How Loud Should a Marshall Class 5 Be?

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blacktiger
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How Loud Should a Marshall Class 5 Be?

Post by blacktiger » Wed May 11, 2022 3:14 pm

I just got a used one from GC, and I’m wondering if it’s working 100%. I’ve read a lot of complaints about how it’s too loud for home use, but I’m not finding it particularly loud. It also has very little clean headroom with a Jazzmaster. I haven’t owned an amp in over 10 years and the ones I owned before were typically 20 watts or more, so maybe I’m just not used to a 5 watt, single EL84 amp?
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wproffitt
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Re: How Loud Should a Marshall Class 5 Be?

Post by wproffitt » Thu May 12, 2022 3:17 am

Congrats on the Class 5!
Have you checked the switch on the back of the amp that takes it from 5 watts to 1/4 watt? If that is in the 1/4 watt setting, the only thing it does is dirty and not particularly loud.
If this suggestion doesn’t help, you may need to take it to a tech. Before you do that, though, I’d make sure all of your tubes/valves are seated properly.
I find mine to be quite loud and it can definitely do clean.

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Re: How Loud Should a Marshall Class 5 Be?

Post by blacktiger » Thu May 12, 2022 6:09 pm

I think it’s the first version. It doesn’t have the 1/4 watt setting, just the headphones setting. I played it a bit today, and it seemed a lot louder and cleaner, so maybe something was out of wack from shipping? I think I’m going to open it up this weekend and throw in some NOS tubes that I have on hand. I’m really digging it. A decade or so ago, I had a ‘70s 20 watt head, and the Class 5 is giving me similar vibes, which is a good thing.

UPDATE: It WAS switched to “headphones,” so I guess it was modded to have that as an attenuator.
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Unicorn Warrior
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Re: How Loud Should a Marshall Class 5 Be?

Post by Unicorn Warrior » Mon May 16, 2022 8:39 am

I owned one of these first run class 5s when they first came out and they weren’t really known for clean. And yes, they’re major loud for even 5 watts. For whatever reason, Marshall’s are just loud amps.

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Re: How Loud Should a Marshall Class 5 Be?

Post by wproffitt » Wed May 18, 2022 11:41 am

I’m glad to hear that you resolved the issue. Let me know what difference in tone you get from the old tubes. I know that I sometimes crave more top-end sizzle from
mine but have done nothing to fix that.

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