Bare Knuckle Pickups Forum

Forum Ringside => Guitars, Amps and Effects => Topic started by: d1dsj on May 12, 2010, 08:25:48 PM

Title: Anyone want this old amp?
Post by: d1dsj on May 12, 2010, 08:25:48 PM
Wow................. I'll have 2!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=220604793162&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT
Title: Re: Anyone want this old amp?
Post by: Philly Q on May 12, 2010, 08:39:43 PM
Wow, Ken Bran himself!  I wonder if it'll sell?
Title: Re: Anyone want this old amp?
Post by: Twinfan on May 12, 2010, 09:00:25 PM
£300,000??????????????????????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

There's no way it's worth that price.  No way in hell.
Title: Re: Anyone want this old amp?
Post by: d1dsj on May 12, 2010, 09:23:31 PM
Does that mean you've bought it Dave?  :lol:
Title: Re: Anyone want this old amp?
Post by: Dmoney on May 12, 2010, 09:29:39 PM
isn't that a later one?

I thought the earliest ones where off centre in the headshell so the transformers sat in the middle.
the chassis was moved to the centre later when players complained and thought it would look better.
maybe im wrong.

I want to suggest its fake but then i feel like i may not have realised this whole thread as sarcastic.
Title: Re: Anyone want this old amp?
Post by: Frank on May 12, 2010, 10:05:58 PM
he's had an offer already, anyone going to fess up? Wasn't me ...
Title: Re: Anyone want this old amp?
Post by: FELINEGUITARS on May 12, 2010, 10:14:09 PM
Wow  £300,000

Wonder what my old 1965 JTM45 is worth these days

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v662/felineguitars/amps/jtm45002web.jpg)
Title: Re: Anyone want this old amp?
Post by: Matt77 on May 12, 2010, 10:15:56 PM
I've asked him if he still has the original receipt
Title: Re: Anyone want this old amp?
Post by: FELINEGUITARS on May 12, 2010, 10:38:52 PM
Claims to be Ken Bran himself - he must be getting on a bit himself if you think that he was working for Jim Marshall back in 1960 as a repairman
Title: Re: Anyone want this old amp?
Post by: Twinfan on May 12, 2010, 10:50:31 PM
isn't that a later one?

I thought the earliest ones where off centre in the headshell so the transformers sat in the middle.
the chassis was moved to the centre later when players complained and thought it would look better.
maybe im wrong.

I would imagine it was chassis number 2, and used as a development/testing bed.  In that role, it wouldn't have had a head box straight away.  As time passed, and the development done, I'll bet it was added into the current head box style - this centre chassis coffin logo one  ;)
Title: Re: Anyone want this old amp?
Post by: Dmoney on May 12, 2010, 11:05:52 PM
you're not convincing me.

Title: Re: Anyone want this old amp?
Post by: Dmoney on May 12, 2010, 11:21:10 PM
however,
I did just find this
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-rudBI9Y9A&feature=related

at 3:16 there is a chassis with no tubes and a similar looking output transformer to the one on ebay.
though the 'number 1' amp is in that vid two and doesn't look like the 'number 2' amp on ebay.
though i guess the number 2 would be like Triggers Broom.
Title: Re: Anyone want this old amp?
Post by: Matt77 on May 12, 2010, 11:43:38 PM
To be fair to the guy, he has responded to my boozy facetious comment. If I was an amp builder on this forum I would be asking him loads about it and his work
Title: Re: Anyone want this old amp?
Post by: shobet on May 13, 2010, 08:41:01 AM
Interesting, the photo looks like him standing next to Jim Marshall and if he is Mr Bran than those with a little bit of knowledge of Marshall history will be aware of his central role in the Marshall world. Marshall even produced some amps badged with Narb (Bran backwards) so that they could be sold by Soundcity without pissing off Rose Morris.

If I had £300,000 I'd buy that once the provenance could be proven. 
Title: Re: Anyone want this old amp?
Post by: Matt77 on May 13, 2010, 09:25:02 AM
Ken is a good bloke.
I mentioned this forum and he has kindly provided some info

To answer a few of the questions on the board.
Im a 73 years young (DOB 19/9/36)
I was still managing bands in 1960, i became Jims service engineer in 1962
The offset chassis was an experiment i tried later on.
There are many things to give the dating away. From the box design and materials, how the chassis was cut, importantly what compnents were used. But the most common way is from the serial numbers. As from 1963 i started numbering them starting from 1000.
Hence this one having no serial numbers predates them all. As also stated the number one chassis in the factorty even has a serial number of one. And this has been valued far far greater than what i am asking for this.
This price has been suggested by Marshalls themselves today at the factory.
If anyone has any general questions i will be happy to answer where i can
kind regards

Ken
Title: Re: Anyone want this old amp?
Post by: d1dsj on May 13, 2010, 09:33:55 AM
Nice one Ken! I wonder why Marshall themselves don't buy it for their museum? It's not like they can't afford it is it? If I were super wealthy I'd buy it and give the old boy a little more too, just because it's Marshall on the Headbox doesn't mean it was just JimBob that built/ designed/ R&D and put the hardwork in.
Title: Re: Anyone want this old amp?
Post by: Twinfan on May 13, 2010, 09:42:04 AM
Nice work Matt!

And sorry to Ken about my pricing comment  :oops:

Great piece of history, but I wonder who other than Marshall has the cash to buy it?
Title: Re: Anyone want this old amp?
Post by: d1dsj on May 13, 2010, 09:50:01 AM
Slash? There must be loads of wealthy players who would see that as loose change... and collecters of course. I don't think Ebay is the right place mind although it is a good place to let the world know it's for sale. I would think a Christies auction would be better?
Title: Re: Anyone want this old amp?
Post by: Twinfan on May 13, 2010, 11:07:01 AM
Can't see Slash or anybody like that buying it to be honest.  I bet he'd pay that for SIR #36 or #39 though (the Appetite For Destruction amps).

It would need to be a SERIOUS Marshall collector, maybe the guy who own the Plexi Palace?

http://www.plexipalace.com/

(http://www.plexipalace.com/temp/slashfiles/VictorJTM45%20copy7.jpg)
Title: Re: Anyone want this old amp?
Post by: Fikealox on May 13, 2010, 03:07:46 PM
That ad is pretty badly written. Old people with less than perfect grammar make me sad :( (Maybe it's just because I call my grandma 'grammar'). Anyway, that's a crazy amount of money for an amp, but there're a lot of disgustingly rich people in the world, so I wouldn't be surprised if it sells.
Title: Re: Anyone want this old amp?
Post by: Matt77 on May 13, 2010, 04:46:02 PM
Things is, it will probably only go up in value
Title: Re: Anyone want this old amp?
Post by: Fikealox on May 14, 2010, 01:56:49 AM
Sure, but the same can be said of property, and I know which I'd rather spend 300k on :lol:
Title: Re: Anyone want this old amp?
Post by: blue on May 14, 2010, 01:05:23 PM
Sure, but the same can be said of property, and I know which I'd rather spend 300k on :lol:

me too.  the amp! :)

property market is a pet hate of mine.  it's responsible for a lot of the ills on our society.  but that is ever so slightly off topic

the amp is a wonderful thing to see, and surely just as important in "rock history" as any '59 Les Paul or '54 strat.  £300,000 may seem crazy, but is it any more so than what gets paid for those old guitars? 
Title: Re: Anyone want this old amp?
Post by: plastercaster on May 18, 2010, 11:05:43 PM
Quote
i have arrived at the decision to sell it on to a true enthusiast
...With loads and loads of money.