Kenny's 1968 Marshall 50 "smallbox" - NASTY... tecky stuff...

[Highlander]

As per my Hiwatt posting, a lift with edits... model type confirmed by the Plexi-Marshall crew, pretty much an original...

  PLEASE NOTE...  
THE FOLLOWING IS NOT SUITABLE FOR ANIMALS OR SMALL CHILDREN...  
ALL ANIMALS AND SMALL CHILDREN SHOULD BE REMOVED FROM THE ROOM, IMMEADIATELY...  

I apologise in advance for any offence/shock/SHEER UNADULTERATED HORROR that the following may cause to anyone of a sensitive disposition...

Gentleman and Ladies of The Most Honourable Marshall Department (henceforth to be known as The Most HMD), as a mere peasant I request, nay beg, your assistance with a mystery re my exceptionally abused back-up amp... Well, I call her a back-up, now, because that is what she will hopefully be, so your assistance here may resurect something treasureable, I don't know yet, so please read on...

The names Ken (you may as well know who the guilty parties are), and yes, I admit it, I am from the far off dimension of HI-WATT, what makes it worse is that I want to repair my "rather exotic" DR103 and so I stopped pre purchase of new caps (she is a 1970 and pretty much original) with this thought - it would be better to have a back-up first... so here I am...

Firstly, post my first profession (in the aviation industry, took voluntary redundancy and made attempts to go pro, which failed... oh well, so goes the story of so many musicians). I was cash flush and made the mistake of buying a job-lot of items from an unscruplious friend which included a Shergold bass (which I chucked shortly after purchase, it was that bad) and what may have been a Marshall amplifier, but I was not sure - she worked, still does, sort of...

I have had a lot of assistance re my Hiwatt from a great guy called Mark Huss, who is known for his expertise on amplifiers of that breed, but I have had no luck on finding out what she is, or finding someone like Mr Huss or his excelent site - I think she may well be mostly original but I have no idea; what you see is what I bought in 1982 - she has lain skulking at the back of my loft since I moved into my present home in '92, unused... unloved... forgotten...

Right, hankies away, lets get to business...

I have no idea what she is - she came just like you can see her below - utterly disgusting, and by my standards that is saying something... check out my links at the end later and you will possibly understand what I mean...
I plugged her into my Marshall 312... don't ask... okay, okay... a slope cab s/no 16803, loaded with 3 Celestion Rola 30 watters dated 1969... one speaker died in 1988 and never got replaced, hence a 312 - she is a wreck, but still working, just... happy now...? want to be shocked further...? - when I dug her out of the shed she "sloshed", yes, there was water inside the cab... I was "retired", I had not trod the boards for 21 years, and the big five-ohh beckons in a few months, satisfied now...?  now where was I...? ah yes... and tried two instruments through her - A 1973 SG Special (mini hums and a bigsby) and a Peter Cook Custom Thunderbird (I primarily played bass when gigging, which is what i am tenatively starting to do) - She is very hissy, if all the controls are turned to off (anti-clock) she still plays...! if all the controlls are at max, excluding the 2nd from right, and you play through the lower inputs, ease up on the 2nd right pot and she goes straight into feedback, playing through the top inputs this is not the case...

The following images were taken in the Craft Department which rarely has any space, so I can count my self lucky to have been allowed the use...


she came with no front, no plates - front or back - no serial number, no grills to rear, which had lost its covering and was held on by masking tape...
Oh yeah, did I forget to mention the orange hue she came with too...? a bit obvious, huh...?


front view - is she a "Smallbox"...?, and how old is she...?


the view from the rear - she has the same mains connections as my Hiwatt (sorry, don't know name), three ohmage selections and 4 voltage selections - one of the fuses has a blob of solder and a spring attached...? - 1 and 2 amp fuses... the ECC 81/83's are BRIMAR and the EL34's are unidentified...


The transformers - nicely corroded...

I do not know which is which, but the id numbers are clearly visible, I can check out the cap numbers if it helps but they don't seen to tie up with dates like those in my Hiwatt...


a general shot below the hem-line...


the main circuitry...


... and beneath the tranny...

I have no idea what the controls are or where to start - I am an electrician with some experience with electronics and would seriously appreciate some pointers on where to start or where to go to seek help, though in depth work on amps is new to me - I am, through necessity, working on a tight budget, so if it is work I can undertake, I will... I am not vain or stupid enough to not say if it is beyond me, just need to know where to go from here - it would be nice to get hold of the correct fascia, control knobs, rear plate, what should be replaced first, etc. I intend to look after her from here on or if there is she worth it...? Most importantly, is she bass-friendly...? - you guys/gals should know...

Regards from Reevesland-Upon-Thames (a Hiwatt joke, sort of... ish...) near London, UK

ps I forgot to mention, she is frighteningly loud...

[Basvarken]

Looks very much like a 1960 Marshall 50 watt Plexi if you ask me!




http://web.comhem.se/~u70623527/musicrepgear.htm

[Highlander]

That's the one, Rob; "Smallbox" is what they are called, too, so I was told... the "bods" at the Vintage Amp site pinned her down to 1968 after looking at the pics; even got the original plastic switches...

The only downer someone mentioned (apart from a couple of "tropical fish") was the missing fascia (we'll "gloss-over" the orange paint - not one of mine, HONEST!)

[eb2]

Looks like one I had.  It was a great LOUD amp. I would imagine you can get a plexi front and back from Angela.  That place used to have everything for old Marshalls.  Mine had the back panel, and it was covered in the vinyl and had a white tag with the Marshall info on it.  I think the orange paint is fun in a good/bad way.

[Highlander]

There is a bit of me that agrees with you, EB; I don't intend to sell her, and this works with my, "It's worthless in that state" attitude regarding "collectables..."

She was wrecked when I got her, and as long as I can get her working properly, that will suit me fine...