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Music world pays tribute to guitar amp maker Jim Marshall

Music world pays tribute to guitar amp maker Jim Marshall

JIM Marshall, the man who helped to put the loud into loud music, has passed away. He was 88.

Mr. Marshall invented the powerful amplifiers which became the essential equipment of famous rock bands and musicians across the world.

At the beginning of the 1960s, he was running his own music store in London where he also taught drumming.

Customers, including Pete Townshend of the Who, encouraged him to stock guitars and amplifiers. Townshend was among the customers who wanted more powerful guitar amps.

Mr. Marshall, encouraged by members of his staff, began experimenting with designs for new amps. He talked to a number of musicians to establish what they most wanted from their equipment and set about producing a product that met their requirements.

His amps were more powerful than anything else available on the market when they first appeared and were immediately in demand.

In 1967 a young American musician visited his studio and asked Mr. Marshall if he would let him use his amps in forthcoming concerts. The young musician was short of money but promised he would buy equipment when his music began to sell in Britain. The musician was Jimi Hendrix.

Within months Hendrix had a huge hit with the album Are You Experienced? and he was to remain true to his word when he returned to buy four complete amp set-ups for his stage performances.

Marshall amps became the number one choice for top bands and musicians and the company is still going strong.

Mr. Marshall was awarded an O.B.E. in 2003 for his services to music.

Many tributes have been paid from across the music world. Among those to mark the passing was the bass player from Motley Crue, Nikki Sixx, who said: “Jim Marshall was responsible for some of the greatest audio moments in music’s history — and 50% responsible of all our hearing loss.”

 

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