Marshall Y
originally found in Yngwie’s effects chain, most notably the boost and integrated noise gate. The built-in Boost function uses independent gain and volume controls (rear-mounted) to dial in the required amount of gain and boost, which instantly seems to transform the silky tone of the amp’s non-boosted vintage mode to a more aggressive sound not unlike a really good mid 1970s JMP master volume Marshall head. Nonetheless, the boosted tone isn’t as uncompromisingly savage as one might expect, especially given Yngwie’s reputation as a Premier League shredder. Yngwie’s playing style is very dynamic and obviously relies heavily on sheer volume to help generate enough oomph to give his screaming hyper-speed solos maximum projection, which naturally leads us to one of his signature amp’s most exciting and useful features. Marshall recently developed its new EPA (Electronic Power Attenuation) technology, which is effectively a
should it develop a fault. Besides this, the YJM100 is also self-biasing, meaning any faulty power tubes can be quickly swapped without needing to have the amp’s bias reset by a qualifi ed amp tech. Your roadie will defi nitely love this feature! There is also an effects loop and a built-in digital reverb that, like the boost and gate, can be selected remotely via the PEDL-00046 Footswitch that comes supplied with the amp.
Sounds
The main thing that we love about the YJM100 is that it really captures the essence of a classic Marshall sound whilst also offering features that really make sense to a working musician. Full marks to Yngwie Malmsteen and Marshall for presenting a product that feels so well grounded.
Some players might be
disappointed that this amp doesn’t deliver mountains of hyper-gain
AT A GLANCE…
TYPE: 100/50 watt tube guitar amplifi er head. FEATURES: Built-in digital reverb, noise- gate & boost, selectable via remote footswitch Selectable FX loop.
WE LIKE: 100% authentic Marshall tones, great build-quality. Great features & sounds make this a real working musician’s Marshall. Shame production is limited to only 1500 units worldwide, though!
to really appreciate the full effect and our test 1960A angled 412 cabinet was obviously a perfect match. It might be a tight squeeze fi tting this stack into the back of the old Hot
The YJM100 rear panel: Marshall tube power plus modern features equals killer guitar tones
built-in power soak that adjusts the amp’s output from 100% full output, right down to 0.1% and anything in between. You can crank the volume and boost controls to the max and yet use the EPA knob to adjust the amp’s overall output from a barely perceptible whisper to an all-out roar. It really works brilliantly and you can quickly appreciate how useful this feature is from a working musician’s standpoint, where volume issues are equally important in the studio as onstage. A dedicated power mode switch adjusts the amp’s output between 50 to 100 watts, offering another way of taming the amp’s output whilst also delivering the sweeter sounding 50watt Marshall sound that many players, including Yngwie himself on occasion, tend to prefer. The easy servicing function that we mentioned earlier comes in the form of LEDs that indicate which, if any, of the output tubes has malfunctioned
but that isn’t really where Yngwie is coming from, sound-wise. Malmsteen’s playing may sound fairly aggressive but his tone defi nitely is based around a dynamic overdriven valve sound, not the contemporary heavy distortion that one might associate with other virtuoso instrumental rockers like John Petrucci or Joe Satriani. Nevertheless, the boost circuit
defi nitely adds a real kick and the overdriven tones develop a lovely throaty crunch – think classic AC/DC, Motörhead circa Ace of Spades or even early Van Halen and you’re defi nitely in the right ballpark. The big ballsy tone is a whole lot of fun and the EPA knob negates any fear that you are playing too loud, this amp will sit comfortably in any band or recording situation and even at its lowest power setting the tone sounds fulsome and powerful. Of course, you really need to hear the thing cranked up through a set of speakers
Hatch but you can’t beat a Marshall stack for setting out your stall as a bona-fi de rock god!
As a user of single coil pickups Yngwie Malmsteen relies heavily on a
noise gate and his signature amplifi er’s built-in noise gate defi nitely comes in useful, it is studio-quiet and the adjustable cut off time lets the guitar ‘breathe’ properly before the gate kicks-in. If you don’t want the gate you can always deactivate it with the footswitch. The digital reverb, on the other hand, whilst still a nice feature, isn’t what we’d describe as essential. At lower levels the reverb adds extra depth and warmth to what might be an otherwise bone-dry tone but with the noise gate engaged the reverb cuts off rather abruptly, emphasizing the point where the gate threshold is set, which can sound a bit odd. The YJM is a mighty sounding beast, though. It has masses of power and best of all, it is simply a piece of cake to set up and use. There are none of the limitations of a standard 1959 Super Lead – the YJM100s boost and EPA functions offer the necessary gain boost without the inherent volume problems that can arise with a regular 100 watt Marshall head. PM
SHOULD I BUY ONE?
Signature amps by their very nature are usually targeted specifi cally at a certain niche, the Marshall 2203KK Kerry King JCM800 being a prime example. However, the YJM100 feels much more like an everyman’s amp. It is very versatile, offers road-friendly maintenance and delivers unmistakably big hairy-bottomed Marshall tone by the bucketful. Whilst Yngwie Malmsteen most defi nitely isn’t your average everyday guitarist, his signature amp sounds great regardless of whatever style of music you play. Limited to only 1500 pieces worldwide, this seems a bit of shame for those who’ll miss out on one because it is one hell of a great Marshall amplifi er.
www.playmusicpickup.co.uk 15
JM100
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