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Marshall
Jim Marshall opened a drum shop in Hanwell, west London, in 1960 and started building amplifiers two years later after his customers kept asking for something louder than what Fender's US imports offered. The JTM45 came first in 1963, closely modelled on a Bassman; the Plexi-panelled Super Lead followed in 1965, and the JCM800 defined the sound of 1980s hard rock and metal. Marshall spent decades as a family firm before HongShan Capital Group bought it in 2025, and the company builds amps, cabs and pedals from Milton Keynes alongside a headphone and audio line. New amp launches, JCM reissues and the odd Marshall-loaded pedalboard all pass through GuitarBomb regularly. Here's everything we've covered.
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Latest Marshall news
Marshall Launches Jimi Hendrix 60th Anniversary Collection
Marshall expands its Jimi Hendrix 60th Anniversary Collection with the JMH Studio Edition 20-watt tube amp, Emberton III speaker, and Royal V headphones.
Founded1962
Based inBletchley, Milton Keynes, England
FounderJim Marshall
Parent companyHongShan Capital Group
Articles here53
Makes
- Guitar amplifiers
- Speaker cabinets
- Effects pedals
Known for
- JTM45
- Bluesbreaker
- 1959 Super Lead
- JCM800
- JCM900
- JVM
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Marshall FAQ4 questions
What is a Marshall Plexi?
Plexi is the nickname for the mid 1960s Super Lead and related heads, named after the Perspex control panel rather than a model designation. It is the sound most people mean by classic Marshall crunch, and reissues and clones of it are still a constant feature of the amp market.
Which Marshall is best for home use?
Not the classic 100 watt heads, which need serious volume to sound their best. The Marshall practice and low wattage ranges, or a modelling solution, get far closer to a usable version of that voice in a room where you cannot move air.
What is the difference between the JCM800 and the JCM900?
The JCM800 is the harder, more direct 1980s rock and metal amp with a simpler preamp. The JCM900 followed with more gain on tap and additional preamp stages, which made it smoother and more compressed. Which one is better depends entirely on the era of tone you are after.
Who owns Marshall now?
Marshall was acquired by HongShan Capital Group in 2025, through Marshall HoldCo UK Ltd. The company remains based in Bletchley, Milton Keynes, where it was founded in 1962.