If its a JMP it will do that very thing..It will also be LOUD AS HELL!!Each amp from that era will be slightly different much like a souped up car.If its been played a lot it probably has had a major melt-down at one time or the other.Hopefully if its been worked on, the tech was a Marshall kinda guy(gal) and put in the correct parts rather than bandaid parts just to get it going again. If you find one thats not been messed with you'll pay preminum prices.As for the color, you could get them in several shades of ROCK...Red was nice,cream,there was a hideous purple,Marshall Green,black and I have seen one that was a washed out orange. The 50 watters had a different sound than the hundreds...and just because theres a master volume doesnt mean its usable.YMMV ....a lot.

Yeah, I'm going to have to scour ebay for awhile. Davedog how high are "premium prices?" And how do those 50 watt and 100 watt heads sound different?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=10171&item=7307515271&rd=1 ...but in England

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=38075&item=7307945088&rd=1

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=38075&item=7307986532&rd=1

Prices on older pieces like this can only be catagorized as 'what the market will bear'...15 years ago I sold my 50 watt combo....a JMP w2-12" celestions for $550.It was perfect and this was a LOT for that amp.However, it WAS a Wednesday amp...everything about it was perfect including the sound...I wish I still had it. I also had a JCM800 combo that was very nice too..These are good crunchy amps but not the same as an old JMP.

The difference in sound between the 100's and the 50's is mostly going to be in the headroom and the amount of overdrive you can get.The 50's never really get that saturated while a 100 will ...though its not the same kind of 'saturation' thats talked about in todays definition of this.Its more like AC/DC kinda saturation ..Which is really clean and inyerface but still distorted in a musical way.A LOT of the distorted guitar sounds I hear today arent musical at all.

Dave, would you happen to know how the '78 and '79 sounds differ?

Like I said....It doesnt matter what year as these are very individual pieces from unit to unit. Serial #xxx132 may sound completely different than serial #xxx133....They are one of the hardest most subjective amps to find 'that perfect one'.......My advice is to find the best one in the most ORIGINAL condition and then get to be great friends with a local tech who knows and LOVES Marshall amplification.

Try Bonger and Kendrick tube amp, modern but sound from my point of view much more better than old Marshall - killing BASS!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=38075&item=7307635956&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW Currently bidding on this one. What do you guys think? How much do you think it should be worth? It's also in Mass. and I'm in California, so shipping cost could be a pain.

Ending up getting an Orange AD30TC and it's freaking AWESOME. It makes me want to throw my Marshall JCM2000 out the window and and jump on it

WRX07 wrote: ...in a 1970's Marshall JMP head. I've heard that these amps get a really great, warm, saturated, tubey/crunchy tone. However, I don't know what the difference between all the years are, and unfortunately there aren't any in stores around town that I can play. People I know have said point to point 78's or 79's are great. The '78 fawn color looks very cool... I'd really appreciate any feedback. Thanks

Your people are uninformed. Marshall stopped using PtP and went PCB in 73. That said, the late 70's JMP's were the precurser to the JCM800 and are sought after as fine sounding amps in their own right.

I personally like the tone and distortion of the Hughes & Kettner power amps (the all tube heads). If you not already hell bent on the Marshall stuff?
I like Marshall but... I am really picky about that "crunch" and good sound. And IMHO I think H&K is the one of the best.