Jimi Hendrix 1967 Blackflag

His guitar slung across his back, his dusty boots is his cadillac.

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shakti
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Re: Jimi Hendrix 1967 Blackflag

Post by shakti » Fri Jul 15, 2011 1:23 pm

But those early aluminum chassis/JTM45 faceplate Super Leads w/EL34s - all the ones I've seen have the dual rectifier and 1203-80. Did they make them with 1204-43 and the standard 45/100 power supply?

10025 is indeed a low serial # for Black Flag panel and steel chassis. However, probably all the 24 preceding amps in the 10-series should have the same guts, just maybe on a different chassis and maybe with a different faceplate, judging by photos from Amp Archives.

I do agree that it's possible the head cabs got switched around at some point. When/where did Jim Marshall confirm this as a Hendrix amp?
Last edited by shakti on Fri Jul 15, 2011 5:18 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Jimi Hendrix 1967 Blackflag

Post by Roe » Fri Jul 15, 2011 1:34 pm

shakti wrote:But those early aluminum chassis/JTM45 faceplate Super Leads w/EL34s - all the ones I've seen have the dual rectifier and 1203-80. Did they make them with 1204-43 and the standard 45/100 power supply? ...
here's one: http://www.amparchives.com/album/Marsha ... 1d7_1.html

also there are several single rectifier jtm45 el34 amps with two caps in series in the phase inverter, e.g.http://www.amparchives.com/album/Marsha ... index.html
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Re: Jimi Hendrix 1967 Blackflag

Post by Xplorer » Fri Jul 15, 2011 1:40 pm

he said that mr marshall said it was the real deal, jimi's amp custom made for him, when he met him at sam ash , at a seminar in white plains new york. he took the time to look at this amp for him, and signed stuffs.

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Re: Jimi Hendrix 1967 Blackflag

Post by shakti » Fri Jul 15, 2011 5:10 pm

Well, I wouldn't necessarily trust Jim Marshall's memory on that one...there's nothing custom about the amp as far as I can see. And there's absolutely no way he'd remember the serial # of Jimi's amp. Sorry, I don't really buy that story. That doesn't mean this can't be a Hendrix amp - the stencil is at least a vague, possible connection.
Last edited by shakti on Fri Jul 15, 2011 5:20 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Jimi Hendrix 1967 Blackflag

Post by shakti » Fri Jul 15, 2011 5:16 pm

Roe wrote:
shakti wrote:But those early aluminum chassis/JTM45 faceplate Super Leads w/EL34s - all the ones I've seen have the dual rectifier and 1203-80. Did they make them with 1204-43 and the standard 45/100 power supply? ...
here's one: http://www.amparchives.com/album/Marsha ... 1d7_1.html

also there are several single rectifier jtm45 el34 amps with two caps in series in the phase inverter, e.g.http://www.amparchives.com/album/Marsha ... index.html

Thanks, that puts it to rest! I had seen those amps previously, but had forgotten about them. The last one is particularly interesting - as you mention, rectification and board layout like a classic JTM45/100, but two 32uF caps in series on the phase inverter. Also a rare 16+16 cap in the preamp (where the earlier KT66-equipped ones had a single 16, and the later EL34 ones had a 32+32), and what appears to be negative feedback on the 8 ohm tap (though that might not be original).

Since EL34s very obviously crept in at the end of the white rear panel/aluminum block end chassis/JTM45 front panel era, it makes me wonder about Clapton's second JTM45/100 stack which I believe he started using in January '67. Maybe it actually had EL34s?
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Re: Jimi Hendrix 1967 Blackflag

Post by Ted B » Fri Jul 15, 2011 5:52 pm

shakti wrote: Since EL34s very obviously crept in at the end of the white rear panel/aluminum block end chassis/JTM45 front panel era, it makes me wonder about Clapton's second JTM45/100 stack which I believe he started using in January '67. Maybe it actually had EL34s?
My hunch is his first JTM 45/100 stack, obtained May/June 1966 and used for the recording of Fresh Cream, was fitted with KT66s, and that which came afterward was all EL34s.

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Re: Jimi Hendrix 1967 Blackflag

Post by Roe » Sat Jul 16, 2011 3:48 am

shakti wrote:...
Since EL34s very obviously crept in at the end of the white rear panel/aluminum block end chassis/JTM45 front panel era, it makes me wonder about Clapton's second JTM45/100 stack which I believe he started using in January '67. Maybe it actually had EL34s?
I have wondered sometimes about whether Disraeli Gears could be EL34s rather than KT66s. Strange brew, for instance, almost sounds like an el34 amp with a high presence setting. But its hard to tell because of break up from speakers, microphones, preamps and the board.
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Re: Jimi Hendrix 1967 Blackflag

Post by shakti » Sat Jul 16, 2011 4:40 am

Yeah, Disraeli Gears is full of tweaks and tricks, and none of the tracks have a very typical sound of a cranked Marshall in a room. Quite unlike Fresh Cream, where it's very obvious that it's a KT66-equipped JTM45/100 cranked in a great-sounding room.

We're digressing though...how about that Hendrix cat? 8)
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Re: Jimi Hendrix 1967 Blackflag

Post by Ted B » Sat Jul 16, 2011 12:35 pm

Regarding the amp in the OP, I'm unconvinced that the chassis and head cab are of the same origins. Of course, that doesn't discount the possibility of a swap being made long ago due to damage to the original cab, or ...

Another thing to consider is that Hendrix was a nobody when he first stepped foot into the UK in Sept/1966. The J.H. Experience didn't exist until a month later, and Hendrix was relegated to using odd amps (e.g. Burns) in the very early days. His first single, Hey Joe, wasn't even released until Dec 16 of that year, and the first LP, Are You Experienced, not released until May of '67. It seems more likely than not that any 'custom' work done by Marshall for Hendrix would not have transpired until at least the first or second quarter 1967, when the J.H. Experience accumulated some notoriety and cash.

And yes, I am aware of Dickinson's account ...

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Re: Jimi Hendrix 1967 Blackflag

Post by Xplorer » Sat Jul 16, 2011 12:49 pm

that's something very possible.

something else possible could be that when he became famous, or when he was used to his new amps from marshall, he could probably have asked for some mods to marshall, as it was quite common : an old amp builder told me how the musiciens asked him for more this or more that , and they simply changed a few things, then they could say : that's it, stop it sounds good to me.
so Jimi perhaps had some amps that evolved a bit, from the first day he had them, when they were probably stock. then when he became famous, marshall maybe knew his tastes better and as he made his amp evolving with whatever he had in the hands, he probably built some custom amps directly for him, off the evolving line. 1967 sounds good for that.

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Re: Jimi Hendrix 1967 Blackflag

Post by Ted B » Sat Jul 16, 2011 1:00 pm

If any amps were specially modded (and for what reason?), the modification(s) would be evident within the photographs. In the case of Rhoads, it was a simple matter to see what had been done (by Marshall) to his amps, but I don't see that here. For one person to claim such a thing is very difficult to believe, much less prove. If other "J.H. Experienced" tagged amps (e.g. Dickinson's) displayed the same modification, that would be convincing. Otherwise, the odds are far greater that some individual just made a change somewhere over the years, as we all find with numerous vintage amps.

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Re: Jimi Hendrix 1967 Blackflag

Post by VintageCharlie » Sat Jul 16, 2011 1:40 pm

I don't know if it's a good contra-argument that Hendrix wasn't a huge success by then - all the musicians in Uk that had to say somnething knew about him from his first gig where also clapton showed up and was blown away. They all hanged out at marshalls shop, his son being a musician too. And then, that "nobody" got a full marshall line-up and got marshall to provide service for the amps and/or train teches for that - so he certainly was considered a good customer, i would think. And even though Marshall himself didn't have too much to do with the amps designs, at least the early ones, he sure did have a good nose for a coming success. This is all speculation, but i just wanted to say that idon't think that custom mods for hendrix would have been unlikely in early 67, late 66.

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Re: Jimi Hendrix 1967 Blackflag

Post by VintageCharlie » Sat Jul 16, 2011 1:42 pm

p.s. this hasn't much to do with this amps credability as a hendrix owned amp - to me it all looks very unconvincing for the moment - but who knows - there were probably many doubts when dickinson claimed his amp was formerly owned by hendrix. And even now there are still many sceptics ou there. especially in regard if it was hendrix's or reddings amp, etc. etc.

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Re: Jimi Hendrix 1967 Blackflag

Post by Ted B » Sat Jul 16, 2011 2:04 pm

Indeed this is all speculation, and hardly worth a debate at this point.

If one shows me an amp claimed as formerly belonging to the J.H.E. I have no trouble believing that possibility. If said amp has several replaced or otherwise changed components, swapped head cab or otherwise, I have no trouble believing that either for reasons which are obvious to anyone who's bought and sold vintage amps.

If one presents an amp and offers that it was custom modded by Marshall for the J.H.E., without any documentation or reasonable evidence to support such a claim, I have trouble lending credence at face value. This is not because the current owner is not stating his belief in good faith, but simply because there is no reasonable evidence, circumstantial or otherwise, to suggest it's the truth.

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Re: Jimi Hendrix 1967 Blackflag

Post by Roe » Sun Jul 17, 2011 5:29 am

It seems to me that "customs" amps were often either modded later (to the specs of the newest amps typically) by a tech or that marshall occasionally sold prototypes (e.g. the beano amp). the dickinson amp may have been either, although the former seems more probable to me.
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