** Super rare Collectors Piece and KILLER small Marshall Custom Shop head and cab, handbuilt in very limited numbers for Andertons 50th Anniversary **
These rarely come up for sale and most end up in a big collection so: grab it while you can!!
Check out Joe Bonamassa playing one of these gems:
– Limited to only 200 pieces Worldwide!
– Custom Marshall Amplifier
– made exclusively for Andertons UK for their 50th Anniversary 1964 – 2014
– 1 watt (switchable to 0,3 Watt)
– Period correct early 60’s soft tolex
– Bright and normal input
– 1 x 12 cabinet with Celestion hand made PRE ROLA T-652 12inch 30WATT 16-Ohm speaker
– includes all papers, certificates, dust covers, paperwork and head shipping box
– The amp is hand numbered and signed by Lee Anderton!
Here’s what Marshall say about the JTM 145
Continuing the principals of our founding father Jim Marshall, the Marshall Custom Shop is proud to introduce this very Limited Edition Custom JTM145 exclusively for Anderton Stores 50th Anniversary in 2014: one of the oldest Marshall dealers in the world!!
After the success of the 1w Marshall 50th Anniversary amps we released in 2012, Lee Anderton from Andertons Store contacted us to ask if we would be able to provide something very special for their 50th celebrations in 2014. Through our discussions, Andertons wanted to have the style and features of the iconic Marshall JTM45 but in low power form.
The Custom Shop team set off on this journey to find materials and components that replicated the JTM45 but on a reduced scale. The vinyl covering is the same colour and grain as the original, there are 1960’s radio knobs with white infill, the handle is the same design as the JTM45 from that era. We added a white “lazermax” panel set to complete the amplifier’s stunning looks from that early iconic period. Last but not least, we replicated a very rare Marshall Logo that was only used for a couple of weeks of JTM45 production in the mid 1960’s. The Custom finish and rugged construction is crafted from speciality high quality and exclusive components and materials sourced from many of our original suppliers but using modern manufacturing techniques.
This 1watt homage to the classic early JTM45 amplifier is built by our highly skilled and dedicated Custom Shop master craftsmen at our factory in Bletchley, England, Their attention to detail and unwavering standards mean your new CSJTM 145 amplifier will truly stand the test of time.
Lee Anderton answers your frequently asked questions!
Q. Is the CS JTM145 the same as the Marshall 50th Anniversary JTM1H?
A. Not exactly – whilst we used the same board as a starting point, the CS JTM145 has additional features that were not on the JTM1H.
The JTM1H just had a tone & volume control, whereas the CS JTM145 features bass, middle & treble controls, plus more importantly 2 gain stages designed to emulate the 2 channels that were on the original JTM amps. On an original amp each channel had its own input & volume control. Guitar players often linked the two 2 channels (called “diming”) so they could double up the gain stages.
The CS JTM145 is internally “dimed” so volume 1 acts as channel 1 & volume 2 as channel 2. You can use these volume controls independently, or together, which gives that “dimed” tone. In addition to the internal differences, the externals are completely different – the CS JTM145 is in a larger head (same size as the early Marshalls) & features period correct covering, logo, knobs & handle – all specially sourced just for this project!
Q. Is the CS JTM145 hand wired?
A. No – we looked at doing this, but it would have doubled the cost. The CS JTM145 is built in the UK, using a high quality printed circuit board (PCB) to mount the components on.
Q. Why is the matching JTM145 cabinet so expensive?
A. There are two main reasons for this. All the advice we received from Paul at Ampaholics (backed up later by Joe Bonamassa) was that we had to use a Celestion Alnico 12” driver for this cabinet, as these were the speakers used in the early Marshall 4×12 cabs. The one we eventually went for was the Celestion T652 Alnico speaker – these are hand made, to special order only by Celestion UK, and they cost about 4 times the price of a Celestion Vintage 30.
When we A-B tested this speaker against a regular Vintage 30 there was just no comparison. The 1×12 Alnico loaded cab even out performed a Vintage 30 loaded 4×12 in our opinion. So for tonal reasons & for period correctness we just had to go with the Celestion T652 & bite the bullet on the price!
The other reason that the cabs are expensive is down to the covering we used. The early Marshalls were covered in a very thin/soft almost leather feeling vinyl. It’s beautiful to touch & looks much nicer than modern coverings, but because it’s so thin its shows up every single raise/dimple in the cabinet. This meant that prior to applying the vinyl, every single cab had to be hand sanded to ensure the smoothest finish – especially over the joins. Please be careful with these JTM145 amps as the covering marks very easily – beautiful as it is, I can see why Marshall (& all other brands) quickly moved away from using this to the much thicker, harder wearing (and in my opinion uglier!) modern vinyls.
Specification
Power RMS: 1W
Low Power Mode for super quiet use
Valves: 1xECC82, 2xECC83
Dimensions: (h)230mm (w)510mm (d)197mm
Weight: 6.1kg
220-240V (please note if you wish to use this in the USA or other 110V territories you will need to use a step up transformer. We recommend this one from Amazon)
Styling
Featuring styling that is authentic to the original 1964 JTM heads, the CSJTM 145 boasts period correct vinyl, handle, knobs and white plexi face, along with the white and maroon Marshall logo which was only ever used on very early Marshall amps. These visual details would have been impossible without the rare chance to examine two original 1964 JTM models from the collection of Paul Goodhand Tait (of Ampaholics.org.uk), models so rare they had even evaded the Marshall Museum itself! Paul’s invaluable contribution to the project ensured the most historical accurate representation. In fact the only poetic license we took was to add the fabled gold piping! The CS JTM145 also comes with a full colour keepsake handbook.
Sound
The CSJTM 145’s circuity is based on the Marshall 50th anniversary JTM1 but with an internally dimed signal path that allows you to use either of the two gain stages or combined both to achieve classic rock tones that defined a revolution in rock music. Pure British overdrive tones that made Marshall a household name and ensured their worldwide domination for years to come.
Power
Surprisingly powerful for a 1 watt amp, the CSJTM 145 could easily hold its own in a pub or larger venue if mic’ed up. The ‘super quiet’ mode reduces the power to give great tone at bedroom levels, which also makes it a fantastic amp for home studios when a balance has to be struck between great tone and low volume: the CSJTM 145 doesn’t need to compromise either!
Size
The CSJTM 145 is a head to be taken seriously, not a novelty, that’s why Lee Anderton and Marshall felt it was most appropriate to house it an authentically sized JTM head.
Cab Option
Make sure to partner with the official cab for truly authentic tone: although Lee and and the Marshall Custom Shop had originally planned to load the cab with a Celestion Vintage 30 speaker Paul Goodhand Tait (& Joe Bonamassa!) suggested that for a more authentic tone a Celestion T652 Alnico 15w Speaker should be used. After AB testing both speakers all involved in the project agreed that the Alnico speakers blew away the Vintage 30s – in fact the alnico T652 1×12 sounded even better than the Marshall 4x12s that were used in testing!