Marshall Momements at Sweetwater

There are moments in all of our lives that help define who we are as musicians and audio pros. The following is a collection of Sweetwater employees' thoughts regarding their experiences with Marshall amps.

Create your very own Marshall Moment today by calling us
at (800) 222-4700and speaking with a Marshall expert.

• Mark Magdich

  "The first time I was introduced to Marshall was when I saw Kiss in 1976. The backline was absolutely monsterous, and the volume absolutely heart stopping! I was young, and even though I wasn't able to afford one at the time, it was something that I shot the moon for. My first Marshall was an open-back 50-watt combo. For years I have been trying to track it down to rebuy it. It was my favorite amp even to this day!"

  - Mark Magdich, Sales Engineer

• "When I was younger, I'd only heard raw rock tones (KISS, AC/DC, Iron Maiden, Rush) coming out of Marshalls, and really thought that's all they could do. I was music shopping one day and found a Bill Bruford solo record and also one from a band called UK in a cutout bin. I was curious and bought both. I was floored hearing Allan Holdsworth and amazed that the sound came out of a Marshall head and cab. Not much later I heard Eric Johnson get a similar fluid tone. These experiences changed my mind forever about what a Marshall could do."

  - Robert Williams, Sales Engineer Robert Williams, Sweetwater
• Arend Raby, Sweetwater

  "I own a pretty elaborate modeling rig (Parker guitar, Line 6 VettaII, etc.), and the first time I played through a JCM2000 (TSL head, to be exact), I was blown away by the dynamics and separation at high gain levels. Usually, a compromise is made in definition when dealing with extreme amounts of gain, but not at all with the Marshall. I could hear every note, even tuned down to C — and palm muting. AMAZING."

  - Arend Raby, Sales Engineer

• "I saw Yngwie Malmsteen at the Tower Theatre in Philadelphia in 1989 — boy, was that an unforgettable and LOUD show!!! If I counted correctly, he was playing through a whopping 20 Marshall full stacks — 10 on each side of the stage. To this day, I don't know how the ceiling in that building stayed up! (Or how my hearing did for that matter.) Anyway, it was an AWESOME show that certainly made a Marshall Moment for me."

  - Yuval Fuchs, Sales Engineer Yuval Fuchs, Sweetwater
• Tim Harrington, Sweetwater

  "I purchased the JCM800 100-watt channel-switching head and 1960 A & B cabinets in 1985. I have used them in Europe and the United States at my live shows, and on both of my albums. I have really only had to replace the tubes. It's the amp that defined rock's sound, and it's incredibly durable. I'm still impressed with this amp. Marshall rocks!"

  - Tim Harrington, Sales Engineer

• "My drummer was scared of my '70 Marshall 1959 Super Lead 100 half stack (tall, vintage cabinet). I'd bring it to practice and he would refuse to play. He said that it pushed his eyeballs in when I hit my low E string. Yeah, that's a Marshall Moment."

  - David Hess, Sales Engineer David Hess, Sweetwater
• Paul Allen, Sweetwater

  "I distinctly remember going home after playing through a Marshall for the first time wondering, why my guitar sounded so thin. Then, like a bolt of lightning, it hit me, 'Oh, I don't have the Marshall...'"

  - Paul Allen, Sales Engineer

• "Marshall will always be the epitome of what a guitar amp should be. My JVM410H is a perfect mix of state-of-the-art features and sonic versatility. It covers everything from Pure Bliss to Pure Evil! Marshall was my first guitar amp when I started playing...I'm sure it will be my last!"

  - Geoff Allen, Sales Engineer Geoff Allen, Sweetwater
• Jeff Radke, Sweetwater

  "I have a Marshall Moment every time I walk into my Sweetwater office or look up from my desk. Just for fun, I set up a big, nasty, and very wonderful Marshall stack in my office (two 1960Bs with a rocking JCM2000 Series DSL100 amp on top). My intent was to move a key product from our show room into my office and give the rest of the Sweetwater gang a chance to come in and play through an honest-to-God "serious" amp and hear what it sounds like turned up a bit. The fact is, I find myself coming in early in the morning before anybody is here just to crank it up and blast out a few power chords (I'm a big fan of '80s "hair bands")... it beats Wheaties as a great way to start my day! Rock and Roll!"

  - Jeff Radke, Executive Vice President of Sales

• "I was in the front row the last time the Ramones played in Detroit, parked right in front of Johnny Ramone and his Marshall stacks. It was my first up-close-and-personal taste of Marshall power — and why I play through a Marshall today."

  - Jon Schafer, Marketing Content Coordinator Jon Schafer, Sweetwater
• Mitch Gallagher, Sweetwater

  "I had been playing guitar for a few years through before I had a chance to plug into a Marshall and wind it up. I couldn't believe the power — how you could FEEL the sound. Suddenly I knew what all those guys were talking about in the magazine interviews I'd been reading. I have several amps, but for anything that rocks, Marshall is always my first choice."

  - Mitch Gallagher, Editorial Director