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.
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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).
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.
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.
this
just because you do, doesn't mean you should.
My trading feedback: https://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/210335/yorkie
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!
https://soundcertified.com/speaker-ohms-calculator/
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.
They'd be mad not to take it, if available.
https://soundcertified.com/speaker-ohms-calculator/
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