Andertons 50th anniversary JTM 1watt amp

crunchman

It wouldn't surprise me if you see other limited runs popping up for other dealers.

57Deluxe

Yeah - is only taken from the trend in USA where bigger retailers like Sweetwater, Musicians Friend and ProGuitarShop.com have special Fender runs

crunchman

Guitar Center do it too with Gibson.  They have a plain top Custom Shop 1960 reissue.  It's the only way to get the 1960 neck profile without paying a fortune for a flame top.

I think PRS did a limited run for Machinehead back in the 90s.

It's more likely to be the bigger shops (or chains) that can afford to do this, but if Marshall have the facility, they will probably end up doing limited runs for US dealers/chains as well, where there could be big money.

ICBM

57Deluxe said:

...anyway - I pondered the value financial of this to the either the dealer or Marshall:  Assuming Andertons make as much as a 40% markup as a dealer means that the most Marshall would make is ~£72k

I was thinking that wouldn't make much sense for Marshall given R&D and prototyping costs (£72K doesn't go a long way like that), but looking at it and the JTM-1 and JMP-1 again makes me think it might not have been that difficult - in the pic of the JTM-1 insides on their website, it looks like the pots and jacks are on a small separate board with jumper cables to the main one... you can't see the board but you can see the cables, so they aren't on the main board.

If so, adding a mid control and an extra input while still using the same main board would not be hard and would take at least 90% of the work out of it - just needs a different small front board. The rest is just cosmetics really. Maybe this is also why it doesn't have a Presence control, since the others don't and it would need a more complex redesign - it's not part of the normal EQ, it would need a change in the power amp part which is on the main board.

SimpleSimon

ICBM said:

57Deluxe said:

...anyway - I pondered the value financial of this to the either the dealer or Marshall:  Assuming Andertons make as much as a 40% markup as a dealer means that the most Marshall would make is ~£72k

I was thinking that wouldn't make much sense for Marshall given R&D and prototyping costs (£72K doesn't go a long way like that), but looking at it and the JTM-1 and JMP-1 again makes me think it might not have been that difficult - in the pic of the JTM-1 insides on their website, it looks like the pots and jacks are on a small separate board with jumper cables to the main one... you can't see the board but you can see the cables, so they aren't on the main board.

If so, adding a mid control and an extra input while still using the same main board would not be hard and would take at least 90% of the work out of it - just needs a different small front board. The rest is just cosmetics really. Maybe this is also why it doesn't have a Presence control, since the others don't and it would need a more complex redesign - it's not part of the normal EQ, it would need a change in the power amp part which is on the main board.

Not exactly much in the way of R&D here, Lee himself said they took the 50th anniversary JTM 1 and simply hardwired the two channels rather than jumpering them with a patch lead, the rest is aesthetics as youve pointed out.....

SimpleSimon

crunchman said:

It wouldn't surprise me if you see other limited runs popping up for other dealers.

GAK already did this several years ago with runs of different colour Class 5's then a white tolex MOD target version. Other dealers then followed suit with different colours. Andertons have simply badged their amp with an anniversay plaque which is added on to the Marshall product.....

SimpleSimon

I also doubt Andertons are making a bean on these, 200 is probably Marshalls minimum run of any product and im guessing they are making the money here, simply rebadging a product they already made (albeit in small numbers) is good business sense. I agree the amp sounds great in JB's hands, i just wonder why a PCB amp of this wattage and quality should cost this much!

not_the_dj

SimpleSimon said:

 i just wonder why a PCB amp of this wattage and quality should cost this much!

Because they don't work on a "cost plus" model (I doubt if any of the big gear manufacturers do).

martinw

ICBM said:

If they were going to go to all that trouble to make it authentic, why didn't they give it a Presence control?

At 1W output I'd have thought it was cathode biased with no NFB, ergo no presence?

Hilarious that Andertons wanted to put a V30 in it until they were told not to!

They do have a pretty label on the back though!

Fretwired

SimpleSimon said:

I also doubt Andertons are making a bean on these, 200 is probably Marshalls minimum run of any product and im guessing they are making the money here, simply rebadging a product they already made (albeit in small numbers) is good business sense. I agree the amp sounds great in JB's hands, i just wonder why a PCB amp of this wattage and quality should cost this much!

I bet they'll lose money ... however this is You Tube gold .. you're own amp and Joe to road test it for you is publicity to die for. I saw on FB that they were asking for advice on how to use a step transformer as they'd had enquiries from the US. I bet they become collectable.

SimpleSimon

Fretwired said:

SimpleSimon said:

I also doubt Andertons are making a bean on these, 200 is probably Marshalls minimum run of any product and im guessing they are making the money her,e, simply rebadging a product they already made (albeit in small numbers) is good business sense. I agree the amp sounds great in JB's hands, i just wonder why a PCB amp of this wattage and quality should cost this much!

I bet they'll lose money ... however this is You Tube gold .. you're own amp and Joe to road test it for you is publicity to die for. I saw on FB that they were asking for advice on how to use a step transformer as they'd had enquiries from the US. I bet they become collectable.

Exactly, the publicity is the reward for Andertons - rather than selling a few hundred amps. Im thankful it was JB and not the MonkeyLord demonstrating the amp!

SimpleSimon

not_the_dj said:

SimpleSimon said:

 i just wonder why a PCB amp of this wattage and quality should cost this much!

Because they don't work on a "cost plus" model (I doubt if any of the big gear manufacturers do).

No ones suggesting they do or should do. Im suggesting for £6-700 you should get a better quality amp for the money!

not_the_dj

SimpleSimon said:

not_the_dj said:

SimpleSimon said:

 i just wonder why a PCB amp of this wattage and quality should cost this much!

Because they don't work on a "cost plus" model (I doubt if any of the big gear manufacturers do).

No ones suggesting they do or should do. Im suggesting for £6-700 you should get a better quality amp for the money!

Ok, sorry, didn't interpret your post like that. Still people will buy this as it's exclusive. That's the USP.

ICBM

SimpleSimon said:

Not exactly much in the way of R&D here, Lee himself said they took the 50th anniversary JTM 1 and simply hardwired the two channels rather than jumpering them with a patch lead, the rest is aesthetics as youve pointed out.....

The JTM-1 doesn't have two input channels or a mid control! But yes, certainly not too much in the way of R&D.

samzadgan

i wouldn't buy one...i find it way too expensive for a 1 watt amp...its more of a gimmick.

however, i am happy for Andertons and Lee for having their own anniversary amp. I've never had any issues with them, and in fact have always had good customer service.

Phil_aka_Pip

ICBM said:

If they were going to go to all that trouble to make it authentic, why didn't they give it a Presence control? It looks stupid without, and it needs more top-end in the sound too - it doesn't 'kerang' like a really good Marshall, very noticeable on the chords at around 9'20"-9'30". Or maybe it's the recording… or him. Just too compressed and middy. But then he seems to be able to make anything sound like that.

Hilarious that Andertons wanted to put a V30 in it until they were told not to!

I listened out for that bit (just watched the whole thing), I didn't think it were too compressed and middy. Wouldn't a Presence control just cut the top end even more unless it were left on max?

ICBM

Depends. If the presence circuit isn't pre-set to full up (which is unlikely), it could be made brighter. It certainly doesn't sound quite as bright or open as I like from a Marshall.

I'm beginning to think most people like much more middy and compressed sounds than I do though! (Especially given some of the amps some of you like .)