Metropoulos Forum

Does anybody know why there's no tremolo offered on the Bluesbreaker style amps from Metropolis or many other kits and builds I see. It seems that if you want a decent replica, you have to be OK without the trem. Also, Marshall needs to get serious about the Handwired series, I have the 1974x and I think it's awesome, does it sound like a real one? I don't know, never had a real one, but who cares it sounds awesome.

They should cut the crap with the Bluesbreaker reissue and get up a handwired version. At least then we'd have less to rip out and restore.

First of all, not many like the Marshall tremelo circuit in any form. Most guys around here disconnect them. From what I've researched, there are components in the original Tremelo amps that are hard to find and the reissue trem circuit is a poor design.

When I rebuilt my BBri with the Metroamp BBri PTP board, I could not get the trem to work with out an annoying background buzz. It's trem was a copy of the reissue circuit. After much trial and error, I found a former member here (Jon of Wilder Amplification) who had designed a PTP BBri board utilizing the Fender Blackface trem circuit. I installed it and it sounds great!

As for Marshall's HW series, IMHO it was an attempt to jump on the "clone" bandwagon that guys like George and other boutiquers established. Marshall was trying to get a piece of the pie.

I see, well Marshall makes some great HW stuff, I just don't think it's as good as George's or some of the kits people build themselves. Too bad they don't just hire George to right the wrongs. They could just make the JCM20000002059 or whatever for the Guitar Center kids, and then have a real craftsman make the Hand wired Series for people who want the amps like the old days. And don't say cost, because they did it back then, and it seemed to work just fine, just have a cheap line and a high end line.
Maybe they could call the high end line "Mar - Shell" so it sounds fancy. (totally kidding)