Bare Knuckle Pickups Forum

Forum Ringside => Guitars, Amps and Effects => Topic started by: hunter on July 30, 2009, 09:24:34 AM

Title: Marshall Class 5 - Bonamassa Clip Added!!!
Post by: hunter on July 30, 2009, 09:24:34 AM
Have these been discussed already?

http://www.marshallamps.com/product.asp?productCode=Class5&pageType=SEEIT


Here is Bonamassa Playing a stack of them!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PrhF4Vrd-OM&feature=player_embedded
Title: Re: Marshall Class 5
Post by: FELINEGUITARS on July 30, 2009, 09:43:16 AM
Looks nice but the sound on the demo sounded all choked up - not very open
sounded all compressed  -typical of an EL84 amp  with a small output transformer

Love the concept but sounds almost like a modeller in the clips which is a shame
Title: Re: Marshall Class 5
Post by: Plexi Ken on July 30, 2009, 09:51:13 AM
Agree, the clip doesn't sound good but IMO it looks great,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XOpf06OfnYU

Should sell well (approx. £300) but I'm not getting rid of my Plexi 7 for it  :wink:
Title: Re: Marshall Class 5
Post by: tomjackson on July 30, 2009, 10:27:32 AM
Does the world need another EL84 5W single ended amp?

Looks better than some out there though, but at work so can't hear it :(
Title: Re: Marshall Class 5
Post by: gwEm on July 30, 2009, 10:40:52 AM
i think these kind of amps would be nicer with an extra ecc83 and a proper master/gain arrangement. at least this has a tone stack though.
Title: Re: Marshall Class 5
Post by: FELINEGUITARS on July 30, 2009, 12:38:13 PM
i think these kind of amps would be nicer with an extra ecc83 and a proper master/gain arrangement. at least this has a tone stack though.

A bit like the old studio 15......


Should sell well (approx. £300) but I'm not getting rid of my Plexi 7 for it  :wink:

I think the Cornell may have a better headroom and clarity
Title: Re: Marshall Class 5
Post by: HTH AMPS on July 30, 2009, 03:05:51 PM
It sounds alright, very compressed and typically old-school in a SE EL84 way.

With a beefier output transformer it would sound a bit punchier and less compressed.  I'd wager that it doesn't have a choke either - I always use them as I think you get better clarity with the amp cranked.

I'm surprised its taken Marshall this long to get on the small valve amp bandwagon, I'm sure they'll sell VERY well if they're in the £300 range.

Title: Re: Marshall Class 5
Post by: Philly Q on July 30, 2009, 09:17:38 PM
It's cute, but with only one volume control you'll still have to have it loud to get a distorted sound won't you?  So even at 5W it's not exactly a bedroom amp.

And though I'm no connoisseur, I have to say I think it sounds pretty awful on that demo.  :?

Title: Re: Marshall Class 5
Post by: HTH AMPS on July 30, 2009, 10:18:22 PM

It's cute, but with only one volume control you'll still have to have it loud to get a distorted sound won't you?  So even at 5W it's not exactly a bedroom amp.

And though I'm no connoisseur, I have to say I think it sounds pretty awful on that demo.  :?


too right - 5w cranked into overdrive is VERY LOUD for home use.

Title: Re: Marshall Class 5
Post by: hunter on July 31, 2009, 07:44:48 AM
Yeah recently the clips on the Marshall site are no more good. Haze already and now this one too.

They used to sound great for the JVMs and VMs but now ... pooo!
Title: Re: Marshall Class 5
Post by: jibidy on July 31, 2009, 10:38:29 AM
Im glad I bought the HT5.

All the other small valve amps just seem to be lacking in some way.
Title: Re: Marshall Class 5
Post by: hunter on July 31, 2009, 02:07:27 PM
Seems if you stack a bunch of them on each other and give them to Joe Bonamassa, it sounds a bit better!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PrhF4Vrd-OM&feature=player_embedded
Title: Re: Marshall Class 5 - Bonamassa Clip Added!!!
Post by: jibidy on July 31, 2009, 02:26:52 PM
They do sound quite nice. Not feeling Bonamassa though.
Title: Re: Marshall Class 5
Post by: Ian Price on July 31, 2009, 02:34:28 PM

It's cute, but with only one volume control you'll still have to have it loud to get a distorted sound won't you?  So even at 5W it's not exactly a bedroom amp.

And though I'm no connoisseur, I have to say I think it sounds pretty awful on that demo.  :?


too right - 5w cranked into overdrive is VERY LOUD for home use.



+1 - I have a Laney 5W and it is very loud at bedroom levels if cranked!!
Title: Re: Marshall Class 5
Post by: FELINEGUITARS on July 31, 2009, 03:58:40 PM
It sounds alright, very compressed and typically old-school in a SE EL84 way.

With a beefier output transformer it would sound a bit punchier and less compressed.  I'd wager that it doesn't have a choke either - I always use them as I think you get better clarity with the amp cranked.

I'm surprised its taken Marshall this long to get on the small valve amp bandwagon, I'm sure they'll sell VERY well if they're in the £300 range.



I'm just amazed that they didn't do what I have been on about all along
Put the equivalent of a Marshall 2203 (JCM 800) preamp with master volume into a 5W or 10w SE power section and & use big enough transformers and have a legion of home players fall over themselves to buy them
Be ideal for a small studio......

Hey Ian - can you make me something like that ?
Can I have it in the next few weeks :twisted:
Title: Re: Marshall Class 5
Post by: HTH AMPS on July 31, 2009, 05:24:03 PM
It sounds alright, very compressed and typically old-school in a SE EL84 way.

With a beefier output transformer it would sound a bit punchier and less compressed.  I'd wager that it doesn't have a choke either - I always use them as I think you get better clarity with the amp cranked.

I'm surprised its taken Marshall this long to get on the small valve amp bandwagon, I'm sure they'll sell VERY well if they're in the £300 range.



I'm just amazed that they didn't do what I have been on about all along
Put the equivalent of a Marshall 2203 (JCM 800) preamp with master volume into a 5W or 10w SE power section and & use big enough transformers and have a legion of home players fall over themselves to buy them
Be ideal for a small studio......

Hey Ian - can you make me something like that ?
Can I have it in the next few weeks :twisted:

ha ha, its on the way and will most certainly be with you soon rather than later.  At the risk of sucking my own dick, I'd say the amp I've built for Jonathon sounds a million times better than that Marshall 5w combo.



Title: Re: Marshall Class 5 - Bonamassa Clip Added!!!
Post by: Matt77 on July 31, 2009, 06:10:12 PM
That Bonamassa clip just seems a perfect way to demonstrate that the amp can't hold its own volume wise against a loud drummer

He's been asked to comment on his forum and he usually does.
stalkers can check his posts over the next few days here:
http://www.jbonamassa.com/forum/search.php?action=show_user_posts&user_id=58
Title: Re: Marshall Class 5
Post by: Afghan Dave on July 31, 2009, 06:37:46 PM
Hey Ian - can you make me something like that ?
Can I have it in the next few weeks :twisted:

Yeah, It feels awful waiting and waiting and waiting for something you are really looking forward to playing... Mmmmm  :twisted: :twisted:  :P
Title: Re: Marshall Class 5 - Bonamassa Clip Added!!!
Post by: Twinfan on July 31, 2009, 06:46:23 PM
Is it just me that thinks the Bonamassa clip is shitee?

He sounds SO much better than that normally.  Not sure why he's promoting that little box of toss.
Title: Re: Marshall Class 5 - Bonamassa Clip Added!!!
Post by: Matt77 on July 31, 2009, 06:56:20 PM
Anyone sitting on the fence are we all decided then?
Title: Re: Marshall Class 5 - Bonamassa Clip Added!!!
Post by: Afghan Dave on July 31, 2009, 07:00:00 PM
...Not sure why he's promoting that little box of toss.

PMSL... F**k I nearly spat up coffee...  :lol:
Title: Re: Marshall Class 5 - Bonamassa Clip Added!!!
Post by: Twinfan on July 31, 2009, 08:54:37 PM
:lol:  Couldn't resist - sorry Dave!  :lol:
Title: Re: Marshall Class 5 - Bonamassa Clip Added!!!
Post by: Ian Price on July 31, 2009, 09:11:50 PM
He's been asked to comment on his forum and he usually does.
stalkers can check his posts over the next few days here:
http://www.jbonamassa.com/forum/search.php?action=show_user_posts&user_id=58

Wow- he doesn't think much of rock palast does he!!

"I refused the broadcast because of many reasons.. One and the biggest being that Rock Palast wanted us to just throw the gear up and go without a proper sound balance..  I  do not work that way, nor should any band.  Two there was an under current of money being exchanged between the promoter and the the rock palast people that seemed very suspect to me.. Three  thier attitude  of arrogance  and animosity I found somewhat unproductive.  I am very sorry and I shelter all the blame but my integrity still means something and I will not be bullied by thugs who think they are  star makers...  Yesterday was the most stressful day in recent memory..  I am very disappointed in WDR and rock palast ..  A hallowed institution needs a make over in my humble opinion.  Give me the job as producer..  I will totally rock!! and do if for free just to make sure the franchise doesent fall into the wrong hands.    I would assume that a honored institution would work in a more professional manner..  end of story..  "
Title: Re: Marshall Class 5 - Bonamassa Clip Added!!!
Post by: Plexi Ken on July 31, 2009, 09:45:26 PM
Is it just me that thinks the Bonamassa clip is shiteee?

He sounds SO much better than that normally.  Not sure why he's promoting that little box of toss.

IMO the quality of the recording is very poor. Sounds like a bootleg but it shouldn't  :(
He's got better tone than that, even when using the 'small' setup (Marshall Vintage Modern).
Title: Re: Marshall Class 5 - Bonamassa Clip Added!!!
Post by: Philly Q on July 31, 2009, 09:48:20 PM
Is it just me that thinks the Bonamassa clip is shitee?

He sounds SO much better than that normally.  Not sure why he's promoting that little box of toss.

Haha, not like you to be so..... brutal, Dave!   :lol: :lol:
Title: Re: Marshall Class 5 - Bonamassa Clip Added!!!
Post by: Twinfan on July 31, 2009, 10:37:52 PM
I just get annoyed with Marshall.  They could produce some really good stuff, at a good price, yet they just pile 'em high with tat and trade on their heritage.

It grinds my gears.
Title: Re: Marshall Class 5 - Bonamassa Clip Added!!!
Post by: Doctor X on July 31, 2009, 11:30:00 PM
Is it just me that thinks the Bonamassa clip is shiteee?

He sounds SO much better than that normally.  Not sure why he's promoting that little box of toss.
My guess would be, to paraphrase Bill Hicks, he is sucking the scaly, corporate pecker of Satan.
Title: Re: Marshall Class 5 - Bonamassa Clip Added!!!
Post by: gingataff on August 01, 2009, 12:02:31 AM
It sounds alright, very compressed and typically old-school in a SE EL84 way.

With a beefier output transformer it would sound a bit punchier and less compressed.  I'd wager that it doesn't have a choke either - I always use them as I think you get better clarity with the amp cranked.

I'm surprised its taken Marshall this long to get on the small valve amp bandwagon, I'm sure they'll sell VERY well if they're in the £300 range.



I'm just amazed that they didn't do what I have been on about all along
Put the equivalent of a Marshall 2203 (JCM 800) preamp with master volume into a 5W or 10w SE power section and & use big enough transformers and have a legion of home players fall over themselves to buy them
Be ideal for a small studio......

Hey Ian - can you make me something like that ?
Can I have it in the next few weeks :twisted:

+1 but with a range of gain from Plexi through 2203 to SLO and easily biased for a choice of power tubes.  8)
Title: Re: Marshall Class 5 - Bonamassa Clip Added!!!
Post by: JDC on August 01, 2009, 12:30:49 AM
and a kerry king assault knob/mid boost before distortion knob for the metal guys
Title: Re: Marshall Class 5 - Bonamassa Clip Added!!!
Post by: Philly Q on August 01, 2009, 12:47:03 AM
and a Talent Boost control for.......... Me.   :|
Title: Re: Marshall Class 5 - Bonamassa Clip Added!!!
Post by: Plexi Ken on August 01, 2009, 10:38:12 AM
... and a mo' soul switch for me,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-eNLcerd-U&feature=related
Title: Re: Marshall Class 5 - Bonamassa Clip Added!!!
Post by: HTH AMPS on August 01, 2009, 02:10:49 PM
It sounds alright, very compressed and typically old-school in a SE EL84 way.

With a beefier output transformer it would sound a bit punchier and less compressed.  I'd wager that it doesn't have a choke either - I always use them as I think you get better clarity with the amp cranked.

I'm surprised its taken Marshall this long to get on the small valve amp bandwagon, I'm sure they'll sell VERY well if they're in the £300 range.



I'm just amazed that they didn't do what I have been on about all along
Put the equivalent of a Marshall 2203 (JCM 800) preamp with master volume into a 5W or 10w SE power section and & use big enough transformers and have a legion of home players fall over themselves to buy them
Be ideal for a small studio......

Hey Ian - can you make me something like that ?
Can I have it in the next few weeks :twisted:

+1 but with a range of gain from Plexi through 2203 to SLO and easily biased for a choice of power tubes.  8)

The combo I've built Jonathon goes from clean, through plexi tones to 2203 on steroids.  It hasn't quite got as much gain as a SLO, nor is it that compressed, but it could be made to do so (pix to follow SOON).

The REAL problem is that building such an amp takes as much effort as building a 100w version.  People just won't pay around £800 for a 10w class A combo, though thats how much it'd have to be to make a 10w hand-wired amp worthwhile (unless you're components are of average quality - I prefer to spend the extra rather than compromise on tone).

Title: Re: Marshall Class 5 - Bonamassa Clip Added!!!
Post by: Matt77 on August 01, 2009, 06:02:38 PM
I bet that this gets reviewed in guitarist and they give it gold because it's a fix
Title: Re: Marshall Class 5 - Bonamassa Clip Added!!!
Post by: HTH AMPS on August 01, 2009, 06:06:18 PM
With the bulk buying power Marshall have and the amount it costs to build amps in China, I'm surprised they can't do better at that price.

With a better (beefier) output transformer and speaker I bet it'll sound much nicer.

Title: Re: Marshall Class 5 - Bonamassa Clip Added!!!
Post by: Gizmo on August 02, 2009, 03:01:16 PM
I'm not a fan of this sound. it sounds fizzy and compressed.

Im not sure who is in charge of new products like this. A 5w amp cranked is loud and not a home amp. Why would you make an amp for this purpose and not put some form of attenuator like the little VOX amps etc that are being launched now. They understand the market.

It does look great in design but its missing the point.
Title: Re: Marshall Class 5 - Bonamassa Clip Added!!!
Post by: Plexi Ken on August 26, 2009, 03:26:49 PM
I bet that this gets reviewed in guitarist and they give it gold because it's a fix

Close... it got 'Guitarist Choice'  :oops:

There's no master volume or power scaling, not a bedroom guitarist's amp, seems strange   :?
Title: Re: Marshall Class 5 - Bonamassa Clip Added!!!
Post by: hunter on August 26, 2009, 03:39:44 PM
The combo I've built Jonathon goes from clean, through plexi tones to 2203 on steroids.  It hasn't quite got as much gain as a SLO, nor is it that compressed, but it could be made to do so (pix to follow SOON).

The REAL problem is that building such an amp takes as much effort as building a 100w version.  People just won't pay around £800 for a 10w class A combo, though thats how much it'd have to be to make a 10w hand-wired amp worthwhile (unless you're components are of average quality - I prefer to spend the extra rather than compromise on tone).

I don't think this is true. It all depends on the right marketing (as well as the overall demand and competition for sure).

A Carr 8W Mercury is 2,000GBP, a Cornell Plexi 7 is 750GBP, a Soldano Atomic 16 is ... etc

I think what you cannot do is offer the 10W amp in an MDF combo shell of a solid state Marshall. It must appear worthy, then it can cost.

And surely, if you can get Joe B. to play a stack of 10 of them on a public gig which you get on Youtube, that can help as well :oP
Title: Re: Marshall Class 5 - Bonamassa Clip Added!!!
Post by: Andrew W on September 03, 2009, 09:14:41 AM
I bet that this gets reviewed in guitarist and they give it gold because it's a fix

Close... it got 'Guitarist Choice'  :oops:

There's no master volume or power scaling, not a bedroom guitarist's amp, seems strange   :?

I just got the new "Guitarist" issue yesterday and, try as I might, I can't rationalise the magazine review and the sounds on their CD clips.  The amp got nearly 5 stars for sounds but, to me anyway, sounded horribly dry, thin and brittle on the CD.  I appreciate a lot of this may be the way it was recorded, and tone is always a personal thing, but I had to skip to the next track the sounds were so grating.  This is very disappointing to someone who loves the classic single channel, old school, Marshall sound.  If that's a four and half star sound I dread to think what a mere four star one sounds like.  :?
Title: Re: Marshall Class 5 - Bonamassa Clip Added!!!
Post by: Plexi Ken on September 03, 2009, 10:07:21 AM
IMHO the guys at Guitarist don't know how to produce good sound clips. I've never heard anything made by them that was any good, the amps always sound like cr*p. Their DVD the other month on 'tone' was particularly terrible. There was one section in it where they was demonstrating the 'classic Vox sound', it sounded f*ck all like a Vox to me.

BTW I'm not claiming that recording good guitars sounds is easy.
Title: Re: Marshall Class 5 - Bonamassa Clip Added!!!
Post by: Plexi Ken on October 07, 2009, 01:57:54 PM
Fun video about Marshall from Rob Chappers, Class 5 at 3:37
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AtFRmlPw3cY
Title: Re: Marshall Class 5 - Bonamassa Clip Added!!!
Post by: jpfamps on October 07, 2009, 03:53:40 PM
I bet that this gets reviewed in guitarist and they give it gold because it's a fix

Close... it got 'Guitarist Choice'  :oops:

There's no master volume or power scaling, not a bedroom guitarist's amp, seems strange   :?

I just got the new "Guitarist" issue yesterday and, try as I might, I can't rationalise the magazine review and the sounds on their CD clips.  The amp got nearly 5 stars for sounds but, to me anyway, sounded horribly dry, thin and brittle on the CD.  I appreciate a lot of this may be the way it was recorded, and tone is always a personal thing, but I had to skip to the next track the sounds were so grating.  This is very disappointing to someone who loves the classic single channel, old school, Marshall sound.  If that's a four and half star sound I dread to think what a mere four star one sounds like.  :?

And of course the fact that Marshall spend a lot of money on advertising in Guitarist is completely irrelevant....




Title: Re: Marshall Class 5 - Bonamassa Clip Added!!!
Post by: Alex on October 09, 2009, 05:20:05 PM
I would love to have one of these! It sounds A LOT like the Peavey JSX Mini Colossal in those vids, just a bit more Marshall and "bigger". Why, oh why, could they not have fitted it with a master volume???

The little JSX, as some might know, is also an EL84 5-Watt amp with a built in powersponge. However, it features no real EQ and - biggest problem for me - only has an 8" speaker.

No if the Marshall had a master volume it would be perfect for me with its 10" speaker!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Owxl9zy_vjw
 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Owxl9zy_vjw)
Title: Re: Marshall Class 5 - Bonamassa Clip Added!!!
Post by: Philly Q on October 09, 2009, 05:40:31 PM
I bet that this gets reviewed in guitarist and they give it gold because it's a fix

Close... it got 'Guitarist Choice'  :oops:

There's no master volume or power scaling, not a bedroom guitarist's amp, seems strange   :?

I just got the new "Guitarist" issue yesterday and, try as I might, I can't rationalise the magazine review and the sounds on their CD clips.  The amp got nearly 5 stars for sounds but, to me anyway, sounded horribly dry, thin and brittle on the CD.  I appreciate a lot of this may be the way it was recorded, and tone is always a personal thing, but I had to skip to the next track the sounds were so grating.  This is very disappointing to someone who loves the classic single channel, old school, Marshall sound.  If that's a four and half star sound I dread to think what a mere four star one sounds like.  :?

And of course the fact that Marshall spend a lot of money on advertising in Guitarist is completely irrelevant....


It got a good review in Guitar & Bass too (of course the same arguments about advertising apply).

I'm always careful about commenting on demo clips..... I think there are far too many factors affecting the recorded sound to really be able to judge.   But I haven't liked any clips I've heard of this Class 5.  :?