Finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel… Marshall’s latest entry into the low-powered amp market, the all-tube Class5 Combo, has been available and getting great reviews across the pond for many months, but appears to be only now starting to show up in the States — I can’t wait to get my hands on one.
Built to resemble the iconic Marshall Bluesbreaker of the ’60s, the Class5 is basically a 5-watt studio/practice/smaller-gig amp meant to produce classic British tone and overdrive at a reasonably low volume level –– though according to reviews it’s still loud enough to get you in plenty of trouble with your neighbors.
The Marshall Class5 sports Class-A circuitry, an all-tube signal-path, dual ECC83 preamp tubes, a single EL84 power tube, a top loaded “Plexi-esque” control panel –– just Volume, Treble, Mid, and Bass controls, thank you –– and a single specially designed Celestion G10F-15 speaker. It comes in at just 19.5 x 16.3 x 9 inches, and a light-weight 26.45 lbs.
I’ve been reading user-reviews and checking out the demos on YouTube for the last few weeks, but the UK’s Guitarist Magazine has one of the better written pieces on the Class5. You can check it out here, but be warned it’s a pdf, not a web page. Highly worth the read though if you’re wondering what this thing can do.
A quick search through the online retailers suggests that a few shops may have very limited supplies of the Class5, while more should be hitting stores sometime towards the end of December –– here’s hoping for a Christmas miracle. Street prices appear to be hovering in the just-under-$400 range.
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November 9th, 2009 at 4:22 pm
Yeah, I reckon it’d look good in my living room in a little stack with my Fender Champion 600.
November 12th, 2009 at 11:55 am
Hah! I know… I’m going to be seriously tempted when these finally show up around here… Maybe build a little stack with my Spacetone :)
November 12th, 2009 at 1:24 pm
I already have a VOX AC4TV and a Fender Champion 600! This would be the trifecta! A 3 way stack! I played the Handwired Series a few months ago, and with a humbucking pickup, it was the “brown” sound from the early Van Halen albums. I’m hoping this sounds similar but not as loud.
I need to stop buying amps and start playing more gigs. Oddly enough, acoustic gigs are aplenty in Southern California….I don’t need a new Marshall for those!
November 12th, 2009 at 1:49 pm
Acoustic? Watch out brother… I’m right in the middle of penning a review of my Martin 000-18 Golden Era ’37 Sunburst.
Keep your wallet in your pocket — it’s gonna’ get dangerous! ;)
November 13th, 2009 at 4:08 pm
I saw some of the Taylor 2009 Fall Limited last week at Buffalo Brothers. Beautiful looking and amazing sounding instruments. I’m no longer bringing my wallet into those places!
November 28th, 2009 at 7:46 pm
Just bought a Marshall Class 5 earlier today from Sam Ash in Clearwater, FL. The first one that I brought home in the box had a rattle when certain notes were played (at low volume, I know…). Took it back and exchanged it for the actual amp that I demoed in the store.
Tone nirvana and LOUD with no more rattle! Not only does the amp look like a mini Bluesbreaker, it can rattle and tone some windows as well!
Here is the scoop…
5 Class A Watts
3 Tone Controls (Bass, Mid, Treble)
1 Volume Control
1 10″ Celestion speaker
Headphone Output / 16 ohm External Speaker Out
2- ECC83 preamp tubes (12AX7)
1- EL84 power tube
1- Solid State Rectifier
At any rate, I am on a break from breaking in the speaker and I just felt that I had to share this with someone. Oh yeah, I am finding that a good way to manage the amp is through your guitar volume knob. Turn up the amp and tweak the guitar volume to your taste of crunch or overdrive.
Clean is there but not your Fender clean. Clean with bristles of hair around the edges… (Oh, and no reverb)
BTW, the amp is made in England at the Marshall Amplification plant.
So far, the honeymoon is real, real good!