Marshall Law 10 - Citra Intirama

Dr Jim Marshall OBE
Already a Doctor Of Music, The Guv’nor was honoured by the Queen of
England with an OBE for his generous charity work and contribution to
music over the years. “I was right at the back of the queue and my legs
were aching by the time I received my award”, said a humble Jim.
With a proud 63 years of showbiz behind him, 42 of those as the Guv’nor
of Marshall Amplification, and millions of pounds donated to various
charities throughout the years, its no wonder the honour was bestowed
upon the great, yet modest, man.
From
Jim Marshall
40
Years of Loud!
2005 sees the 40th anniversary of the stack! Yes, it was 40 years ago
Welcome to the latest edition of Marshall Law, our magazine for Marshall
players around the world. I am a musician myself and as the years go by I never
tire of listening to the innovations and developments in musical styles. These
changes are reflected in the articles contained within this issue. Whether icons
and established artists or up and coming new acts, they all have one thing in
common – they are dedicated Marshall users. Each successive generation
seems to find something in the Marshall range to suit their style, no matter
how radical it may have become. This is why Marshall Amplification
continues to evolve, driven by the needs of you, the guitarist.
2&3
4
5
6&7
8&9
10&11
Intro & Contents
Mastodon
Yngwie Malmsteen
Judas Priest
UK Artist News
Velvet Revolver
12
13
14&15
Hatebreed
Idlewild
Cradle of Filth
16&17
18&19
20&21
22&23
24
25
26
27
28&29
that a young Pete Townsend entered Jim’s shop asking for an 8x12”
cabinet. Despite Jim’s best advice that the cabinet would be far too big,
Pete was persistent and the 8x12”s were built. A few weeks later, a
disgruntled Pete came back to the shop explaining that the cab was too
big and heavy for his roadies to lift. Jim got thinking, and before long, the
angled 4x12” was sitting on top of a base 4x12”. In celebration of the
40th anniversary, we have built some fully-loaded replica 8x12” cabs, as
produced in 1965, for display at the NAMM show. We can confirm Pete’s
roadies were right . . . they are heavy!
Massive Marshall
Talking of Marshall stacks, late 2004 saw the biggest ever Marshall half
stack hit the television screen. Made for a British Telecom commercial,
the design team at Department Purple commissioned the manufacture of
the massive amp and cab which stands at over 17 feet in height and
10 feet in width. Transporting the half stack has been a problem, as has
getting it into venues, but don’t worry roadies, Marshall have no intention
of making this a standard model, after the 2005 Frankfurt Show the giant
head and cab will find it’s new home at the Nevada Music shop in
Portsmouth, England.
Jag
for Darkness Dan
Before the Darkness set off for their biggest ever UK tour, guitarist
Marshall Stack Timeline
Snow Patrol
US Movers & Shakers
Motorhead
Dan Hawkins paid a visit to the Marshall factory for a very special
presentation. Dr Marshall presented Dan with one of our 40th Anniversary
1962JAG amps (a gold-plated Bluesbreaker covered by Jaguar).
One of only a handful of artists to receive the limited edition amplifier, Jim
thought it fitting to present Dan with the amp not only for the bands
whirlwind success, but for bringing the Marshall wall back to Rock music –
(if it ever went away!) and for featuring the countless number of Marshall
cabs seen in the bands music video’s.
The Ordinary Boys
Anthony Glise
Groove Armada
Marshall do Donington
Viking Skull
Point to Point Perfection
30
Feedback – Dave Baksh (Sum 41)
31
Global News/Readers Amps
On a warm weekend in the English summertime, the usually sleepy town of
Donington was awoken by the invasion of 60,000 Rock fans gathering for
the Download festival. Over 50 of the heaviest Rock and Metal bands where
billed to entertain the masses. A disturbance of the peace was inevitable . . .
Set aside from the mayhem of the festival lay the Artist Dressing Room
Enclosure, a safe haven for artists to relax before they perform. Marshall set
up a guitarist paradise by pitching a tent in this area and setting up our entire
professional product range for artists to warm up, or simply see the latest
offerings to emerge from the Marshall factory. From the killer 350 Watt Mode
Four head to the re-issued boutique 18 Watt Handwired combo. The tent
shook throughout the weekend with countless stars plugging in and rocking
out. Many new Marshall recruits and friends were made.
UK content: Joel Richardson US content including Handwired feature: Nick Bowcott Motorhead/Judas Priest: Joel Richardson/Nick Bowcott
Cover photo’s – Slash: Tina Korhonen (www.tina-k.com) Motorhead: Bob Thacker Page 3 – Dan Hawkins: Al Pulford
Jim Marshall photo: James Cumpsty Graphic Design: Steve Greenwood
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Marshall Law 8
Marshall Law 8
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Yes sir, make no mistake about it, as far as
the world’s rock critics are concerned,
Mastodon are the next big thing in metal.
And, judging by the audience reactions the
band has started to incite, it looks like the
metal loving masses are starting to feel the
same way. To the uninitiated, it might appear
that Mastodon are an overnight sensation
that came out of nowhere with a stunning
debut album but, as is often the case, the
band’s hardly new and Leviathan isn’t its first
full length release, it’s the second. In fact, the
Mastodon story starts in 1999 when Bill
Kelliher (guitar) and Brann Dailor (drums)
moved from Rochester, New York, to Atlanta,
Georgia, and met up with Brent Hinds (guitar)
and Troy Sanders (bass) at a show Bill put on
in his basement. The musical chemistry was
immediate and a band was born.
Armed with merely a demo and the will to
succeed no matter what, they hit the road in
Summer 2000 with a vengeance and before
long had earned themselves a reputation as
a live act to be reckoned with and also the
attention of Relapse Records. A deal quickly
followed and the quartet’s debut release, an
EP entitled ‘Lifesblood’ was released in
August 2001 and shortly afterwards
Mastodon recorded its debut CD, Remission.
Much of the next two years was spent doing
what the band does best, live work, before
returning to the recording studio in early 2004
When magazines with the
Photo – Dan Griffiths.
street-cred of Kerrang!,
4
Revolver and Terrorizer
all name Leviathan as
2004’s Album of the Year,
it makes you realise that the
buzz surrounding
Mastodon is getting pretty
darned loud. Then, when
Kerrang! puts the boys
on their front cover and
boldly proclaim: “Meet the
best band on the planet.
The Atlanta quartet are the
future of metal,” you realise
that buzz is verging on
deafening . . .
for album number two. The result was
Leviathan, a brooding, epic beast which
reared its head in August 2004, creating a
tidal wave of critical approval and support
slots with metal behemoths Slayer and
Slipknot.
Simply put Leviathan is a metal
masterpiece where muscular musicianship
sails with ease on a sea of mesmerising,
off-kilter riffs and clever, complex
arrangements . . . driven by vintage Marshall
heads (Brent: JMP 2203; Bill: JCM800 2210),
of course! “We’re an old-school metal band,
trapped in a nu-metal world,” laughs Bill.
“There’s a lot of riffage but we do kind of stick
to a formula. We don’t want the listener to get
too confused or distracted and fade off so
sometimes less is definitely more. We’re like,
‘let’s play this riff four times and then try this riff
after it,’ we’re all like shouting in our own little
parts. It’s not always the case of one person
coming in and saying, ‘I’ve got this whole song
totally mapped out.’ That does happen once in
a while but even when it does we all shape it,
throw in our own little additions and touch
things up here and there.”
“We all write,” Brent adds. “So when we all
get together it’s always going to be original
because there’s four people involved and
focused on one thing. Four opinions and four
minds, that’s what makes it unusual and
different. “What we do is progressive rock, I
guess. Besides the heavy stuff that Bill brings
to the table, I do a lot of chicken picking and
slower, twangy, melodic stuff to help make it
more melodic and fun.”
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“Yngwie Malmsteen?
His playing is beyond sick, bro!”
Zakk Wylde exclaims when
asked about the Swedish
supernova’s six-string skills.
“He’s one of the greatest
guitarists to ever walk this
goddamned planet. I mean, some
of the stuff he pulls off on his
fiddle is flat-out inhuman.
He definitely raised the bar!”
As per usual, whenever it comes to
acknowledging the prowess of his peers and
forefathers, Mr Wylde is right on the money.
When a 20-year-old Yngwie Malmsteen first hit
the shores of America in the mid-’80s he quite
literally swept the six-string-scene by storm!
At the time everyone and his brother was
trying to out-tap Edward Van Halen and then
Yngwie came along with his jaw-dropping,
neo-classical brilliance and on-stage charisma
and, as Zakk just said, “raised the bar” . . .
overnight. Two decades later the super
Swedish-shredder continues to turn rock on its
ear, as proven by his dazzling performance on
his latest opus, Unleash the Fury.
“My older brother and sister were very good
musicians, plus I came from a very musical
family, so it was automatic for me to become a
player,” Yngwie reveals. “Not necessarily a
professional musician of course, but a player
of one instrument or another because I grew
up in a very, very musical environment.
Eventually, on my fifth birthday, I was given a
guitar but I didn’t start playing it until I was 7.
At the time I was listening to a John Mayall
album that was lying around and I really loved
it so I really got into playing bluesy stuff
because it was kind of easy to pick up, you
know. Classical music was all around me but I
wasn’t very interested in that at the time,
playing the electric guitar and the blues was
what I wanted to do.
“Then, when I was 8-years-old, my sister
gave me Deep Purple’s Fireball album and
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that was definitely a revelation for me as a kid.”
Yngwie continues. “That first song, ‘Fireball,’
sort of forever f**ked me up, in a good way I
suppose! That was definitely the biggest
impact rock ever had on me. As a result I
became totally infatuated with Ritchie
Blackmore. As far as I was concerned there
was no-one else and I copied all his solos. By
the time I was ten I could play every solo on
Made In Japan and people would look at me
and go, ‘this kid’s mad!’
“Then, when I was about 12 or 13, I didn’t
know what to do but I felt that there’s got to be
something else other than pentatonic stuff out
there. I didn’t find it in rock, I found it in
classical music and that’s why I started
involving inverted chords and different types of
scales other than the regular blues-based
ones. Then, one night on TV they showed an
amazing Russian violinist playing Paganini and
as soon as I heard that I said, ‘that’s it! That’s
what I’m going to do on the guitar.’ So I started
developing, as much as possible, a violin style
on the guitar which is hard to explain, but if you
listen to Tchaikovsky, Vivaldi and Paganini you
will hear a lot of stuff that I learned from.”
Yngwie’s first and only choice of amplifiers
has always been Marshalls. “I always wanted
Marshalls really badly but I couldn’t afford them
when I was a little kid,” he grins. “But then,
around 1975, when you guys came out with
the Master Volume models everybody had to
have one so all of a sudden, all the MkIIs and
the Plexiglas amps were collecting dust in the
Swedish stores. People didn’t want them and
you could get them for like 30 pounds! So I
bought as many as I possibly could because I
just loved to have a lot of them, and I still use
them all! I’ve always preferred the ones without
Master Volumes actually because in order to
get them to sound as beautiful and as brutal
as they do, you just have to play really f**king
loud, and I love that! That’s been my sound
from day one and I’ve never, ever used
anything else on anything.
“There’s one thing I have to add,”
concludes Yngwie. “I know a lot of players
and there’s this new movement where a
bunch of them are using modeling amps. All
these guys go, ‘look at this, I can have this
Plexi head into that cabinet with these
speakers and with this mic,’ and I’m like,
‘yeah right, sure you can!’ Let me tell you
something, if you do an A/B and put that stuff
right next to a real, living, breathing, steaming
Marshall stack it’s a pathetic comparison. To
me there’s no substitute for moving air. That
modeling stuff is for practicing or warming up
on the tour bus, you don’t record with that sh*t!
If you want to dick around in your bedroom
that’s fine, but if you want to play with the big
boys forget it. Get a f**king Marshall!”
To close I asked our eloquent and
entertaining guest if he’d got any advice he’d
like to pass on to our readers. He pondered
for a second and then offered this timeless
piece of wisdom, “Yeah, don’t stand up in a
canoe!”
5
In the minds of many, Heavy
Metal and Judas Priest are
synonymous and have been
for well over three decades.
With Rob Halford back in the
frontman’s seat and a brand new
CD, Angel of Retribution,
busy times lie ahead for these
iconic Brummie bruisers.
Guitarist K.K. Downing
checks in and forges some
British Steel . . .
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Yourself and Ian Hill (bass) formed Judas
Priest 34 years ago in 1971. Did you ever
imagine you would achieve the success
you’ve had when the band first started?
“Obviously not but, of course, I was always
the optimist! I think like anybody else in a
band, your first goal is to try and be
successful in your home town. You’re not
really looking for international success, you’re
just trying to do anything rather than sign on
the dole (unemployment) or have to get a
proper job!”
What is the current Priest line up?
“It’s myself, Ian and Glenn (Tipton: guitar)
obviously, with Scott Travis on drums and Rob
Halford back on vocals. Thinking on it, apart
from Scott, it’s the exact same line-up as the
one on our very first album, Rocka Rolla
(1974)!”
It must be great to have Rob Halford back in
the band after all this time (Halford left
Priest in 1991 to pursue other projects and
returned to the fold in 2004)?
“Yeah, we should all be rich and retired by
now!”
Judas Priest is one of only a handful of UK
metal bands to have achieved success in
the States. Why do you think your music
appealed to an American audience?
“It’s quite simple really, I think that when we first
went to the States we just had something new
to offer and they quickly lapped it up. The
American audiences at the time were used to
seeing bands playing wearing denims, apart
from Alice (Cooper), of course, who had his
own thing going! So when they saw the leather
clad Priest hit the stage like a well-oiled
machine with a much more brutal sound, they
thought ‘What the hell is this? They rock!’
Obviously, when we first went over there,
apart from headlining our own shows in little
clubs, we would play larger venues
supporting other bands. We did a couple of
shows with Led Zeppelin and we did a couple
of shows with Reo Speedwagon, that kind
of thing.”
How was it opening up for Led Zeppelin?
“That was pretty amazing. At that point Led
Zeppelin were already well and truly
established. We were just about to go home to
England when we got a call saying, ‘Can you
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go to the west coast and do a couple of shows
with Zeppelin?’ So we did! It was great that the
people who set up the gigs thought, ‘Judas
Priest are a little outfit, send them over to play
with Zeppelin at Oakland Coliseum!’ The place
was completely sold out on both days, we’re
talking 60,000 to 65,000 people, the gigs were
fantastic, totally brilliant.”
Congratulations on all the great reviews of
your new CD Angel of Retribution
“We haven’t had one bad word said about
it . . . yet (laughs)! I've never had that with any
album, ever! As we’ve said all along, we
wanted to make a record that would
encourage and regenerate everybody’s
interest in metal, because there’s been a lot of
people that have been disillusioned over the
last decade and left wanting. Like I said in an
interview I did yesterday, this is an important
album and if we didn’t make it then somebody
else needed to in order to encourage the fans
to come back out to concerts again. Hopefully
there’s something for everybody. Hopefully
everybody will be affected in their own little
way when they hear the new Judas Priest
album.”
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Which Marshall are you currently using live?
“I’m using the 9100 power amps that I’ve had
for a few years and they have held me in very,
very good stead. I’ve also happily rediscovered
the Marshall MIDI preamp, the JMP-1. I’m
delighted with it ’cos it sings, it really is a cool
piece of kit.”
Did you use the JMP-1 in the studio as well?
“No, what I used in the studio was my old ’70s
Marshall heads, the ones you guys just
serviced for me. Glenn nicked the best one off
me, though (laughs)! I had three going but I let
him have the best one and I used the other
two. They’re all really nice but on the road I’m
just using the JMP-1 with the 9100 power amp
and that’s it. My live rig is dead practical, it’s
simplicity in itself really. Although you can use
sh**loads of amps and lots of different effects in
the studio, I think it’s no secret that in a live
situation you can get away with being relatively
minimal. I’ve got 10 sounds I can call up with
my MIDI board and, to be honest, if you can’t
do a whole show with 10 sounds then I think
there’s probably something wrong with you!
My rig has also got to sound period correct.
When I play songs like ‘Breaking the Law’ and
‘Hell Bent For Leather’ they’ve got to sound like
they always did! Basically, I’m using modern
gear and dialing in late ’70s/early ’80s tones,
that’s my goal. Reliability is important to me too
because when you’re out there playing in front
of all those people, you can’t afford to go down
just because you’ve got this special piece of old
kit that you have to keep soldering together!”
You’ve always used straight 4x12 cabs as
opposed to angled ones.What’s your reason?
“Good question. After speaking with Glenn about
it, I would have to say that we’ve always had a
preference for the straight cabinets, simply
because we felt they were a bit meatier basically.
There’s a bit more weight to the sound of them,
that’s all there is to it. End of story.”
Any last words about Marshall for our
readers?
“I wish I owned it! Joking aside, just keep up the
good work, what else can I say? Millions of
musicians all around the world . . . they can’t all
be wrong, can they?!”
Angel of Retribution is out now.
7
Razorlight
Described as
London’s most
passionate and
wired underground
rock ’n’ roll band,
Razorlight were
formed in the
summer of 2002 around 22-year-old
frontman/singer/writer Johnny Borrell.
By late summer Razorlight were sending
precious antique amps to their death in
basement gigs and support slots around
London. Three songs were recorded
over three days, then sent to various
radio stations and got instant airplay.
The resulting trio, ‘Rip It Up’,
‘Rock ’n’ Roll Lies’ and ‘In The City’
emerged as a scorching advertisement
for the band and started A & R men
across the country scuttling for the band
to put pen to paper. 2004 has seen
Razorlight sign a major record deal as
well as headlining tours, Top 40 singles,
a tour in the USA and Johnny defining
his sound with a Marshall 2203 with
1960AC cabinets. Debut album
Up All Night is available now.
The Departure
The Others
Only in Britain could
a band like The
Others survive, and
thank God for that!
Self confessed odd
balls Dominic
Masters and his
gang have stormed the UK with tales of
druggery and life spent in a doll queue
on their warped care-in-the-community
programme (otherwise known as
touring). Songs written and dedicated to
Libertines and Babyshambles star Pete
Doherty got the band noticed, and it was
soon evident the band had a message
to deliver. The appropriately named skin
head guitarist Jimmy Lager is gigging
using a 2203 and 1960A cab. With no
musical influences beyond their personal
circumstances, they have no choice but
to tell it like it is and sound like they do.
Such honesty is rarely seen or heard in
this day and age. The Others self-titled
debut is out now.
When guitarists
Sam and Lee visited
the factory at the
start of 2004 to look
for the perfect
sounding amp,
The Departure were
actually still unsigned, though they had
been attracting attention from A & R
men. By the start of the summer they
had signed a lucrative five album deal
with EMI and a management deal with
Sanctuary. The guys chose 80’s
re-issued 1959SLP’s and 2203 heads
and these amps have been perfect for
The Departures trademark gigantic,
melodious riffs. The band spent much of
the remainder of 2004 on tour, including
a support tour with The Killers and
opening for Placebo at Wembley Arena,
their biggest show to date. They also
found time to release two classic,
attention-grabbing singles ‘All Mapped
Out’ (a UK Top 30 hit) and ‘Be My
Enemy’. The Departure are currently
putting the finishing touches to their
debut album which will be out in the
summer.
The Killers
They brought the falsetto back to Rock
and made wearing catsuits cool! The
Darkness incredible rocket to success
in 2003 was breathtakingly rapid. After
featuring in every media format
possible throughout Europe, The
Darkness concentrated the best part of
2004 on taking to the roads of
America. Such was the anticipation
awaiting the Lowestoft (town in East
Anglia, England) outfit, venue sizes
were upgraded to accommodate ticket
demand. An appearance on the
coveted David Letterman show was
chalked up while Permission To Land
entered well inside the US Billboard
top 200.
8
Back at home, anticipation builds for the
release of album number two, while
December saw the flamboyant
foursome sell out their biggest tour to
date, in the arena’s of the UK. Stage
props and entertainment were on the
bands priority list. As well as a 20ft
inflatable black shuck and burning
priest, Frontman Justin Hawkins also
took to the skies above the audience
riding a white tiger, while continuing to
nail those well known licks on his guitar.
On a visit to Dan Hawkins studio the
re-issued handwired amplifiers were
handed over for the axeman’s
evaluation. Dan commented that the
1974X was “the best sounding amp
OK, they are from
LA not the UK, but
there have been few
bands that have
captured the Brits
attention as much
as The Killers.
Fronted by Brandon Flowers and
accompanied by the luxurious tones of
Marshall-using David Keuning, The
Killers have a very British sound without
ever forgetting their LA roots. Debut
album Hot Fuss features 11 nuggets of
reel you in, storytelling genius. The 11
tracks span from the very Vegas-like
‘Ziggy Came To Town’ to the first proper
single release ‘Somebody Told Me’,
which glided into the UK Top 30.
‘Mr Brightside’ is a tale of jealousy that
depicts that moment in a relationship
when you realise that your other half
might be playing away. Everyone can
relate to something on this album.
The Killers have been selling out venues
across Europe, as well as a prestigious
appearance at California’s Coachella
Festival, which was followed in the UK
by an appearance at Glastonbury.
The Killers Hot Fuss album is out now.
I’ve ever heard,” he put two into his
live set-up as well as two of the first
handwired 1959 heads. The wall has
now expanded to ten Marshall
Greenback 4 x 12” cabs, 2 x 1959HW
and 2 x 1974X, an impressive sight
even on the massive arena stage!
Work has started on the next album,
highlights of which were unveiled on
the arena tour. No Darkness fan will be
disappointed after hearing what’s on
offer. If it’s anywhere near the calibre
of the first album we are in for a rock
treat! Permission To Land is out now.
Stay tuned to the music press for the
release date on the bands second
album and new tour dates.
Delays
Hurricane
Party
Hailing from the
not so sunny shores
of Southampton,
The Delays create
the kind of old
school, jangly-guitar
Indie pop music that
hasn’t been heard since the early
Nineties. A 1962 Bluesbreaker and 2245
heads are used by Delays which are
perfect for those broken Indie chimes.
Think pre Britpop, think The La’s, think
The Roses. Guitarist and vocalist Greg
Gilbert makes no secret of the fact the
band produce pop, yet in the classic
sense, not in a manufactured,
commercial way. With debut album
Faded Seaside Glamour and a string of
top singles denting the Top 40 behind
them, the next 12 months look to be a
very exciting time for the four piece.
Faded Seaside Glamour is available to
buy now!
When Hurricane
Party knocked on
the pearly gates of
Marshall
Amplification it
looked as though
they had stepped
straight out of Sunset Strip 1987.
The Brighton five piece impressed with
their EP ‘Get This’ and, although still at
the very start of their career, look set to
pack stadiums worldwide, which is
where the style and charisma of the
band truly belongs. Guitarists Johnny
Rocker and Robin Hirshfield took a
1974X 18 Watt combo and 2061X
20 Watt head into the studio for
recording, and these have also been
seen on stage with the guitarists when
supporting the mighty WASP. Keep an
eye on this band, they will go far! Work is
being done on the Hurricane Party debut
album. EP ‘Get This’ is out now.
Photo’s – The Darkness: Mickey Rose/Bob Thacker. Razorlight, The Killers, The Others, Delays, Hurricane Party: Al Pulford. The Departure: Colin Lane.
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9
They say that lightning never,
ever strikes in the same place
twice. The phenomenal,
Photo’s – Tina Korhonen (www.tina-k.com).
straight-out-of-the-chamber
10
success of Velvet Revolver
is living, breathing, ass-kicking
proof that this age old adage
is wrong . . . dead wrong.
Lightning can strike twice and there
is life after G ‘n’ R! The band’s
sharp-shooting, six-string
superstar, Slash, sits down with
Marshall Law and unloads . . .
Marshall Law 8
“It’s really rare to get a good go of it
the first time, and I think it’s especially
rare to get a second time around,”
Slash states. “Not too many people
have done it, so in our case it’s
definitely been sort of a blessing. I put
it down to timing – being in the right
place at the right time – and a lot of
luck. I also think that someone was
looking out for all of us and put us
together because we were all
basically wandering around aimlessly
as individuals, trying to find people
who knew what they were doing
rock ‘n’ roll wise.”
The first piece of the Velvet
Revolver puzzle was put in place
when Slash hooked up with the rock
solid rhythm section that formed
the backbone of the seemingly
unstoppable, Use Your Illusion era
G ‘n’ R, Duff McKagan (bass) and
Matt Sorum (drums). “I kinda hate to
say it, but the starting point of all this
was at the funeral of a dear friend of
ours, Randy Castillo (Ozzy Osbourne
& Motley Crue drummer),” Slash
reveals. That’s where Matt told Slash
Despite the inevitable cynical ‘this
supergroup will implode before the
album’s even finished’ type press that
followed the group’s formation, their
debut CD Contraband entered the
American charts at number 1, selling
a staggering 256,267 copies in the
US in its first week. It quickly attained
platinum status (over one million
sales) and Velvet Revolver are
already headlining and selling out
stadiums! Did the band’s meteoric rise
surprise Slash? “Definitely”, he grins.
“The climate in this business right now
doesn’t lend itself to rock ‘n’ roll
bands. It’s pretty unusual for a band
like us to make the top ten and it’s
unprecedented to have a rock ‘n’ roll
band break number 1. And we just
won a Grammy! I guess it means we
hit a certain nerve and that people
were missing genuine hard
rock ‘n’ roll. It also shows that the people
who run this business don’t know what
the f**k they’re talking about!”
The Grammy Slash and Co. just
won (they were nominated for an
impressive total of three) was
solos! As far as I’m concerned that’s
what made up a rock ‘n’ roll song and
it was probably one of the most
exciting parts of the song too. It didn’t
mean that the solo had to be 20
minutes long, but rock ‘n’ roll is a
guitar thing and it just always seemed
like a guitar solo was an integral part
of that. In fact, sometimes a song can
be a little redundant without one! At
this point in time, there’s been so few
so-called rock bands with any kind of
guitar solo whatsoever and now we
have something that works. It’s great
to be able to go, ‘See, I told you so!’ ”
At the heart of Slash’s world
renowned sound lurks his omnipresent
Signature Series Marshall amps. “I’m
still using the 2555s and by all due
accounts I don’t see me ever
changing,” he asserts. “I used them in
the studio, I’m using them on tour and,
as always, they’ve been consistent
throughout. They also work in just
about any kind of musical environment.
I do a lot of session work and I even
used them going in to do Ray Charles
sessions up until he died.” Slash and
about a benefit gig for Randy’s family
and invited him to play, they called
Duff and the resulting jam – the first
time the trio had played together in
nearly a decade – was “so powerful it
made the three of us realise we
should do something together again,”
Slash recalls.
With that essential chemistry back
in place and Dave Kushner from
Duff’s band on second guitar, an
arduous search for the all-important
singer began. Eight months later,
following the break-up of Stone
Temple Pilots, the highly charismatic
frontman, Scott Weiland, was
recruited and the Velvet Revolver
puzzle was finally complete. The
result? “I guess I would describe us
as being a pretty loud, in-your-face
rock ‘n’ roll band with a lot of melody
to it,” Slash says. “Nothing like what
you’ve been hearing on the radio for
the last ten years, for sure! It’s a
pretty colourful band and you really
have to listen to it because it’s hard
for me to verbally describe.”
Best Hard Rock Performance for the
song ‘Slither’. “That was pretty cool,”
understates the axeman. “‘Slither’
was one of those tunes I brought to
the band that almost didn’t make it.
The band wasn’t sure about it, but we
had it on tape, I played it for Scott, he
started singing it and the next thing
you know it happened. So it’s got a
little Cinderella story to it.” It also
contains a guitar solo, a sadly rare
commodity in rock these days but
something that Contraband is happily
brimming with . . .
“I miss guitar solos,” Slash smiles.
“One of the things that turned me onto
rock ‘n’ roll in the first place was guitar
Ray Charles? What an unlikely but
impressive pairing! “It was definitely a
very humbling and very educational
experience.” Slash states.
As for the Velvet Revolver
juggernaut, we’re happy to report that
it looks like it’s unstoppable. “At the
present we’re still touring and, at the
same time, we’re writing new stuff,”
Slash reveals. “We’ll probably be
spending some time in pre-production
in April to try and get this next record
out by Christmas this year. So there
you have it, things are pretty busy!”
Marshall Law 8
Welcome back Slash, the rock ‘n’ roll
world needs you!
11
They haven’t been around for a
while but Idlewild have been
anything but idle. With near
enough ninety new songs and
ideas, a new album released and
tours planned, the limelight
beckons again for the Glaswegian
5 piece. Guitarist Allan Stewart has
a chat with Marshall Law during a
rehearsal break . . .
“The formula behind Hatebreed is basically the attitude and
integrity of the east coast hardcore scene with the riffs of
death metal,” explains Hatebreed’s, shaven-headed, axe-wielding
hooligan, Sean Martin. “We’re like the Ramones on steroids
with a lot of death metal influence!”
Photo’s – Mickey Rose.
12
“Our roots lie in hardcore so when it comes to
song structure we keep it very simple,” Sean
continues. “We take brutally heavy,
death-metal-style parts and put them into a
hardcore/punk-rock song format so none of our
songs are over three minutes long and each and
every one is brutally heavy from beginning to end.
There are no clean parts in Hatebreed. For what
we do I don’t have any tone changes going on,
it’s just the same sound, balls out 100% of the
time. My MODE FOUR and TSL100 heads have
a lot of tonal variety but I only use the loudest,
meanest channels they’ve got! I use the lead
channel on the TSL100 with the gain pretty much
cranked, and I do the same exact thing on my
MF350. I use OD2 [mode] with the Tone Matrix
knob on 1 instead of 3 so it gives me a tighter
sound because I pretty much max out
everything.”
Thanks to relentless touring, Hatebreed have
successfully built a huge worldwide following
without the help of MTV or radio airplay.
“We have a really strong work ethic when it
comes to touring and we make up for our lack of
commercially acceptable music by bringing it to
the masses hard and heavy,” Sean states.
“It’s almost like every other month we’re in your
town, y’know! You can bank on seeing us twice
a year, no matter what, because we have that
old-school attitude of if you’re not on the road
touring then you’re not working. We’re not
willing to sacrifice our integrity or musical vision
for record sales so we just stick to our guns
by going out on the road and hammering it
really hard.”
Hatebreed’s touring machine is an efficient and
economical one with minimal crew, so overheads
are low. “I’m my own guitar tech – I always have
been and I think I always will be.” Sean laughs.
“We’re all very DIY and we don’t need people
f**king with our stuff when we can do it ourselves
– whether we’re playing an arena with Slipknot
and Slayer or a basement in Detroit. With the
amount of touring we do you can get a little jaded
but I don’t because at every show I have my thing
to do – I’m a guitar tech all day and then I’m Sean
Martin in Hatebreed as soon as we hit the stage.
I enjoy doing it too, it’s like my moment of Zen
when I change my strings every day! It’s definitely
what keeps me sane on the road, it gives me
something to do instead of hurrying up and
waiting.”
To make up for the fact that Hatebreed went
from two guitarists to one a couple of years ago,
Sean uses two different Marshall rigs on either
side of the stage. “My MODE FOUR is basically
our second guitarist,” he grins.“My TSL100 is on
all the time and my MF350 is on for at least 98%
of the time but I do use an A/B/Y box to punch it in
and out to mimic certain two guitar parts – like
chord stabs at the start of a riff for example”. How
does he dial-in each amp? “I’m a super fan and to
me Slayer and Entombed have the most
devastating tones in metal ever, so I pay homage
to them both through my sound. My side of the
stage (TSL100 into 2x1960B) is my Slayer tone
and the other side (MF350/MF400B) is my
Entombed tone. The combination is crushing.”
Even though he uses two amp rigs, Sean’s set
up is remarkably straightforward. “I just believe in
plugging in and going,” he admits. “The less stuff
the better. I use my two Marshalls, an A/B box, a
noise gate pedal and a Les Paul Custom loaded
with an EMG81 pickup in the bridge position,
that’s it. My sound guy keeps trying to make me
more high tech but you know what? My set-up
works and my philosophy is ‘if it ain’t broke,
don’t break it!’”
Marshall Law 8
Photo – Mickey Rose.
Idlewild have been away for a while
what have the band been up to?
“After touring for pretty much a year and a
half, we took some time off and then got into
writing and demoing songs for what would be
our fourth album. We went away to various
locations to do this and came out with near
enough 90 songs and ideas. We spent a lot of
time filtering these ideas and working on the
songs that we liked most. It was a different
affair as I was now writing in the band along
with our new bass player Gavin Fox. We got
into the studio at the end of 2003 and recorded
four songs with the producer from our last
record The Remote Part. This didn’t work out
the way we intended. We went away and all
took a completely fresh look on how we did
things and how we wanted the record to sound.
After some more writing we went to LA for eight
weeks to record the record with Tony Hoffer
(Beck, Air). This was a completely different
experience for Idlewild as we had never done
any of our records outside the UK, so it was
great to be in the sun for two months! We
mixed and mastered in New York.”
What is your musical history? Were you in
bands before Idlewild and how did you get
the Idlewild gig?
“I had lived in Glasgow for quite a few years
and been in the music scene there playing in
various bands. This is how I came to know
Roddy (singer). He lived in Glasgow as well
so we hung out together and I met the rest of
the band through him. Different bands I was
in when in Glasgow supported Idlewild at
various times, a lot of these bands were a bit
heavier and I was always a fan of Idlewild and
what they did. I was just working in Glasgow
Marshall Law 8
and playing in bands. They called
me one day and asked me if I
wanted to tour with them and play
second guitar parts, as their live show kind of
needed it. The first tour was with Placebo in
America so, of course, I quit my job, had a
few weeks practice and that was it. I have
now been officially in the band for more than
two years.”
What influenced you to play guitar?
“It’s difficult to pinpoint what influences you to
play guitar. I have always listened to loads of
different styles of guitar music and still do. I can
just name some names . . . Tony Lommi, SRV,
Kim Simmons, Thurston Moore, Andy Gill,
Burt Jansh, Jimmy Page, Duane Dennison,
Mike Bloomfield. I could go on and on. I think
the first thing I tried to learn on the guitar was
‘Seek and Destroy’ by Metallica. I never really
had any lessons, although I bought a few
books.”
What was the first Marshall you ever used?
“I can’t remember specifically, but I think the first
Marshall I ever used was an old JMP head.”
Have you always used Marshall amps?
“Pretty much I’ve always used Marshall,
although I have a great 140 Watt head which
sounds great.”
What is your current set-up and is this what
you use in the studio?
“My current set-up is the JCM900 with a 1960
vintage cab. Now I’ve acquired a 1962 combo
and the Super Lead ‘Plexi’ 100 Watt, so I’m
trying to work them into the set-up. For album
stuff I mostly use an old JMP combo which was
worth a sh*tload of money and sounded
beautiful!”
Is there anything you particularly like about
the Marshall vintage range?
“The vintage range stuff just sounds great when
its cranked. The 1959SLP just has so much
tone but with clarity, a controlled aggressiveness, a natural drive.”
There are two guitarists in the band, what is
your main role, and tell us more about your
hand in the song writing?
“I have been involved a lot in the writing of this
record. Myself and Rod Jones (the other
guitarist) have different styles and strengths but
we work well with each other. Mostly, on this
record I have concentrated more on the rhythm
parts and I have a lot more focus on playing off
the rhythm section and changing the dynamics
of the song. When we play live it is different.
Myself and Rod kind of swap over and
improvise a bit more in certain songs.”
What’s next for Idlewild?
“Where I sit right now, the next thing for Idlewild
is an MTV interview, a Guitarist interview and
then a TV show in Germany. We start our
British tour in April and our album is out in
March.”
As is tradition, can you give us a quote
about Marshall?
“I find it hard giving quotes. Here we are,
Marshall is so satisfying.”
Idlewilds new album Warnings/Promises is out
now on Parlophone.
13
Ten years on from their ominous eruption on the Metal scene and after various line-up changes,
public uproar and a plethora of dark immortalised albums recorded, Cradle of Filth have laid
their claws upon rough-diamond guitarist James McIlroy. James speaks to the Law after
rehearsals for the bands European tour.
Were you a fan before joining?
“I’d always liked Dusk and Her Embrace,
Cruelty And The Beast and the ‘Cradle to
Enslave’ EP. I always thought they were an
entertaining live band, so I could be called a
fan, yes, however not to the point of obsession.
I guess it helps to be into a band, but not to the
point where you worship them, you need your
outside influences. If anything, being so into a
band that you won’t listen to anything else is
severely limiting to your creativity. I mean, you’ll
never sound like your favourite band if you
aren’t into what they themselves were
influenced by.”
14
What’s all this about the Marshall 4x12’s
catching fire during a studio recording
session?
“We were overdubbing at the chapel in
Lincolnshire playing away, and the guitar
suddenly disappeared, so we went to have a
look and the jack socket on the cab was just
scorched, it’d set fire to itself! No one had seen
anything like it, that whole recording session was
plagued with amps committing suicide.”
It sounds like you weren’t alone in the studio
that day?
“I’m not sure but we had an entire bass head set
fire to itself (not Marshall!), amps just blew up for
no reason and guitars went out of tune, seconds
after having painstakingly tuned them, so many
problems all at once. The producer and studio
engineers all said they’d never seen anything like
it. It was weird, like the whole thing was cursed.”
(Marshall would like to state that they have also
never experienced these problems and blame
the supernatural).
Cradle are an extreme band with fanatical
fans. What’s the strangest thing that’s
happened on tour during your time with the
band?
“I really need to think about this one. The problem I
have is that I’ve been a tad bit too wasted to
remember most things, but as far as strangeness
goes there was one fan that wanted her arms
signed so she could carve the signatures into
them. Now I’ve seen fans who wanted them
tattooed, but that was a bit extreme.”
What Marshall amps are you, or have you
used and what are your thoughts?
“The first proper tube amp I ever bought was a
JCM900 that I used to push with a B*ss pedal to
get more gain out of it. As always, in the guitarist
quest for something bigger and louder it got sold
and I bought a stack with some unbranded head.
After not being entirely happy with that, I found
this old Super Lead head buried in London’s
Denmark Street that turned out to be a 1969
vintage! Totally by accident, (laughs), but I
bastardised that with an effects loop and used it
for years as a power amp for various preamps,
just because it added a level of attitude and dirt
that nothing else would. On its own it sounded
great, regrettably, I sold it when I joined Cradle,
but it was gorgeous. AC/DC straight out of the
box! These days I’ve come back to using
Marshall’s, mainly DSL’s, they just combine the
best of the vintage Marshall bite and attitude with
modern high gain, and as I just like my set-up
simple, just to get that in your face raw sound.
The AC/DC attitude basically, plug in and rock!
Marshall’s have that ballsy, dirty sound to them.
A lot of people try to emulate it, but never quite
get it right.”
Do you have any amp set-up tips for those
wanting to recreate the Filth’s despondent
night chords?
“Get your guitar, plug into an amp and forget
about all those fancy effects and rack gear to fine
tune your tone. Crank the amp, get those mids in
and play. A lot of Nymphetamine was recorded
through a DSL into an ancient 4x12 with the
original Greenbacks in it. Just get a nasty, mean
sound and put your aggro into it while keeping it
controlled, that’s basically it. So many people
forget the importance of mids in the sound, they
think their bedrooms awesome sound translates
well to stage, and it doesn’t, as you end up
competing with the cymbals, kickdrums and bass
if you don’t have those mids to make your sound
cut through.”
What’s next on the cards for Cradle Of Filth?
“Next up is our European tour, the release of our
special edition and then, who knows? Although
there’s always so much going on, it’s hard to keep
track sometimes, we are a hard working band!”
Ant final words on Marshall?
“I’ve played many amps, but Marshall’s just have
that certain, grab you by the balls and rip ’em off
attitude that just makes them the amps with the
most attitude around that keeps me coming
back.”
Photo’s – Justin Bird/Bob Thacker.
Tell us a bit about your musical background
and how did you get the gig with Cradle?
“Well, I first started playing guitar around the
age of 15, but I had wanted to pretty much
since the age of 4. I had tried several times,
but my parents didn’t ever think I was serious
about it. I’d been picking up an acoustic for
years before this trying every so often to make
sense of it. When I was 15, I decided
resolutely I was going to learn. Basically I
taught myself to play and quite quickly found
myself in several local bands and moving up
the band hierarchy in the local music scene.
Then I left Belgium, where I grew up, and
came to London where I tried quite
unsuccessfully at first to get several bands off
the ground.
Finally, I had something going on, about six
or so months before I got the call to audition
for Cradle. I actually used the demo tapes from
that project to get the audition. When I got
asked to come down it was a bit of a surprise,
but nowhere near the surprise when I got
asked to play session for them on tour. I took
the chance, thinking that whatever happened
I’d already got further than expected. After
being part of the furniture for six months, and
them realising I had quite a lot in common with
regards to musical taste, I got asked to write
with them towards Nymphetamine and
somehow ended up in the band and on the
album. I think the ability to drink and the love of
getting ever so slightly hammered helped as
well (laughs).”
Cradles deadly morbid Nymphetamine album is
available in the darkest depths of your record
store now.
Marshall Law 8
Marshall Law 8
15
Always appearing to be on the cusp of greatness, Scottish band Snow Patrol have at long last
received the recognition they deserve. Gary Lightbody’s lush tones and silky smooth,
carefully-crafted tales of love and love lost are perfected on latest album Final Straw. Snow Patrol
have developed over the years into an all-round package of frighteningly high quality.
Marshall Law spends some time with vocalist and guitarist Gary, and guitarist Nathan Connolly.
Snow Patrol have been plying their
musical trade since 1994, yet it
wasn’t until 2004 that the bands
popularity exploded. Gary
Lightbody, Snow Patrols elegant
frontman explains why it has taken
the public a decade to realise the
talent behind Snow Patrol. “It was
mainly because our first records
weren’t readily available. Now we
have a great record company,
management and a fantastic
producer, Garret Lee, all of whom
have helped Final Straw get to
where it has”. Gary continues, “also
the musical climate
has changed, it has
shifted back to bands
and we were
belligerent enough to
stick around long
enough.”
After years of
gigging as a three
piece, new member, Nathan
Connelly was introduced as second
guitarist. Since his inclusion the
Patrol have experienced their
biggest success to date. So has it
been Nathan’s presence in the band
that elevated Snow Patrol to this
higher status?
“I would like to say yes, and I will,
but it’s been down to a lot of things
that just fell into place: new line up,
and as Gary said, the management,
record company and producer
Garrett Lee.”
It’s a fact, that when Snow Patrol
first formed Nathan was only just
picking up the guitar and getting his
head around the wizardry of the six
strings? “That’s right, I’ve been playing
for about 10 years, that doesn’t mean I
sound like I’ve been playing that long
though!” laughs Nathan.
The Patrol have used Marshalls
Photo’s – Mickey Rose.
18
Marshall Law 8
Marshall Law 8
since the very start of their career.
Nathan owns and uses an unusual
Marshall head. He explains,
“My dad picked it up for me, it’s a
3315 Lead 150 Watt (a transistor
head produced in the 80’s), I got it
for £200 and it sounds incredible.
No ones ever seen one before. The
clean channel used with a distortion
pedal is my sound.” Gary, chooses
the slightly more familiar, JCM800
2203. “Yeah, I’ve tried lots of amps,
most have been Marshall, and this
is the one with a bit of character.
It delivers every time.” And the
delivery of impact on Snow Patrols
third album, Final Straw, is ground
shuddering. The album is just under
45 minutes long but seems to be
over in the bat of an eyelid. It’s a
mix of powerful ballads, pop, and
the skewered lo-fi of their debut,
Songs For Polarbears. The string
section on ‘Run’, combined with the
simple choruses of ‘Tiny Little
Fractures’ and ‘Spitting Games’,
or the slightly gospel-esque
‘Same’ truly tug at your heart
strings. Does Gary always take
inspiration from his own emotional
experiences when writing? “Yes, but
not exclusively. I’m not prepared to
lay my life completely open!”
Gary reveals.
The band have been slightly more
experimental on this latest offering,
with some beautiful sounds and
tones used. The Law asked what FX
were used to create these? “Nathan
is the one to ask, he uses the
textural pedal.” Admits Gary. Nathan
takes on the question. “Yeah I’m the
one for FX, a L*ne 6 Distortion plus
a couple of B*ss Tremolo, delay
pedals through the Marshall.”
As Snow Patrols popularity and
record sales have grown, tours
have been booked and sold out all
over the world. Most notably stir’s
have been made in the
United States where
Final Straw entered
inside the Billboard 200.
Nathan comments on
the bands time in the
USA. “Its been great, you
really appreciate how huge it
is, the last tour there was two
months long which was pretty
tough, but also a lot of fun.” Gary
echoes Nathan’s enthusiasm.
“Its gone really well. We are playing
to bigger and bigger crowds. They
have a strong work ethic in the
States and we are prepared to
work hard.”
And working hard is exactly what
they’ve done, and they are now
reaping the rewards. The future
looks big and bright for the
Scotsmen, so, what can we expect
in the future from Snow Patrol?
“We’re recording the next record.
It’s the main priority this year, all
our time and energy will be put into
that.” “Yeah that’s right.” confirms
Gary. “We are working on the next
record, then back to the States in
May and then a few support dates
for U2 in June and July!”
Before leaving, the two guitar
maestros left us with some hearty
words about our beloved Marshall
amplifiers. “Well, the first one I
bought is the same one I still use,
take from that what you will.” states
Nathan. And Gary comments
without a doubt in his mind,
“Marshall amps are the best Rock
amps in the world!”
Final Straw is a legendary album
and available to buy now.
19
“ Dimebag” Darrell Abbott
(1966 - 2004) R . I . P .
Trivium: Ascending
to the Top!
Yeah, we know – Dimebag (pictured here with his
“blood brother” Zakk Wylde) wasn’t a Marshall user
but it matters not one jot, we loved him anyway.
In addition to being one of the finest metal players
and riff writers to ever walk this planet, thanks to
his huge-heart and larger-than-life actions on and
off stage, he was also the genre’s ultimate
ambassador. He treated his fans as equals and
inspired countless people all over the globe to play
guitar. He was also a dear friend so, on behalf of all
at Marshall we’d like to pay our respects to this
great man and pass on our heartfelt condolences to
his family, especially Rita and Vinnie.
On December 8th, 2004, a date that Kerrang!
dubbed ‘Metal’s Darkest Day’, the guitar world lost a
giant of a player and the world lost a giant of a man.
Thanks for the inspiration Dime, your music, mirth,
mayhem and memory will always live on.
© 2005 Jamie Lowe.
Once in a blue moon a new album from a new band
doesn’t just impress you, it blows your doors off and
an advanced copy of Trivium’s ‘Ascendancy’ did
exactly that in the Marshall Law office! Boasting a
combination of brutal, yet memorable metal riffs,
clever song structures, catchy yet heavy hooks,
crushing tones (Marshall generated, of course!) plus
world-class rhythm, dual harmonies and leads
(yes, that’s not a typo, I said leads! ‘Ascendancy’
features some jaw-dropping solos) from frontman,
Matthew Heafy, and Corey Beaulieu, ‘Ascendancy’
is the early front runner for Best Metal Album of 2005
in our book. Throw into the equation the youth of
the band (Matt just turned 19 at the time of writing
this and Corey’s only 21!), and Trivium’s future
looks blindingly bright! “I’ve played through pretty
much every amp out there,” states Matt, “but
when it comes down to it Marshall’s really the amp
that started the metal sound. From AC/DC to
Iron Maiden to Slayer to Black Label Society, it’s the
one behind that awesome crunch. My Marshall rig
delivers a tone that tears your face off with its sheer
brutality but, at the same time astonishes with its
beautiful clarity.”
Rest In Peace, brother. . .
For more info go to www.trivium.org.
– Nick Bowcott, Marshall USA
The Evil Twin
Bruce Kulick: All Work
and All Play!
Mini Me Slash
Lights, cameras, action . . . figures!
Slash fans will be delighted to learn that
not one but two Slash figurines will soon
be available – one from McFarlane and
the other, a limited edition resin sculpture,
from Knucklebonz. We’ve seen the latter,
the second in Knucklebonz’s stunning
Guitar Hero series (www.guitarhero.net),
and we don’t mind admitting that we
were blown away with it’s attention to
detail. “It’s pretty cool,” Slash tells us.
“To be immortalized in plastic and resin,
who would’ve thought! It’s such an
overwhelming concept that I don’t think
I‘ve really digested it yet.”
© 2005 KnuckleBonz, Inc.
Photo: Susan Barry.
Ex-KISS axeman, Bruce, has been a Marshall family
member for longer than either of us probably wants to
remember! And, in keeping with what seems to be a
Kulick family tradition (his brother Bob, ex-Meat Loaf
and Alice Cooper guitarist is now a much in demand
producer who works non-stop), Bruce has been keeping
himself incredibly busy. In addition to his solo project,
Union shows and playing guitar with the legendary
Grand Funk Railroad, Bruce somehow finds time to
appear at KISS conventions all over the globe! Recently
he was also a guest counselor at the Rock ‘n’ Roll
Fantasy Camp in LA where, in addition to passing on
valuable advise to the attendees he enjoyed a truly
memorable moment – performing live at House of Blues
on Sunset Boulevard, LA, with The Who’s legendary
man-behind-the-mic-stand, Sir Roger Daltrey! “We did
‘Behind Blue Eyes’, ‘See Me, Feel Me’ into ‘Listening to
You’ and then the full version of ‘Won’t Get Fooled Again’.
Playing classic Who songs with Roger and being his
Pete Townshend for that performance was the
accomplishment of a life long dream,” enthuses Bruce,
adding that, as always, his trusty Marshall TSL100
halfstack was “singing throughout!”
To keep up to date with Bruce’s furious schedule,
check out www.kulick.net.
20
Who’s the Evil Twin? If you’re a Black Label
Society fan you don’t need us to tell you
that it’s the nickname Zakk Wylde gave his
axe-wielding, partner-in-crime, Nick Catanese.
“When I very first got the gig and I told
people I was in Zakk Wylde’s band they’d
automatically assume I was playing bass or
drums because obviously a player of Zakk’s
talent and magnitude can pull the guitar stuff
off by himself,” Nick laughs.
No one should make the mistake of
thinking that Nick’s six-string role in BLS is
restricted purely to rhythm playing either,
he and Zakk frequently double solos,
note-for-note! “I remember when we did
‘Miracle Man’ live back in 2001 and Zakk
went, ‘Dude, let’s double the solo and trip
people out!’” Nick enthuses. “When we did
that on stage, side-by-side, people’s eyes
were totally bugging! It’s cool he gives me
that opportunity because he doesn’t have to.”
Other solos Nick and Zakk double live
include ‘Demise of Sanity’, ‘Born to Lose’,
‘Funeral Bell’, and ‘Bored to Tears’.
Watch the must-own BLS live DVD
Boozed, Broozed & Broken-Boned
if you want visual proof!
For more info on the talented Mr Catanese
go to www.eviltwinhq.com.
Marshall Law 8
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21
“There’s only one thing better
than being nominated for a
Grammy, and that’s being
nominated and winning,” states
Hatebreed hoodlum,
Sean Martin, about the 2005 Best
Metal Performance Grammy race.
“And there’s only one thing better
than being nominated and
winning, and that’s being
nominated and beaten by
Motorhead!”
Photo’s – Bob Thacker.
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And that’s exactly what happened at the
2005 Grammy Awards, folks! Motorhead
won the Best Metal Performance category
and fellow nominees Hatebreed couldn’t
have been happier, such is the respect
held for Lemmy and Co. in the metal
community. Want further proof? Well, Dave
Grohl of Nirvana and Foo Fighters fame
said the following of the band’s legendary
leader: “Lemmy is a God. He is the
reason. He is the last man standing and no
one comes close.” Believe us when we tell
you, Mr Grohl is not alone in this opinion.
A list of Lemmy’s admirers would read like
a ‘Who’s Who’ of rock. The fact that the
mighty Metallica performed a number of
pretty obscure Motorhead songs at
Lemmy’s 50th party at the infamous
Whisky (Lemmy’s second home it would
seem!) in 1995 says it all really.
In view of the fact that Motorhead had
such a profound influence on Metallica it is
somewhat ironic that Motorhead were
awarded the Best Metal Performance
Grammy for their cover of Metallica’s
song ‘Whiplash’!
As staggering as it may seem,
Lemmy (real name, Ian Fraser
Kilmister) formed Motorhead 30 years
ago in 1975 after being given the
boot by Hawkwind. Due to
Hawkwind’s popularity at the
time, his firing was headline news in
the British music papers. Ignoring the
press hoopla, Lemmy didn’t mess
around licking his wounds and Motorhead
was up, running and playing its first gig in
less than two months. In typical Lemmy
fashion, Motorhead wasn’t his first choice
of moniker though, he actually wanted to
call the band Bastard but his manager at
the time talked Lemmy out of it by telling
him he couldn’t see them getting on
Top of the Pops with that name!
When interviewed by the then popular
English music weekly, Sounds, Lemmy
revealed the following about his new outfit:
“It’ll be the dirtiest rock ‘n’ roll band in the
world. If we moved in next door your lawn
would die!” This wonderful quote quickly
became one of the band’s many bylines.
Always being one to give credit where
credit is due though, Lemmy was quick to
reveal the fact that he stole the line from
Dr Hook! Motorhead’s impact was
immediate and the readership of Sounds
voted them Best Worst Band In The World
that same year!
Killing his neighbour’s lawn aside,
Lemmy’s goal with Motorhead was simple
– to be the British version of the American
punk/metal legends MC5. To say he
succeeded (and then some!) would be an
understatement and, as the saying goes,
the rest of the story is history. The
influence of Motorhead’s bludgeoning,
breakneck mix of metal and punk has had
on rock for well over two decades is
immeasurable, from Metallica to Hatebreed,
the list is endless.
Over the past thirty years Motorhead
has had a number of line-ups with only
one constant throughout, Mr Kilmister.
Of them all though, Lemmy considers his
current cohorts Phil Campbell (guitars)
and Mikkey Dee (drums) to be “pretty
much my dream line-up.” Well known for
his straight-faced, quick wit, when we
asked him to explain some of the
less-than-cheery lyrics on the trio’s most
recent album, Inferno, Lemmy’s answer
was characteristically drool, “Well, murder,
death & suicide continue to be the most
popular sports of mankind, so it’s quite
topical really!”
Equally amusing are some of the
reviews that Motorhead have earned over
the years, none-more-so than this
summary of 1979’s Bomber album,
“Frankly, the thundering roar of a herd of
rogue elephants would equal this album’s
subtlety quotient. With all the finesse of a
hobnail in the groin, this is strictly music to
perform lobotomies to, guaranteed to stun
birds in mid-flight, kill all known germs and
reduce anyone over the age of thirty-five
to jibbering dementia. Remember,
PLAY IT LOUD.” I doubt the journalist
who penned this is still reviewing rock
albums but Lemmy’s still making them
and still stunning birds (feathered and
otherwise!) in mid-flight. Long may he
continue to refuse to grow old gracefully!
One of the most distinctive traits in
Motorhead’s unique sound is Lemmy’s
densely distorted yet always distinguishable
bass tone. His formula is simple, a
Rickenbacker (he has a custom-carved
beast with ‘Rickenbastard’ on the
headstock, classic!) plugged straight into
an all-valve Marshall 100 Watt Super Bass
head or two, driving Marshall 4x12”and
4x15”cabs. “Marshall Amps and cabs
have stood behind me on every continent
in the World, except Africa, and I have
never found anyone better to have at my
back,” the bassist barks. “Marshalls are
the best, no discussion. Sting like a
butterfly, fly like a B-52, your choice. I just
got some new ones, the last lot I bought in
1971. Any questions? Jim Marshall is my
friend and I am his.”
Wanna learn more about Lemmy? We
highly recommend his autobiography,
White Line Fever. Motorhead’s box set,
Stone Deaf Forever!, also gets two
enthusiastic thumbs-up. To close we’re
going to leave you with Lemmy’s touching
best wishes to Mr Marshall on the Guv’nor’s
80th. “Happy Birthday, Jim. Marshall’s never
die, they just blow your f***ing head off!
Thanks for everything. Love Lemmy.”
Try topping that one, Hallmark!
Inferno, another classic from the loudest
band in the world, is available now.
23
When and how did The Ordinary Boys form?
“We went to school together in a small town
called Worthing and just spent 5 years playing
Black Flag songs before writing our own.”
The Ordinary Boys have been described as
a mix between The Clash,The Jam and
The Smiths. Are these all you’re musical
influences and what inspired you to start
playing the guitar?
“My mother is a massive Beatles/Fleetwood
Mac/Kinks fan and I used to spend ages sitting
around listening while she played records,
I finally got a guitar aged fifteen and just played
along to the records in my bedroom.”
You also play a Specials track in your set,
is this a band favourite?
“We are big Specials fans and generally love the
whole movement surrounding them. All of their
influences have in turn become our influences,
so they opened us up to a lot of music we would
have been otherwise unaware of.”
How did you feel when single ‘Week In,
Week Out’ hit the UK top 40?
“It was a nice feeling to have a top 40 under
our belts . . .”
It must be a nice feeling selling out venues
on tour as well?
“Playing live is the most rewarding part of being
in a band. Our shows tend to get very lively and
it’s always great to see people enjoying
themselves and singing along.”
You are using Marshall Bluesbreakers. What
is it you like about the 1962’s tone?
“I use two Marshall Bluesbreakers together and
it produces a really fat sound which is perfect for
our live performances.”
Anything but ordinary, The Ordinary Boys have
produced a classically smart British album, while
performing at all the major festivals and completed
sell-out tours. Could this be the most important new band
in Britain? The Law catches up with guitarist and Marshall
man William J Brown after a busy day in the studio.
Do you use any FX pedals?
“I use an El*ctrharmonix Memory Man which
produces deep swelling echoes, that combined
with the B*ss RV3 reverb sounds nice.”
Have you ever used any Marshall amplifiers
before the 1962, what were your thoughts?
“My first amp was a 15 Watt Marshall combo
that I thought was the dogs bollocks, but I’m
now strictly a Bluesbreaker man.”
You have been touring intensely throughout
2004. Where has been the most memorable
place to play?
“We love playing all over the place, although going
to Tokyo the first time was very good fun indeed.”
Photo’s – Al Pulford.
What’s next for The Ordinary Boys?
“We are recording our new album as I speak and
then we will be touring for a year until the next one.”
Can you give us a quote about Marshall?
“Buy one now.”
Over The Counter Culture is a British classic.
Available in all music stores now.
Can you tell us a bit about your
background as a classical guitarist?
with an orchestra the concert halls are
usually pretty dry, so adding a little reverb
really fills out the sound and since you can
fine tune the depth, I can match the reverb
to the orchestra. Plus with the XLR DI and
line outs, I can run directly into the hall
system and gently boost the signal to
balance with the orchestra. Another great
feature is the built-in phantom power. I have
a great endorsement contract with Audio
T*chnica microphones and their upper line
of mics require phantom power. Also, since
I run my classical guitar through a mic, the
anti-feedback feature is tremendous. Under
the pressure of a major concert you want to
be able to let go and not worry if you’re too
close to the mic. To have all that built into
the AS100D is brilliant!”
“As a classical musician I’ve got pretty
much the normal background, the main
study was at New England Conservatory in
Boston with post-graduate work at Harvard,
the University of Vienna, the Konservatorium
der Stadt (Vienna, Austria), ARCUM in
Rome, the Academy for the Study of
19th-Century Music in Vigevano (Italy), and
other diplomas from the Universite
Catholique and Ville Sable (France) and
Nemzetkozi Gitarfesztival (Hungary). But
the study isn’t the bottom line, you still have
to be able to do the work on the stage and
those two things really go hand-in-hand.
On the practical side, I’ve done concerts at
Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall
(New York), Vienna International Center
(Austria), Nouveau Siecle (France) and . . .
well, I guess almost every major hall in the
US and Europe. One of the real highlights
was being the first American-born guitarist
to win first prize at the International
Toacanini Competition in Italy.”
Are there any famous musicians you
have worked with that you can tell us
about?
Do you compose all your own music?
“Because of my traditional classical
background I perform music by a lot of
other composers. At the Academy where I
teach in Italy (Academy for the Study of
19th-Century Music, Vigevano, Italy) my
specialty is music in 1st District Vienna from
1800-1829. How’s that for specific! But I
also do a lot of Baroque, Renaissance and
Contemporary music. Playing my own
music is a different thing since I can
automatically control the compositional
process for my own taste. Lately I’ve been
writing a lot of music that has improvisation,
pretty rare in classical music.”
Marshall amps are well known as the
Rock guitarist’s amp so what made you
choose Marshall?
“Classical musicians work for years to
develop a specific sound. We’re concerned
with the guitar, the woods, strings, string
tension and materials. On top of that, since
we play with right-hand fingernails, there’s
the problem of nail shape, the angle of the
nail as it releases the string, the direction of
the release and how much arm or wrist
movement you use at the moment of
release. In short, it’s a bloody nightmare.
So back to your question, after working for
years to develop my sound, my biggest
concern was to find an amp with a totally
pure output. I needed a unit that was going
to give me nothing but me. Sure, Marshall
is known for being loud, but Marshall is also
the ONLY amp that gave me a pure, rich
perfect sound.”
What features on the AS100D do you
like?
“For any acoustic or classical guitarist, one
of the most valuable things on the AS100D
is the adjustable reverb effects. When I solo
Anthony
Glise
Iconically known for
walls upon walls of
Marshall cabinets seen
at Rock venues around
the world, the last place
you would expect to see
a Marshall is at a classical
concert? Thanks to the
versatility of the Marshall
design team with the
AS100D, and the
foresight of classical
guitarist Anthony Glise,
the classical scene has
become as accustomed
to seeing Marshall on the
big stage as Rock fans
“I work regularly with violinist Ken Sugita
who’s with the French National Orchestra
and was not only the youngest concert
master of the Boston Philharmonic but a
great improviser. I’ve also worked with
Dutch guitarist, Jan Akkerman who’s the
former lead guitarist for Focus who wrote
‘Hocus Pocus’. Ken, Jan and the incredible
American guitarist Jason Riley and I are
working with a group I founded called The
Nova Project, all my original music, but
with some massive improvisation sections,
a cross between jazz, classical and rock
with North African rhythms. Quite a
change from 19th-Century classical music
and a style that’s also perfect for the
AS100D!”
What is next for Anthony Glise?
“I have a large tour in Europe with
The Nova Project this summer and a tour
in the US on the east coast in the fall,
naturally all with the AS100D. In the
meantime, Jason and I are doing quite a
few shows with orchestra’s throughout the
US, I’ve got a couple of new books coming
out this year with M*l Bay Publications and
a commission to compose a mass for
guitar, orchestra and choral for a church
north of Paris, so this year’s going to be
pretty busy! Jason and I have also
founded a large classical/commercial
music guitar department at Missouri
Western State College in St. Joseph,
Missouri where I have a visiting
professorship. The students have two
years of classical guitar then two years of
rock jazz and commercial guitar studies.
With all the concert touring it’s a little
hectic, but we’ve managed to develop an
incredible guitar program that we highlight
every summer at the St. Joseph
International Guitar Festival.”
For more information see:
http://www.AnthonyGlise.com
http://www.mwsc.edu
http://www.mwsc.edu/guitarfestival/
have.
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25
the guitar intro the whole place literally
exploded with booze and bodies flying
everywhere, I loved it!”
Who are your musical influences and who
inspired you to pick up the bass?
“I’ve been influenced at some point in my life by
these folks: Beck, Pink Floyd, Beatles, Stones,
Specials, Stone Roses, Stevie Wonder,
Marvin Gaye, Elvis Costello, XTC, Spinal Tap,
Ian Drury & The Blockheads, Van Morrison,
Jaco Pastorious, James Jamerson, Radiohead,
The Who. As for playing the bass, it was the
Do you use the VBA rig in the studio?
“We had it down at Abbey Road for the
Lovebox album. A few radio sessions too, if the
room allows it! Some studios are tiny so just the
head, no cab. BBC Maida Vale has some good
size rooms that can cope.”
Why do you choose the VBC810 rather than
the VBC412?
“The 8 x10 is perfect for the balance we have
on stage. I like a big fat bastard of a sound
onstage but the most important sound is what
the crowd is hearing. The Marshall rig delivers a
lovely massiveness without drowning out
everything else.”
Darren Smith of Viking Skull
Photo – Dan Griffiths.
Groove Armada have some thumping bass
lines in their tracks. So how did you meet
Andy Cato and Tom Findlay?
“Andy and I have been friends since we were
young eggs, playing music in many bands and
bedrooms. We toured together as teenagers in
the Doncaster Jazz Orchestra and would visit
each other's houses armed with 4-track tape
machines, bass guitars and enthusiasm!
I met Tom when I first got involved with
Groove Armada, it was early 2000, in an
isolated old farmhouse in Wales. We recorded
sessions for the album Goodbye Country (Hello
Nightclub) and some great ideas came out of it
including ‘Superstylin’, which I’m very proud of.”
Why were Viking Skull formed and
who came up with the idea?
“Viking Skull were formed to fill in a bit of
free time we had ages ago. It was originally
conceived to be a band that could do one
of the many jam nights in local pubs. We
found out that there was free beer available
to performers, and hence that is why it’s a bit
more accessible than Speedhorn.”
For chest pumping bass riffs it has to be the VBA400 with a VBC810 cabinet. Stan, bass player with
top UK dance act Groove Armada would use nothing else. Marshall Law speaks to the man
responsible for coming up with those bass lines that get your body moving on the dance floor
on a Saturday night . . .
Photo – Al Pulford.
Groove Armada brought out the Greatest
Hits album in 2004. Are there plans for an
album with new material on the way?
“Yes, there are plans, hopefully it will be sooner
rather than later, but we all need rest at the
moment. We’ve just finished a massive tour,
80 gigs in 22 countries covering 42,500 miles!”
What has been the most memorable show
you have ever played at?
“Glastonbury 2004 will take some beating,
glorious sunshine, 60,000 people going
mental, totally awesome! I must also mention
Glasgow Barrowlands which we’ve played
many times, but one show in particular I did as
part of John Squire’s band. We opened with the
Roses’ classic ‘Driving South’, three notes into
26
only electric guitar available at school when I
went to the music department. I picked it up,
played ‘Another One Bites the Dust’ and
realised it was the coolest.”
You have been using the VBA rig for a while
now. What is it you like about the VBA400?
“It reproduces my sound exactly as I want it,
fat and sweet. The design is classic and
timeless. A great piece of kit.”
Do you use any FX?
“For live gigs I have a Pod for extra sub, and a
Fuzz Box. When recording I'll try anything,
whatever’s lying around really. Andy stuck me
through a Sh*rman filter on a track called
‘Edgehill’, that is a beautiful bass sound.”
What’s next for you and Groove Armada?
“Personally I’m working on my own project at
the moment, Gecko. I have an album coming
out through Andy and Tom’s own label, Ragbull
Records, called Lizard Point, so I’m going to be
busy with that. There’s lots of Armada stuff
planned but nothing concrete at the moment,
except for a charity event Tom’s organising in
aid of the tribal peoples in western Sudan
called Playing Alive at Tribal Gathering. It’s in
Leeds in July, see you there!”
Can you give us a quote about Marshall for
the Law readers?
“We are talking SEISMIC bass!”
Groove Armada: Best of, is out now.
Marshall Law 8
Did you ever imagine that people would
take Viking Skull as seriously as they have?
“At first we didn’t really take it seriously
ourselves, it was more of a laugh then. When
we did start getting response though, we did
realise that it could be taken a lot further, as
long as we turned the cheese element down.”
Who are the Skulls main influences?
“I can’t speak for everyone on this, but the
main consensus is old rock bands.
Personally, I would say my main influences
are bands such as The Jimi Hendrix
Experience, Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple,
Frank Zappa, Motorhead, Judas Priest,
Iron Maiden, Pink Floyd, Black Sabbath,
Thin Lizzy, Allman Brothers, Lynyrd Skynyrd,
Joe Walsh (not The Eagles though, I would
rather eat bricks). So it’s that sort of ‘this one
goes to eleven’ mentality.”
What Marshalls are you using?
“I originally started using a JCM2000
borrowed from Speedhorn, but these are
more suited to a very heavy and distorted
sound, so I switched to using an old JCM800
fifty watter, which I recorded the EP with.
I’ve been using an old JMP hundred watter,
1979 Master Volume I think, for ages now
and I have not used anything else since.
Frank also started using a borrowed
JCM2000 and has used many amps
Marshall Law 8
From humble beginnings as
a side project for 3 members of
Raging Speedhorn, the
Skull have far exceeded
even their own expectations.
Taking an entirely new direction,
old skool sleazy rock is now
on the Rock ‘n’ Roll menu.
Viking Skull axe-wielder
Darren Smith takes us
back to the days “when men
were men and amps were
amps.”
(all Marshall) including a very loud hundred
watt MKII Plexi re-issue and a twin-channel
JCM800 fifty watter, which he recorded the
EP with. He recently purchased a JCM800
hundred watter re-issue and he says that this
reminds him of ‘When men were men and
amps were amps’, and he will not use
anything else. We combine these amps with
the truly amazing Mode Four 4x12 bottom
cabs, which to my ears sound light years
ahead of anything else.”
Some major record companies have
shown interest. Are you any closer to
putting pen to paper?
“We will have to see how that one goes for
now, but there is a good vibe going around.”
Roddy sets himself on fire on stage. Has
this ever got you into trouble with security
at venues?
“The fire only comes out on special
occasions, as Roddy is fed up of having to
buy new clothes all the time, although when it
does come out venues are usually told
beforehand to avoid any heartache or loss of
fees!”
Who’s responsible for the thunderous
riffs?
“We all have a good bit of input when it
comes to writing new material, although the
most prolific has to be Roddy who seems to
have a new riff at every rehearsal. Frank and
myself write quite a lot as well, but not as
much as sh*thead.”
Are there any new projects on the horizon
for Raging Speedhorn?
“I wondered when you would get around to
that! Raging Speedhorn have just recruited a
new guitarist after Tony quit. We have just
finished demoing our third album which will
be recorded in September and hopefully be
out in the shops early next year. Believe me
when I say it will blow your tits off. It will be
titled How The Great Have Fallen.”
What’s next for Viking Skull?
“Next for Viking Skull though will be tours
(DIO and Motorhead are looking certs),
which means Beer, Drugs & Bitches. Then
we need to record our first full length
album and hopefully sign a good deal.
Next for me however, is a pint of beer,
bottoms up!”
Debut album Chapter One is a piece of Rock
heritage – buy it now . . .
27
Perfect tone. For those obsessed with it, most find their muse with Marshall and the Holy Grail
of tone to collectors and guitar aficionados alike has long been our original handwired, all-valve
amplifiers. Retired in 1973, these coveted amps are still held up as the sonic standard. And thanks
to our new Handwired Series they’re back . . .
The timeless tone of vintage handwired,
all-valve Marshall amplifiers such as the
18 Watt, model 1974, 1x12” combo
(1966-1968), the 20 Watt, model 2061, head
(1968-1973) and, of course, the legendary
‘Plexi-era’ (late 1965-July 1969) model 1959,
100 Watt heads have made them highly
desirable to collectors and sonic
connoisseurs alike. Due to overwhelming
public demand we are proud to introduce
authentic, handwired re-issues of this trio of
coveted amplifiers as the first products in our
Handwired Series – a series that celebrates
the company’s rich tonal heritage and revisits
the handcrafted traditions and skills that first
launched the Marshall legend.
The first seven products (2 heads, 1 combo
and 4 cabinets) in the Handwired Series
thus far are:
1974X: Handwired re-issue of the model
1974 18 Watt, 1x12” all-valve combo.
1974CX: Hand-soldered, 20 Watt, 1x12”,
extension cabinet to compliment the 1974X.
2061X: Handwired re-issue of the model
2061 20 Watt, all-valve head.
2061CX: Hand-soldered, compact, 60 Watt,
2x12” angled cabinet that compliments the
2061X. Loaded with Celestion’s critically
acclaimed G12H30 (75Hz resonance)
re-issue speakers.
ensure that the all-important electrical
characteristics and performance were
identical. With Dagnall’s expertise and
dedication, we’ve done exactly that.
“In these very simple, almost organic
designs, it’s the valves and transformers
which count and both amps are superb in
this respect. Even at full tilt every detail of the
guitar’s character can be heard with stunning
clarity.”*
Each and every valve used is subjected to
rigorous grading/testing procedures, and all
other components are sourced from
European and American manufacturers.
1974X 18 Watt Combo
This eye-catching, two-channel, 18 Watt,
1x12” combo houses 3 x ECC83
(aka 12AX7) valves in its preamp, an EZ81
rectifier valve and a pair of cathode-biased
EL84s in its power section. One of the
ECC83 trio drives the second channel’s
footswitchable Tremolo circuit. The 1974X’s
chassis is made from aluminium and its front
panel is Plexiglas, exactly like the original.
A contributing factor to the coveted
sound of the vintage 1974 is the way the
original 20 Watt, Celestion Greenback
loudspeaker’s tone softens with age. To
recreate the gorgeously smooth sounds of
2x12” 2061CX cabinet compliments the
2061X head perfectly, both sonically and
visually.
1959HW 100 Watt ‘Plexi’ Head
The 1959HW is a handwired re-issue of an
amazing sounding original all-valve
(3 x ECC83s, 4 x EL34s), 100 Watt,
two-channel Super Lead ‘Plexi’ head made
in 1969 (pre July). To many players and
pundits, the 100 Watt ‘Plexi’ is the amp that
defines “the sound of rock” and, to this day,
is still the standard by which all others are
1959HW: Handwired re-issue of a 100 Watt,
all-valve Super Lead ‘Plexi’ (a nickname
derived from its Plexiglas front panel) head
originally made in (pre-July) 1969.
1960AHW: Hand-soldered, 120 Watt,
16 ohm, mono 4x12” angled cabinet
boasting metal handles, ‘100’ logo,
salt ‘n’ pepper grille cloth and loaded with
aged re-issues of the lower resonance
(55Hz as opposed to 75Hz) 30 watt,
Celestion G12H, complete with the original
Thames Ditton label.
1960BHW: Hand-soldered, straight-fronted
partner to the 1960AHW cab.
All amps boast meticulous point-to-point,
handwired circuits and in order to make these
re-issues as accurate as possible, we went to
incredible lengths to achieve maximum
authenticity in terms of components, circuitry,
constructional methods, materials,
specifications, aesthetics, signal path,
performance, tonal characteristics and feel.
We are delighted to report that our suppliers
were equally as exacting in their tasks, none
more so than Dagnall Transformers and
Celestion Speakers.
The output and mains transformers are
vital components in an amplifier as they
influence performance, sound and feel.
Consequently, we worked extremely closely
with Dagnall in order to duplicate the
originals in all areas. To do this we
painstakingly studied and analysed the
constructional methods and materials used
in the original devices so we could match
everything as closely as possible and also
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a 35-year-old Greenback, Celestion did
two things at our request. Firstly they
revisited the 1967 recipe for the original
T1221 speaker and meticulously
duplicated every critical parameter.
Secondly, they came up with a proprietary
way of “aging” the speakers by matching
the magnetic flux to that of our vintage
references and specially manufacturing
the cone material to be more ‘pulpy’,
recreating the ageing effect.
“. . . we were blown away by the rich
depth and biting attack that exploded from
the specially-aged Celestion Greenback
loudspeakers of the 1974X and 1974CX
extension cab.”*
2061X 20 Watt ‘Lead & Bass 20’ Head
This twin-channel, all-valve beauty houses
2 x ECC83 valves in its preamp and a pair of
cathode-biased EL84s in its power stage.
The 2061X is an aggressive and surprisingly
modern sounding amplifier, while still
possessing that unmistakable and highly
desirable, vintage all-valve tone. Its gold,
brushed anodized aluminium front-panel and
box-section, 16 gauge mild steel chassis are
exactly as our original reference units. The
judged. Consequently 1959s from the
so-called ‘Plexi-era’ are considered the
Holy Grail of tone by a veritable army of
voracious vintage collectors and guitar
aficionados. The glorious sounds and
all-important feel of the 1959HW instantly
explains what all the fuss is about and is
already a ‘must-have’ item for those
obsessed with the quest for the perfect tone
– especially when paired up with the
1960AHW and 1960BHW cabinets as the
resulting partnership truly is a marriage
made in tonal heaven!
Words are one thing but the only true way
to appreciate these handsome, hand-crafted
amplifiers is to see them in the flesh and,
better still, experience their sonic majesty by
actually playing one. Visit your Marshall
dealer today and discover the joys of
plugging into point-to-point perfection.
“. . . it’s literally plug in and turn up for some
of the best vintage rock and blues sounds
you’ll ever hear. It’s real classic Marshall stuff,
with all the warmth that vintage amp lovers
crave.”*
*NOTE: All quotes from a 1974X/2061X
review in Guitarist magazine, July 2004.
29
GERMANY
getting ready for our big tour this year. Since
there are 12 people on stage including six
singers and rappers, we don’t play very loud on
stage using in-ear monitoring, so the relatively
small wattage of the 1974X is no problem, even
more an advantage since I can turn it up as
much as I like. The sound engineers love the
amp too for its frequency spectrum since it lets
my guitars blend really well with the vocals, yet
always present. In the studio the amp shows
the many different nuances of my many
different guitars.”
JAPAN
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“Both.”
A few words from Kosho of German band
Söhne Mannheims, another fan of the 1974X:
“Since I am equally devoted to electric as well
as acoustic guitar playing, to me pure tone
really makes the music. If a song calls for all
kind of effects on my guitar sound, most amps
at the end of the chain will do, but if it comes
down to expressing myself with the most
intimate, dynamic and direct tone me and my
best guitar are able to give, the Marshall 1974X
lets me hear just what I’ve been looking for a
long time. With Söhne Mannheims, we are just
Demo shows for our re-issued handwired
products were held in Tokyo and Osaka by
our Japanese distributor. The show was
open to not only the press and Marshall
dealers, but also the general public, such
was the anticipation to hear about the
handwired amps. Top Japanese band
Fuzzy Control led by the top young guitarist,
Juon (featured in Marshall Law 7) were
invited to open the event, bringing the
bands extraordinary energy to the
proceedings like only the three piece can.
Takayuki Hijikata, known for his countless
recording sessions with high flying artists
and easily Japans busiest guitarist,
demonstrated the 1974X. Showing the
combo’s variety in tone, the glassy clean,
and killer crunch, overdrive and tremolo of
the 1974X. The 2061X was demonstrated
by Kenji Kitajima, a Japanese guitar player
who led the Japanese Rock scene for many
years while using his 2203 with Carmine
Appice in the 80’s. The diode rectified amp
was ideally suited for his style. Kenji
explained how the 2061X has now become
his new weapon of choice as well as his
2203. A collaboration of Takayuki playing
with Kenji joined together to play Jeff Beck’s
‘Savoy’ to an already enthusiastic and
impressed crowd. For the final climax of the
show two 1974X stacks and 2061X stacks
were set up on the stage and a jam took
place between Takayuki, Kenji and Fuzzy
Control. They played ZZ Top’s ‘Tush’ and
Jeff Beck’s ‘Led Boots’. The emotion of the
three guitarists came out beautifully in the
tone of the Handwired amplifiers and made
the show memorable and highly successful.
evolving
maturing
Chuck
Sum 41
e
harder edg
creative
Used and Abused
Here’s my trusted JCM900 SL-X
head and 1960B 4x12 cab. We
have been together for some ten
years now and both are doing
well. I play in a quite well known
punk band called Poundaflesh
and the gear has been on tour
with me all over the world,
rattling around in the back of
various vans. Its been dropped,
kicked, punched, ale poured
over it and even attacked by
Nazi skin-heads and survived!
It has only had one replacement
transformer and one total valve
refit. The engineer who did this
said he couldn’t really find
anything wrong with the amp or
the valves which, as I had it
done last year, speaks volumes
for your design. I get a lot of
other bands asking about how
my solos stand out so much,
then I show them the dual
volumes and all becomes clear.
This is the most excellent punk
rock rig ever, cheers to all and
every one of you.
Flipper
another
sell-out
heavy
Law
shoot
questions
guitarist
straight?
Effects or
”
“Depends.
30
Meet the Lads
Here are my twins, all grown up. I take them out to the most
unusual places and open them up. Much more forgiving than a
live show. It’s a pair of 4100’s, one vintage and one lead stack.
I’ve converted my Les Paul to stereo and the front pickup is fed to
the Vintage stack and the back pickup is fed to the lead stack.
Click one into overdrive and the other clean and you have tone
like two jets doing a fly by and they shoot straight up where your
standing. Lead runs are unbelievable. The two in the clean mode
and you have rhythm times two. And the best thing about the
stereo rig is you can hear the differences in the types of speakers
at the same time. Warm vintage smooth flowing tone and hard
hitting lead punch talking and singing together. The 4100’s take
on their own personality as well, they’re alive.
Thank you Jim Marshall and all who work for you. Tom So. CA
Awesome Artist
Pictures of my Artist 3203 head and
1966A 4x10 cab (all original) in
green tolex and vintage weave gold
grill cloth. This is my first Marshall
and let me tell you this little amp
rocks! Great sound, excellent
distortion and lots of power!
Awesome amp for sure.
Thank you for a great product.
Frank Novoa
Guitarist in band Poundaflesh
Marshall Law 8
Marshall Law 8
31
When we re-issue classic Marshall’s, it is paramount that we get the approval from our
long list of professional players. Gary Moore is one of the finest musicians the British Isles
has ever produced and has used Marshall throughout his highly successful career.
Marshall are proud to reintroduce the 1974X, an all-valve,18 watt, two-channel 1 x 12”
combo with a valve-driven tremolo and the 2061X, an all-valve 20 watt, two-channel head.
Gary was among a handful of artists worldwide asked to try the re-issued 1974X and
2061X and has commented on the two amps that it’s, “As sweet as it used to be.”
When building our handwired re-issues our goal was obvious and simple: to make it as
close as possible to the original. We have gone to incredible lengths to achieve maximum
authenticity in terms of components, circuitry, constructional methods, materials,
specifications, aesthetics, signal path, performance, tonal characteristics and feel.
Enormous lengths have been taken to reproduce the methods of construction used back
in the late 1960s/early ’70s. These amps are pure tonal perfection and are now available
to order for the first time in over 30 years.
Photo: Gered Mankowitz
To find out more about the Handwired range and other Marshall products contact:
Marshall Amplification plc Denbigh Road, Bletchley, Milton Keynes MK1 1DQ or visit the official Marshall website: www.marshallamps.com
Gary Moore’s fantastic new album
Power of the Blues is available now
on Sanctuary Records