Back To The Source

Marshall adds another amp to its popular Studio collection, alongside compact recreations of classic designs such as the 25/50 Silver Jubilee, JCM800 and 1959SLP

- Nick Guppy

While there will always be a place for the traditional 100-watt head and 4x12 stack, those places have become more scarce in recent years. At the professional end of the market, advances in digital modelling, PA systems and in-ear monitoring have made it possible for guitarists to leave their treasured valve amps at home and take advantage of the reliability and convenience of digital solutions although for many players the sound and feel of valves remains an essential part of their rig. For those who want the proper valve Marshall experience in a more compact and neighbour-friendly package, the company's Studio amplifiers have proved to be a popular choice. Now there's a new and long-anticipated addition to the range: the Studio JTM.

Like Marshall's other Studio amplifiers, the Studio JTM is a lower-powered and more portable version of a full-sized classic Marshall head, in this case the original Hanwell-manufactured JTM45 MKII, which was largely responsible for shaping the sounds of the mid-60s British blues-rock movement and everything that followed.

The cosmetics are spot on, featuring a silver control panel, non-offset black and fawn vinyl-covered plywood sleeve, thin dark gold piping and a reproduction of the 'coffin badge' nameplate (so-called because it was sourced from a funeral casket hardware supplier), used on early products made prior to 1965.

Inside the steel chassis, most of the JTM's electronics sit on a large high-quality printed circuit board, including the bases for its three 12AX7s and two 5881 power valves. Smaller boards support the front- and rear-panel components, with neat wiring and Molex connectors joining everything together. Most of the weight saving comes from smaller transformers, which are around half the size of the higher-powered originals.