Simply put, this is the best guitar amplifier ever made. I own a 1971 model, and my brother confirmed the amp must be hand-wired. I'm personally a bass guitarist, but I use my Alembic Epic Bass through the thing often with a Tom Scholz Power Soak (which is a Power breaker,) and a Peavy guitar speaker stack. I can get a nice sound with my bass, and that's everything from clean to crunch. My friend has played the Marshall with my 1980 Dean Z and his Les Paul with his Line6 amp as an effects module, and the amp was a beast. The tone is pure cleanliness without distortion and the amp handles even the most metal tones. If you want this amp or the non-hand-wired version, I'd recommend a lot of effects pedals (like the Arbiter Fuzz Face, Dunlop Uni-Vibe, Electro-Harmonix English Muff'n Overdrive, Moog synth pedals, etc.) and a Marshall 1960A or B for the best tone because there isn't much to it by itself. But because there isn't that much, it can be manipulated farther than almost any amp to fit everything from classical to jazz to blues to rock. And still, if Jimmy Page, Jimmy Hendrix, Peter Townshend, Duane Allman, and Eric Clapton used it, and because the JCM800 is the same thing and all those guitarists can be included, it is guaranteed to kick butt. Buy this or the non-hand-wired one if you want the professional industry standard for every style of music.

I have a 1970 marshall plexi head and it is probably the best amp have ever used. It doesn't have built in effects if you want that buy the jvm410 head but I think because of that it gives it a better clead tone. The only difference I see in mine and the new one is it has no polarity swith which doesn't really matter to me so oh well. It has the four inputs the first two on side I are a really trebley type thing but it still souds pretty good I don't use them very much though. The ones I use are on the right side the II's which are a bassey type sound but still is great for lead(which is what I play) the thing about this is that there are two volume knobs on it one for the lead one for the bass if you I turn them both on 2 and it is a great(but loud) sound. This is a very loud amp it will shake your house if you have it on 2 and I only have a half stack. All in all even though it is now hitting 39 it is still a great sounding amp, I recomend you get it if you want a marshall not to mention this is the amp yngwie malmsteen, dave mustaine(before switching to jvm410's then to line 6), early eddid van halen, and even hendrix.

Yeah, Baby! I was a teen when the originals came out and have played through them. When I discovered that Marshall was re-issuing these, I couldn't wait! This is the "Major-Leaguer"! At a lower volume, it starts out fairly docile, waiting for the guitarist to decide which way to go; once you hit just above 2, the amp launches power and tone that just aren't imitated by anything! I bought the full-stack, yes, not cheap..but like most things, the value and quality are there. It fills small clubs handily (if one likes small venues, the sound density controls the environment.) In larger halls, it delivers solid crunch effortlessly off the back wall! I believe the only way Marshall could outdo themselves is to re-issue the "Major", until then, this tops. I've owned JCM 800's..2nd place. I give this unit the highest compliments.

I owned one of these back in the 1970s and it is the holy grail of amps - clean, almost surf-sounding at low volume, but crank it past about 2-1/2 and the Marshall roar (the ORIGINAL Marshall roar) comes through, while retaining the basic clarity. It is a sound that inspires your playing to new heights and new explorations. I floated off the stage after many a night with this masterpiece. Mine had greenbacks, and it is hard to imagine a better sound than the super chime and sparkle those produced. Modern incarnations with more knobs and more channels have a longer signal path, more coloration and degraded sound. If you are a tone freak, this is the often imitated, never quite duplicated holy grail.

Super fast picking attack. Ultra clean EQing with a 10% log pot on the Middle EQ knob (This means cleanly and superlative EQing for distinct and FAT anmd SUPER TUBEY tone. I clipped the High Treble Cap on mine for a more usable structure (COnsult your tech first before you open up your head like that) I bridge the channels qnd run a 12ax7 pedal in their (My favorite way to drive a Plexi circuit) And Im not using "Plexi circuit" here loosely, This amp is all TUBE TONE! IT iS NOT YOUR brothers JCM800!!!Although I love those amps as well. I would say this, whule the 1970s JMP50 and Superlead 100s are more aggressive with more "hair" around the notes the 1959HW which is definitely and accurately based on a PRE JULY 69' circuit is all TUBE TONE. FAT, VERY ROUND and SUPER WARM. CHords are Brown sounding yet full and round a d again all TUBE TONE. SUPER FAST picking attack, did I already say that. This amp impresses me very much so. I did pay the piper for this beauty but it was worth it and I WOULD bvuy it again. Super ripping speed wide vibrato ole school funk, aggressive blues, black crowesy, Pink FLoydian and Toolish can all be and has been had (BY ME RIPPING ON THIS BAD B+OY !!) by simply plugging in and finding the right ingrediants. Make sure you get th3e G12M25 Celestions which I like best for myself. I havent tried the Celestion G12H30 Heritage types but I hear they are great Celestions as well and with more bottom end and punch. The G12M25s are more mids and nice lowend as well. Both great speaker choices .Good luck.