M-Mc  Me-

info    updated 1/10/2011

Mack amps

"We started manufacturing amps in 2006. All Mack amps are hand made in Toronto, Canada.
Dating Mack amps
Our amps carry a sticker that includes a serial number, but unfortunately that number does not represent a date code. The only way to determine the date of manufacture would be to contact us with the serial number and we would look it up in our records.
Attached are some photos that I hope are helpful that show the serial number sticker and the front and back of our chassis with logos." [Source: Don Mackrill, Mack Guitar Amps email 16/9/2010]

Mad Guitars

Guitar effects pedals

Madison

On May 2nd 2000, the day his daughter Madison was born, Andy Hitch created Madison Amps.  They were made in Loveland, Colorado USA.

Company ended 2010. http://www.madisonamps.com/index2010

Images eBay:

Mad Professor

Mad Professor effects and amps - handmade in Finland.

Guitar Amplifier magazine article Mad Professor amps

Reviews are at Harmony Central

Mad Sound

Mad Sound amps and cabinets were made in Raleigh, North Carolina USA.  Specialised in detuned cabinets.

Search for http://www.madsound.com/ at wayback machine

Gallery of photos at wayback

Image  Sean Fokes, President and founder from Internet Archive.  Mad Sound Bedrock Custom head.

Maestro

Maestro amplifiers were made by Gibson, Kalamazoo, Michigan.

Maestro catalog FSH-1

http://ushigomepan.cool.ne.jp/effect/catalogue.html

Maestro schematics

http://analogguru.an.ohost.de/

Maestro

current

http://johannburkard.de/blog/music/effects/legendary-guitar-effects-maestro-fuzz-tone-fz-1-fz-1a-fz-1b.html

Maestro Effects Technical Service Manuals (from Dredge Tone Internet Archive)

Maestro Fuzz

Maestro Fuzztain

Maestro Stagephaser

Maestro Phaser

Reviews are at Harmony Central

Image Maestro Fuzztain & Sustainer eBay:

Magnatone

Magnatone amplifiers 1937-1971.

The Magnatone name was owned at various times by Magna Electronics Company, Magna Electronics Inc, Estey Electronics and the Estey Musical Instrument Corporation. [Source: Brad's Page of Steel]

Zack Engineering Unofficial Magnatone Page

Magnatone articles

http://www.myrareguitars.com/robergeamps.html

http://www.myrareguitars.com/vintage_magnatone_ROBERGE.html

Magnatone schematics (from Dredge Tone Internet Archive)

Magnatone 260A

Magnatone 460

Magnatone 480

Magnatone - Estey schematics

http://www.freeinfosociety.com/electronics/schempage.php?cat=1

Reviews are at Harmony Central

Images Magnatone Varsity amp by Magna Electronics Company. circa 1955 Los Angeles California eBay:

Images Magnatone Custom 260 by Magna Electonics Inc (circa 1959)

Image 1962 Magnatone by Estey Electronics Inc, Torrance California

Image Magnatone Estey Electronics Inc, Hicksville New York amp eBay: Circa mid 1960s

Maison

Image Maison Photogenic amp Yahoo auction:

Mako

Image Mako brand Piranha model amp from the 1970s by Kaman ebay

Mako Amplification

Mako amplification started in 1990 by Andrew Swellolner.

Reviews are at Harmony Central

Mansley

see Mansley in guitars

Manortronics

Manortronics amps have been made since 2008 in Sussex, UK [Source: Terry Whitehouse, Manortronics, email 19/3/2010]

Marble amps

Reviews are at Harmony Central

Mark Bass

Markbass started manufacturing in 2001. DV Mark (our guitar amp brand) started in 2010.
Everything is manufactured in Italy (San Giovanni Teatino).
Dating Mark Bass amplifiers
The products have serial numbers and also indicate the year and month of manufacture. [Source: Peter Murray,  Mark Bass, email, 7/1/2011]

Marlboro Sound Works

1970s and 80s. Solid state amps distributed by Musical Instruments Corp, Syosset, New York.

Images eBay. The 30A Marlboro amp was made from 1981 to 1984 according to ebay seller:                         

Apparently the GA2 is from the 1970s. Note it is made in the USA. Source: eBay

Reviews are at Harmony Central

Marmac

Marmac Electronics - The Sligo based company Marmac Electronics Ltd produced a range of PA and instrument amplifiers and speaker cabinets in the 1970's that were widely used in the Irish Showband scene of the time.

Mars Effects

Reviews are at Harmony Central

Marsh Amplification

Marsh amplification, Weston Florida USA

Image Marsh Overlord amp ebay

Marshall

In the early 1960s Jim Marshall was a drum/percussion retailer in Hanwell, London. He expanded his line to guitars and amps. Fender amps were popular but expensive and Jim thought he could produce them at a better price.
Jim Marshall copied the 1959 Fender Bassman. The main difference was he used four 12 inch Celestions in a closed back cabinet vs the Bassman’s four 10 inch Jensen speakers with an open back. Initially using US amp parts he switched to UK components to save money. The switch from 6L6 to the KT66 valve gave Marshall amps a more aggressive tone. Eventually the KT66 became too expensive causing the jump to EL34 and even more aggression. In 1973 they switched to Printed Circuit Boards. [Source: Wikipedia]

Dating Marshall cabs and amps

http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/Bistro/3491/dating.html

Barcode version: http://www.blamepro.com/mar/date.htm

http://www.smittymusic.com/Marshall%20Dating.htm

http://users.aol.com/bluemuse/dating.html

Other Marshall amplifier information and examples

Marshall Arts

http://vintageamps.com/va/marshall/marshall.html

Google Book partial The History of Marshall

http://www.vintageguitar.com/brands/details.asp?ID=176

http://www.blamepro.com/mar/date1.htm

Technical history http://www.lynx.net/~jc/marshallAmps.html

http://www.smittymusic.com/Marshall.htm

Marshall Schematics

http://www.drtube.com/marshall.htm

http://www.marshallschematics.com/

http://www.schematicheaven.com/index_HTML.htm

http://www.freeinfosociety.com/electronics/schempage.php?cat=1

Marshall amplifier ads and catalogs

http://www.vintageguitars.org.uk/advertisements/marshall

Marshall amp catalog 2007

Marshall amp reference books at Amazon

A History of Marshall The Illustrated Story Of The Sound Of Rock

The Sound of Rock : A History of Marshall Valve Guitar Amplifiers

Jim Marshall the Father of Loud: The Story of the Man Behind the World's Most Famous Amp

The High Performance Marshall Handbook: A Guide to Great Marshall Amplifier Sounds

Reviews are at Harmony Central

http://www.guitaramplifiermagazine.com/pub/2005/premier_issue/marshall-18-2.htm

Marshall forums

The Marshall Amp forum

JVM Forum

Marshall Italia

Image eBay:

Martamp

see MJW

Martial

1970 Martial amp catalog

Martin

Martin branded amps were made by Rowe Industries Toledo 1959-60.  They were the same as those made for De Armond. [Source: Vintage Amps forum]

There were also larger amps with Martin name including the SS140 in 1966. $1,000 was a lot of money back then.

Image left eBay:

Masco

Masco Sound Systems

MASCO stands for Mark Alan Simpson Company and the amps were produced on Long Island, NY during the 1940s and 1950s. They were largely a mail order brand available through Layfayette, Archer and other large electronics supply catalogs and music stores and appliance stores as an inexpensive house brand [Source: Harp Amps ]

Masco schematic

Model MA25 example with schematic

Reviews are at Harmony Central

Images Masco MAP and Masco Model MC-17 amp eBay:

The Mason

The Mason amp.  The amp was found on ebay and reported to be made in 1960.  Made by or for Galt Musical Instruments Limited, Galt, Ontario, Canada

Images ebay:

Masotti

Masotti amps, Italy

Massie

Massie amps were made from the 1940s-60s by Ray Massie.  Apparently Ray worked for Fender.

Ray Massie schematic

Images Massie "The Vibe" combo amp ebay:

Matamp

Key Matamp history and dates [Source: Matamp at 60 by Martin Celmins 2006.]

1964 - The Matamp brand was established.

15 August 1968 Cooper Mathias formed to make amps for Orange Musical Industries (The Orange Matamp brand)

1975 Partnership dissolved. Orange and Matamp go their separate ways.

1989 - Mat Mathias dies. Mat's sons Peter and Richard take over the day to day running of the company.

1992 -  Jeff Lewis took over Matamp.

1992-1994 Green Matamp retro phase

1994-1999 Gibson licensed -Orange  reissue phase.

2002  Jeff commissions Dave Green to develop new model range.

Amplifiers and speaker cabinets are currently produced in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, England.

I don't own a Matamp amplifier but do own a single 12 cab for a while which I use with my Tiny Terror and a Retro 2 by 12 Cabinet.  They look way cool and they are still made in the UK so that is enough for me.

Planet of the Amps - Matamp Reference site

Matamp schematics

http://www.nicosonic.com/english/indexen.html

Pictures of Matamp speaker cabinets under construction.

Reviews are at Harmony Central

Matamp forum http://officialmatampownersclub.yuku.com/

see Orange

Image Matamp 1969 and Orange Matamp from Planet of the Amps. Image eBay:

Matchless

1989-1999, 2001 to present.

Founded by Mark Sampson and Rick Perrotta in Califronia.  Following the demise of the company in 199 it was reestablished by Phil Jamison, head of production of the original company.

Dating Matchless Amps

"Hi, Sometimes dating Matchless can be difficult. Serial numbers on amplifiers do not reflect dates. However, all extension cabinets have serial number date codes. Ex. A020707, B020707... would mean the extension cabinet was made on Feb 7th, 2007. "A" would be the first cab of the day, and "B" would be the second cab of the day.

For the amplifiers themselves, sometimes a date is stamped in white on the side of the transformer, this would indicate the date the transformer was made only. Since transformers are expensive we wouldn't have several hundred lying around for long periods of time waiting to be installed. Usually the amp was built within a 4 to 6 week window of the date stamped on the chassis.

The only other way of finding a date is by pulling out the chassis and "Sometimes" there is date written inside."

[Source: Phil Jamison, Matchless Amplifiers, 1933 Pontius Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90025, email 9/2/2007]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matchless_Amplifiers

Matchless schematics

http://www.freeinfosociety.com/electronics/schempage.php?cat=1

http://www.schematicheaven.com/post70s.htm

Reviews are at Harmony Central

Image at right from 1992 Mark Sampson Matchless amp - eBay:

Maton

Australian guitar manufacturer.  Maton made amps made from about mid 1950s to 1974. Ozvalve amp

Images Maton amps - 1959 Tremolux and Maton Power Pack eBay:

Maven Peal

Amps and pedals. Since 1999. David Zimmerman, Plainfield, Vermont.

Reviews http://reviews.harmony-central.com/reviews/Guitar+Amp/brand/Maven+Peal

http://reviews.harmony-central.com/reviews/Guitar+Amp/brand/Maven+Peal+Instruments

Maxon

"Japanese company Nisshin Onpa started making guitar pedals in the mid 70’s marketed as Maxon in Japan and Ibanez as exports.  Ibanez and Nisshin parted ways in early 2000, Maxon is now available in most countries and have specialized in reissuing the old Maxon line from the late 70’s. The Maxon OD808 is the same pedal as the Ibanez Tube Screamer TS-808." [Source: John Butler Trio Forum ]

http://tix.gozaru.jp/stompbox.html

Maxon Pedal Catalogs

http://brochures.yokochou.com/index.html

http://ushigomepan.cool.ne.jp/effect/catalogue.html

Reviews are at Harmony Central

McGohan

McGohan Electronics, Illinois USA,. Founded by Don McGohan in 1944.  Currently owned by Jim McGohan. Made in USA

McGohan Schematics

Images McGohan amplifier ebay Oct 2011

McPherson

Made by Keith McPherson and son Ron, who ran HI-FI & MUSIC CENTRE at 205Dorset Rd Boronia (Melbourne, Australia) from circa 1964 to 1972. [Source including image of a 1964 prototype, and the Mark IV model that was the only model made, courtesy of Tim Robbins]