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Marshall 1959HW and 1959RR

wizardmc

Active member
Joined
Jun 20, 2007
Messages
2,308
Seems to me that people really hold onto these.
 
Last edited:

jbzoso2002

New member
Joined
May 10, 2009
Messages
1,089
Seems to me that people really hold onto these. There are criticisms here and there, but the proof is in the pudding - they don't come up for sale on the various forums very often. Too, more often than not, there is neither a 1959HW nor a 1959RR for sale on eBay.

Marshall's doing something right?

They have had some QC probs with these.

Sounds like your looking for an amp.

What do you need it to do for you?
Maby I can help.

Jimmy
 
J

JLH

Guest
Who needs that type of volume these days? There is little demand for these now
 

Emerald

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Joined
Dec 5, 2007
Messages
1,123
I rejected the first 1959HW I ordered through GC back in 2005. They never returned it though, took it to a local repair shop and sold it of the floor I learned later. The second actually I kind of liked the first one better..:wah , but after literally years of struggle it was made right by George Metropoulos of Metro Amp fame.
I did unload my two Marshall HW 4X12" cabinets some years later to purchase a once in a lifetime guitar.
I do not regret that and never seriously considered selling the amp head.
Yes I don't think they are being made anymore.
The 'issues' were centered around the output transformer and the pre-amp area.
My original output transformer is acting as a paperweight at the moment.
I have a Heyboer made Dagnall clone, which was built to George's spec by them and they are currently available directly from Heyboer.
Basically there was a lot of sloppiness in the lead dress in the tone controls, pre-amp area. This was cleaned up and became much better.
That these (HW) amps had so many QC stickers on them with the persons name is hilarious.
Marshall, Korg back then would never admit there were any problems with any of the Handwired Series.
The 18 watt amps had major transformer issues and one I played in GC, was horribly noisy and sounded dreadful.
That I love my HW now and would never part with it is true.
They are rare, this is correct.
That Gary Moore chose these amps for the past 2 years or so, is testament to how right they sound when assembled properly.
This being the 1969 design, they are loud as hell and one cannot play them over volume setting 1-2 in a dwelling.
I will say that the best part of the HW stack, was the amp.
The cabinets, they missed the boat on.
There are many threads about these cabs.
They aren't like the originals they purpose to replicate and they didn't do the Celestion G12-30H's justice.
Sure they were bounds above any other cabinet made for a long long time by Marshall, but were of such shoddy construction that it was a rip off.
Also sonically they weren't up to par.
Plenty of people like them, yrmv.
So the 1959HW is a thing of beauty.
The RR1959, I had my amp guy back in Philly do the cascading gain mod to my 1973 metal panel Super Lead back in the early nineties. Actually I had a switch that internally jumpered both channels and also had a m/v installed on the back.
In retrospect, it wasn't the true cascading gain mod as that requires an extra 12AX7 tube.
You will have a hard time finding the 1959HW though..
I would like to know how many were produced myself.
Here is an album of my amp with the upgrades, that keep it in stock configuration, but it sounds heavenly
http://s57.photobucket.com/albums/g219/davida54/Marshall 1959HW/
Gary Moore's set up 2010:
img_0268.jpg

Miss me old Black Flag Super Bass though..:wah :wah
8a5fa69b.jpg


Marshall still lists the 1959HW on it's web page though:
http://www.marshallamps.com/product.asp?productCode=1959HW
http://www.marshallamps.com/product.asp?productCode=1959HW&pageType=SEEIT
http://www.marshallamps.com/downloads/files/1959HW hbk.pdf
Here is the Handwired thread from Metro amps forum as well:
http://forum.metroamp.com/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=6028
Emerald
 

spidey

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 21, 2003
Messages
3,265
The 1959hw is still available in the uk. Perhaps the us distributor just doesn't order them?
 

jbzoso2002

New member
Joined
May 10, 2009
Messages
1,089
MF says you can order the 1959hw and it will ship in March.

Santiago at Marshall said the output transformer used in the 1959s is the same one used in the YJM100 and AFD100 - and the JCM800, Kerry King, RR, and even the JVM. I wonder if these other 100W Marshall amps have OT problems too?

If your shopping in this price range you should take a look
at Metro Amp's 12000 series 68 Plexi Replica.

The tone is much more authentic and will blow away the
Marshall hand wired.

He can also build it with a master vol.

Jimmy:2cool
 

Emerald

New member
Joined
Dec 5, 2007
Messages
1,123
If your shopping in this price range you should take a look
at Metro Amp's 12000 series 68 Plexi Replica.

The tone is much more authentic and will blow away the
Marshall hand wired.

He can also build it with a master vol.

Jimmy:2cool

With respect I didn't find out about Metro amps until I had the problems with the HW or I would have bough the Metro instead but not a 12000 a 10000 or a JTM 45-100.:)
Emerald
 
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