Guitarist

Marshall's Studio range of 20-watt versions of its most classic amps has been a big hit, with everything from the JTM45 to its DSL amps getting the scaled down output but full-size tone treatment. The latest heritage model to get the studio treatment is that 90s workhorse, the JCM900. For some it's a classic of hard-hitting Marshall gain tone but, rather unfairly, others have passed it by in favour of more on-trend pre-millennium Marshalls such as the JCM800. With circuitry that is exactly based on the original - but with the output simply reduced - the new Studio JCM900 looks to offer all that toothy bite and crunch at a more manageable, accessible level. But does it all stack up? Guitarist reviewer Richard Barrett puts it through its paces to find out..