Slash Marshall AFD Amp

darrenw5094

Just a bit of a demo of the man playing on his new signature Marshall amp.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6iG_OHT7JXw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4_3CSZkVHU

-=al=-

after hearing it on laptop speakers im not all that impressed, must give it a listen on proper speakers later!

darrenw5094

-=al=- wrote: »

after hearing it on laptop speakers im not all that impressed, must give it a listen on proper speakers later!

Spec states that it runs with 6550 power valves which are closer to KT88's than EL34's.

theshaft

id have to hear it for real. i love marshall but id say its a bit of a sham sticking slash's name on it. i bet u could do the same with other marshall heads. not that i know anything about the inside of them, just saying

BSOM

theshaft wrote: »

id have to hear it for real. i love marshall but id say its a bit of a sham sticking slash's name on it. i bet u could do the same with other marshall heads. not that i know anything about the inside of them, just saying

Might sound like BS but this amp was co-designed by Slash, he basically went to the head of the Marshall development team and has spent years trying to get the sound in his head out and into an AMP.

It all sounds like marketing BS but when you talk to any of the Marshall people they have such passion about this amp!

Paolo_M

Here's a better clip of the finished amp.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ehwnoo1sFxU

It's nothing that a boosted or modded JCM800 doesn't do already.

However, Marshall have finally caught up with power scaling and have integrated it into this amp. The dial he is rolling around 1:40 is the "power" dial.
It preserves the cranked tone (except the moving air obviously, which is a major factor) at talking volume.

The amp is also fitted with firmware that auto bias' the amp. You dial in whether you want a cold, medium or hot bias and it auto sets, no dicking around with meters.

How well all of this works and how reliable it is remains to be seen.
If it's a simple JCM800 with an FX Loop, power scaling and auto bias then it's worth the €1,200 suggested retail price alone.
A normal 800 needs a clean boost or a mod to achieve the tone in this vid though.

For anyone that thinks it's too bright in this clip, for your bedroom yes probably, but this is the perfect tone for a band. Slashes tone on AFD is quite a bit brighter and less girthy than this even.

darrenw5094

Paolo_M wrote: »

Here's a better clip of the finished amp.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ehwnoo1sFxU

It's nothing that a boosted or modded JCM800 doesn't do already.

However, Marshall have finally caught up with power scaling and have integrated it into this amp. The dial he is rolling around 1:40 is the "power" dial.
It preserves the cranked tone (except the moving air obviously, which is a major factor) at talking volume.

The amp is also fitted with firmware that auto bias' the amp. You dial in whether you want a cold, medium or hot bias and it auto sets, no dicking around with meters.

How well all of this works and how reliable it is remains to be seen.
If it's a simple JCM800 with an FX Loop, power scaling and auto bias then it's worth the €1,200 suggested retail price alone.
A normal 800 needs a clean boost or a mod to achieve the tone in this vid though.

For anyone that thinks it's too bright in this clip, for your bedroom yes probably, but this is the perfect tone for a band. Slashes tone on AFD is quite a bit brighter and less girthy than this even.

Is the power knob working as an attenuator?

It's not loaded with EL34's as we would expect.

Paolo_M

darrenw5094 wrote: »

Is the power knob working as an attenuator?

It's not loaded with EL34's as we would expect.

Not really, it's power scaling within the amplifier which is a different thing.
Power scaling reduces the high voltage within the amp, and tracks the bias voltage in order to reduce the output wattage of the power valves. When done right it does not change the tone produced by the valves but reduces their output power significantly, giving a volume reduction.
This method does not capture output transformer saturation or speaker movement.
An attenuator has the amplifier working normally and "soaks" additional power before the speaker. This method will capture output transformer saturation, but works the amp harder.

Almost all Marshalls exported to America in the 80s came with 6550s as stock.
Despite popular myth this was not a "mod", that's they way the amp was, Slashes one was too.
I'd have been very surprised if the used EL34s, it wouldn't make any sense for Marshall.

Don't forget Marshall used 6L6, 5881 and KT66 on all of their early amps. They copied Fender directly and used the valves they used. It was only when cost of importing them became prohibitive that they switched to locally made El34s. Nothing to do with tone and everything to do with economics.

Actually much of the "Marshall tone" can attributed to the fact that they didn't really understand the Fender circuit they copied at all.
When changing to EL34s they continued using the Fender phase inverter circuit which was designed for 6L6 valves. The PI was technically unsuitable for EL34s as it drove the sh*t out of them, which was not considered "desirable" at the time.
This is why 1959s and 2203s go from no volume to ear-splitting by two on the volume, and from there just get more distorted. It's a technical error, but a good one!!

LpPepper

Paolo :

Canz itz getz goods slashh tonez?

We've had enough of this over at the marshall forum !

Doesnt sound half bad