone with a metal pannel price. I've had it now for maybe 10 or 12 years or so, and play it only occasionally. It's just more amp than I need, but the tone... Don't have the 4x12 to go with it, but hmmm...

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I have a Metro '69 Plexi clone with mustards and Mullards I use alot with 2 65w Scumback speakers. It's an absolute monster of an amp and definately the best sounding rig I own. With my 150 or my strat, it's just a killer. I get the goods using an Ultimate Attenuator. Marshall tone in spades! I hope I never sell it. I had a JCM800 with 6550s for awhile but found I like EL34s better.

 

Ya know, we've been wanting to move to the country and have been working on the house, getting it ready to put on the market. It's alot because we're not a fan of having close neighbors....it's such a crapshoot on who you get. But the thought of turning that Plexi up is another big motivator. I just can't get away with it here.

 

Was the movie called Falling Down?

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I have a Metro '69 Plexi clone with mustards and Mullards I use alot with 2 65w Scumback speakers. It's an absolute monster of an amp and definately the best sounding rig I own. With my 150 or my strat, it's just a killer. I get the goods using an Ultimate Attenuator. Marshall tone in spades! I hope I never sell it. I had a JCM800 with 6550s for awhile but found I like EL34s better.

 

Ya know, we've been wanting to move to the country and have been working on the house, getting it ready to put on the market. It's alot because we're not a fan of having close neighbors....it's such a crapshoot on who you get. But the thought of turning that Plexi up is another big motivator. I just can't get away with it here.

 

Was the movie called Falling Down?

 

The Winner!

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I no longer have any of the closet ICBMs left. They've all been sold. I did, however, back in the day have a Fender Dual Showman with the larger 2x15 cab; housed a couple of nice JBL's. The knobs only went to 10, but it was backed by 135(??) watts of output. It had the Master control with the push/pull for some frequency shift. Some argue not the best years for Fender. But I can tell you that puppy could get warm warm warm and LOUD LOUD LOUD!

 

I also sported a Fender Twin Reverb with the same control config. But the kicker here is we tagged a Bassman 50 on the bottom end. Created what we affectionately called the Twin Stack. Same basic amp as the Dual Showman, but with the lower frequencies being shunted to the Bassman it gave it a very unique (and yes, LOUD) sound.

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  • 3 weeks later...

I remember as a teenager in the 70's being told that you need at least 40watts for jammin'. I now realise what BS that is. My current favourite is my Mesa Express 5:50. Switchable between 5 watts and 50watts, even 5 watts is enough to get the neighbours calling the cops pretty quick.

 

I've also got a Marshall Valvestate 8080 as a 1 x 12 combo and that thing can peel the paint off walls. While it doesn't have the depth of a quad it has no problems cutting through with all 80watts focussed through that single 12 inch Celestion G12T.

post-918-1252780026_thumb.jpg

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ICBMs?

 

Used to have a couple of Fender Bassman heads and some ol' Fender cabs, and a coupla Fender Twins. Plenny loud enuff.

 

Now? Mostly a Z-28 thru a 112 and 210 stack, along with the occasional use of a Galaxie ;)

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My first big amp was a Kustom 200 in black Naugahide, with 2 speaker columns, each column had 3 15" Altec Lansing speakers. I put 1 speaker on each side of the stage.

The speakers were about 5' tall. That amp was much louder than any Marshall I ever heard. It was a bitch taking it to gigs because I lived in a 3rd floor apt. Up down up down 4am.

That was 1969 and I was a lot stronger then. They gave me a Nauga when I purchased the amp and I still have it but the amp is long gone.

Oh yea my parents flipped out when they saw the amp, it filled my bedroom, they didn't know any thing like it existed.

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My first big amp was a Kustom 200 in black Naugahide, with 2 speaker columns, each column had 3 15" Altec Lansing speakers. I put 1 speaker on each side of the stage.

The speakers were about 5' tall. That amp was much louder than any Marshall I ever heard. It was a bitch taking it to gigs because I lived in a 3rd floor apt. Up down up down 4am.

That was 1969 and I was a lot stronger then. They gave me a Nauga when I purchased the amp and I still have it but the amp is long gone.

Oh yea my parents flipped out when they saw the amp, it filled my bedroom, they didn't know any thing like it existed.

 

Bought a bunch of Kustom stuff back in the '70's, as well as a Woodson bass amp. I currently play through a Kustom KB100 watt bass amp I bought

6 years ago for $250.00. Plenty of power for small venues.

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