The Legacy of Loud

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For the Marco Beach Boys and Girls, music has always been a driving force in the recreation of our lives, but the true story of how "Rock Music" emerged into the exciting and melodic monster is today just as compelling as when a new age of music began.

There can be little doubt that Elvis Presley was the king of rock and roll and that most of the girls in the Elvis audiences were screaming, but even though Elvis crooned, charmed, and cultivated controversial moves and emotions, most everyone that attended an Elvis concert could actually hear the music.

Before the Beatles’ British invasion, live rock and roll audiences in America were growing wilder with every performance, but when boys from Liverpool arrived live musical performances began to drastically change.

When the Beatles came to America supporting their first international album, "Meet the Beatles," the attending audiences went crazy. Not only was the screaming louder and more intense than anyone had ever witnessed, the frantic crowds were pushing forward because that was the only way to hear the new hit songs. Everyone, of course, wanted a better look at the longhaired sensations, but because of the over-enthusiastic screaming, anyone a few hundred feet from the stage could not even hear the guitars, drums, and singing. The record-breaking crowds were that intense.

Critics of the Beatles stood in the back of the arenas and reported that whatever was going on was not a musical show because the music simply could not be heard - at least not after the screaming started.

After the Beatles, more British bands became popular, but whenever the new artists featuring electric guitars, electric bass, and drums started to perform, they were easily overwhelmed by the spontaneous enthusiasm of the attending crowds. The problem was so remarkable that the musicians and their managers knew something new had to happen.

Part of the Beatles unique sound was because of a British amplifier company. Vox amplifiers were very successful in England because they produced a bright and ultra-treble sound. When Vox started making amplifiers in 1959, their first model was widely successful but the electric guitar accessory only provided 15 watts of power. After pressure from performing artists for more powerful and louder equipment, Vox introduced a new amplifier that produced 30 watts.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the Atlantic, Leo Fender in California was producing Fender electric guitar amplifiers with 35 watts of power. The Fender amplifiers were crossing the ocean despite Vox's new and more powerful model, and slowly but surely, the Fender electric guitar accessories were moving in. Shipping across an ocean was expensive, however, and so was the imported Fender gear because of strict import taxes in England.

In London, however, during the early 1960s, there was a young man named Jim Marshall. Jim was crazy about the new musical revolution that began with the Beatles and was friends with all of the upcoming musical stars. He often frequented the popular London nightclubs where the new-age musicians would meet, perform, and socialize.

Even from the beginning, when Jim Marshall saw the musicians drowned out by the screaming fans, he knew that a new amplifier was necessary but he wanted to make sure he gave the upcoming guitarists and bass players what they really wanted. Jim felt that neither Fender nor Vox was giving the new music scene what was required with volume, so he began to do his homework. He knew that the new amplifier had to be louder and more powerful than anything Fender or Vox currently produced, but the tone also had to be bright. After all, Vox was famous for its outstanding trebly tone, and that tone was at least partly responsible for the success of the British invasion.

On any occasion in London, when there were musicians playing, guitarists relaxing, or bass players partying, Jim Marshall was there. "What would be the best sound?" Jim would always ask the young players from all the best bands.

After interviewing almost every player in the early 1960s London nightclub scene, an answer to Jim's ultimate question began to surface. One rumor actually gives credit to Keith Moon - the late and legendary drummer for The Who - for providing the inspirational key that would unlock a legacy.

"If we could only blend the sound of Fender and Vox together," Moon supposedly offered. "That would be the sound, but it would have to be much louder and with many more speakers - it would have to be an amplifier that would have a real presence."

After all the interviews, suggestions, and comments from all the musicians, Jim Marshall went to work to provide the perfect amplifier for the new age of rock and roll.

Jim owned a small music store in London, and according to historical archives, many present-day guitar legends would often drop by and inquire about guitar equipment. With encouragement from many soon-to-be rock stars, Jim and a young electronic engineer began to explore the inner workings of a favorite Fender amplifier. After making several prototypes with electronics schematics similar to the Vox and Fender products, the unique Marshall sound emerged after only a few attempts.

In no time at all, the little music store in London began constructing electric guitar and electric bass amplifiers with military surplus vacuum tubes. Because of the need to make the new Marshall amplifiers louder, larger output transformers were required along with a rugged housing for more vacuum tubes. As a result, the new and much more powerful amplifying gear became too heavy.

With innovative thinking, Jim and his team came up with the idea of separate and modular speaker cabinets to stack under the separate amplifier head that housed all of the tubes, transformers and electronics. The birth of the famous Marshall stack followed and soon John Entwistle and Pete Townsend of The Who were clamoring for even more powerful and louder equipment. In no time at all, The Who was performing in front of several Marshall stacks wired together. The wall of sound was incredible.

A few months later, a young Jimi Hendrix and his manager came into Jim's shop and after trying one of the new Marshalls, Hendrix instantly bought several outright as Jim agreed to provide technical support anywhere in the world.

After Hendrix, Richie Blackmore, and The Who, everyone that heard the incredible new sound simply had to have the new amplifier that started loud and then got even louder. Thanks to the warm sound created by heated vacuum tubes, guitar chords and notes began to beautifully break up in a wonderful distorted effect that became the new sound of rock and roll. Upon every rock and roll stage it seemed, Marshall was the new sheriff in town and Jim Marshall was crowned: "The Father of Loud."

Undoubtedly, a man and an idea forever changed the rock and roll music scene. Today Marshall Amplifiers are widely considered the most popular and prestigious electric guitar amplifiers in the world. The unmistakable sound that grips and captivates still uses vacuum tube technology and a unique tone control labeled "presence."

Perhaps the rumors are true and Keith Moon really did inspire the key to unlock a legacy: "That would be the sound, but it would have to be much louder and with many more speakers - it would have to be an amplifier that would have a real ‘presence.’"

Tom Williams is a Marco Islander and the author of two books: "Lost and Found"and "Surrounded by Thunder - The Story of Darrell Loan and the Rocket Men." Both books are available on Kindle and Nook.

Author

Tom Williams is a Marco Islander. He is the author of two books: Lost and Found and Surrounded by Thunder - the Story of Darrell Loan and the Rocket Men. Both books are available on Kindle and Nook.

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