Dating vintage marshall amps

How do you date a Marshall amp?

The best way to date a Marshall amp is to first tell it you dont like Fender amps! Dating Celestion speakers does not need to be this complicated. Just go by the location of the date stamp rather than the stamp format, and then decipher the pair of letters within the date code.

What does the serial number on a Marshall amp mean?

Starting in August 1997, Marshall moved to their current serial number scheme, which is easier to understand and gives more information than previous schemes. These current serial numbers are arranged in a letter-ten digits-letter format (A-xxxx-xx-xxxx-A). These are still found on stickers with a bar code on the back of the amp.

How can I tell how old my Marshall speakers are?

If the speakers in your Marshall cabinet or combo are original, they can provide another piece of evidence when determining the date of manufacture. As many cabinets did not have official serial numbers before 1992, this can be especially helpful in dating earlier specimens.

Where are Marshall amps made?

The first Marshall amps were made in England starting in 1962. Production has continued there uninterrupted through today, though some lower-priced models are now made in China, India or Korea, depending on the series. JTM-45 Models: 1962 - 1966 Bluesbreaker Combos: 1964 - 1972 Four-Digit Models (no series): 1965 - 1981 JCM 600 Series: 1997 - 1999

Where do I find the serial number on a Marshall amp?

We do not have serial number information on Marshall Amps before 1969. The serial number is usually located on the back panel of the chassis but some amplifiers made between 1979-1980 had them on the front panel. From July 1969 to December 1983, the date letter was put after the serial number.

How can I tell if my Marshall amp is pre-1969?

Keep in mind that no reliable serial number information exists for pre-1969 Marshall amps, so if your amp doesnt have a number matching one of the formats below, it is likely pre-1969 and identifiable by features rather than serial number. Click on the links here to jump directly to the serial number style that matches your instrument:

When did Marshall amps start using speaker date codes?

All Marshall amps originally came with Celestion speakers, so in cases where the speakers are original, speaker date codes can be used to date earlier amps. Marshall cabinets didnt officially include serial numbers until October 1992.

How old is my Marshall amp with a barcode?

Marshall amps with a Barcode 1993-1996: The first two numbers are the year, and the last two numbers are the month. Marshall amps with a Barcode 1997-Present: In 1997 Marshall changed to the latest dating system which is the easiest to decipher of them all.

Where was the first Marshall amplifier sold?

Back in the early 1960s, number 76 was the shop where the first Marshall-branded amplifier was sold.

What makes a Marshall amp so good?

Marshall amps made it possible to get the sort of stadium-filling, high gain crunch we now associate with rock. Technology always opens up new avenues for art, and the hundred-watt stacks pioneered by Jim Marshall were no different.

What is the history of the Marshall sound?

The famous Marshall sound was founded upon an amplifier built in a garden shed by a few amateur radio fanatics, and the period until 1968 became the era of the first Marshalls – the classic JTM series. Rob Stockley tells the story of Marshall Amps...

Why is Marshall considered the worlds first bad amplifier?

At the time, it was said that Marshall had created the worlds first great bad amplifier. Unlike their contemporaries, Marshall amps had distortion coming from the tubes, not the speakers. With that paradigm shift, the stage was set for an entirely new type of music to take root.