"It is with profound sorrow that we announce the passing of our beloved founder and leader for the past 50 years, Jim Marshall. While mourning the Guv’nor though, we also salute a legendary man who led a full and truly remarkable life.
Jim’s ascent into the history books as ‘the Father of Loud’ and the man responsible for ‘the Sound of Rock’ is a true rags-to-riches tale. Cruelly robbed of his youth by tubercular bones, Jim rose to become one of the four forefathers responsible for creating the tools that allowed rock guitar as we know and love it today to be born. The ground breaking quartet also includes the late, great trio of Leo Fender, Les Paul and Seth Lover – together with Jim, they truly are the cornerstones of all things rock.
In addition to the creation of the amps chosen by countless guitar heroes and game changing bands, Jim was also an incredibly humble and generous man who, over the past several decades, has quietly donated many millions of pounds to worthy causes.
While the entire Marshall Amplification family mourns Jim’s passing and will miss him tremendously, we all feel richer for having known him and are happy in the knowledge that he is now in a much better place which has just got a whole lot louder!
Rest in Peace & thank you Jim."
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I visited the Marshall factory in Bletchley on a couple of occasions when having repairs done and met the great man at a guitar fair a few years ago, the amp museum at Bletchley is well worth visiting, some amazing early prototypes in there including a Vox! (-:
Vaya con Dios with it cranked all the way up to 11, Jim. You'll be missed.☹
Jim Marshall, founder of Marshall amps, dies at 88
This photo dated March 1, 2010 shows Jim Marshall of Marshall Ampli...
LONDON — Jim Marshall, who helped shape the sound of rock 'n' roll with his groundbreaking amplifier designs, died in a hospice Thursday morning, his family said. He was 88.
Marshall had cancer and endured a series of strokes, including several that were severe, his son, Terry Marshall, said.
"My wife and I were with him when he passed away," his son said. "He got cancer toward the end of last year, and had surgery for that, and it came back. He was in a terrible state the last five or six weeks. He's in a much better place now."
Jim Marshall was long associated with the heavy guitar sounds his amps helped popularize in the 1960s, when Pete Townshend of The Who, Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page and others turned to stacks of Marshall amps to create a thunderous hard rock sound.
He was not looking for musical precision in his amplifiers, but wanted a sound that conveyed raw, fuzzy power. Aficionados credit him with developing the "amp stack" that allowed garage bands to make a powerful noise in small dance halls and gymnasiums.
Terry Marshall said the first amp was produced in 1960, a few years before the musical explosion that would give guitar-oriented rock its place in music history.
The first Marshall amps didn't look like much — just a simple black box with a speaker inside and basic controls on top — but they packed a formidable punch.
Jim Marshall turned his amplifiers into a successful business, keeping much of his production in England. The company is based in a small factory near Milton Keynes, north of London.
Marshall was proud that he resisted suggestions that he shift all production outside of England to save costs.
He remained a fan of heavy metal rock — and of Cuban Montecristo cigars and single malt Scotch — well into his 70s. He kept a drum set in his office.
In his later years, Marshall became involved with numerous charities and in 2003 was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II for his successful export of British-made goods and his various charitable deeds.
He is survived by two children, two stepchildren, and grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Sad news about the creator of my favourite amps...his legacy will live on....! (-: