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Which one as your first Marshall combo amp: bluesbraker or 18w?

luizhmax

Member
Joined
Jan 4, 2020
Messages
38
Hi, I play my les paul only at home through a reissue Fender Champ 5w. Now I'm planning to buy a Marshall combo amp. Which one would you choose and why? The Bluesbraker 2x12" 30w or the 1974x 18w 1x12". Both stock and reissues. Thank you.
 

AA00475Bassman

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Apr 26, 2016
Messages
3,769
!8 watt is what I use still very loud , I like natural breakup a BB would be way to loud IMO .
 

Deus91

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Joined
Apr 28, 2019
Messages
52
Agree the Bluesbraker can get loud but the KT66 is such
a wonderful tube.
rcWSQw8.jpg
q5q7Gd1.jpg
 

zacknorton

Active member
Joined
Aug 26, 2011
Messages
731
I'd say go with the 18 watt.

I had an excellent sounding early re-issue of the BB with old speakers and it was a wonderful amp.

Really LOUD and powerful. even with a loud gigging rock band, it was mostly mostly clean.

The 18 watt is still going to be plenty loud.
 

Midnight Blues

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Joined
Feb 20, 2011
Messages
1,703
I agree with AA00475Bassman. I have a 1974X , which I love. It has great tone and it's plenty loud. If you're playing at home, I would suggest this vs. a 1962.
 

goldtop0

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Joined
Aug 19, 2003
Messages
8,931
As above the '74X all day long for home and gigging if you do, a truly great ri from Marshall.
Put an old '60s Celestion alnico speaker in it,preferably, (but a Blue will do also) for even more richness of tone.
 

Deus91

Member
Joined
Apr 28, 2019
Messages
52
As above the '74X all day long for home and gigging if you do, a truly great ri from Marshall.
Put an old '60s Celestion alnico speaker in it,preferably, (but a Blue will do also) for even more richness of tone.
Absolutely, would really be a very nice combination.
Here is a pair from 1966, from my stash.
IpVzEuh.jpg
 

luizhmax

Member
Joined
Jan 4, 2020
Messages
38
As above the '74X all day long for home and gigging if you do, a truly great ri from Marshall.
Put an old '60s Celestion alnico speaker in it,preferably, (but a Blue will do also) for even more richness of tone.

Forgive me my lack of experience with this, but wouldn't installing the 15w blue celestion to be a problem in a 18w amp?
 

goldtop0

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Joined
Aug 19, 2003
Messages
8,931
Forgive me my lack of experience with this, but wouldn't installing the 15w blue celestion to be a problem in a 18w amp?

Realistically the Blue is a 20 watt speaker, Celestions power rating is very conservative.
But if that is a worry for you there's the Ruby alnico at 35w.
 

PaulD

Active member
Joined
Jun 25, 2007
Messages
673
As above. I've used many Celestion Blue's in 18 - 20 watt amps with no problems whatsoever. Of course it probably depends on how you are using the amp, if you constantly have the amp turned up to maximum volume and are hitting lots of power chords it's probably going to pushing it a bit, but most people probably don't use their amps like this all the time.
 
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