These 3 Legendary Guitar Amps Made Rock n' Roll

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Huge thanks to @AskZac for helping Out with today's video.

And also thanks to Ford Fry for lending me his incredible Black Flag Marshall JTM100 follow ford on IG @fordfry

Hey everyone! In this video, we'll be taking a look at the three most important guitar amps in rock history: the 59 Fender Tweed Bassman, the Marshall Plexi, and the 64 Vox AC30. These vintage amps have played a crucial role in shaping the sound of rock music and continue to be highly sought after by guitarists today.

The Fender Tweed Bassman, first introduced in the 1950s, is known for its rich, warm tone and powerful clean headroom. It has been used by some of the greatest guitarists of all time, including Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, and Stevie Ray Vaughan.

The Marshall JTM45, also known as the Plexi, is a high-gain amp that became popular in the 1960s and 1970s. It's known for its thick, creamy tone and has been used by some of the biggest rock acts of all time, including Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, and AC/DC.

Finally, the Vox AC30 is a classic British amp known for its bright, sparkling clean tone and ability to produce rich, harmonically complex overdrive. It has been used by countless guitarists, including Brian May of Queen and The Edge of U2.

In this video, we'll be taking a closer look at each of these amps, discussing their unique tonal characteristics and the role they have played in shaping the sound of rock music. If you're a guitar player or a fan of vintage amps, this video is definitely worth checking out!

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[alangreenway]

I live within 10 minutes of where Vox used to be in Dartford. It’s now a petrol station. Strange to think it’s where the Amps for the Beatles, Queen, U2, and the early Stones come from… AND the innovator of the Wah pedal. Strange how a little town in Kent could have so much influence on music around the world.

[markhammer]

I'm blessed to have a 95% original tweed Bassman, that most assuredly *looks* its age. How I got it is one of the great pawn-shop find stories. I was in a pawn-shop - ironically about 150yards from the best music store for 100 miles in any direction - when I saw it. Couldn't believe my eyes. Also couldn't believe the price tag: $40...forty *Canadian* dollars. Walked around it, and saw that it was missing a power tube, missing one of the back panels, and missing one of the P10Rs, with an empty space where it was supposed to go. The proprietor must have heard me mumbling about the missing speaker, did some quick mental math, and offered me the amp for 3/4 of the listed price - $30. SOLD! I bit my tongue, plunked my money on the counter, calmly walked the amp to my car, and then drove out of town so fast, you'd think I had just sold baking soda as cocaine to the Hell's Angels and been found out. It'll be about 30 years I've owned it now. I've sunk a wee bit of money into it, in terms of getting someone to make the missing rear panel, buying power tubes and a 4th P10R, a little bit of recapping, and getting it tuned up, but the thirty bucks was well worth it. Decent amp!

[Bluesky]

I played in several bands in college with guys that had Bassman and Vox amps. There weren't too many Marshall amps around as they cost a ton of bucks in the 70's. I remember being invited to play at a frat party with a couple of guys and the other guitarist had set up a very nice Vox AC-100, which was the first one I had ever seen. Had a real nice cabinet with 4 Celestions in it. I hauled in my modified circuit Fender Dual Showman with the dual 15" equipped cabinet and we proceeded to rock that party to the wee hours of the morning. Those were the good old days.

[RobertBakerGuitar]

Leo descovered a need .... a Need For Tweed!

[RCSmiths]

Amazing work as always Rhett. Amps come in all shapes and sizes for all styles and genres. The possibilities are endless, and the history behind each of them shaping music as we know it is beyond invaluable.

[em]

Agreed... I wish I could afford one of each but it's nice to know that they are still out there. Treat them well!!

[michaellucas]

Love the She’s So Heavy riff at 9:25. Probably my favorite Beatles riff and that’s coming from a Beatles fanatic.

[dkelley]

“Finding an amp that you can connect with…”. Yep. You said a mouthful there! I grew up with all these sounds, amps, realities, and can attest to your assertions. Great job! Lots of great info for anyone interested, willing to listen, consider, learn. All of these amps are CLASSICS! Each provides a different flavor and group of sensibilities. Matching the right amp to the means of usage is really important.
It’s really important to also note, that while there’s been lots of developments, new products over the intervening decades, there really hasn’t been any major, significant improvements. Aside from a few prohibitively expensive boutique amps, (Duncan’s, Dumbles, Jim Kelley, etc.), nothing significant. Most of the boutique amps are modified Fender, Marshall or Vox circuits. I’ve owned and played Boogie’s, Seymour Duncan, modeling amps, and they’re all very nice, useful. But I recently went back, and sought original Fender, Marshall, and Vox amps, simply because they are the baseline, foundations, of the great sounds and music I so enjoyed. I can hear the young folks Pooh pooing, rolling their eyes, dismissing my assertions. That’s fine! But until something truly better comes along, your just being played for a lot of money and inferior products.
I love my Boogie, my Duncan is truly forward looking as a piece of musical gear, but they have their shortcomings. The old Fender’s and Marshall’s, Vox’s have a proven record of functioning and producing truly memorable, musical sounds. That’s why we’re still using, discussing them today. If you’ve got a profiling or modeling amp, and that’s working for you, great! But for me, they’re pale imitators of older iterations, lacking the bloom, compression, complexity, dwell, dispersion of the original tube amps. It’s just not even close. Great job Rhett.

[jppagetoo]

Amps! Love 'em. I found heaven when I bought an original 1960 Fender Concert-Amp. I consider it a 59 Bassman in brown tolex. It like the bassman has 4 10" speakers. It has the same output transformer as the 59 bassman. The main difference is the harmonic tremolo of the Concert. Dreamy and so satisfying tremolo. Not quite a '59 bassman, but is is darn close and can get that sound if you want it. But can also give you a trem sound that is maybe the best Fender ever put in an amp.

[guyg.]

When discussing the genesis of the Marshall amp it is simply impossible not to mention the impact of Eric Clapton playing his 1960 Les Paul Standard through a 45-watt model 1962 Marshall 2x12 combo (JTM 45) with John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers in 1966. It set the template for all that would follow. He, of course, would go on to 100-watt stacks with Cream.

[andersf]

Nicely put together as always, Rhett. Stuff like this gives me comfort now and I can enjoy vicariously I lived on Fort Myers Beach and lost everything I own in hurricane Ian, including 9 guitars and 5 amps. I'll rebuild, but some of these things, like the guitar I built in '89 and vintage amps that were 50+ years old are irreplaceable. Keep putting your content out so I can keep the dream alive.

[grene]

I started out as an acoustic rocker back in the 70's. When I started getting seriously into electric guitar, a really experienced player educated me that an electric guitar is only half of the instrument It is only a complete instrument when plugged into its other half, the amp. I still firmly believe that to this day. Great video!.

[Steaminlidz]

The Beatles didn’t put Vox on the map - The Shadows did.

Their place in the canon of UK pop/rock music cannot be underestimated. A lot of those 60’s bands that became hugely influential’s home-grown guitar hero was Hank Marvin from the Shadows.

It was his needs that directly led to the development of the AC30 from the AC15.

(Needing to be clean at higher volumes and getting over the screaming for Cliff Richard, who he and the rest of the The Shadows were the backing band for).

[slayabouts]

Working in the box, I like throwing a marshall guv’nor sim into an ac30 sim as I’m looking to get more distortion than overdrive and the vox just doesn’t do it well. But I like the chime-y twang and the way it handles the low end as it gives a percussive chunk to hard rock and metal chugs, so using the guv’nor for the distortion and the vox for shaping gets me an interesting sound

[musicmann]

Vox is my choice also. Psychologically, I know that part of it is the Beatles connection, (along with Brian May). Assuming the particular amp you've got is a good example of its type. I think the mental association people make with their guitar heroes can add a little inspiration for a player. It's part of the reason we choose the guitars and amps that we do, your psycholgical draw to it based on your own personal guitar heroes. But like I said, the amp itself has to be a good one of course, and not a lemon. (A dog is a dog, no matter what brand!) For the type of playing I do, Vox is the perfect amp. Thnaks for this video, Rhett. Good one!

[MrYatesj]

I am a Fender amp guy Blues Jr, Pro Jr, Princeton, Deluxe Reverb a vintage Bassmen head and Vibrolux. I respect all the other amp makers but the Fender fits my style and ear. Happy NewYear!!

[TheSoulmatesFamily]

Great work! Thanks for this very informative video.

[gnawbabygnaw]

Saw Billy Gibbons being praised for his playing, and guitar and song. His response, “and when it’s Louuud…” with an assuring nod that said, THAT’s the Good stuff. When it hits your bones just right, it addictive to hear. To have your own hands making those sounds is such an uplifting thing. I’ll never stop playing. Thanks Rhett 🤙🤙

[benink]

After many trades starting with a blues Jr. I landed on a AC15C1X Blue. Love it. Beast of an amp, not cheap build like fender's. They are heavy af though for 15watt, feels double the weight of a BJR.

[mcmSEA]

Great video! I am an amp head as well... ever since I was a teenager when I grabbed some friend's crappy department store guitar with 3-4 strings at a party, plugged it into an amp that roared and amazed my friends haha! Happy New Year Rhett.