The Marshall Lead 12 fan club (5005/3005)

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Pacafeliz
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The Marshall Lead 12 fan club (5005/3005)

Post by Pacafeliz » Thu May 06, 2021 7:50 am

Well for those who know me for a bit longer, know that I've been a huge fan of the old Marshall Lead 12 combos for years now. Back in Mexico I used to own about 4 of em at the same time, then I ended up keeping only one (fawn grille) from 1984 or so. They/it can be seen and heard in most of my demos/videos.

When I left for Germany I sold that one too, since I thought bringing a 110v british made amp to the EU would be dumb.
But I never found one here for a decent price - you know I'm a deal hunter. Around €250 seems to be the standard here.

So after COVID era started, I've been into tiny amps but I was always on the lookout for one of these again.

...and now I found one! It was cheap since it wasn't working - fortunately it turned out to be only the fuse! DEAL! :w00t:

Well but this one is different from my other ones I've had before, since it's a very early mk. 1 model from 1982.
It has all gold hardware (even the screws), a different handle and speaker, no line/headphones out, knobs with little "arrows"... plus, and most amazingly, the Distortion is actually a very wild fuzz, like a Big Muff!

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I took the upper back panel off for the pic

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All the chips, transistors and the speaker date to January 1982!

What astounded (?) me the most is that it had obviously not been used in YEARS (dusty and full of spider webs) but it has ABSOLUTELY NO noise or hiss! Incredible.
Demo coming up soon, but man I'm a happy chap!

So, I know there's a fan base out there - please show and tell the world! :)
i love delay SO much ...that i procrastinate all the time.

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Re: The Marshall Lead 12 fan club (5005/3005)

Post by Paco » Mon Jun 14, 2021 6:02 pm

I think it was actually you who turned me into these babies Pat, I think they're awesome amps! And there seems to be lots of versions and little variants and quirks which makes them more fun to collect :freako:

Mexico seems to be a paradise for these amps, but why tho? hahaha. I've had about 5 or 6 in the last couple of years, and they usually are super super cheap and easy to find, as Pat mentioned. There's a video on youtube of a russian dude blasting a Lead 12 through a 4x12 and while it sounds really awesome, I actually prefer the lower distortion, Solid State tones you can get out of it :-*

My favorites on the series this far have been a Plexi-style head (which I cherish <3) that sounds crazy and has a milder and not so rash distortion output in comparison to other versions. And the elusive and mysterious Bass 12, which is very different to any other versions I've heard. And it actually sounds great with bass, something rare on small amps.

I wouldn't really say the Lead 12 series can nail Plexi or even JCM tones, but they have their own character and sound.

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Re: The Marshall Lead 12 fan club (5005/3005)

Post by JSett » Mon Jun 14, 2021 9:27 pm

I love these little things. I've never managed to snag an early 2 hole one like this though...good find!

I've got one of the late 4 hole ones somewhere in the garage that I should really dig out but you've got me jonesing for an early one now :whistle:
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Re: The Marshall Lead 12 fan club (5005/3005)

Post by Paco » Thu Jun 24, 2021 11:21 am

This is my Lead 12 head, absolute favorite solid state amp :freako:

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Re: The Marshall Lead 12 fan club (5005/3005)

Post by Maggieo » Thu Jun 24, 2021 11:52 am

I've got the reverb version of the Lead 12!!! I've had it since the 90s, but it got put in a box in storage and I just found it again last year! It's as awesome as I remember, maybe even better.

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Marshall Reverb 12 Amp and Gibson Les Paul Studio April 21, 2020 by Maggie Osterberg, on Flickr
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Re: The Marshall Lead 12 fan club (5005/3005)

Post by Paco » Thu Jun 24, 2021 8:09 pm

Maggieo wrote:
Thu Jun 24, 2021 11:52 am
I've got the reverb version of the Lead 12!!! I've had it since the 90s, but it got put in a box in storage and I just found it again last year! It's as awesome as I remember, maybe even better.

Image
Marshall Reverb 12 Amp and Gibson Les Paul Studio April 21, 2020 by Maggie Osterberg, on Flickr
OMG the Reverb 12, that's beautiful and uber rare :? :-*

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Re: The Marshall Lead 12 fan club (5005/3005)

Post by Maggieo » Fri Jun 25, 2021 9:14 am

Paco wrote:
Thu Jun 24, 2021 8:09 pm
Maggieo wrote:
Thu Jun 24, 2021 11:52 am
I've got the reverb version of the Lead 12!!! I've had it since the 90s, but it got put in a box in storage and I just found it again last year! It's as awesome as I remember, maybe even better.

Image
Marshall Reverb 12 Amp and Gibson Les Paul Studio April 21, 2020 by Maggie Osterberg, on Flickr
OMG the Reverb 12, that's beautiful and uber rare :? :-*
I had no idea what good taste I had, back in the early 90s!
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I am not an attorney and this post is for entertainment purposes only. Please consult a licensed attorney in your state for legal advice.

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Re: The Marshall Lead 12 fan club (5005/3005)

Post by Steadyriot. » Fri Jun 25, 2021 11:34 am

Those Solid State Marshall's are funky! Always been curious about them.

One of these popped up locally:
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Seems like the "metal" chassis is an add-on but it looks too good to be homebrew.
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Re: The Marshall Lead 12 fan club (5005/3005)

Post by Pacafeliz » Sun Jun 27, 2021 9:10 am

Yeah those MOSFET 100 amps pop up for cheap every now and then, been curious too.
I used some of them 4x10 cabs (1985 model) for many years, so amazing!!!
i love delay SO much ...that i procrastinate all the time.

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Re: The Marshall Lead 12 fan club (5005/3005)

Post by s_mcsleazy » Sun Jun 27, 2021 9:39 am

Pacafeliz wrote:
Sun Jun 27, 2021 9:10 am
Yeah those MOSFET 100 amps pop up for cheap every now and then, been curious too.
I used some of them 4x10 cabs (1985 model) for many years, so amazing!!!
ok. so on the subject of the mosfet 100. the preamp is a mosfet version of the JMP preamp and they sound really good. they tend to only come up when i'm broke though
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Re: The Marshall Lead 12 fan club (5005/3005)

Post by matlevo12 » Sat Mar 12, 2022 10:30 am

Hi everyone.

I compared the mark 1 and mark 2 versions the of Lead 12 on this video, and explained the circuit differences a bit.

Cheers !

https://youtu.be/Hc9L19MEE9M

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Re: The Marshall Lead 12 fan club (5005/3005)

Post by JackFawkes » Mon Mar 28, 2022 11:48 am

Count me in on the fan club!
I don't have a lot of space (or many amps), but it's one that I've always kept and always intend to.
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Re: The Marshall Lead 12 fan club (5005/3005)

Post by LVC » Sat Jun 24, 2023 12:10 pm

Took mine out for a much needed scrubbing of the tolex and realised I had never posted pics of it.

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It's a 5005 mk 2 with a 10" Celestion G10D-25. Fantastic little thing! Hands down my all-time favourite solid state amp.
While I'm at it I'm going to install an external speaker jack... And I'll have to replace the torn grillcloth someday.
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