Ultimate Rhoads

Randy's Marshall's were beefed up at the Marshall factory. He told Kevin Dubrow. I think (not sure) he changed the regular EL34 tubes for either 6550 or KT88 tubes. And maybe changed the output transformer optimized for either of those two tube types.

But I recently noticed something interesting, look at the picture below:



Left from the LED at the SLP panel I see an extra knob/switch which is normally not there on regular SLP's:


What is that that extra knob/switch ?
Suggestions?
(I know could be anything of course, but I'm just curious!)

Below is how a regular SLP panel looks:
(one power switch and one standby switch left from the LED at the panel)

I am trying to work out if theres two. There looks like there could be more than just one extra. there could be two. However, i couldnt give a specific reason why.

To me it looks like 1 extra knob at outer left. (instead of a switch)

It could be very well a resonance control for extra low-end.
Have seen those mods before. But I can't be sure here. I wonder what more it could be? (extra gain control? )

It may of been valve switch. When he wanted one EL34 or KT88 or whether he wanted Simul. Not sure though. I can see two however, i see four switches side of the LED :S

skezza wrote:It may of been valve switch. When he wanted one EL34 or KT88 or whether he wanted Simul. Not sure though. I can see two however, i see four switches side of the LED :S

Valve switch... hadn't thought about that!

only a suggestion

Did some searching at plexi palace: 74 100 Watt: 2 switches or 3 switches??
So it could be very well a polarity switch.

I don't really know much about amps and stuff but i've found a picture of just Randy's white Marshall head, if it helps I could try and get it up here.

In the picture it has 6 knobs, 4 inputs, 2 switches on the left with something tiny on the left of them that I can't see (may be a logo or a little button or a very little switch. It's not the same as the big picture already posted though because it has a horizontal thing above a verticle thing), the square red light and the black Marshall logo. I don't think it's in anyway custom except maybe the colour. If it helps then i'll find a way to post the picture.

Ell wrote:I don't really know much about amps and stuff but i've found a picture of just Randy's white Marshall head, if it helps I could try and get it up here.

In the picture it has 6 knobs, 4 inputs, 2 switches on the left with something tiny on the left of them that I can't see (may be a logo or a little button or a very little switch. It's not the same as the big picture already posted though because it has a horizontal thing above a verticle thing), the square red light and the black Marshall logo. I don't think it's in anyway custom except maybe the colour. If it helps then i'll find a way to post the picture.

Haven't noticed anything unusual about that white head, but if you can post that pic it will be great!

I think that's how I get the picture working , it's the first ever time i've posted a picture. Hopefully it'll work.

Ell wrote:

I think that's how I get the picture working , it's the first ever time i've posted a picture. Hopefully it'll work.

Thanks Ell,

But I don't think it's the white Marshall that Randy used. It's seems to me like a regular white plexi. The thing at outer left is the Marshall "MK11" logo. (quit sure about that)

See below the amp randy used, and compare the standbye- and powerswitches:

Flying Dutchman wrote:

Ell wrote:

I think that's how I get the picture working , it's the first ever time i've posted a picture. Hopefully it'll work.

Thanks Ell,

But I don't think it's the white Marshall that Randy used. It's seems to me like a regular white plexi. The thing at outer left is the Marshall "MK11" logo. (quit sure about that)

See below the amp randy used, and compare the standbye- and powerswitches:

You're completely right, It's weird because I found that picture in a Marshall magazing, maybe they don't know what they're talking about . I should have checked before I said.

here's another clue



click it and read the right column

Thanks Stilt!
So his heads were modified by Tony Frank.
Did some research about this Tony Frank and it seems he was the inventor of the "master volume" for Marshall amps in the seventies.

Amplifiers from the 1970s onwards can be distinguished most easily by their brushed metal front panel. In the mid-1970s, Marshall introduced the "master volume" series - these amplifiers claimed to offer the overdriven tone of the earlier products, but at a much lower volume. This design was the idea of Tony Frank of Unicord in Westbury, NY, Marshall's American distributor. This was achieved by limiting the output of the tube preamp stage; unfortunately, this results in a less pleasing overdriven tone, as much of the smooth, singing sustain of a classic valve amplifier comes from the poweramp tubes.

However I don't think think Randy had modified his amps by adding a master volume section. And I don't think his Marshall's were heavily modified either. It would be great if someone could track down Tony Frank and ask about it. He is the best person to ask after Pete Mertons I guess.