Longterm test
A few months’ gigging, recording and everything that goes with it – welcome to Guitarist’s longterm test reports
Writer Neville MarteN Editor, Guitar Techniques After its Guitarist demo where Nev dimed the little combo with a Strat, P-90 Les Paul and an SG, this issue is about how the Marshall Mini Silver Jubilee fares in a home-rehearsal situation, using a Les Paul Custom and Line6 G10 wireless system
The last time I wrote about the little Marshall, you may recall that for the demo, I used our actual review model, which was in fact a prototype and Marshall was keen that I have a full production version as my long-termer. However, all my intentions to use it for band rehearsals and on our 30-date rock ’n’ roll tour came to nothing due to my Line 6 Helix epiphany, so I’ve had to wait for another project on which to employ it.
As it happens, Jamie, Mick Taylor, Denny Ilett and I are playing Bristol’s Colston Hall in March, where we are aiming to recreate Jimi Hendrix’s entire Are You Experienced album as part of the 2017 Bristol Jazz & Blues Festival. It will be scary, but hopefully fun, and the 2525C is the perfect practice amp for the project – its five-watt low-power option making it ideal for living-room get-togethers and full 20-watt output enough for the local rehearsal room.
Apart from its neat grey and chrome look, there’s lots I admire about the Mini Silver Jubilee. Like the Fender Blues Junior (my usual home amp – I have the Woody version due to my aversion to ‘backline’ in the house), it’s hard to find a bad sound. And, just like the aforementioned Fender, the tone is just what you expect from something sporting that logo. It’s raw and natural, but never harsh or unmusical, and although there’s no reverb, it comes equipped with an effect loop and so takes pedals well – and with the Hendrix repertoire, that’s an ability not to be sniffed at. And when I can’t be bothered to drag the pedalboard out of the cupboard, I simply crank the channel volume, turn the master down and use the guitar’s own volume pot to control the amount of distortion. If I’m using pedals, I go into the clean channel, but if using the ‘turn the guitar up or down’ method, I select lead mode. For home use, it’s also handy to put a delay pedal into the loop and take advantage of Marshall’s drive section – full-on stadium tones in the bedroom!
While some people like an EQ setup that provides an array of tones, I’m of the persuasion that prefers an amp to have its own defined personality, with the controls there to enhance or tame the sound of whichever guitar I’m using – Strat vs Les Paul or Tele vs ES-335 being obvious comparisons. I’ve always loved Celestion’s Greenback speaker, and one of those is a perfect match for the Mini Jubilee’s output, to the point where when cranked all the amp’s components start straining at the leash together, for a ‘proper’ valve amp experience. Of course, I couldn’t resist trying my newish Les Paul Custom through it (which part of me would like to use on Red House, as Jimi was known to do), and the combination produced tones that were smooth and dark.
In a few weeks, we’ll be joining forces with a bassist and drummer and I’ll take the Mini Jubilee into the rehearsal room to see how it stacks up against two other guitar amps plus all that bottom-end and piercing percussion – both famed for their ability to wipe out less boisterous amplifiers. See you then!
“The tone is what you expect from something sporting that logo. It’s raw and natural, but never harsh or unmusical”