Marshall 1974X 18W Handwired Valve Combo Amp
The Marshall 1974X is an 18-watt valve combo amp, hand-wired and hand-soldered in the UK, with valve tremolo and a 12-inch Greenback speaker: the small sixties Marshall, for players who want an overdriven EL84 sound at small-club volume.
What sets it apart
- Hand-wired and hand-soldered, aluminium chassis
- A pair of EL84s and 18 W of output
- Valve tremolo with speed and intensity
- Factory-aged Celestion Heritage G12M-20 Greenback
- PEDL-10034 tremolo footswitch included
- 16, 8 or 4 ohm selector for an extension cab
A 1966 circuit, built the 1966 way
There is no printed circuit board in the 1974X: the components are hand-wired and hand-soldered on an aluminium chassis, as on the original. Two ECC83s in the preamp, one ECC83 phase splitter and two EL84s in the power stage give a sound that sings and compresses more than heads built on EL34s.
Marshall aged the speaker, a Celestion Heritage G12M-20 Greenback, to get close to the worn-in sound of a period combo.
Two channels and a tremolo
Each channel has its own volume and tone. The Tremolo channel adds speed and intensity for the effect, which is produced by a valve. The supplied footswitch plugs into the back and switches the tremolo on or off; it does not change channels.
As on early Marshalls, you can jump the two channels with a short cable between the inputs, keeping the Tremolo channel as the primary one.
Specifications
| Construction | Hand-wired, aluminium chassis |
|---|---|
| Output | 18 W |
| Valves | 3 × ECC83 (including the phase splitter), 2 × EL84 |
| Effect | Valve tremolo (speed, intensity) |
| Controls per channel | Volume and tone |
| Inputs | 4 × 1/4-inch jacks |
| Speaker | 1 × 12-inch Celestion Heritage G12M-20 Greenback, 20 W |
| Speaker outputs | 2 jacks, 16, 8 or 4 Ω selector |
| Effects loop | None |
| Included accessory | PEDL-10034 tremolo footswitch |
| Weight | 19 kg |
| Dimensions | 610 × 535 × 230 mm |
What it's for
- Sixties blues and rock in small rooms
- Studio work, for a pushed EL84 sound
- Surf and country with tremolo
- Players who want a collector's amp they actually play
Compared with other manufacturers
Other small period-voiced valve combos are made by these manufacturers:
| Maker | Model | Output | Speaker |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marshall | 1974X | 18 W | 1 × 12-inch Celestion G12M-20 Greenback |
| Fender | '64 Custom Deluxe Reverb | 20 W | 1 × 12-inch Jensen C12Q |
| Vox | AC15 Hand-Wired (AC15HW1) | 15 W | 1 × 12-inch Celestion G12M Greenback |
| Fender | '65 Princeton Reverb | 12 W | 1 × 10-inch Jensen C10R |
Frequently asked questions
- Does the supplied footswitch change channels?
- No. The PEDL-10034 switches the tremolo on or off; you choose the channel by the input you plug the guitar into.
- Can I jump the two channels?
- Yes: plug the guitar into the Tremolo channel's high-sensitivity input and link its other input to the second channel with a short cable. Marshall says the Tremolo channel must stay the primary channel.
- Is the 1974X loud enough to play with a drummer?
- Its 18 valve watts are enough for rehearsal or a small room. For more size, add a 16-ohm cabinet and set the selector to 8 ohms.
Avis clients
Using the 1974X tremolo? Tell us what speed you set it to.
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