Introduction
The Marshall reputation has been built upon many things, but our longevity comes mainly as a result of the continual relevance of the concepts behind the design and build of our amplifiers. Added to this are solid workmanship, reliability, stylish looks, and above all – great tone.
One of the most versatile Marshalls ever made, the Lead and Bass 50 watt combo, was offered for sale through Mail Order from 1973 through 1976. Its original model number was the 2100 and was a revolution in its day, combining one channel from a bass amp and one from a lead amp. Produced in fairly low numbers, these combos are now much sought after for their simplicity of operation and superb natural valve tone. The continual fascination and love that many guitarists show for our vintage amplification is a testament to just how relevant and important these models still are today.
Achieving the beautifully organic and vibrant overdrive which is their trademark, can only be done in one way – crank’em up! The result is pure majestic tone, uncluttered by unnecessary circuitry. With solos this produces a big, round, warm sustain, full of classic character. With chord work you get a bark and percussive attack with a natural sounding break up, which allows each note to ring out in a glorious musical crunch.
Like all Marshalls re-issues the 1987X-PW Lead and Bass Fifty Combo is as“faithful as possible to the originals in terms of construction and tone. Hand-crafted in the UK these superb units feature finger-jointed cabinets of birch plywood, hand-welded chassis’s, hand-wired transformers, potentiometers and valve bases and the highest quality PCBs and components.
The Lead Bass Fifty”has been my main amp for the last ten years or so, nothing comes close to it, till now
From Jim Marshall
I would personally like to congratulate you for choosing this incredibly special amplifier from Marshall - the Lead and Bass 1987X-PW.
As you have heard the 2100 was initially launched in 1973 and has been the work-horse of many a guitarist seeking the best of both lead and bass worlds. The warm yet attacking tone created from these amps proved extremely popular with the emerging generation of guitarists and, I’m pleased to say, means that the Lead and Bass 50 is still held in high regard today. One guitarist who favours the 2100 just happens to be one of the most respected and influential singer/songwriters of recent times - Paul Weller.
I feel very fortunate to have enjoyed many years of friendship and associations with some of the
most talented guitarists in living memory. The fact that an artist of Paul’s calibre chooses a
Marshall is a very humbling feeling indeed. So to celebrate both our long standing musical partnership and Paul’s 50th birthday, I asked
the Marshall team to create a special Limited Edition amplifier based on the 2100 Lead and Bass 50 Combos. In response they have produced an amp
brimming full of vintage tone and style, indicative of the ‘Mod Father’ himself. Apart from our love of music, both Paul and myself are committed to
raising money for very worthy causes. In purchasing this amplifier you have ensured a substantial donation will be made by Marshall to the Childline charity. Offering help and advice to children who need it most, Childline is a vital service to the young and one which we are
proud to support.
All 50 of the 1987X-PW amplifiers have been hand-built in the UK by our highly skilled staff on the Marshall factory floor. Their attention to detail, craftsmanship and exacting standards have
been the foundation on which Marshall’s reputation has been built, so you can rest assured that your 1987X-PW will stand the test of time.
I sincerely hope that your new amplifier brings you years of guitar playing pleasure and enjoyment. Welcome to the family. Yours Sincerely
Dr Jim Marshall OBE
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This1. POWERis the On/OffSWITCHswitch for mains power to the amplifier.
Please ensure the amplifier is switched off and unpluggedNote: from the mains electricity supply whenever it is moved.
The2. STANDBYStandby SwitchSWITCHis used in conjunction with the Power Switch (item 1) to ‘warm up’ the amplifier before use and to prolong the life of the output valves.
When powering up the amplifier always engage the Power Switch first, leaving the Standby switch on ‘Standby’. This allows the application of the voltage required to heat the valves to their correct operating temperature. After approximately two minutes the valves will have reached the correct operating temperature and the Standby Switch can be engaged. In order to prolong valve life, the Standby Switch alone should also be used to turn the amplifier on and off during breaks in a performance. Also, when switching off, always disengage the Standby Switch prior to the main Power Switch.
The3. INICATORIndicator will light up when your amplifier is receiving the correct mains power and is switched on. It will not be lit when the amplifier is switched off and/or is not receiving mains power.
This4. PRESENCEcontrol operatesCONTROLin the 1987X-PW’s power section and adds high frequencies to your sound by altering the power amplifier’s negative feedback. Turning this control clockwise adds more edge and ‘sparkle’ to your sound, making it crisper and more cutting.
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This5. BASSadjustsCONTROLthe bottom end, turning it clockwise increases the amount of low frequencies in the sound.
This6. MIDDLEadjusts theCONTROLlevel of those all-important mid-range frequencies. Turning it clockwise increases the mids and fattens your sound, giving it more punch. Turning it anticlockwise reduces the mids.
This7. TREBLEadjusts theCONTROLtop-end. Turning it clockwise increases the amount of high frequencies (treble) present in the sound, making your tone brighter.
The following four controls - PRESENCE (item 4),Note:BASS (item 5), MIDDLE (item 6) & TREBLE (item 7) - are all shared, meaning that they all work on both Channel I and Channel II. The Treble, Middle and Bass controls are highly interactive and altering one control can change the way the other two behave. For this reason, experimentation is recommended.
Paul’s Preferred settings, as shown on the panel above: P = 6, B = 10, M = 10,T = 4,VI = 2,VII = 0
This8.VOLUMEcontrols theI overall output level of Channel I, turning it clockwise increases the volume. This is the 1987 super-lead channel and is voiced for a higher treble response than Channel II.
This9.VOLUMEcontrols theII overall output level of Channel II, turning it clockwise increases the volume level. This is the 1986 super-bass channel and is voiced for a 'bass', flatter response.
10. HIGH SENSITIVITY INPUT FOR
ThisCHANNELis the ‘highI sensitivity’ guitar input for Channel I – the “Lead” channel is the brighter of the two channels - and is the most commonly used input. Always use a high quality screened guitar lead.
11. LOW SENSITIVITY INPUT FOR
ThisCHANNELis the ‘lowIsensitivity’ guitar input for Channel I. It is 6dB lower in volume than the ‘high sensitivity’ input and has a darker sound as well due to its significantly lower input impedance.
12. HIGH SENSITIVITY INPUT FOR
ThisCHANNELis the ‘highIIsensitivity’ guitar input for Channel II, the so-called ‘Bass’ channel.
13. LOW SENSITIVITY INPUT FOR
ThisCHANNELis the ‘lowIIsensitivity’ guitar input for Channel II. It is 6dB lower in volume than the ‘high sensitivity’ input and has a darker sound as well due to its significantly lower input impedance.
Performance Note: Bridging or ‘jumping’
Becausethe twobothchannelsChannels of the 1987X-PW have the same number of gain stages (two) and are therefore in phase with each other, it is possible to bridge them together (‘slaving’,‘jumping’,‘linking’ or even ‘daisy- chaining’) and use them both at the same time. Doing this enables you to expand upon the amp’s tonal possibilities by mixing the two channels together.
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The most common way of doing this is to plug your guitar into the top (high sensitivity) input of Channel I and then run a short ‘jumper’ guitar cable (i.e. a screened cable) from the Channel I’s bottom (low sensitivity) input to the top (high sensitivity) input of Channel II. (fig. 1)
The ‘reverse’ is also possible – namely plugging your guitar into Channel II’s top input and then running the ‘jumper’ cable from Channel II’s bottom input to Channel I’s top input. This less common approach can yield some interesting tonal variations. (fig. 2)
