What amps sound like Marshall Amps?

I know Marshall makes a great amp and I will probably end up with one soon. However, are there any other manufacturers who make a quality amp with that "Marshall" sound? Thanks.

The "Modern" Marshall sound?
The 4 input, pre Master Volume? (and that breaks down into several sub groups)
If was buying a Modern Production amp, I'd probably buy a Rivera, and even then
there's a dozen different models.
The Quiana's are nice...

Tom

PS Anybody have a opinion on JET CITY amps?

A few more names - Soldano, Laney (cheaper than Marshall but their valve range at least is actually pretty good), Hughes and Kettner.

It really depends on what you mean by a "Marshall" sound, and what you mean by "quality" though. There's a huge difference between a TSL and a plexi Lead/Superlead.

Really, if you want the sound of a particular Marshall amp, the best way to get it is to get that amp.

I know I'll get hung for saying this here but....
I was running a Mesa Boogie 3 channel dual rectifier for years.  At the time we were rehearseing 2-3 tim a week and gigging 4-5 times a month.  It's crunch channels were INSANE, gourgeous full tones, the clean was never really a "clean" sound but it worked I guess..   but my issues were these:
1) It would not let me run ANY effects through it at all.  NONE!  didn't matter if it was through the loop or out in front of it.  That amp would give me a high pitch tone (Imaging hitting a high C on a keyboard and holding it) from the minute you turned it on with FX in the chain til you turned it off.  Completely rejected any other processing.... Elitist premadonna amplifier!
2) I was always replacing tubes every year- year and a half...  That gets expensive with all the main tubes, Preamp tubes, and recto tubes.
3) I never got a power conditioner.  So when the cook at the club would turn on a mixer or oven the voltage would change enough to throw my tone out of whack.  (I know.... this one is on me)
4) You have to keep spare 4A slow blow fuses with you at all times.

So I sold it and went to using my older solid  state head and a line six XT Live pedal that does Amp/cab modeling, and multi FX.  It get's me about 95% of the way to my old sound without the maintenence and headaches...  Just my 2 cents.   For the money I think the XT Live or the new line 6 Hd model pedals could get you alot closer than many off-brand amplifiers.  

Now I am going to run before the purists string me up...

1) It would not let me run ANY effects through it at all.  NONE! 

 
Very odd.

2) I was always replacing tubes every year- year and a half

 
Preamp valves usually last much longer than that in my experience (my Fender reissue Reverb unit was last revalved about 8 years ago and is still happy). Even power-amp ones usually will in my experience. Then again, I've never owned a Mesa. One the other hand, I have owned a Marshall (a JTM30 I bought for pub gigs) that was as tempremental/unreliable in it's own way. It had the unfortunate habit of cutting out for a couple of seconds every thirty seconds or so. Not always, only sometimes, and neither my local amp repairers or Marshall ever really got to the bottom of it. It seems lots of people had similar problems with those amps......
 

For the money I think the XT Live or the new line 6 Hd model pedals could get you alot closer than many off-brand amplifiers.  

 
An emulator and a powered PA cab is certainly a workable option (or two cabs and work in stereo). Particularly useful if you need a wide variety of sounds or tempo-matching to MIDI sync. I've been tempted myself - what's stopped me is that emulators don't sound or feel quite the same in the mild break-up/crunch area I spend a lot of time. They also make my synesthesia go kind of strange - which is really uncomfortable for me but unlikely to bother anyone else. And also means the reason I don't like digital emulators might well really all be in my mind :-).

Just thinking about hauling a 4x12 around makes by back hurt. I gave up on that some years ago. Agreed, a full or half stack looks great, especially in a rock/metal band, but dragging it out of the van at 3.00 a.m., usually in the rain, having driven home from a gig 100+ miles away really isn't my idea of fun any more.

We've drifted well away from the thread topic, but I'd still suggest a small PA bin or two rather than a combo. If you're using an emulator/preamp to emulate difffferent amplifiers, it seems to make sense (to me at least) to feed it to the most neutral amp and speaker you can, rather than let the amp/speakers colour the sound.

Late to the party, but I agree... if you want Marshall tone.... buy the model you like.  

I've played in a few bands where the "other" guitar played was using either the 50w or 100w Marshall head with a 4x12 Marshall cab. In every case, the amp was exceedingly loud and the guitarist in question was ALWAYS seeking ways to keep that tone he would get on 10, but at a lower level. Blankets, cutouts, road cases, turn it backwards, power sinks, you name it..... I've seen it tried, and none of it was really satisfactory. 
I used to gig for a living and was on stage more nights than not. I have used the big 50 to 100w amps with multiple speakers to the smaller amps in the 20 watt range. 

I like the smaller ones because you can crank them up to 10 and while they are loud by themselves, not so much when  compared to the 100w big boys..... the small amps let me get that magic Tone at a lower level. 

I used my Mesa 22 studio on stage. 22 watts was more than enough in the clubs, but I also had a pair of 200w rated 4x12 Lab Series cabs that I powered with a stereo Carvin DCA-800 from the Mesa's line out if I wanted to move more air..... Still had the tone, and the volume if I needed it but I could dial the DCA down as needed and get that fat sound a reasonable sound pressure levels.  


If you just want that Marshall sound... get a Marshall. 

Aside from guitarists who know a Marshall's sound..... ( a very small percentage).... most listeners and other musicians would not be able to tell if it was a Marshall or a Peavey...and could probably care less. 

I find that I sound like me no matter what amp I plug into. Some I like a little better, some not as much but twist the knobs, and use the right pedals, maybe a speaker change and you can get most anywhere with any decent amp. There are extremes like I wouldn't try to get a Roland Jazz Chorus to sound like a Mesa Boogie triple rectifier.... however both Clapton and Townshend use Fender Tonekings live... and Strats and they sound like Clapton and Townshend.
I run a Boss Bass EQ pedal in front of a Fender Custom Vibrolux Reverb and can get most any sound with it. Sometimes I use a vintage Jordan J-100 pedal, sometimes a Tech21 Comp-Tortion, sometimes an EH Engish Muff'n. Bottom line, if you have a good clean tone you can get most any other tone with the right pedals. It is the clean plexi tone that is hardest to get without the right amp, but you can get it. Dirty tones are not that hard. If you want classic rock tones you'll be surprised at what you can get from a Peavey Classic 30 or 50. Blackhart amps are a good amp to try for an alternative. Go to the gearpage amps forum and read. mylespaul forums have some good amp threads too. Mesa Boogie started business by modding Fenders. Marshall started out by making a few changes to a Fender Bassman and calling it a Bluesbreaker. Fender started out by using schematics that RCA provided to sell tubes. Classic amps are all related so again... if you can get a good clean tone with the headroom you need, you can get your tone using pedals. Go to Guitar Center or Sam Ash, take your guitar and play some amps... don't listen too much to the salesmen... do it yourself.

J

el84s are the lower. el34s are used in 50, 60, and 100+ w amps. El84s are used in 19, 20, and 30 watters and VOX AC15s and 30s, and Peavey Classics. Some classic Marshalls and some new ones use KT-88s. I think the early plexis and JTM-45s used KT-88s. Then they switches to EL34s. But you are right EL34 is the classic Marshall tube, it is still up to the circuit, speakers, and quality of the tubes and the transformers... especially the output transformers.

Don't over do it with the power... or you will go deaf trying to get the tone you want and soundmen will cnstantly be telling you to turn it down. These days 30 watts will do most things if you have the amp miced, if not you wont have enough headroom and to get a really good tone you will be too loud. More watts dont get you a lot more volume, it gets you more clean headroom and some punch.

Read... research..

Yeah, I had that backwards. Thanks JBOW ....

I haven't seen Fargen mentioned here yet, but I have a Mini-Plex that has the sound (and circuitry, according to Mr. Fargen) of 3 separate Marshall models, switchable from the front panel, in a 7-10 watt package.  The tone is all Marshall, without the paint-peeling volume.  They aren't cheap, and are hard to find used, but if you get your hands on one you will know what I am talking about.

Check out the Sommatone's. If I could afford one, this is probably what I would get. Jimmy does great work!!!

Ended up buying a "Blackstar H5"  building a cabinet with a 12" Eminence "Wizard" sounds good to me. Sure having fun playing it, I play with another guitarist and a bass player, no problem on volume at all.

Very interesting, I was going to recommend the Blackstar amps earlier in the thread, then I remembered I knew better than to talk about tone with guitar players!

Although not a guitarist myself, I've worked with countless guitarists over the years as a bandmate, technician, engineer, or consultant. I helped quite a few find or refine their tone, designed/built "refrigerator" racks, etc.

One day last year at a local busy and noisy music store, I heard a guitar tone from across the store. I wasn't paying any attention at all through all the various drum, percussion, keyboard and guitar noodling going on... but this tone I heard literally stopped me in my tracks. What amp is THAT? I had to know. Sure enough it was a Blackstar 2x12.

Furthermore, several of the employees who worked in the store were purchasing Blackstar amps for their own use, and some getting rid of their Marshall rigs to do so.

When asked what a Blackstar amp sounds like, although there's quite a bit of tonal variation, I often say they sound like a really great modded Marshall, with all the good you want from a Marshall-like tone with none of the bad.

The Blackstar amps certainly won't be the right choice for everyone, but anyone seeking anything close to a Marshall-like tone owes it to themselves to at least audition one.