Marshall Studio Classic Head

Back to
the future
How the JCM800 came to
be a modern classic amp
W
hile the 2203 and 2204
models had been around
since 1975 as master-
volume versions of the original
four-input 1959 and 1987 Super
Lead heads, 1981 marked the
end of Marshall’s 15-year
distribution partnership with
Rose-Morris. The amp range got
a bold redesign to mark the
occasion with full-width gold
control panels, black elephant
vinyl and white piping – the
now iconic style. The JCM800
designation came simply from
Jim Marshall’s initials and his
personal number plate. Bigger
fi lter capacitors gave the
JCM800 a harder edge that was a
perfect match for heavy metal
and hard rock, which exploded
in the 1980s. This was the era of
hair metal in the States and the
New Wave Of British Heavy
Metal when bands like Mötley
Crüe and Saxon ruled the
airwaves, and the JCM800 was
their go-to amp.
humbucker, we were absolutely
delighted to fi nd all of our
favourites from the JCM800’s
golden era of the early 1980s
sounded totally authentic, making
the Studio Classic a real blast to
play. Eff ects pedallers aren’t
forgotten – as well as the
impressively transparent series
eff ects loop there is the often-
overlooked low sensitivity input
jack, which off ers a ton of
headroom and a spanky, fast
response that’s an ideal platform
for all kinds of pedals, with no
appreciable loss of volume. And
unlike many originals, this version
of the JCM800 has practically zero
hum and hiss levels, making it very
usable in the studio.
We think Marshall’s new Studio
range could be a runaway success
– thanks mostly to the smaller
transformers, the Studio Classic
head is very portable at just under
10kg, while the sound is defi nitely
up where it belongs in the
heavyweight league.
The original 2203 may not have
been Marshall’s most versatile
amp, but the simple no-frills
design and aggressive bellow
inspired a generation of world-
class players and some of the
greatest rock tracks of all time were
played through it. If you want to
rekindle the 1980s magic without
the weight and power of the full fat
100-watt reissue, the Studio
Classic captures all of the magic of
the original. While it isn’t cheap,
it’s made in the UK and it’s
certainly been built to last.
Nick Guppy
PRS SONZERA
20 COMBO
Designed in the USA and made in
China, the Sonzera gets you the
coveted PRS
badge and
tremendous
tone at a
bargain price
that can’t be
ignored.
ORANGE OR15H
Another Brit classic, the OR15 has
great tone to match those cool looks.
Shop around and you can find it
bundled with a matching cab.
BLACKSTAR
STUDIO 10 EL34
Also available in
6L6 and KT88
flavours, the
Studio 10
combos offer
top-quality
tone, digital reverb and a 12"
loudspeaker at a very tempting price.
ALSO TRY...
There are five speaker outlets on
the rear pannel and a series
effects loop can be switched in or
out of the circuit
The trade-off for dialling down
the treble with single-coil
guitars is the loss of gain
FEATURES
SOUND QUALITY
VALUE FOR MONEY
BUILD QUALITY
USABILITY
OVERALL RATING
SUMMARY
£539
£575
STUDIO 10 EL34
great tone to match those cool looks.
Shop around and you can find it
bundled with a matching cab.
£699
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TOTAL GUITAR MARCH 2019
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TGR316.gear_lead.indd 94 1/31/19 7:16 PM