Worrying

ryanverbena

I just read that Marshall make only 5% of their revenue from selling amps. They almost exclusively make money from selling their home Bluetooth speakers (70%) and headphones (25%).

I know they still have a brand image to uphold, but it’s a worrying sign to consider should they ever come under serious financial pressure. With the wrong CEO they could cease to bother making amps (from a purely financial perspective, you couldn’t really blame them).

Makes sense why we haven’t seen them rush to challenge the Fender Tonemaster series. 

https://www.guitarworld.com/news/marshall-group-amp-revenues

ecc83

Marshall are certainly iconic in the guitar amplifier rock scene but the informed view of peeps such as ICBM over the years here have shown us that they do not always get it right in terms of sound quality or reliability/build quality. What I am saying is that they only deserve the loyalty of the amp buying public if they continue to maker great products...Plenty of good amp makers around!

Then, if anyone has a handle on the future of valve production it surely must be Marshall? This is a matter of some concern and the only way I see to secure the future of valve products is for the major players to come together and build new valve manufacturing plants. This would however further increase the price of valves since any such factory would have to satisfy some pretty draconian pollution laws.

Dave.

snowblind

The environmental considerations are why pretty much all tubes are made in Eastern Europe and China. They are less averse to poisoning their people in order to turn over a few bucks. That said, the way the US is going in terms of (almost any) commercial regulation you can expect to see bottle factories popping up all over.

Eventually valves as a technology will likely just fade away. Subsequent generations don't know or care for the most part. If all the music you've ever heard is through some compressed digital medium overlaid with all manner of processing would you even know or care what a real valve amp sounds like? Marshall might go the way of Woolworths and BHS but the world will keep turning (over in its grave).

Danny1969

ryanverbena said:

I just read that Marshall make only 5% of their revenue from selling amps. They almost exclusively make money from selling their home Bluetooth speakers (70%) and headphones (25%).

I know they still have a brand image to uphold, but it’s a worrying sign to consider should they ever come under serious financial pressure. With the wrong CEO they could cease to bother making amps (from a purely financial perspective, you couldn’t really blame them).

Makes sense why we haven’t seen them rush to challenge the Fender Tonemaster series. 

https://www.guitarworld.com/news/marshall-group-amp-revenues

Well the odd thing about that is making a similar product is so easy. The Tonemaster series uses off the shelf PSU and class D amp  combined modules which are deliberately designed by a third party so designers can bring a product like that to market very quickly. You put one of those modules and a DSP board into a cab with a speaker. Make the cab look like the amp you are modelling and that's it. 
I made a prototype amp using the same module the Tonemasters use over Christmas but in head form, and using a home made DSP module I made from a NUX PCB. In my version the DSP module unplugs, the idea beng other people can make modules and amp owners can pick and choose modules for gigs. The module doesn't even have to be digital, analog circuits can be used instead. 

So the Tonemaster idea is a lot less work than say, the Blackstar St. James or their Amped series. They actually designed their SMPS in the St. james  and the SMPS & class D amp in the Amped series. Marshall could easily and cheaply make a cab that looks like JTM45 ... chuck an Icepower 50ASX2 in BTL mode in it (170 watts) ... put in a a third party produced DPS board for  the basic amp model and have the tone stack controlled from the front panel. 

The BOM for that would be less than £400 and would probably sell well. 

Personally though, I feel there's a lack of innovation across the whole industry. If you want something that's interesting now you literally have to make it yourself. 

Modulus_Amps

That doesn't really mean anything.
So they sold a load of other stuff with their iconic branding to a much wider audience than just rock guitarists, good for them.

What would be more interesting is what share of guitar amp sales they have had compared to Fender/Blackstar/Orange and has that changed. Judging by the number of low watt Marshall heads that get talked about here the amp sales must be doing ok.

NicoAdie

Far more people don't play guitar than do, so if they're selling products to non-guitarists then it stands to reason that they'd sell more of those.

bertie

Modulus_Amps said:

 
What would be more interesting is what share of guitar amp sales they have had compared to Fender/Blackstar/Orange and has that changed. 

this

Yorkie

Apple's Mac sales accounted for 7.7% of their total revenue in 2023. I don't think that means they're going to stop making Macs. 

Fingers657

It will be interesting to see where Marshall is in five years time now they are Swedish.

fretmeister

bertie said:

Modulus_Amps said:

 
What would be more interesting is what share of guitar amp sales they have had compared to Fender/Blackstar/Orange and has that changed. 

this

Yorkie said:

Apple's Mac sales accounted for 7.7% of their total revenue in 2023. I don't think that means they're going to stop making Macs. 

Yup.

BUT... I would quite like a collection of the classic heads and I might use this to convince Mrsf to let me spend some money!  

ecc83

Regarding valves and their almost certain ultimate demise? Anyone with a valve amp they REALLY love should now be stocking up on bottles. If you are in your 50s now say, two sets of GOOD output valves and pre amp valves should 'see you out'! Maybe if your amp is fussy/hard on PI valves triple up on those.

What is likely to become an even rarer commodity are good techs that 'know' valve gear. Any 16 yr olds looking in who put their phones down long enough to learn?

One thing is for dead bang sure, valves will never get cheaper they could in fact be a better investment than Gold! Even left in a cold damp shed they do not degrade.

Dave.

menamestom

If I wanted a decent Marshall amp i think the last company I'd get it from is Marshall themselves.  There are many better options for well built classic Marshall tone.

Dave_Mc

Fingers657 said:

It will be interesting to see where Marshall is in five years time now they are Swedish.

Mårshäll

Dave_Mc

Being serious for a second (against my better judgment, obviously  ), presumably if amps ceased to be profitable for them, it wouldn't be that hard for them to sell the Marshall name to let other people make Marshalls under licence? Presumably there'd be plenty of takers for that, though I could be wrong.

Fiddlesticks_

Fingers657 said:

It will be interesting to see where Marshall is in five years time now they are Swedish.

The amps and cabs will come in flat pack

Dave_Mc

Fiddlesticks_ said:

Fingers657 said:

It will be interesting to see where Marshall is in five years time now they are Swedish.

The amps and cabs will come in flat pack

That was a much better joke than mine 

Fiddlesticks_

ecc83 said:

Regarding valves and their almost certain ultimate demise? Anyone with a valve amp they REALLY love should now be stocking up on bottles. If you are in your 50s now say, two sets of GOOD output valves and pre amp valves should 'see you out'! Maybe if your amp is fussy/hard on PI valves triple up on those.

What is likely to become an even rarer commodity are good techs that 'know' valve gear. Any 16 yr olds looking in who put their phones down long enough to learn?

One thing is for dead bang sure, valves will never get cheaper they could in fact be a better investment than Gold! Even left in a cold damp shed they do not degrade.

Dave.

I really hope this is hyperbolic - I’m 31 and can’t afford to stock up on enough valves 

fretmeister

Dave_Mc said:

Being serious for a second (against my better judgment, obviously  ), presumably if amps ceased to be profitable for them, it wouldn't be that hard for them to sell the Marshall name to let other people make Marshalls under licence? Presumably there'd be plenty of takers for that, though I could be wrong.

That company that actually makes all the Friedmans and Soldanos etc in the USA?
They'd be mad not to take it, if available.

Bod

Dave_Mc said:

Fiddlesticks_ said:

Fingers657 said:

It will be interesting to see where Marshall is in five years time now they are Swedish.

The amps and cabs will come in flat pack

That was a much better joke than mine 

Yours took more effort in terms of keyboard gymnastics.

Fiddlesticks_

Dave_Mc said:

Fiddlesticks_ said:

Fingers657 said:

It will be interesting to see where Marshall is in five years time now they are Swedish.

The amps and cabs will come in flat pack

That was a much better joke than mine 

You laid the groundwork and that shouldn’t be under appreciated 

ICBM

Fiddlesticks_ said:

The amps and cabs will come in flat pack

They already do.