Marshall Amps’ Legendary Legacy of Loud!

Here on stage, the Marshall noise is piercing your ears. It kicks your ***, kicks your face, exploding feeling nears.

“Whiplash,” Metallica

The world-famous white script Marshall Amplification logo that has adorned countless stacks on countless stages since the early 1960s is synonymous with three things — great tone; ear-splitting, “goes to 11” volume; and, of course, rock music of all shapes and sizes. In fact, the impact Marshall amps had on rock during its all-important formative years was so huge that the company’s bold “The Sound of Rock” slogan wasn’t dreamed up by a top-dollar advertising agency at all . . . it was coined by guitarists in said fast-growing genre!

What does a Marshall sound like? Strength, warmth, commitment, beauty, and destruction . . . all wrapped up in a giant ****in’ wrecking ball!

Zakk Wylde, Ozzy Osbourne & Black Label Society

Folk much wiser than me have often stated that the rock music we know and love today probably wouldn’t exist without the pioneering guitar work of the likes of Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page, Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Pete Townshend, and Tony Iommi. While agreeing wholeheartedly, I also feel that a huge chunk of the credit has to go to these four fine fellows, as well: Leo Fender, Les Paul, Seth Lover (the inventor of the humbucker), and Jim Marshall. After all, they created the tools that helped inspire the aforementioned guitar greats to conjure up their hard-hitting musical magic. Yes sir, just like the Fender Stratocaster or the Gibson Les Paul, Marshall amps aren’t just great-sounding sonic weapons, they’re also vital cornerstones in the very foundation of rock.

What Jim Marshall did was provide English heavy metal and blues players of the mid-’60s and early ’70s with those weapons.

Pete Townshend

Jim, you’re a good friend. Thanks for helping make my guitars so loud.

Les Paul

There’s an age-old adage that “you can judge a man by the company he keeps.” Well, the same is true of guitar amplifiers, and the company Marshall amps have kept over the years is pretty darned impressive. There’s Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck, John Mayall and Cream-era Eric Clapton; Ritchie Blackmore, Edward Van Halen (for those staggeringly brilliant first six albums), Randy Rhoads, Billy Gibbons, Slash, Joe Satriani, Dave Mustaine, Tom Morello, Malcolm and Angus Young, Lemmy, Yngwie Malmsteen — to mention a mere 17. I think you get the picture! This seemingly never-ending list is not only impressive but also a veritable “Who’s Who” of groundbreaking rock guitar heroes throughout the ages. From AC/DC to ZZ Top.

If you want to get a little rude and loud, you’ve got to have a Marshall. The Marshall sound is the *****. It’s the big daddy, and it has that growl that no other amp has.

Jeff Beck (Guitar Player magazine)

Not surprisingly, the rich history of this iconic English guitar-amplification company and the fascinating story of the man behind the brand — the late, great Jim Marshall — have inspired several books to be written. Welcome to the much-abridged “CliffsNotes” version . . . or, should I say, “Jim Notes” version? In this article, we’re going to focus on a handful of key moments and products from Marshall’s amazing legacy thus far — in chronological order, of course.

Preamble over; are you sitting comfortably? Good, grab a coffee and let’s begin. “Once upon a time, there was a young English lad named Jim . . .”

Backbeat: Jim Marshall’s Early Years

In many respects, Jim’s story truly is the proverbial rags to riches tale. James Charles Marshall entered this world on Sunday, July 29, 1923, in Kensington, England. Unfortunately, he suffered from tubercular bones, a debilitating disease that made his bones so brittle that a mere fall would break them. “As a result, I was in plaster case from my ankles to my armpits from the age of five until about twelve and a half, when I thankfully got better,” Jim once revealed to me with an understandable grimace.

As a result of literally being encased in a plaster cocoon for over seven years, young Jim didn’t get much of an education. Not surprisingly, after all that time in plaster, Jim’s legs were extremely weak. In order to strengthen them, his father, a one-time champion boxer, insisted Jim take up tap dancing. His teacher quickly learned that Jim not only had a remarkable sense of rhythm but also possessed an exceptional singing voice. As a result of the latter, Jim was offered the lead singing position in a popular and very busy 16-piece dance band. He accepted and started performing five or six gigs every week — Jim was only 14 at the time.

Jim also enjoyed “messing around” on the band’s drum kit whenever he could; and, due to his innate sense of rhythm, pretty soon he was an accomplished drummer — albeit a self-taught one. As a result, he started landing gigs as a singing drummer. To further up his game, Jim took drum lessons, and, before long, he was being hailed as one of England’s best drummers. Due to his impressive prowess, Jim would often have youngsters ask him for drum lessons. He politely refused, but “a few lads were so persistent, I eventually gave in to them,” Jim recalled with a grin. “And, to my surprise, I found that I loved teaching!”

Jim started offering lessons at his house, and, before he knew it, he had 65 pupils a week — including the likes of Micky Waller, who went on to play with Little Richard and Jeff Beck, and one Mitch Mitchell, who found fame with Jimi Hendrix. Jim also sourced and sold drum kits to many of his pupils, and so he decided to open his own retail shop. “It was the next logical step,” he laughed.

Another thing about [drummer] Mitch [Mitchell] is that he was the one who introduced me to Jim Marshall, who was not only an expert on drums but the guy making the best guitar amps anywhere. Meeting Jim was beyond groovy for me. It was such a relief to talk to someone who knows and cares about sound. Jim really listened to me that day and answered a lot of questions. I love my Marshall amps: I am nothing without them.

Jimi Hendrix on his first meeting with Jim Marshall in late 1966

Talking Shop

Jim opened his drum shop on the outskirts of London in the early ’60s. While his competitors shunned the then-fledgling rock community, Jim embraced it with open arms and open doors. In fact, a young rock drummer named Keith Moon worked in Jim’s shop as a “Saturday boy,” and the band he played with became rather successful. That group’s name? The Who! Because of Jim’s welcoming demeanor, his shop became a regular hangout for rock bands. Up-and-coming guitarists such as Pete Townshend pleaded with Jim to stock guitars, strings, picks, and amps, as well. “We’d much rather buy from you” was their simple but alluring rationale. Being a savvy businessman, Jim quickly obliged. He also listened very closely to what six-stringers such as Townshend and Ritchie Blackmore were really looking for in a guitar amp and why.

The amp that was closest to their needs was the Fender Bassman. The trouble was, since the amp was imported from America, it was both expensive and hard to find. Plus, as Ritchie and Pete both explained to Jim, it sounded “a little too polite”! The guys wanted something a little rougher around the edges — something a little ruder!

Once Jim had the sound they wanted firmly fixed in his head, he put together a three-man team to make it happen — the other two chaps were Ken Bran, the shop’s amp repairman, and a “young whiz kid” Jim recruited from EMI. Jim rejected his new team’s first five attempts, but each one got him closer. Then, as soon as he heard prototype number six, Jim declared, “That’s the one — that’s the sound in my head!” Said amp was put in the shop window and started selling like proverbial hotcakes! It was named the JTM45, and JTM is an acronym for Jim and Terry Marshall — Terry was Jim’s son.

That, my friend, is how the legendary Marshall guitar-amp sound was born in 1962. And it came about because of a drummer: a drummer who was smart enough to listen, understand, and then strive not only to meet but to exceed rock guitarists’ expectations! Not surprisingly, a reissue of the JTM45 is available today — after all, it was the 30-watt head that started it all!

Remember Jim with love, affection, and respect . . . this was a man who jumped the generation gap. He sided with the young ones, the noisy ones and not the people of my father’s generation. He was 22 years older than me, and yet he spoke my language. I remember Jim with incredible fondness, and I’m sorry that we’ve lost him. But y’know, he has left this incredible legacy, very much like Les Paul — both are pillars of modern pop music. Without them, I can’t imagine it would be like it is today. Well done, Jim. God bless.

Pete Townshend, May 2012

Hail Me a Cab — A 4×12-inch Cab, That Is!

Even though the name JTM45 implies that the first Marshall born was a 45-watter (and many players, retailers and magazines say that is so!), it is, in fact, a 30-watt amp — a very loud 30-watter! Remember, the 30 watts in question are “clean” ones. When the amp is cranked to the max, it kicks out far more. Back then, the most powerful 12-inch speakers were rated at 15 watts. Due to its very conservative output rating though, the JTM45 was guilty of blowing up these speakers when presented as a 30-watt 2×12-inch cabinet. So, Jim decided that the only logical partner for the JTM45 head was, in fact, a 4×12-inch cabinet. So, he built one with a straight front but didn’t like the resulting aesthetic when head and cabinet were combined. “It just looked like a small box on top of a bigger one, you see,” Jim recalled. “It didn’t look designed.”

In order to right this visual wrong, Jim decided to angle the top half of the cabinet so it looked like the bigger box was “designed” to house the smaller one. The angle he found visually pleasing called for the top half of the cabinet’s baffle (the piece of wood the speakers are mounted on) to be angled, too. This meant that the resulting angled 4×12 not only looked different than a straight-fronted one but also had a different sonic character and sound dispersion as the top two speakers were now angled upward.

Marshalls are the only cabs I have used for as long as I can remember.

Steve Harris, Iron Maiden

It’s one thing to stand in front of the 1960DM cabinet. It’s another to have them stand by you. I am not their biggest, but I am no doubt the proudest endorser Marshall has ever had.

Dave Mustaine, Megadeth

Combo Corner: The Bluesbreaker & Beyond!

While a great many folk automatically link Marshall amps with heads, giant stacks, and walls of 4×12-inch cabinets, the company also makes combos, too . . . a lot of them, in fact! The very first Marshall combo was made in late 1964, thanks to a promising, young English guitarist named Eric Clapton. “He used to practice in my shop,” Jim revealed. “One day, he asked me if I could build him a combo so he could put the whole thing right in the boot [trunk] of his car.” So, Jim’s team essentially took the chassis of a JTM45 and put it upside down in a 2×12-inch combo. The result was the somewhat confusing model number 1962 — now better known simply as “the Bluesbreaker” due to Eric’s amazing use of said combo on John Mayall’s seminal 1966 album of the same name.

A reissue of the Marshall 1962 Bluesbreaker 30-watt, 2×12-inch combo is currently available.

It’s Gonna Get Loud: Jim Builds Pete Townshend a “Sonic Weapon”!

Pete Townshend of the Who loved his Marshalls, but he wanted even more than his 50-watt heads were giving him. Why? Two reasons:

1. The venues the band was playing were getting bigger and bigger.
2. Pete could see people talking in the audience while he was playing — how dare they?!

What did the angry guitarist do? Here’s what he told Guitar World magazine: “I went to Jim Marshall, stomped down my 50-watt amp, and said, ‘I want that . . . twice as loud.’ Jim’s eyes lit up, and he said, ‘I will supply this man with the weapon he requires!” And that’s how the now-game-changing 100-watt JTM45/100 head came to be. This beast evolved into the legendary 100-watt Super Lead “Plexi,” which became the amp of choice for countless guitar heroes — from Jimi Hendrix to Jimmy Page, Edward Van Halen to Eric Johnson, Randy Rhoads to Jake E. Lee, and AC/DC to ZZ Top. It is still made to this very day . . . duh! For more information on this game-changing amp, please check out this article: “The History of the Legendary Marshall 100-watt “Plexi” Head.” A handwired reissue of the incredibly tuneful and gloriously loud 100-watt “Plexi” head, the 1959HW, is available.

I introduced Marshalls to my backline in 1970. I’ve used them ever since and probably always will.

Jimmy Page, 1991

Stack ‘Em Up!

At the same time Townshend requested a bigger head, he also demanded a bigger speaker cabinet — an 8×12 to be exact! “I said, ‘Look, Pete, I’ll make a 4×12 with a straight front, and then you put the angled one on top of it.'” Jim grinned. “He shook his head and said, ‘No, I don’t want that. I want it all in one cabinet.’ I told him it would be ridiculously heavy and difficult to transport, but he didn’t care. He said, ‘Well, that’s what I have roadies for!'”

So, at Pete’s request, Jim built him some 8×12-inch cabinets but warned him that his roadies were going to “complain like mad.” Sure enough, a few weeks later, a very sheepish guitarist returned with the behemoths, told Jim he was right, and asked him if he could cut them in half! That wasn’t possible due to the way the cabs were constructed, so the solution was Jim’s original idea in the first place — an angled 4×12 on top of a straight one! And that’s how the legendary Marshall stack was created!

James Marshall Hendrix Meets James Marshall

No history of Marshall, however brief, would be complete without mentioning the relationship between Jim and Jimi Hendrix. When Hendrix first came to England in late 1966, he immediately became enamored with the Marshall tone he was hearing everywhere. He also said he’d like to meet the man who shared his name: James Marshall. As Mitch Mitchell was Jimi’s drummer (Jim taught him, remember?!), setting up the meeting was easy. “We became great friends,” Jim smiles retelling the story. “He had a fantastic sense of humor.” Jimi bought three stacks on that famous visit, and the rest is now a sizable chapter (or three!) in rock-guitar history.

Jimi Hendrix was my greatest ambassador without any doubt at all. In my book, he is still the best ever, and his showmanship was fantastic. I can still remember him scaring the daylights out of all the big-name English guitarists because they’d never heard or seen anything like Jimi — no one had.

Jim Marshall

JCM800 2203: The Amp That Dominated the Decadent Decade That Was the ’80s!

The 100-watt, all-tube 2203 first reared its brutal head in 1975 and was Marshall’s first Master Volume amp. While the 100-watt “Plexi” remained incredibly popular in the “classic rock” realm, its gloriously gritty sound just wasn’t dirty enough for many guitarists without the help of fuzz, overdrive, or distortion pedals. Plus, in order to produce that famous “Plexi” growl, you literally had to crank it up to Spinal Tap’s infamous “11!” And, for many venues, studios, and eardrums, that just wasn’t a practical option. No wonder Jim Marshall was often fondly referred to as “The Father of Loud!” Enter the 2203 Master Volume head — an amp which has a Preamp Volume control (a.k.a. Gain) as well as a Master Volume. The former allows you to dial in the amount of preamp distortion you want, while the Master determines the overall volume.

In 1981, the 2203 was given a visual facelift and became part of Marshall’s then-new JCM800 line. Due to its aggressive, “punch you in the chest” roar, this amp became the perfect partner for the burgeoning hard rock and heavy metal scene that was exploding on both sides of the Atlantic. Add to that the undeniable truth that nothing looks more “metal” than a wall of Marshall stacks onstage, and it’s easy to understand why the 2203 owned the ’80s. And, just like its forefathers, this amp is still available today as the JCM800 2203X reissue.

NOTE: It wasn’t just metalheads that embraced the 2203. Other famous users include blues legend Buddy Guy and the Police’s guitar officer, Andy Summers, to name but two.

For more information on this amp that the English magazine Guitarist once described as “the sonic equivalent of a Rottweiler with titanium teeth,” please check this article: “The History of the Legendary Marshall JCM800 2203.”

The Silver Jubilee 2555 100-watt Head & a Cat with a Top Hat!

In 1987, Jim Marshall had two landmark anniversaries to celebrate — his company’s 25th year and also his 50th year in the music industry. To commemorate the occasion, Marshall released the limited edition Silver Jubilee range — a series of heads, cabs, and combos clad in an eye-catching silver vinyl. The most popular model proved to be the 100-watt 2555 head. This was based on the JCM800 2203 but had a Pentode/Triode switch on the power amp, a series effects loop, and more preamp gain, too. After 1987, the amps’ covering reverted to black, and they were absorbed into the JCM800 range as the Custom Series.

Both the silver- and black-vinyl versions of the 2555 became much sought after once a Les Paul–touting gunslinger wearing a top hat named Slash burst on the scene. As a result, Marshall released its first amp bearing a signature other than Jim’s — the limited edition 2555SL Slash signature in 1996. It sold out instantly. Thankfully, both the silver- and black-vinyl versions of this great head are available as the 2555X and 2555XBLK reissues. Ditto the silver angled (2551AV) and straight (2551BV) 4×12-inch cabinets.

This is the amp that has made six pretty successful albums, done countless sessions, and survived two riots, three world tours, and my inflexible approach to a particular sound. It’s been flawless the entire time: I wouldn’t even consider trying anything else — something that consistent you just don’t **** with!

Slash, 1996

The JCM900 Series: Amps That Go to “20”!

Now it goes to 20 . .a . that’s ‘9’ louder, innit!

Nigel Tufnel, Spinal Tap, 1990

In the late 1980s, a cottage industry had sprung up modifying old and new Marshalls in order to get massive amounts of gain out of them. Some of the mods were excellent, while others ruined once great amps as well as voided their warranties. In order to address this new demand for “even more gain,” Marshall’s R&D experts crafted the JCM900 series of high-gain tube amps. These were launched in January 1990 to much excitement, and many artists adopted them immediately, including the one and only Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top.

The channel switching of the JCM900 offers the option of switching from ‘Crunch’ to ‘Torch’ with no more difficulty than driving a high-performance elevator.

Billy Gibbons, ZZ Top, 1991

The fact that these new Marshall amps were crazy loud was hammered home in tongue-in-cheek fashion by the fact that the Gain controls went to 20! The fact that Jim used Nigel Tufnel (acclaimed actor Christopher Guest) of Spinal Tap fame to launch the JCM900 line at the huge January NAMM show in LA during January 1990 added further fuel to the excitement and press coverage surrounding the occasion. The line proved hugely successful, and its most popular model — the 100-watt, 2-channel, high-gain, dual-reverb head: the JCM900 4100 — is available as a reissue.

Marshalls for the Masses: Valvestate & MG Amps

By 1991, Marshall had been enjoying huge success for nearly 30 years. That said, Jim was very aware of the fact that the price of his all-tube offerings was prohibitive to a lot of players, especially youngsters just starting out. The fact that all Marshall products were exclusively made in England at the time added further to the expense of his amps. So, his R&D mavens came up with the Valvestate line of more affordable amps that would still be made in England.

The initial range consisted of four combos — 10W, 20W, 40W, and 80W — plus a 100W head. The two bigger combos and the head boasted a single 12AX7 preamp tube, while the rest of the amp was solid-state. The two small combos were 100% solid-state. Marshall told the world they’d successfully developed a solid-state power amp that sounded and, arguably more importantly, felt like one driven by valves (the English name for tubes) — hence the name “valve-state.” Not surprisingly, the press, public, and retailers alike were more than a little skeptical. After all, a claim of “we’ve made a solid-state amp that sounds and feels like a tube amp” is up there with well-worn music-industry lies like “the check is in the mail” or “we’ll fix it in the mix”!

That said, the resulting reviews were raves — and deservedly so. Before long, Marshall had another big-selling hit on its hands. And it wasn’t just entry-level players who were using Valvestate either. As the line grew and improved, many artists were using Valvestate products, including Tommy Victor (Prong); the late, great Chuck Schuldiner (Death); and Jay Yuenger (White Zombie). And, when a 100% solid-state, single-rack Valvestate power amp was offered, that Billy Gibbons character included it in his rig for many years . . . and that man knows tone!

People ask me all the time how I get my killer guitar sound — I tell ’em to go buy a Marshall.

Wayne Static, Static X

Due to the huge success of the Valvestate line, in 1998, Jim did something he’d never done before — he offered a 100% solid-state line of amps that was even more affordable because it was made offshore in a factory he and his team trusted implicitly. Due to the features and sound, as well as a much lower price, the MG line did incredibly well and expanded Marshall’s customer base enormously. The fact that metal players such as Wayne Static (RIP) and Riggs of Rob Zombie used MG amps on million-selling albums didn’t hurt either! The sixth generation of the evergreen Marshall MG line is still alive and kicking serious butt to this very day.

This said, back to all things tubular!

The JCM2000 Series: A High-gain Punch in the Chest!

After a wonderful seven-year run, the JCM900 series was slowly but surely replaced by the JCM2000 range of English-made, all-tube amps. The first wave occurred in the summer of 1997, when Marshall unveiled a duo of Dual Super Lead (DSL) heads — the 100-watt DSL100 and 50-watt DSL50. While the JCM900s were incredibly successful, there was a section of the six-string community that felt that the range just didn’t have the signature “punch in the chest” oomph of the JCM800s or Super Leads. The DSLs addressed that concern, causing the esteemed Guitar Player magazine to announce the launch with a “the Ultimate Marshall?” subhead on the cover. Yep, Marshall had another hit on its hands. Two 1×12-inch combos — the 20-watt DSL20 and 40-watt DSL40 — arrived the following year.

Then, as icing on the JCM2000 cake, a range of three-channel amps were unleashed a year later, in 1998. What were these ones called? TSL — an acronym for Triple Super Lead, of course!

The TSLs enjoyed a Nigel Tufnel–approved 11-year run until 2009. The DSLs were updated and continued, but manufacturing was moved offshore to make them more affordable. The current line is the third generation and consists of no fewer than four combos (DSL1CR: 1 watt, 1×8; DSL5CR: 5 watts, 1×10; DSL20CR: 20 watts, 1×12; and DSL40CR: 40 watts, 1×12) and three heads (DSL1HR: 1 watt; DSL5HR: 5 watts; [Editor’s note: I can’t find this amp] and DSL100HR: 100 watts) — all boasting two channels, digital reverb, a speaker-emulated output, and more.

The JVM Series: Multichannel, Multimode, All-tube, Made-in-England Monsters!

When the JVM410H 100-watt, 4-channel head first appeared in 2007, its incredible tonal versatility was instantly impressive. The fact that its front panel housed no fewer than 28 knobs and eight switches intimidated many, though, and scared the life out of quite a few players, too. This was a long way away from the six-knob simplicity of a JTM45 100-watt Plexi or a JCM800 2203!

Once a deep, calming breath is taken, though, the two rows of controls are both logical and easy to understand. Let me explain. Each of the JVM410’s four channels has the following five “usual suspect” controls — Gain, Treble, Middle, Bass, and Volume. As 5 x 4 = 20, that’s already most of the controls explained. Also, each channel has its own control for the amp’s built-in digital reverb. So, that’s another four explained. 20 + 4 = 24, which means there are only four more to explain, and they are: two footswitchable Master Volumes (so you can seamlessly go from loud to even louder!) and master controls for Resonance and Presence.

As for the eight switches — each channel has one so you can select one of three mode options (Green, Orange, or Red); then there’s the Reverb on/off button; the Master Volume selection switch (MV1 or MV2); an FX Loop on/off switch; and last, but certainly not least, a button that allows you to program the switching options via the amp’s footswitch or (shock, horror!) MIDI!

There’s more to the amp, too, a lot more, but I think you get the picture — it’s not as complex as it may initially seem. In fact, it’s surprisingly intuitive — it must be if I can use it! It’s also available as a 2-channel, 100-watt (JVM210H) or 50-watt (JVM205H) head and as various combo offerings, too.

Yep, the JVM line remains Marshall’s flagship all-valve line. We’re looking forward to what’s coming next from the company to replace this still brightly shining star.

What Else Is on the Current Marshall Menu?

In addition to the many current JVM, DSL, MG, and reissue offerings already mentioned — plus, of course, a plethora of various 4×12-inch and 2×12-inch cabs? Quite a lot, actually. Let’s take a lightning look.

First up is a pair of popular Code digital modeling combos — the Code 50 20-watt, 1×12 and the Code 25 25-watt, 1×10. They’re pretty darned intuitive to use and allow you to mix and match 14 preamps with four power amps and eight speaker-cab emulations. And, as an added, guitarist-friendly feature, they’re controllable via either USB or Bluetooth. Neat.

Then, there’s the Origin series of combos, heads, and cabs. These affordable, offshore-made, 20-watt and 50-watt, single-channel, no-frills valve amps offer vintage-inspired Marshall tones with simple controls, a series effects loop, and a footswitchable gain boost. And they’re great pedal-platform amps, too, if that’s how you like to (rock ‘n’) roll!

Finally, last but certainly not least is the Marshall Studio series of three heads, three combos, and several 1×12-inch and 2×12-inch cab options. Proudly made at the famous Marshall factory in Bletchley, England, the three Studio offerings are low-wattage emulations of the classic Super Lead, JCM800, and Silver Jubilee amps. “How low do they go?” do I hear you ask? Either 20 watts or, thanks to a handy-dandy power-reduction switch, a neighbor-friendly 5 watts. Nice.

Yes sir, the famous Marshall brand is not only very much alive, but it’s still kicking butt!

Conclusion: And That’s a Wrap!

Phew! And there you have it, my friend: a brief overview of some of the most significant highlights of a remarkable company’s history thus far — a company that the late, great Jim “the Guv’nor” Marshall built from a humble drum shop into an industry giant. And he did so via one simple but important MO: by listening intently to what his customers wanted and then striving to not only meet but also exceed their expectations. What a concept!

Rest in peace, Jim, my dear friend — and thanks for all the great amps and all the amazing music they helped inspire! The “Guv’nor,” indeed.