Yes, and there is a lot more to this deal than meets the eye. HongShan owns BYD, the chinese EV manufacturer the EU is trying to tariff, and accusing them of unfair dumping of vehicles on the EU and UK markets... Can you see now why they bought Marshall ??
@@goodyguitars4270 I think you need to give them just a little more credit than that. How many albums have something like a JCM 800? I could be wrong, but I think it was released in 1981.
Looking at my 50 watt valve amp I bought from the factory in the 80s. Jim Marshall came out to say ‘hello’ and told me I was buying a ‘peach of an amp’. We had a tour of the factory and it seemed like an artisan place, not mass production. How times change.
If it means anything I have a 1985 Reverb 75 with the Sidewinder speaker. It's solid state and sounds good. Need the caps or something it pops when switched on and there's hum with the reverb.
@stevefurniss3811 I'm right with ya. I have a '78 JMP 2104 with the original Celestion Blackback speakers. I've kept it in mint condition and it's a beast. I'd put it up against any new amp out there.
Considering that most of their stuff is manufactured in Vietnam right now, and they've been owned by an investment firm for several years now... this isn't really all that big of a change. Marshall hasn't been a true "legacy" manufacturer in a long LONG time.
It still sucks though... no doubt about that. I have never once seen a company become better after being bought out by some big multi-national or foreign corporation.
@ The reissues MAY be wired in the UK... but you can bet that the Studio Series is made of Vietnamese components, like prepopulated circuit boards, that are simply put together in the UK.
@@StillLivinginthewoods 80% of the worlds electrical components are made in China, they are in your phone, your car, your computer, the planes over your head. There’s nothing “second rate” about them.
Laney should re-release their VH100R now along with an all new 4x12" cab that has the same dimensions as Marshall 1960B..😃 They will kill the market of DSL and JVM210H if they do so.
@ Nah, I love the smell and sound of hot tubes. Nothing beats it for me. A 1x12 fender deluxe reverb as a mere 22 watts is every bit as loud turned up as 100 watt solid state amplifier. In tubes, more power come from much less.
If you want a Marshall either get a vintage one or look at Ceriatone or even smaller amp builders who will make a proper quality clone for you. Vintage Marshall circuits are well known info and there are people out there who will build them right for you if you can't or don't want to do this yourself.
No they won’t. The amp side of the business is the only thing that gives the audio side of the business because Marshall is famous for amplifiers. If they lose that part of the DNA then the company becomes a poseur company without any authenticity. I also doubt that the Marshall family would allow that change without a fight. However, I would expect amps as a percentage of business to go down and that you might see an expansion of the amp range to lower price points and more pedals and multi-fx devices to become more accessible. But I bet they do throw a lot more resources into consumer audio.
@@misterperson7070 depends on what's being sold. Some things I have NO price on. You don't know me. Speak for yourself. Besides. They have the right to sell their company, but I have the right to NEVER buy any of their products from now on.
Well, that's that. It was a good run. Congratulations to everyone who owns a Marshall made before this transaction. The value of your gear literally just doubled.
I've used Marshall and peavy since the 80's. Peavy went to hell in a hand basket now Marshall! What's next Fender. I'll guess I'll keep my old Marshall's and the peavy's form the old days. Still got some fender twin reverb amplifier's & some sun amplifiers from the 60s & 70. You can't get a better sound from a all tube amplifier these days. Old school rules in a heavy metal world. Up the irons mate
But damn! Max. I am impressed. This news hit my small corner of the world, hard! You ARE, THE, reliable source for music related news in the mangled twisted realm of UA-cam. I don't know how you do it, but thanks, man.
Good companies bought and wrecked by hedge funds and private equity companies are so common now it’s becoming a cliche. Marshall was already lost in the woods with the bluetooth home stereos, headphones and fridges. This sale will surely put the nails in the coffin of the brand as a legit guitar amp maker. No player or brand ambassador of any standing will take them seriously. You’re going to see the Marshall name on all kinds of things now like lipstick, toasters, diapers, razor blades, yoga mats, protein shakes, coffee pods, condoms, kids’ strollers, gaming chairs and it will be all over tiktok and instagram by influencers who think turning up the gain dial adds more followers…
7:07 Q: Why did the Swedes sell it after just one year? My guesses: -A rich Swedish guy who collects guitars thought it would be rad to own an amp company, then realized the economic realities of the music industry or -Swedes “bought” it as proxies for a Chinese buyer because Marshall wouldn’t sell to a Chinese investment company. Then the Swedes let a few months go by then “sold” to Chinese investment company.
Definitely sold for the brand name. I think you hit it dead on when you anticipate a tidal wave of Marshall branded consumer goods. Going to be very difficult from now on to acquire spare parts for legacy amps, particularly tolex, grille cloths and replacement logos.
@@sam-ww1wk And a crap ton of parts are defo asian. There's a large amount of racists who think none american made is always bad. These cux have no grip on reality. China is doing everything better than us these days haha. Get with the times!
I am tired of every thing being sold to Ch8na. I will never buy another Marshall product. I will also have to decide if I will keep what I have. I find this news very sad.
Well, to me Marshall somehow stopped being thát iconic amplifier brand when Jim passed away. Once they started building additional stuff like fridges, Bluetooth speakers and headphones, it was pretty much game over. Again: my opinion, but they should've stayed with what Marshall was absolutely brilliant at: Making great amplifiers. I'm lucky to have a few Marshall amps and cabs, UK made. And they **always** deliver.
Fender / gibson / guitar center ect. are also owned by a venture capital firm so i guess it's a trend , in these modern times almost all companies are owned by some venture capital firm , wich i do not consider to be a good thing because there shareholders only care about there yearly dividend payout to be higher then last year , but hey , we all know : money talks and the rest does not matter .
You much rather no decent amplification? Why not build your own bloody amplifier and speakers then? Marshall brand at a huge technology facing country like China is a GOOD thing. Old, disused amps are a pain to maintain and do not sound good over time (because you know, electronics breaks and shit gets old). Marshall name will continue.
@J3unG The name without the iconic products is meaningless. Tube/valve amplifiers aren't difficult to maintain properly. What tremendous new innovative high tech guitar amplifiers with the Marshall brand will be designed and manufactured in China? Marshall is a legacy brand. Marshall amplifier buyers aren't looking for hight tech cheap digital amplifiers. Those are already being marketed by others.
Presonus sold out to a big music congomerate also. I have a 16.0.2 mixer they say is obsolete that is an $1100 boat anchor because I cannot get parts or support for it. Bummer.
@@J3unG I will never buy a Marshall after this. Fryette is way better, Soldano to. Many better amps, Marshall sucks now. Had a JVM,,, gainy pile of mush for a tone. Sold that thing after a few months and never looks back. After Jim Marshall died, his legacy started to die
I live in Taiwan, we knew about this deal days ago. Also, it's quite common to find Marshall knock offs here as well. We're not expecting things to go well.
We knew about it here in the US too since the middle of last week. This info was made public at NAMM on one of the media days. Other UA-camrs talked about it days ago, but Guitar Max is going into more depth about the new buyer.
i live in Mauritius, we knew about this deal one day before you all knew about it, so yeah, i'm better than y'all. We're expecting the acquisition to go extremely well.
All this mass produced stuff with heritage brand names stuck on it can't even manage to be cheap anymore. Price out a "Marshall" and then give that same amount of money to literally any small boutique brand and you'll be SO much happier in the long run.
Now you'll truly be unable to tell between the actual brand and the AliXpress knockoff. Chances are they'll just use the cheap parts like the knockoffs.
look at peavey total crap now saying that fender use chinese capacitors thats why my hotrod deluxe made in mexico packed in all the caps leaked the repair guy said full of chinese crap
Thanks for this info. I gave you the obligatory thumbs up. And I will tune in to more of your content in the future. The last Marshall I bought, which was about 5 years ago, was made in Vietnam. It was a DSL 1, which is an all tube one watt head. But it was designed in England!! 😂 So there’s that…It’s actually a nice little amp head.
I’ve stepped away from heritage name brands as much as I can in the guitar amp space several years ago. I’d rather have less and save up for something made in the USA if I control it. Friedman. Soldano. Benson. Etc. I feel better about the purchase and my kids have something of decent value to sell when I’m dead. May not matter in the end, but it does matter to me.
@billgreenly5522 Nope. They prolly nothing like the originals as far as quality of parts. Gibson and its holding company owners are all about cutting corners and low quality. Pre gibsons are gonna skyrocket in price
@@sweezyjackson4935 yeah just looking for a silver lining to it I guess. We won’t TRULY know until somebody takes a look at the guts of them, although mesas have never really been known for ‘quality componentry’ in the amp tech world
When vulture capitalists get involved..... it never ends well. I already feel the brand has lost its "flagship" status, it's frustrating when looking for used amps online, typing in Marshall is just a sea of headphones and the likes, it could get a LOT worse. Time will tell
Or it might get better…as to Vulture Capitalism, Gibson went down Hill under Henry J. and his fellow Ivy League MBA mismanagement of Gibson. He’s gone but what will happen to Mesa Amps?
Interesting discussion. The world is changing. Back in the 60s through to the 90s kids wanted to be in bands and the music industry greedily promoted (and exploited) then. Since 2000 the industry has found that it can do better with individual artists who are easier to control and bands are no longer the main business indeed it has been increasingly hard to get a band signed to a record deal. Most new popular music is no longer made by bands. Social media platforms and music creation tools have allowed artists to become established with no need to go through the grind of forming bands and working to get established by playing live. This all has to mean less demand for amplifiers and unlike cars or washing machines, older amps usually get repaired and sold on to other users rather that be junked like a TV or microwave so such equipment has not been blighted by built in obsolescence as with other consumer goods. So in short I'd say the amp business is in decline so maybe it is a good time to sell and the brand value going forward is probably in diversification into consumer goods and protecting the intellectual property of the name. It is sad but things are not what they used to be!
Got me a new HongShan double stack Plexi en route from Temu. They had an early Valentine's Day special. A double neck Chibson SG and this double stack for 579.00 US shipped to my door.
Still playin' the '84 white Tolex twin every night & lovin' it. In the Milwaukee metro area, Jon Blick is the go-to guy that keeps 'em running mellow. From Les's hometown.
Big mistake to sell to gredy swedish company,..who just think money selling to china,...also uk aswell whole europe is losing valuable knowhow,..=) Thank you dear Max for shareing
I really feel bad for the workers because they’re just being tossed around with whoever buys Marshall the Marshall family will be fine no matter what happens but the workers future are uncertain
I feel pretty much exactly like you Max. Just hope this doesn't ruin the company or making their stuff cheaper! If they're smart they'll at least keep it the way it is for a number of years and as long as they're making money they may not change it? That's sort of my speculation lol😂 I don't mind if you miss quote stuff or use a wrong word You don't have to be perfect, at least that's my opinion. The UA-cam channel Should be a little rough around the edges a little bit of blue collar you know.... Okay Max Hope everybody's safe and I hope those fires are coming down Have a great week and I'll see you very soon😊
I was sort of peaved about it. But then again, when I had a DSL 100, I didn't like it enough to keep it. Orange Rockerverb stole my heart, and i have no regrets. Hope the best for Marshall, their used market is about to sky rocket.
And just like that, behringer quality Marshall's hit the market! If anyone thinks the chinese stock holders are not going to push for cheaper made chinese components to be used, you are crue azy!
What does make sense is this. After a quick search I found a British article that reported that Zound bought Marshall for 326lb or $406 million in March 2023. Now it sells for $1billion! This does not make sense for an investment Co. to pay that much.
Dude, the British currency / money sign is £ for pound. The weight pound is denoted by lb. American computer keyboards probably do not have the British £ sign. On a Windows PC or laptop, hold down Shift and then press the number 3 to get the £ sign. 😀
They'll invest if they think they can make money off it. That's the idea of investment. That in itself is a good thing - that the Marshall brand still has legs. It's how they do it that might be an issue. If it's simply to get a cash injection to keep the UK based amp factory afloat, it might work out. But there's so many ways it could go sideways!
Also I believe Zound had something already planned with the Chinese firm but had to gain control of Marshall before the deal because some people at Marshall would have rejected the sell to China or asked for much more.
I love the old Marshall amps and own one myself. The problem that I see with Marshall is that they have been relatively stagnant as far as amplifier development goes. Most of their products have been around for a generation or more. The last new amp design was the JVM which has been around for years now. Unlike Roland (which owns BOSS) and Fender, Marshall has not really come out with anything really inspiring with their amps. Fender has the Mustang line with is constantly evolving and developing as well as the Tone Master line which is expanding. Yes Marshall came out with the Code which was their take on a modeler but that really pales in comparison to the competition. Back in the 70's, 80's, and 90's Marshall dominated with amps like the Plexi, and the JCM series but the company stagnated after that. To add to the problem, many touring bands are now using modelers like the Helix and Radial products and the stages are 'quiet' with no stacks of amplifiers dominating the stage. Unless something changes, the future does not look very bright for the Marshall brand.
Whenever a legacy company is sold the products almost always plummet in quality. It’s name game. Think old Zenith , GE, Chrysler, Volvo cars now owned by Geely of China, Jaguars cars(or whatever they’ve become) owned by Tata of India. It’s all about consolidating production and streamlining parts usage under a recognized name for the purpose of efficient marketing. The concept of a bunch of designers working on a quality product no longer applies as long as sales are maintained. Hopefully a startup will take their place.
What a great way to make a huge break between Marshall's Pre-China and Post- offerings. We've seen This Story before in GuitarLand as well as many orher industries !! I have yet to see anything coming out of China that i want to buy.
Still using a Peavey Bandit 112 "silver stripe" to this day. Tried a "new one" recently and. ... ummm ...not too bad but noticeable which I put down to the Chinese speaker especially low end. My opinion hang on to your Marshalls they'll be worth a fortune soon.
Breaking News: Marshall will now be selling knockoffs of their own amplifiers from now on. Won't be safe to buy a Marshall anymore as you won't be able to tell if its fake, as most high end knockoffs are made in the same factory as the originals, just not during the day.
Was very impressed with Marshall at NAMM this year... and now this? Oh, boy! Not sure what will happen... maybe nothing bad, but honestly would rather buy a locally made "knock-off" by the likes of Friedman, etc. than a Marshall owned by a Chinese firm. I was so excited for the brand but now totally deflated with this news... thanks for sharing Max, you do a great service to the music community!😎🤘🎸🎶🎵
The price won't change though I imagine. I swapped through a few marshall heads back in early 2010s and I liked them a lot. Been thinking of eventually getting another but definitely gotta go with an older one.
🤔 some more entry level Marshall amps and other products of theirs are already made in China. Hopefully they will always maintain their manufacturing presence in the UK. Maybe they’ll only offer UK built ones as a custom shop option? I don’t know.
It’s amazing, the idea to string four 6L6 power tubes together in a push-pull circuit, driven by a single 12AX7 double triad tube, matched to heavy duty speakers, and all these decades later, just by slapping the name of the guy who did that on a cabinet (in that familial shape) and you have a $billion valuation!
Mesa Boogie, and Randall seem to be okay options as well. If they were going to head across the pond to the asian sourced manufacturing, at least it could've been Japan, sheesh.
@ I hate to admit this but when I saw Joe Bonamassa playing with his live rig with Matteo Mancuso , Mattaeo’s tone was better. In a live setting I don’t think it’s even comparable. I guess nothing last forever. I’ll always love what Marshall’s was . They cant take that away from me.
Investment companies are the source of a lot of the crap that we have to deal with today.
Sickening
Yes, and there is a lot more to this deal than meets the eye. HongShan owns BYD, the chinese EV manufacturer the EU is trying to tariff, and accusing them of unfair dumping of vehicles on the EU and UK markets... Can you see now why they bought Marshall ??
No. What does that have to do with guitar amps😮
@@CaptainRon1913I can see why I will never buy a Marshall again.
@@aganton4977 it's a complicated world and they don't want you to understand it.
The legacy of marshall is over forever
I 100% agree.
Yes it is.
It has been over since the seventies
@@goodyguitars4270 I think you need to give them just a little more credit than that. How many albums have something like a JCM 800? I could be wrong, but I think it was released in 1981.
what you mean, it's been over for a loooooong time. the uk management nailed their own coffin back in the 80's.
It will pair nicely with a Chibson.
😂
Chibson and Farce-shall
Good one.
😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
🤣😂
Looking at my 50 watt valve amp I bought from the factory in the 80s. Jim Marshall came out to say ‘hello’ and told me I was buying a ‘peach of an amp’. We had a tour of the factory and it seemed like an artisan place, not mass production. How times change.
The fall of the UK continues. I have a 50w Vintage Modern (2266). Made in England is on the rear panel.
If it means anything I have a 1985 Reverb 75 with the Sidewinder speaker. It's solid state and sounds good. Need the caps or something it pops when switched on and there's hum with the reverb.
You sir are a lucky guy, what a great memory to have.
You don't know, (or maybe you do) how lucky you were!
@stevefurniss3811 I'm right with ya. I have a '78 JMP 2104 with the original Celestion Blackback speakers. I've kept it in mint condition and it's a beast. I'd put it up against any new amp out there.
Considering that most of their stuff is manufactured in Vietnam right now, and they've been owned by an investment firm for several years now... this isn't really all that big of a change.
Marshall hasn't been a true "legacy" manufacturer in a long LONG time.
It still sucks though... no doubt about that.
I have never once seen a company become better after being bought out by some big multi-national or foreign corporation.
Errmm..no its not, the DSL line is made in Vietnam, but all the reissues and studio models are made in the UK.
Not for long I fear.@@nicholasguitars5527
@ The reissues MAY be wired in the UK... but you can bet that the Studio Series is made of Vietnamese components, like prepopulated circuit boards, that are simply put together in the UK.
@@StillLivinginthewoods 80% of the worlds electrical components are made in China, they are in your phone, your car, your computer, the planes over your head. There’s nothing “second rate” about them.
Sounds like good news for Friedman and other Marshall-based amp manufacturers who are keeping it real.
Just bought a JEL 50, this makes it even better
My Fryette Sig X does a better JCM800 than an actual JCM800
Laney should re-release their VH100R now along with an all new 4x12" cab that has the same dimensions as Marshall 1960B..😃
They will kill the market of DSL and JVM210H if they do so.
Turn out the lights, the party’s over. R.I.P. Marshall
When Jim Marshall died, the company died.
One should pay attention to people making things, not companies.
Correct. 😢
Glad I still have my 1988 Artist 30 and 4x12 cab…..
Agreed. Same happened with Moog
@@StarshipTrooper2050 solid pre, tube power? I have an Artist 3203. Sounds nice when the tubes are about to melt.
This is why vintage amplifiers and guitars keep going up in value. They never die, they just get passed around IF you can afford one.
Just get a boss amp and save a ton of money already lolz
@ Nah, I love the smell and sound of hot tubes. Nothing beats it for me. A 1x12 fender deluxe reverb as a mere 22 watts is every bit as loud turned up as 100 watt solid state amplifier. In tubes, more power come from much less.
The money men don't care about integrity , decency , honesty . Certainly not about the music , There's no humanity in a corporation
Yet half the US keep voting for them...
The all mighty dollar.. Corp is a satanic endeavor
@@hyperslow3810true like when coke and the rest went woke
Yet we all as consumers make China great again.
Money PERSON!
When Slash starts using a Magnatone… the writing is on the wall.
TRUE he smelled the Cheese
Slash’s illegal guitar ignorance forced him into a lifetime endorsement deal with Gibson. Wow, that’s gotta suck 😂
Elaborate please.
Slash stopped using his Marshall signature amps for years I doubt that he use tube amps anymore.
@@wallofrock6725 literally the best guitar company to work with
I can see it next year at NAMM, Mooershall....
Maoshall 😢
Marchall
@Kokopellli Maoshall 😂😂😂😂😂
Marsharr.
They now go to Ereven
If you want a Marshall either get a vintage one or look at Ceriatone or even smaller amp builders who will make a proper quality clone for you.
Vintage Marshall circuits are well known info and there are people out there who will build them right for you if you can't or don't want to do this yourself.
Victory is the way to go for U.K. based amps.
They will ditch the amps business and only keep the audio devices branch. RIP Marshall.
Yup
no way
This is what concerns me the most. Then the used market will go through the roof
I doubt it
No they won’t. The amp side of the business is the only thing that gives the audio side of the business because Marshall is famous for amplifiers. If they lose that part of the DNA then the company becomes a poseur company without any authenticity. I also doubt that the Marshall family would allow that change without a fight. However, I would expect amps as a percentage of business to go down and that you might see an expansion of the amp range to lower price points and more pedals and multi-fx devices to become more accessible. But I bet they do throw a lot more resources into consumer audio.
Everybody gangsta til they get offered 1 billon 🤣
Only thing I can say to this is: 😂😂😂😂😂
Cause most people are only motivated by money, kinda sad really. What about nationalism, pride, and honor?
@@realtruenorth its dead, because people let it die. Facts.
@@misterperson7070 depends on what's being sold. Some things I have NO price on. You don't know me. Speak for yourself. Besides. They have the right to sell their company, but I have the right to NEVER buy any of their products from now on.
@@realtruenorthpls 🤣
It's always sad when iconic brands sell out for the money..... especially in an artistic driven field like music.
It's sickening and infuriating!
@@mikeg6666 🤬🤡
@@bobbysays Exactly!
They already sold out, so why is this worse?
they sold out years ago to other venture capital firms.... wake up and smell the coffee.
Well, that's that. It was a good run. Congratulations to everyone who owns a Marshall made before this transaction. The value of your gear literally just doubled.
Now I am really kicking myself for letting my 1978 JCM800 go.
I'll sell it back to you for 5x what I gave you. LMK
You and me both !
I should have not let it go, you’re not alone.
I've used Marshall and peavy since the 80's. Peavy went to hell in a hand basket now Marshall! What's next Fender. I'll guess I'll keep my old Marshall's and the peavy's form the old days. Still got some fender twin reverb amplifier's & some sun amplifiers from the 60s & 70. You can't get a better sound from a all tube amplifier these days. Old school rules in a heavy metal world. Up the irons mate
But damn! Max. I am impressed. This news hit my small corner of the world, hard! You ARE, THE, reliable source for music related news in the mangled twisted realm of UA-cam. I don't know how you do it, but thanks, man.
You're the man Max!
Thanks for posting.
Good companies bought and wrecked by hedge funds and private equity companies are so common now it’s becoming a cliche. Marshall was already lost in the woods with the bluetooth home stereos, headphones and fridges. This sale will surely put the nails in the coffin of the brand as a legit guitar amp maker. No player or brand ambassador of any standing will take them seriously. You’re going to see the Marshall name on all kinds of things now like lipstick, toasters, diapers, razor blades, yoga mats, protein shakes, coffee pods, condoms, kids’ strollers, gaming chairs and it will be all over tiktok and instagram by influencers who think turning up the gain dial adds more followers…
Accountants running guitar/amp companies often works out badly
It’s like accounts telling doctors what to do. That’s been a train wreck the last 10 years. Been nice knowing you Marshall
I have been a Marshall fan for decades, I will play the ones I own but never buy a new one again, thanks for selling out Marshall !
This means way more market share for smaller builders, but at the cost of an iconic brand that hasn't been going in the right directions for years.
Marshall isn't going out of business. It sold. Market share is the same.
@@sam-ww1wk so you think their sales won't be affected by this news?
7:07
Q: Why did the Swedes sell it after just one year?
My guesses:
-A rich Swedish guy who collects guitars
thought it would be rad to own an amp company, then realized the economic realities of the music industry
or
-Swedes “bought” it as proxies for a Chinese buyer because Marshall wouldn’t sell to a Chinese investment company. Then the Swedes let a few months go by then “sold” to Chinese investment company.
The last senario seems the more likely.
The Sweedes doubled their money in 2 years, so there's that too!
Yep, the latter.
Definitely sold for the brand name. I think you hit it dead on when you anticipate a tidal wave of Marshall branded consumer goods. Going to be very difficult from now on to acquire spare parts for legacy amps, particularly tolex, grille cloths and replacement logos.
Wait for a few years and people will remove the logos not replace them when the prestige of the brand goes down :D
Thank goodness, I got a pre-chinese Marshall amp.
I think they've been made in China for a long time. Did you mean pre-chinese owned?
@@sam-ww1wk Vietnam but yes, the same commie dictatorship.
@@sam-ww1wk And a crap ton of parts are defo asian. There's a large amount of racists who think none american made is always bad. These cux have no grip on reality. China is doing everything better than us these days haha. Get with the times!
Welp, looks like I will not be purchasing any Marshall products anymore
No one cares
@ When enough people have the same mindset someone is definitely gonna care
It doesn't have to be worse. China is not the same country like 20 years ago.
Thanks for the update Max. We have the exact concerns you do regarding this acquisition. 🎧
I am tired of every thing being sold to Ch8na. I will never buy another Marshall product. I will also have to decide if I will keep what I have. I find this news very sad.
Well, to me Marshall somehow stopped being thát iconic amplifier brand when Jim passed away.
Once they started building additional stuff like fridges, Bluetooth speakers and headphones, it was pretty much game over.
Again: my opinion, but they should've stayed with what Marshall was absolutely brilliant at:
Making great amplifiers.
I'm lucky to have a few Marshall amps and cabs, UK made.
And they **always** deliver.
Fender / gibson / guitar center ect. are also owned by a venture capital firm so i guess it's a trend , in these modern times almost all companies are owned by some venture capital firm , wich i do not consider to be a good thing because there shareholders only care about there yearly dividend payout to be higher then last year , but hey , we all know : money talks and the rest does not matter .
You much rather no decent amplification? Why not build your own bloody amplifier and speakers then? Marshall brand at a huge technology facing country like China is a GOOD thing. Old, disused amps are a pain to maintain and do not sound good over time (because you know, electronics breaks and shit gets old). Marshall name will continue.
@J3unG The name without the iconic products is meaningless. Tube/valve amplifiers aren't difficult to maintain properly. What tremendous new innovative high tech guitar amplifiers with the Marshall brand will be designed and manufactured in China? Marshall is a legacy brand. Marshall amplifier buyers aren't looking for hight tech cheap digital amplifiers. Those are already being marketed by others.
Presonus sold out to a big music congomerate also. I have a 16.0.2 mixer they say is obsolete that is an $1100 boat anchor because I cannot get parts or support for it. Bummer.
@@J3unG I will never buy a Marshall after this. Fryette is way better, Soldano to. Many better amps, Marshall sucks now. Had a JVM,,, gainy pile of mush for a tone. Sold that thing after a few months and never looks back. After Jim Marshall died, his legacy started to die
Their.
Thanks for the info Max.
Glad I have already chosen my Marshall amps that have served me well I won't have to ever worry about getting another.
I live in Taiwan, we knew about this deal days ago. Also, it's quite common to find Marshall knock offs here as well. We're not expecting things to go well.
We knew about it here in the US too since the middle of last week. This info was made public at NAMM on one of the media days. Other UA-camrs talked about it days ago, but Guitar Max is going into more depth about the new buyer.
i live in Mauritius, we knew about this deal one day before you all knew about it, so yeah, i'm better than y'all. We're expecting the acquisition to go extremely well.
Well you live In china then
@espkh1549 Taiwan is actually quite different than China but if you say so lol
@ well… I’ve worked in three investment firms … all of them list Taiwan as a part of China .
All this mass produced stuff with heritage brand names stuck on it can't even manage to be cheap anymore. Price out a "Marshall" and then give that same amount of money to literally any small boutique brand and you'll be SO much happier in the long run.
Now you'll truly be unable to tell between the actual brand and the AliXpress knockoff. Chances are they'll just use the cheap parts like the knockoffs.
look at peavey total crap now saying that fender use chinese capacitors thats why my hotrod deluxe made in mexico packed in all the caps leaked the repair guy said full of chinese crap
Fantastic! The value of my vintage Marshalls just jumped in spades. Ever heard of CBS? Norlin? Kaman?🤔🤫
Have a beautifully made CBS classical guitar that I bought in 1971 - lovely instrument.
Thanks for this info. I gave you the obligatory thumbs up. And I will tune in to more of your content in the future. The last Marshall I bought, which was about 5 years ago, was made in Vietnam. It was a DSL 1, which is an all tube one watt head. But it was designed in England!! 😂 So there’s that…It’s actually a nice little amp head.
Apparently, the folks at Marshall like 1 billion more than we like their amps!
I’ve stepped away from heritage name brands as much as I can in the guitar amp space several years ago. I’d rather have less and save up for something made in the USA if I control it. Friedman. Soldano. Benson. Etc. I feel better about the purchase and my kids have something of decent value to sell when I’m dead. May not matter in the end, but it does matter to me.
Well we are entering an era of pre china marshalls and pre gibson mesa boogies.
RIP Marshall and Mesa.
Other than the firing of Randall (crucial and inexcusable mistake), at least there’s a couple good reissues out. Right??????
@billgreenly5522 Nope. They prolly nothing like the originals as far as quality of parts. Gibson and its holding company owners are all about cutting corners and low quality. Pre gibsons are gonna skyrocket in price
@@sweezyjackson4935 yeah just looking for a silver lining to it I guess. We won’t TRULY know until somebody takes a look at the guts of them, although mesas have never really been known for ‘quality componentry’ in the amp tech world
I've done the tour when in First Avenue Bletchley having an Amp modified. I have two amps from that period both work well no faults still gigging
When vulture capitalists get involved..... it never ends well. I already feel the brand has lost its "flagship" status, it's frustrating when looking for used amps online, typing in Marshall is just a sea of headphones and the likes, it could get a LOT worse. Time will tell
Or it might get better…as to Vulture Capitalism, Gibson went down Hill under Henry J. and his fellow Ivy League MBA mismanagement of Gibson. He’s gone but what will happen to Mesa Amps?
Now i can play my chibson through my chinshall
Just save a little more and buy a friedman!!
the parts in a friedman come from china.probably whole modules. its ok
@PukeyMcDork seriously?? 😬
@@PukeyMcDork I doubt that. Got any proof?
@@realtruenorth Use your eyes lol.
@alfsmith4936 don't own one.
Interesting discussion. The world is changing. Back in the 60s through to the 90s kids wanted to be in bands and the music industry greedily promoted (and exploited) then. Since 2000 the industry has found that it can do better with individual artists who are easier to control and bands are no longer the main business indeed it has been increasingly hard to get a band signed to a record deal. Most new popular music is no longer made by bands. Social media platforms and music creation tools have allowed artists to become established with no need to go through the grind of forming bands and working to get established by playing live. This all has to mean less demand for amplifiers and unlike cars or washing machines, older amps usually get repaired and sold on to other users rather that be junked like a TV or microwave so such equipment has not been blighted by built in obsolescence as with other consumer goods. So in short I'd say the amp business is in decline so maybe it is a good time to sell and the brand value going forward is probably in diversification into consumer goods and protecting the intellectual property of the name. It is sad but things are not what they used to be!
Got me a new HongShan double stack Plexi en route from Temu. They had an early Valentine's Day special. A double neck Chibson SG and this double stack for 579.00 US shipped to my door.
As Def Weppard would say, Wok Wok till ya dwop!
🤣🤣🤣
Wok Wok neva stop!!
Still playin' the '84 white Tolex twin every night & lovin' it. In the Milwaukee metro area, Jon Blick is the go-to guy that keeps 'em running mellow. From Les's hometown.
I guarantee you they won't be any cheaper with production moving to China. Seems like we as players just perpetually get shafted no matter what.
@ianetalbot just wait
@@DustinDollinsShinBone I work for Marshall
Big mistake to sell to gredy swedish company,..who just think money selling to china,...also uk aswell whole europe is losing valuable knowhow,..=) Thank you dear Max for shareing
I really feel bad for the workers because they’re just being tossed around with whoever buys Marshall the Marshall family will be fine no matter what happens but the workers future are uncertain
I have an all tube, hand wired vintage plexi, it is now for sale for $75k.
I feel pretty much exactly like you Max. Just hope this doesn't ruin the company or making their stuff cheaper! If they're smart they'll at least keep it the way it is for a number of years and as long as they're making money they may not change it? That's sort of my speculation lol😂 I don't mind if you miss quote stuff or use a wrong word You don't have to be perfect, at least that's my opinion. The UA-cam channel Should be a little rough around the edges a little bit of blue collar you know....
Okay Max Hope everybody's safe and I hope those fires are coming down Have a great week and I'll see you very soon😊
My Marshall (Made in England) amp just jumped in value. Hate to see all these great companies get caught up in globalization.
A lot of good amps made in America now i will be buying those
Yet they still use Chinese parts.
@DanielsGuitarChannel yes they do use Chinese parts we need to fix that to
@@Koogle-o6g That will never happen.
@DanielsGuitarChannel we can aways hope don't give up my brother
I was sort of peaved about it. But then again, when I had a DSL 100, I didn't like it enough to keep it. Orange Rockerverb stole my heart, and i have no regrets. Hope the best for Marshall, their used market is about to sky rocket.
Exactly
Similar to CBS buying Fender in the 60's
Looking forward to buying my next Marshall on Temu.😊
And just like that, behringer quality Marshall's hit the market! If anyone thinks the chinese stock holders are not going to push for cheaper made chinese components to be used, you are crue azy!
I think there will be a huge market for vintage Marshalls, just like the pre-CBS Fenders.
Exactly, seems like there already is
Have fun waiting for your tube amp to warm up and have fun making expensive valve replacements haha
This will be interesting to see what happens over the next year.
What does make sense is this. After a quick search I found a British article that reported that Zound bought Marshall for 326lb or $406 million in March 2023. Now it sells for $1billion! This does not make sense for an investment Co. to pay that much.
Dude, the British currency / money sign is £ for pound. The weight pound is denoted by lb.
American computer keyboards probably do not have the British £ sign. On a Windows PC or laptop, hold down Shift and then press the number 3 to get the £ sign. 😀
@@ianetalbot That's not the whole truth of the deal.
They'll invest if they think they can make money off it. That's the idea of investment. That in itself is a good thing - that the Marshall brand still has legs. It's how they do it that might be an issue. If it's simply to get a cash injection to keep the UK based amp factory afloat, it might work out. But there's so many ways it could go sideways!
@@rocktron24Americans have a different keyboard layout to ours. Shift 3 gives them the hash symbol # (or as they call it the number symbol)
Why aren't you excited? They're releasing a 2203 with a bright switch and mid shift for $1000 more than a standard. Isn't that great?
Something iconically British being Chinese. Very regular
Just like Dr. Martens!
@derekchaffee2053 yep. It's like we are incapable of making an iconic shoe
I've not bought a box of wheatabix since it was bought out. Adding Marshall to my do not but list sucks.
They ate your drugs at gun point in the 19th century and died by the millions. Now, you're begging them, hat in your hands, for alms.
Also I believe Zound had something already planned with the Chinese firm but had to gain control of Marshall before the deal because some people at Marshall would have rejected the sell to China or asked for much more.
To me, it is sad to see all these companies selling their brands to big investment companies. I feel that a lot of inspiration will be lost
I love the old Marshall amps and own one myself. The problem that I see with Marshall is that they have been relatively stagnant as far as amplifier development goes. Most of their products have been around for a generation or more. The last new amp design was the JVM which has been around for years now. Unlike Roland (which owns BOSS) and Fender, Marshall has not really come out with anything really inspiring with their amps. Fender has the Mustang line with is constantly evolving and developing as well as the Tone Master line which is expanding. Yes Marshall came out with the Code which was their take on a modeler but that really pales in comparison to the competition. Back in the 70's, 80's, and 90's Marshall dominated with amps like the Plexi, and the JCM series but the company stagnated after that. To add to the problem, many touring bands are now using modelers like the Helix and Radial products and the stages are 'quiet' with no stacks of amplifiers dominating the stage. Unless something changes, the future does not look very bright for the Marshall brand.
Marshall. 62 - 23. R.I.P.
Internal components will probably be by Sam Young & Teapo & Samwha & Alps volume pots are crap nowadays😖
Whenever a legacy company is sold the products almost always plummet in quality. It’s name game. Think old Zenith , GE, Chrysler, Volvo cars now owned by Geely of China, Jaguars cars(or whatever they’ve become) owned by Tata of India. It’s all about consolidating production and streamlining parts usage under a recognized name for the purpose of efficient marketing. The concept of a bunch of designers working on a quality product no longer applies as long as sales are maintained. Hopefully a startup will take their place.
Is it time to buy a Friedman amp?
realized a few days ago Joe Satriani isn't even using them anymore... no wonder
What a great way to make a huge break between Marshall's Pre-China and Post- offerings. We've seen This Story before in GuitarLand as well as many orher industries !!
I have yet to see anything coming out of China that i want to buy.
Great, now my old Marshalls will go up in value!
I sure hope my 50 watt valvestate amp made in England goes up in value Haha
Still using a Peavey Bandit 112 "silver stripe" to this day. Tried a "new one" recently and. ... ummm ...not too bad but noticeable which I put down to the Chinese speaker especially low end. My opinion hang on to your Marshalls they'll be worth a fortune soon.
Breaking News: Marshall will now be selling knockoffs of their own amplifiers from now on. Won't be safe to buy a Marshall anymore as you won't be able to tell if its fake, as most high end knockoffs are made in the same factory as the originals, just not during the day.
Was very impressed with Marshall at NAMM this year... and now this? Oh, boy! Not sure what will happen... maybe nothing bad, but honestly would rather buy a locally made "knock-off" by the likes of Friedman, etc. than a Marshall owned by a Chinese firm. I was so excited for the brand but now totally deflated with this news... thanks for sharing Max, you do a great service to the music community!😎🤘🎸🎶🎵
The good news is...with a high social credit score you'll get a discount!
God help us! First they built awful Bluetooth speakers, and now they are probably gonna build karaoke sound systems
Excellent commentary. Maybe Marshall should change the name of the company to Maoshall.
Wow this is unfortunate. Get the UK built ones while you can, I guess.
So does this mean that my Marshall’s pre Chinese ownership will be worth more? Like pre CBS Fenders?
Now you can rock your Chibson Less Pawl thru a China made Marsharr.
Ress Paw
The price won't change though I imagine. I swapped through a few marshall heads back in early 2010s and I liked them a lot. Been thinking of eventually getting another but definitely gotta go with an older one.
I'm so tired of investment firms buying everything
why, it's called a free market system
@@typhoonjenkins8330 I'm aware. I'm not saying it should be illegal
I guess I will never buy another Marshall amp.
🤔 some more entry level Marshall amps and other products of theirs are already made in China. Hopefully they will always maintain their manufacturing presence in the UK. Maybe they’ll only offer UK built ones as a custom shop option? I don’t know.
RIP Marshall!
Rather than blowing my budget on Chinese stuff, I would rather have Chris from Riff Amps build me one.
i see you on troglies guitars often in the comments
It’s amazing, the idea to string four 6L6 power tubes together in a push-pull circuit, driven by a single 12AX7 double triad tube, matched to heavy duty speakers, and all these decades later, just by slapping the name of the guy who did that on a cabinet (in that familial shape) and you have a $billion valuation!
That's the end of that then.
Time to kick it up a few notches with Blackstar and Laney among others not from the Chinese market, I suppose.
Mesa Boogie, and Randall seem to be okay options as well. If they were going to head across the pond to the asian sourced manufacturing, at least it could've been Japan, sheesh.
Does this mean I'm not authentic playing my Les Paul thru a Marshall now?
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
It‘s Harshall…🤭
Marshall was british.
I play my Firefly ZW copy through a Marshall lol
@ And been Swedish for a couple of years
Jim Marshall would roll over in his Grave if he knew his family would sell his beloved company
I’m going to throw up right now 🤮. I won’t be buying anything Marshall from here on out and I’ve been a Marshall guy since the 90’s.
You could rent a vintage Marshall and use a modeler such as a Quad Cortex to capture the sound of it
@ I hate to admit this but when I saw Joe Bonamassa playing with his live rig with Matteo Mancuso , Mattaeo’s tone was better. In a live setting I don’t think it’s even comparable. I guess nothing last forever. I’ll always love what Marshall’s was . They cant take that away from me.
Good grief... so glad I have a sweet collection of Bletchley, Milton Keynes Marshall amps.
Indeed, me too.
Guitar music is slowly fading while electric music dominates.
This is only gonna get worse
AI already taking over. If big names do nothing it will brake real musicians\artists