WalMan Posted August 16, 2023 Share Posted August 16, 2023 Just got my Superbass back from revalve and bias, but have not had a chance to fire it up. Might have to give it a blast through on of my BF BigBaby’s It’s had a hard life and weighs a 🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬 ton. I got it secondhand in the mid/late 70’s when it still had most of the Marshall logo but that eventually went with being slung in and out the band van. It did have work to get it running again after sitting unused for a while and had the Bulgin replaced with an IEC but otherwise is largely original. Age wise I’m told by those that have worked on it and know Marshall’s that it’s early, probably mid 60’s, so potentially valuable even in the state it’s now. When I sent some details to Marshall years back they didn’t recognise the serial number but it looks to be the same as on the faded bit of paper inside the case. No idea who Frank was, but the stencil on the front is an iteration of my first band. 8 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulThePlug Posted August 16, 2023 Share Posted August 16, 2023 Very Nice, but Berlimy if those were the settings used!.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WalMan Posted August 17, 2023 Author Share Posted August 17, 2023 5 hours ago, PaulThePlug said: Very Nice, but Berlimy if those were the settings used!.. 🤣 My youngest is a guitarist and used it for a while with the inputs linked. He was the one that marked settings not knowing the potential value. I need to work out how to remove them someday Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
police squad Posted August 17, 2023 Share Posted August 17, 2023 ethanol should remove thos Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DGBass Posted August 17, 2023 Share Posted August 17, 2023 A lovely old amp for sure. The plexi panels front and rear would suggest the manfacture date is sometime in the 1960's. Marshall were famous for using up back stock of parts from previous years even when they changed models and they are known to have still been using plexi panels into the early 70s before they switched fully to aluminium control panels. Manufacturing date and originality are usually the most important thing where value of these old beasts are concerned. Saying that, anything Marshall from the 1960s sells for crazy money these days and the next step of anything pre-1972 is also jumping in value these days. I was lucky enough to have a 100 watter on my bench early in the year. It turned out to be roughly 1971-1972 vintage. Hadn't been fired up in over 20 years and despite a few crackles which were easily sorted, it was working fine and sounded amazing. The current owner and previous owner had some good history and stories to tell of when they owned and used the amp and that seems to be quite common for old Marshalls. Their owners to tend to keep a hold of them for years and years. Its good to know in those cases that they also still get used and aren't gathering dust on display somewhere or stuck in storage. I used a 77 MKII Superbass 100 and an 81 JCM800 Superbass 100 for many years and neither ever let me down despite being gigged hard and always sounding great. Both are on my list of things I wished I'd never sold. The one thing that this 72 amp did remind me of was the weight and the heat that comes from them. If any of my modern amps got as hot as a Superbass does, I'd be worried but thats just the way they are and always have been. Great amps. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
police squad Posted August 17, 2023 Share Posted August 17, 2023 https://reverb.com/uk/news/how-to-date-a-marshall-amp I reckon, from the reverb thing, it's a '67 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bertbass Posted August 17, 2023 Share Posted August 17, 2023 Ah, memories. I had one and it was the loudest Superbass in history. Bass, treble and presence on full, middle right off and volume to taste. Tone heaven. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snorkie635 Posted August 17, 2023 Share Posted August 17, 2023 Yep, gigged one of those for years and years and it was wonderful. I sold it to buy a Trace - bad move looking back. ☹️ 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
police squad Posted August 17, 2023 Share Posted August 17, 2023 I also had one, actually I think I've had 2, but the first one may have been a 50 watter I used the 2nd one as a guitar amp, with a marshall power break. Great sounding guitar amp but I swapped it for a Gibson SG JR 17 years ago. (The junior is 1967, so not a bad swap) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt P Posted August 17, 2023 Share Posted August 17, 2023 the JMP on the front plate would point to 68 or 69 according to the Reverb page, if the feet are small and grey then 68, the feet were changed to bigger black ones in 69. of course all this is only approximate! Matt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WalMan Posted August 17, 2023 Author Share Posted August 17, 2023 No feet now and if there were any I think they’d have been small. I have a power brake and may try it with that. Somewhere mid-late 60’s is what I’ve always understood it to be. Where are Joan, Win and Mary now I wonder (though I suspect I can make a fair guess 👻) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulThePlug Posted August 17, 2023 Share Posted August 17, 2023 I got the Zoom B1on for the Marshall SuperB Amp with A1935 4x12 Cab sim... Had a Zoom B1 Four, but that didn't have the SuperB sim, so sold it on and got the older B1on model. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt P Posted August 17, 2023 Share Posted August 17, 2023 i've got a 1971/1970 Marshall Artiste 2x12 50w sitting in the cupboard waiting for the day i'm called on to play guitar again (or when i have the spare cash to get it properly re-commissioned) might have to dig it out and see if i can find out who put it together! Matt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
police squad Posted August 17, 2023 Share Posted August 17, 2023 I had a 1965 JTM 45. Paid 100 quid for it in about 1987 from a little shop that didn't know ant better. Sold it to finance a holiday to Zimbabwe in 1992 for £400. Shame that worse I had a Marshall super fuzz pedal, that I threw away. It was crap. Google it...............worth thousands now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asingardenof Posted August 17, 2023 Share Posted August 17, 2023 Very nice, I still miss my 1980 one I sold for a relative pittance (c. £900) at the start of Covid, and would love to hear what it would sound through my Two10. Interesting the EQ settings have all been set at noon when the EQ is attenuation only, may as well have them all at 10 (I used to do that and it was lovely). 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ossyrocks Posted August 18, 2023 Share Posted August 18, 2023 I’ve had lots of plexi Marshalls over the years. Based on features - the type of output selector, the position of the filter caps (none on top of the chassis) and what looks like a narrow vent in the cabinet, I would date this to 1967. The transformers look original. The mains transformer is the taller earlier type. If it hasn’t been messed with inside too much I would say you are in possession of what is a quite a valuable amp these days. It’s been some time since I followed values closely, but if it were mine and I was selling, I’d be pitching it around £3k. It could be worth more than that, I would take advice. I do know the right people to ask if needed. Rob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WalMan Posted August 18, 2023 Author Share Posted August 18, 2023 4 hours ago, ossyrocks said: I’ve had lots of plexi Marshalls over the years. Based on features - the type of output selector, the position of the filter caps (none on top of the chassis) and what looks like a narrow vent in the cabinet, I would date this to 1967. The transformers look original. The mains transformer is the taller earlier type. If it hasn’t been messed with inside too much I would say you are in possession of what is a quite a valuable amp these days. It’s been some time since I followed values closely, but if it were mine and I was selling, I’d be pitching it around £3k. It could be worth more than that, I would take advice. I do know the right people to ask if needed. Rob It’s had the recent re-valve and before that I think some capacitors when we got it working again 20+ years ago. Otherwise it should be pretty much original. still an awesome roar, but one restricted to home and recording nowadays 🙂 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dood Posted August 18, 2023 Share Posted August 18, 2023 Here's mine! It's said to be a 69-ish and, a very interesting model as far as I have been told yet sadly I can not prove its provenance. I can tell you that it sounds absolutely lush and I adore the thing. When I inherited it, I sent it off to a valve amp expert. It had to have its capacitors replaced and a few bits and bobs checked over. I always intended that it should get to be used rather than be a museum piece, as it has been so difficult to prove the afore mentioned provenance. Sadly, Marshall haven't been able to help, but, before sending off to Marshall some years ago by a previous owner, this amplifier looked very different. I haven't seen any pictures to prove it, but, Marshall apparently removed all the custom work on it and returned it to how it looks today. It is believed that this amplifier was made, probably as a backup/test model for a certain well known Marshall user for the Isle Of White Festival. You can see close up that the original custom badge holes still exist, the whole fascia was replaced too from what I have been told by the previous owner. Who knows.. but, it sounds superb, especially with my boat anchor P bass! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ossyrocks Posted August 18, 2023 Share Posted August 18, 2023 @Dood I've never been good at cryptic clues! Nice amp though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dood Posted August 18, 2023 Share Posted August 18, 2023 Just now, ossyrocks said: @Dood I've never been good at cryptic clues! Nice amp though. Mr Hendrix Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dood Posted August 18, 2023 Share Posted August 18, 2023 Just now, ossyrocks said: @Dood I've never been good at cryptic clues! Nice amp though. You can see that the power switch has been replaced, the standby is original as is the indicator. The power socket has also been replaced with an IEC too. I think the back panel is original, but the front fascia isn't. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WalMan Posted October 12, 2023 Author Share Posted October 12, 2023 It's always thundered on, though there was one night when it blew a fuse that got replaced temporarily with one from a mates Moggie Minor to finish the night 😳 We were young and lived through it, thought as he is/was an electrician & now teaches young sparks he should probably have known better!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassmanPaul Posted November 1, 2023 Share Posted November 1, 2023 Looking at that amp reminds me why I left full tube amps behind in the early Seventies! loL That said I must admit that I do like to have a tube somewhere in my signal chain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snorkie635 Posted November 3, 2023 Share Posted November 3, 2023 On 01/11/2023 at 22:12, BassmanPaul said: Looking at that amp reminds me why I left full tube amps behind in the early Seventies! loL That said I must admit that I do like to have a tube somewhere in my signal chain. As long as I'm playing the bass, I know I have a major tube as the first stage of my signal chain. 😉 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VTypeV4 Posted November 5, 2023 Share Posted November 5, 2023 Lovely old thing, very cool. Probably a bit gritty and dirty for my personal tastes but I bet it'd be a fantastic tool to record with. ❤️ 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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