marshall 1974x is a piece of ****

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steviesteve
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marshall 1974x is a piece of ****

Post by steviesteve »

as good as this amp sounds.. for the price tag that marshall asks, this amp is crap..I dont know what is wrong with but it just turned off in the middle of a gig. I replaced the fuses and still no go. For 2200$ i should be able to turn my amp to 20 on a "highway to Hell" and still have it running fine..

either 18 watts, is way too under powered to run a rock band, or this amp is junk.. I have NEVER EVER had any problems with my old mesa mark amps and trust them with my life.. Actually I think my old peavey transtube out preformed this amp...

SO once it gets fixed i am sending to ebay.. thinking up buying a Top Hat club royale with the cash.. any one have any experince with these?
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pjb
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Post by pjb »

So what was the question?

That circuit is a classic and the amp is worth persevering with. The (successful) clones/copies we make outrun the 1974X by miles but the 1974X can be made to work better... especially when you put proper iron in them. Do yourself a favor slow down on the venting and ask for help chances are you'll get the help you need.

-Paul
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AndrewR
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Post by AndrewR »

Being let down by an amp on gig would seriously piss off anyone and knock their confidence in the product, but maybe you were just unlucky. As for the tone that the amp produces, no tone will ever please everyone. Maybe the 1974x just isn't the right amp for you - that doesn't mean it isn't perfect for someone else.
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what_wires
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Post by what_wires »

The reissues have been known to exhibit problems with the PT. It's still a great amp. I wouldn't be so hasty to dump it. Replacing the PT with one from GDS will get you up and running.
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Re: marshall 1974x is a piece of ****

Post by zaphod_phil »

steviesteve wrote:SO once it gets fixed i am sending to ebay.. thinking up buying a Top Hat club royale with the cash.. any one have any experince with these?
An even better idea would be to replace it with a reputable 18W clone. They're usually better built then the 1974Xs, and have somewhat better tone too. A very high percentage of these 18W clones are gigging amps.
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ajkimba
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Re: marshall 1974x is a piece of ****

Post by ajkimba »

zaphod_phil wrote: A very high percentage of these 18W clones are gigging amps.
I'll second that, I have played my 18's for hours on hours on all night jam sessions with no problems. I'll bet it's the PT, you should be able to get one for under $100 and with help here get it in for nothing, then take a second look at it. :D
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Post by Plexi »

Before these amps came out, they posted the info on the Plexi palace.. And i mentioned, hopefully they wouldn't do the same thing they had done with the other reissue amps. I mentioned to Mitch Colby not to "Skimp" on the trannys,and most of the followers took a stab at me for even mentioning it. Which was taken the wrong way i guess.. since i am a huge marshall amp fan..

A couple of the messages below..


"""More amusing is how this topic is speculatively flaming the new HW Marshalls for sins they haven't yet committed, like trannys"""


""""The transformers used in these new reissues are not "skimped" on. They were designed as copies of the originals and sound as such.""""

Not saying your amp problem is a tranny, it could be a simple tube failure.
But they have had a bit of people having bad transformers in these amps,and others.

All i really wanted to do, was to make them understand, if they were going to do the HW series,and do a good job, unlike the PCboard reissiues.. The one main thing they should have had built good,would be the trannys.
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Post by Poppatwang »

I had a Peavey drop dead on me. So I gig with my reliable 1974x clone.
No real knock against Peavey. Sometimes amps crap out.
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creeble
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Post by creeble »

The guitar player in my band has a 1974x, and the tone he got out of it is what got me started building clones.

BUT... the amp has been in the shop no less than 5 times; first for a replacement PT, then for some unknown fuse-blowing problem, and at least twice for power tube failure (not Marshall's fault). It's died at two gigs in the past.

Needless to say he's pissed, but still has faith now that he thinks he's over the major problems. Meanwhile, my clones (in the hands of other guitar players) are running great, gigging all the time.

Marshall had some serious, known problems with the early 1974x's. But the basic formula is still killer, imho.
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PeterS
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Post by PeterS »

the 1974X can be made to work better... especially when you put proper iron in them.
$2200 and it needs better trannies? Surely for that kind of cake there's amps that sound great and DON'T need better trannies.
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Post by guitarmike2107 »

PeterS wrote:
the 1974X can be made to work better... especially when you put proper iron in them.
$2200 and it needs better trannies? Surely for that kind of cake there's amps that sound great and DON'T need better trannies.
I agree if I had bought an amp for that much I too would be thoroughly cheesed off 8O :x . :idea: Although saying that there are numerous review sites that list the 1974x as having reliability issues , particularly with the trannies and lack of aftersales service in the US (they have always been good with my kit in the UK)… :idea: for me that’s a warning to either stay clear or be prepared for an upgrade which will cost you. :cry:
Actually it’s the main reason I decided to build one rather than buy one.. at the end of the day the guys who have helped build this forum and the ones who make a living off selling kits based on the original without the big name behind them probably know better! :P

i love emoticons :P :lol: :D :) :wink:
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They are pricey

Post by stratwrassler »

My first encounter with the 1974x in a music store is what hooked me into building amps, but I still think most of the "re-issues", both circuit board and PTP are a bit pricey for what you get.

IMHO, the Vox AC15 and AC30 circuit board re-issues are some of the best "bang for the buck", especially if you can find a good used one.

I used to think all the new PTP "boutique" 18watt-ish clones were over priced until I built a few. It takes alot of work and great care to build a good one.

Peace,
Rico
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Post by msormune »

I love bashing commercial amps transformers as much as the next guy, but it's kind of troubling to see hardly no one even suggested the original poster should first try a different set of tubes...
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Post by loyjdockery »

Not all of the clones are too expensive I think. You can get a highly reliable clone amp for half the price. And it'll probably sound better with actual quality transformers.
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jaysg
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Post by jaysg »

I thought the msrp was ~$2300 when it came out. This says $3240!!!!!

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/1974X

I hope the OP didn't actually pay that much. Either way, if he bought new, it's under warantee.
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Post by pjb »

I bought my 1974x for 1400 bucks new from Guitar Center. The trannies did not blow up and it sounded phenomenal. I ran it flat out for hours and gigged it solid for about three months. My own builds sound better (to me... opinion) which is why I got shot of the Marshall.

steviesteve didn't do the homework and was unlucky. Only pre-Jan 07 Dagnall trannies were bad. The part number changed in Jan 07... I called them and asked.

-Paul
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Post by Plexi »

msormune wrote:I love bashing commercial amps transformers as much as the next guy, but it's kind of troubling to see hardly no one even suggested the original poster should first try a different set of tubes...

Not saying your amp problem is a tranny, it could be a simple tube failure
I did suggest that.. But has been known for a while these amps had tranny problems.. some even being replaced the same day they get the first one fixed.
And i've seen posts of the new replacement or part number being bad too.

I don't think there is a bashing goin on, it just seems some people don't know of the problems these amps have had in the past..and are being informed.
And like most all hand wired tube amps, they can be fixed..

But yes, it could be a simple tube fault,power or recto....or a bad cap to a few other things.. And as always.. the simple things should be tried first, then move on to the things you hope its not like a tranny.
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