SOLD! - 1973 Marshall #1986 JMP 50W Bass head
This is a very clean and tidy, original mid 1973 handwired bass spec Marshall model 1986 head. Board, electronics, transformers etc are all original.
It's a sweet, bluesy amp on lower volumes and a big roaring Rock beast on full blast!!
Duane Allman also preferred and used the 50w model 1986 a lot! His setup would be:
- Gibson Les Paul (Goldtop, Cherry Burst or Hot Lanta) or a Gibson SG (later years)
- Marshal 50W model 1986
- 2 half open 4x12 Marshall cabs filled with JBL D-120F speakers
- Coricidin bottle for slide
Originally designed for bass players, many guitarists decided to try the Marshall 50w Bass model and noticed that they could get really interesting tones with them. It was a bit smoother than its Lead counter-part. It could also easily be converted into a Lead circuits as well without altering too much to the original circuit if one preferred.
The 50w Bass spec also has a hair less gain then the Lead version and will sound closer to the legendary JTM45 amp that preceded it! Even though, the 50w Bass packs quite a wallop of power mind you!!!
50 or 100 watt?
Both will be powerful and of course loud. 100 Watt amps can be generally thought of as punchier with a tighter bass response and of course more headroom. 50 watt amps can be thought of as more of a “blended” raw sound when the amps are turned up to distort with its particular tone. It’s a subtle difference between both but sonically they are a tad different. One cannot say that an equivalent 50 watt amp will have more distortion than a 100 so don’t look for more gain to pop out of that 50 watt amp. Also, don’t think that the added two extra tubes in a 100 will cause more distortion. In truth, they are about the same but have a different feel and response.