Well i've been using an old marshall amp for about a year now, and now ive found my proper sound and becoming a better guitarist. I think its time to start upgrading my gear, starting with the amp.
Im looking for an amp to get the sounds of The Clash, Sex Pistols and The Ramones and along with some indie stuff like The Strokes. My budget will be around 350 GBP which is around $600 which I think is a good amount to play with. This will mainly be for band practises and the odd small gig.
So Any Ideas?
I am not sure what the Clash and Sex Pistols used, but I am pretty certain the Ramones used Marshall Super Lead amps.
I would say stay with Marshall. You are in Great Britain, you should be able to find real deals on old Marshall amps.
Besides, if you already have a tone you love, stay where you are. Find a backup amp, or buy a cab for the one you have.
What model Marshall do you have now?
If you know something better than Rock and Roll, I'd like to hear it - Jerry Lee Lewis
I'm not sure about the outside world but in Holland the punksound was basic, affordable and simple transistor amps with all knobs at 10. Maybe it was different elsewhere but punk was, atleast here, not a genre filled with boutique handmade amps: big chords + loud and shrill amps. :D
i thought the ramones (at least in the late 70's) used VOX amps...i seemed to remeber them on the cover the it's alive album too...but i could be mistaken i don't have the album handy.
steve jones used the classic les paul/marshall combo
and in the movie "rude boy" '78...i remeber seeing the clash with some ampegs
Steve Jones played his Les Paul through a Fender Twin.
Joe Strummer played his famous black Tele through a Music Man HD212, then a Roland JC120, among others. His sound is surprisingly clean.
Pretty sure Johnny Ramone played his Mosrite through a Marshall. The amp on the cover of It's Alive looks like a Marshall to me.
I tend to agree with Arjen - it doesn't matter.
"Everybody got to elevate from the norm."
If I recall correctly, the true punk sound was using cheap amps and effects with everything turned up to 10.
Of course, those cheap pedals that were available back in the day are now high priced vintage equipment!
Your Marshall amp would be standard equipment, even better if it's tube, but not necessarily.
You might want to look for a good pedal with the sound you're looking for.
This store has plenty of custom pedals and sound clips:
http://www.tonefrenzy.com/
Personally, I like Subdecay Studios, but there's plenty of others.
Punk musicians really didn't care much for tone, or for sounding good,
or for "corporate" or "public" opinions of music.
The perfect example of the traditional punk attitude is Johnny Rotten's recent letter to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
http://www.thefilthandthefury.co.uk/
He obviously doesn't care about grammar, spelling, writing, or even making sense, as long as he gets his point across.
Good luck!!
1 watt of pure tube tone - the Living Room Amp!
http://www.naturdoctor.com/Chapters/Amps/LivingRoomAmp.html
Paper-in-oil caps rule!
