Marshall: AFD100 Will be a limited run of 2300 Units :(

[Slashwannabe1]

http://www.afd100.com/blog/production-run-confirmed/

I think that is absolutly insane, only 2300 units. I'm a Marshall flag waver through and through but this marketing strategy fucking sucks. I'll have to sell both of my kidneys just for a down payment on one of these.

I guess this amp they designed to have outstanding tone and bragged up to the hilt is destined to be a shelf queen & ebay whore, just like the original Slash signature that I've yet to even see in person.

Have any of you ever watched youtube? every spoiled brat on youtube with a Slash signature amp is a fucking embarresment to guitarists everywhere and these are the kinds of people who will be the only ones able to afford it or get it new. Even if you can afford it right now, nothing is promised to get one.

Life is just not fair.

[surfnorthwest]

Supply and Demand, Marshall builds amps for profit. How do they say.... If you can't run with the Big Dogs get off the Porch... no that's not it. Surf says either buck up the cash or go down to your local music store and lick your balls while you get a chance to look at it because the rich kids Mommy is going to show up and lay down the platnium card baby.

The 2300 number probably represents how many Marshall dealers there are worldwide, just a guess. I also assume the price point is going to come in around $2800.00.

Is it an investment? You seem to think so, I don't. Personally knowing how much of a Slash fan you are I would look at it as an investment you can get some happiness out of, Lord knows none of us are making any money on Real Estate or the Market now days so perhaps taking some of your money out of the bank and rolling it over to the amp makes sense for you. You can play it, show it, and brag about it and in the end hopefully you not only can get your money back out of it but make a profit.

One other thing, AFD tone was cool but it wasn't that cool. Amps like the VM and even the new JMD1 in the right hands has all the tone a player needs. But if Trower made a signature Marshall I would be all over it too.... oh wait I already have that amp its the 2466.

[Slashwannabe1]

Supply and Demand, Marshall builds amps for profit. How do they say.... If you can't run with the Big Dogs get off the Porch... no that's not it. Surf says either buck up the cash or go down to your local music store and lick your balls while you get a chance to look at it because the rich kids Mommy is going to show up and lay down the platnium card baby.

The 2300 number probably represents how many Marshall dealers there are worldwide, just a guess. I also assume the price point is going to come in around $2800.00.

Is it an investment? You seem to think so, I don't. Personally knowing how much of a Slash fan you are I would look at it as an investment you can get some happiness out of, Lord knows none of us are making any money on Real Estate or the Market now days so perhaps taking some of your money out of the bank and rolling it over to the amp makes sense for you. You can play it, show it, and brag about it and in the end hopefully you not only can get your money back out of it but make a profit.

One other thing, AFD tone was cool but it wasn't that cool. Amps like the VM and even the new JMD1 in the right hands has all the tone a player needs. But if Trower made a signature Marshall I would be all over it too.... oh wait I already have that amp its the 2466.

Surf there were 2 different amp voices this thing will produce, the record tone of Appetite (the one thats been shown to us thus far) and the record tone featured on the rest of Slashs albums, the later of which I was more excited for as the Slash GNR post Appetite tone shaped me as a player more than Appetite did, I always enjoyed the higher gain of those later albums waay more than AFD.

I understand the profit aspect, but with all the "wanna be's" out there this amp will sell faster than shit going through a goose. I think it should have had its own line. Its probably the most anticipated amplifier they have ever produced, seeing the hype, the videos,the blog and I think they could milk this for more units no questions asked and would never have a problem getting rid of them all even if there was 10,000 units. I'd bet theres 2300 people alone in Los Angeles county alone who would fork out $2000 to get one asap!.

With that said, I'd probably get the first Slash signature amp first before this one or another VM to run.

Any ideas on how many VM's have been made/sold through the years?

[surfnorthwest]

I understand the profit aspect, but with all the "wanna be's" out there this amp will sell faster than shit going through a goose. I think it should have had its own line.

I dunno bro, in case you havn't heard everyone is pretty broke and the world economy sucks right now, they will move some but I don't think 2300 units are going sell overnight. It all is going to depend on the price. Heads over $2400 have a very small market and there is some good competition up there.

Any ideas on how many VM's have been made/sold through the years?

If I were to guess I would say 12,000 units worldwide for all model VMs since 2007 is close but that is just a best guess and I could be way off.

[Slashwannabe1]

I understand the profit aspect, but with all the "wanna be's" out there this amp will sell faster than shit going through a goose. I think it should have had its own line.

I dunno bro, in case you havn't heard everyone is pretty broke and the world economy sucks right now, they will move some but I don't think 2300 units are going sell overnight. It all is going to depend on the price. Heads over $2400 have a very small market and there is some good competition up there.

Any ideas on how many VM's have been made/sold through the years?

If I were to guess I would say 12,000 units worldwide for all model VMs since 2007 is close but that is just a best guess and I could be way off.

Thats very interesting. Well if nothing else I'll always have my main amp the VM, so I'm not really worried anyway. If I had another guru to help me set the VM up and a V30 equiped 4x12 I'm pretty sure I could get pretty damn close to a lot of those tones anyway, as I am already. I think an extra 2466, Jubilee or early 80s 65/50 equiped JCM 800 2203 is in the works for me :) Then by the time I can afford that maybe the spec sheet will be out on the AFD circut so I can mod that JCM 800 for the #34 mod.

I'm just glad I didn't listen to the people who said the VM was lifeless and not much gain and I guess I'm glad I was able to try the damn thing before I ever bought it!.

[Lavox]

I think that when we (music shops) can finally unveil this thing, it's all going to go crazy. We're already planning and working out our advertising for it and I reckon if any Marshall dealer who was offered them and DIDN'T go for it (there are some who have turned their nose up at it) need their heads checked.

We're going to have people queing round the building the day this thing launches. There hasn't been so much buzz over an affordable bit of gear for ages. Especially not from Marshall.

I doubt they'll sell as quickly as we hope they do, and I think 2,300 is just about the right number to have in the run. Many people just want to try it, hear it or see it, not buy it! We'll end up selling them to those who have ALREADY convinced themselves this is the amp for them.

On a side note - any idea how many JCM800 Kerry King heads sold? They're still in production yet no one even looks at it in the shop. Might be time for Marshall to limit it and run with something/someone else?

[Slash1337]

I would love to have that amp. BUT, the VM along side the JVM in my mind will probably kick the shit out of that amp. The only thing I've ever been impressed by that Slash put his name on was his first Sig. Gibson. With the fishman.

I ALMOST had a chance to play teh Slash sig. head (jubilee), it was in a band called Defaults room. I even wanted to steal it but those guys are damn nice people :P

Anyways, I think the VM does Appetite better than that amp will. The VM just doesn't really do the UYI sound all that "great" But who cares right, put your own stamp on. That way hopefully one day people will try and chase your tone ;)

[Beck-Ola]

I think this is a lot of hype and some brilliant marketing but the thing is overrated. I believe you can get close enough to those tones with the stuff that's already out there and that most of this is based on Slash's name and reputation and there won't be anything magical about this amp. I don't intend this to come across too critical, ok? It is absolutely brilliant marketing. Dedicated practicing will get most guys closer to Slash's sound than that amp alone will probably.

Except for wine and art, there seems to be no commodity surrounded by more hype and B.S. than guitars and amps, and this one is being hyped more than anything I've heard of before.

That's all I'll say because I don't want anybody getting upset and it's just an opinion. Peace.

[Slashwannabe1]

Anyways, I think the VM does Appetite better than that amp will. The VM just doesn't really do the UYI sound all that "great" But who cares right, put your own stamp on. That way hopefully one day people will try and chase your tone ;)

The UYI sound is in the VM you bet your ass it is!. I've had it dialed in pretty close 2 times with a 100 watt 4x12 vox horn cab and since I sold that cab and got my new cab I've had issues trying to get it with my Celestion 240watt Rock Junior 4x12 cab. The thing that made that UYI sound so unique and more iconic to me than AFD was, was the fact he used a 100 Watt GreenBack loaded 4x12 cab with the amplifiers volume dimed for an output distortion tone.

Get a 100 watt greenback cab, set the detail pretty high and put it through the ringer like that with the Vintage Modern and I'd bet you'd get pretty close. UYI wasn't done with V30s, probably the only Slash album not to have been. Actually since the JCM 800 throws out a bit more wattage than the VM, maybe try 4 20 watt Green Backs with the VM and that should break up like the 25s did on UYI.

[Vinny]

The hype is over-rates IMO!
There are probably much better amps than this! Of course Slash is a hype nowadays, so...that's part of the game! But IMO you don't need this amp to nail his tone! It's just the name,signature,looks,etc that you pay more! The VM does it whitout the look,signature and for better money!!
I'm a huge Led Zep fan and I surely would never pay any cent more because Pages signature is on it! My god, they pay 50.000 us dollar for a limited run ao his EDS or LesPaul...just because they are aged,signed and"played" by.... WTF! I never understood the hype in the market of "signature"-stuff! They are always over-rated,over-paid and over-hyped! And in fact, the gear is just the same, but with some more tags,sign.,bling,blang and alot of marketing!!
So,keep your kidneys, you'll need them more than the AFD100!!!
And I will always remember this : 'what makes the sound of all these guitar gods is in their fingers!!!!!!!!!! How expensive or how close to their original gear you go, it's still in their hands,feelings...'

[Slashwannabe1]

And I will always remember this : 'what makes the sound of all these guitar gods is in their fingers!!!!!!!!!! How expensive or how close to their original gear you go, it's still in their hands,feelings...'

I'm not talking about that side of the tone.

What happens if me and Slash both hit a properly fretted D chord, and the only difference is in our amps? are you still going to tell me tone is in the fingers? That difference from the amp is what I want. Theres a huge difference in the way an amplifier reacts to your playing and it has nothing to do with tone in your fingers, I hear my cousin whos been playing guitar for a year jam on my Vintage Modern and I hear him jam on his 5 watt peavy amp, theres no mistaking the better amp even with him playing both. Some amps I get on just don't even bother to react to your playing style.

The subtleness of the natural power amp breakup of 65/50 Power tube in an application with that much pre amp gain that screams I'm a mean fucking amp and the sensitivity of it all is what I want. Now, the VM has most of this tone nailed, but sometimes the VM just can not sound identical to 65/50s though it can get very very close, not a bad thing and I prefer it for my sound but if I have the chance and choice and want to copy the tone from GNR's Use Your Illusions 1 and 2 spot on with the same amplifier mod that was used to do it, its obviously heaps easier knowing you have the same shit that was used to be able to do it.

The distorted riff on GNR's "Don't Damn Me" is what I consider one of the ultimate distorted lead tones on the bridge pick up, and theres an amp the AFD-100 that claims to be able to nail that I'm deffinitly going to try to get that amp!.

Don't Damn Me:



I was content with playing clean when I first started playing guitar until I tried to copy this riff!. If anyone has a good idea on how to set that up on the VM I'm open for suggestions! Its not really even the tone that seems different from mine on the VM, it seems like theres an extra dynamic in there thats voiced different from the VM.

[LivewireBlanco]

Sounds like a JCM 800 to me...

[Vinny]

I'm not talking about that side of the tone.

What happens if me and Slash both hit a properly fretted D chord, and the only difference is in our amps? are you still going to tell me tone is in the fingers? That difference from the amp is what I want. Theres a huge difference in the way an amplifier reacts to your playing and it has nothing to do with tone in your fingers, I hear my cousin whos been playing guitar for a year jam on my Vintage Modern and I hear him jam on his 5 watt peavy amp, theres no mistaking the better amp even with him playing both. Some amps I get on just don't even bother to react to your playing style.

It's still in the fingers and his feeling!!!!
It's him (with his fingers) that set the amp to the right setting! The right setting on the guitar, the wood,the strings,the pick-up,the plectrum,the amount off strenght he use, the right way of tuning the guitar, the distortion level, the way he uses his Wah-pedal...man, it's ALL in the fingers!!!!! With every player!!!! By the way : do you have the SAME Les Paul as him??? The same wood, the same strings, the same pups????? If not, the amp will not be the ONLY difference on that D chord, even the AFD!
You know, I don't want the argue with you, I don't know you so I don't want to offend you surely. .All I want to say is : even if you don't get the one off 2300 amp...it's not the amp that will make you sound like Slash, it's the combination off ALL that makes it! Slash is such a complex,unique and wonderful guitarist...with his own sound,because he sets it that way! :chill
And yes, that sounds like a JCM800 to me also....

[Slash1337]

Don't forget temperature of the room, humidity, those all make differences.. placement of the mic, etc..

The AFD seems more like a collectors amp where as his old jubilee signature seems more like a "players" amp. It'd be kick ass as hell to have this new amp, but honestly I'd rather have the Jubilee sig.

I have always gone by:
Tone:
90% - the player
10% - the gear

The jubilee sig, and the fishman slash sig gibson ARE the only two things I'd buy off him from his signature selction of gear. They seem to be the most honest set of gear. Everything else just seems like hype for his solo album.

But like I said, doesn't mean the amp isn't great, but if it's like 3,000 bones, I'd rather get a bogner or something. Or maybe a Splawn. It was said above earlier, once you get to the 3,000 dollar heads, this AFD better be comparable to all those boutique companies that make crazy amazing amps.

[Beck-Ola]

Sounds like a JCM 800 to me...

That is what it sounds like to me also. What impressed me most was what he was playing more than an exact tone. But it was a great tone. Even with this amp, even if it sounded exactly like that AFD amp, wouldn't you still have to have the same guitar and strings, and use the EQ with same settings, etc., to match it exactly? And somehow emulate the mastering artifacts, room sound, mikes, and so on? Better off just getting close, you think?

I see Slashwannabe1's point though. It's a difference between tone and style/technique. I would compare Eric Clapton's tone on the Cream albums with his tone on the Derek and the Dominos album. Same player and same fantastic style and execution but there is definitely a big difference in the tone itself. They are both obviously Clapton at his peak and very identifiable, in other words the same player with the same fingers and emotion. But no way could even Eric make the Strat through a Champ set-up sound like the SG or Firebird into the Marshall stack, even with his fingers. If you want his Cream sound, you won't get it with a Strat and Champ, even if you borrowed Clapton's fingers. People chase that tone because it's associated with such great performances. And it's in a context of what was being done at that time. Van Halen could be used similarly. Same player and fingers on the albums but definitely different tone. If he'd played exactly the same thing using a JCM800 or anything, that first album at that time would still have shaken the world. And he changed set-ups immediately afterward so it seems he wasn't that enamored of it. Link Wray's "Rumble" proves the exception in that the playing wasn't so remarkable but that tone was devastating for that time. Would not have worked with a Beach Boys sound. Look at Page, playing a Danelectro through a Supro. Most people playing a Danelectro through a Supro would sound unremarkable. Supros were nothing special until Page made them so. I conclude that a great player can bring out the tone potential of any set-up but a mediocre player will always sound mediocre regardless of the tone itself. Last of all, George Lynch used that same amp and he is arguably a "better" player but he hasn't reached the cult status of Slash. There's definitely more value in the player himself than a certain tone, it would seem. Without a good player, the tone is unimportant in other words. Have I settled anything with this diatribe? No. But it's a fun discussion.

If it's all in the fingers, then why don't we see a bunch of finger forums?