The YJM100 was introduced by Marshall as the official signature amp of ‘king of neo-classical shred’, Yngwie J Malmsteen. The amp is being produced as a limited edition run and is based on the power and tone of Marshall’s ‘Holy Grail’ 1959 Plexi head. It’s made in the UK and incorporates some incredible all-valve tone with state of the art features. The amp is deceptively simple to look at giving it a classic old school Marshall look however it’s at the back of the head where all the clever stuff is hidden.
The following extract is taken from the Marshall website
The YJM100 features a whole host of modern features including Booster, Noise Gate, FX loop and Marshall’s new Electronic Power Attenuation (EPA) technology which really drive this head into the super amp category. In addition to cutting the power to 50 watts at a flick of a switch the amp also allows you take the volume down from 100watts to 0.1 watts in a similar way to the Slash AFD100 signature head. This gives you an enormous level of control and allows you to capture incredible tones at low volume.
“I can’t say enough about my love for the sound, feel and look of the wall of Marshall’s. Since I was 10 years old, I’ve insisted on having them behind me at all times,” the guitarist revealed. “I must have had every amp company in the world ask me to endorse them, over the years. To finally have my own signature Marshall is an honour and this amp is truly a master piece!”
Yngwie Malmsteen
Specification
- Power: 100W/50W infinitely adjustable down to 0.05W
- Preamp Valves: ECC83
- Power amp Valves: 4x EL34
- Channels: 4 input 2 channel vintage style
- Booster: Bypassable / Footswitchable YJM custom booster
- Noise Gate: Bypassable / Footswitchable Studio class expander
- Reverb: Bypassable / Footswitchable Studio class digital reverb
- Effects Loop: Bypassable / Footswitchable Series loop.
- Power Selection: 100W using 4 EL34 valves down to 50W using 2 EL34 valves
- Attenuation: Marshall designed attenuation down to 0.05W
- Valve Bias circuit: Automatic Self Bias with valve fault indicator.
- Speaker Output: 2×4 2x 8 1×16
- Cabinet: Marshall Major sized head box with vintage finish.
*NOTE: A four-way Footcontroller (PEDL-00046) comes supplied with the YJM100, facilitating switching of Booster, Gate, Reverb and FX Loop features. This Footcontroller has been designed using Marshall Amplification’s patented STOMPWARE® Technology, allowing the user to connect it to the amp using a standard 1/4? guitar cable.
Fretpoint Verdict
I got to see this head in action at the Modern Music sponsored Marshall Roadshow in Truro. Demonstrated by the hugely talented Chris George. I actually wasn’t sure what to expect but this amp ended up being the star of the show. The YJM100 delivers some of the best classic Marshall tones I’ve ever heard and I’m sure the power selection and attenuation options helped Chris drive the amp into that ‘magic tone’ stage where all the valves are kicked into overdrive. He ran through a series of classic rock riffs from ‘Voodoo Chile’ to ‘Walk This Way’ and Deep Purple’s ‘Black Night’ and they all sounded epic! If you’re trying to nail that vintage Ritchie Blackmore or Jimi Hendrix tone then this is the amp for you!
Marshall has certainly delivered with the YJM100 and although they have produced some cracking amps in recent years this to me is the very best that Marshall have right now. With all the extra functionality thrown in I don’t think you could ask for a better Marshall amp. The only downsides are the price which puts it out of the range of less affluent guitarists and the fact it’s limited edition. I suspect the amp will sell-out pretty quickly and start commanding high prices on the secondary market very soon.
Price
£1515 / $2456
Check out the official Marshall demo video featuring Chris George
YJM100 Demo – Featuring a Strat/Les Paul Comparison
