Marshall JTM45 30w Vintage All Valve Head

Let’s go back to the beginning. In 1962, in a small shop in Hanwell, Jim Marshall created and began selling the first Marshall amp, a JTM®45. From this the Marshall sound was born. This reissue meticulously replicates this original Marshall sound. Using the GZ34 valve rectifier, it works with the ECC83 and 5881 valves to generate the harmonic and unmistakable Marshall tone.

HISTORY OF THE JTM45

It’s the amp that started it all, the Jim Terry Marshall 45, more commonly known as the JTM® 45. But rewind to 1962 and the amps available in the UK just weren’t cutting it for the grit driven rockers of the time. The most popular amps of the time were imported from overseas and often took a long time to get to the players, which left a gap in the market. Marshall decided to try and fill the gap and along came the first ever JTM 45.

SO WHAT HAPPENED?

The original amp was based on the Fender Bassman, the favourite amp of Terry Marshall at the time. Like the Bassman early versions of the JTM used 6L6 or US 5881 valves in the output stage, later models were upgraded to the KT66, EL34, or KT88 valves. The Marshall team didn’t just change the valves though, there were some more significant differences including the all-aluminium chassis, a 12AX7 valve as the first in the chain, and a modified negative feedback circuit which affected the harmonics produced by the amplifier.

This meant the JTM had a larger amount of feedback running through it, which not only meant that the harmonic content of the JTM was different to everything else that was around at the time, but also created the distorted, gritty Marshall sound that we’re so famous for today.

General Features

• Inputs 4 (2 x high, 2 x low) "Lead and Bass"
• Controls Presence, bass, middle, treble, high treble/loudness I, normal/loudness
• Effects None
• Wattage: 30w

Tubes:

• Power Tubes: 2x 5881
• Preamp Tubes: 2 x ECC83, 1 x ECC83 (phase splitter)

Image is for illustrative purposes only.