From AC/DC to ZZ Top, Malmsteen to Megadeth, Free to Five Finger Death Punch, Slash to Slayer to Satch, and from the recording studio to stadium stages, Marshall amps have been the backline of choice for countless guitarists. That’s how and why Marshall’s slogan, “The Sound of Rock,” was born.

The Art of Listening: The Birth of the Legendary Marshall Sound

Rock guitar players love telling tongue-in-cheek, derogatory drummer jokes. So it is more than a tad ironic that a drummer is responsible for a vitally important sonic cornerstone of rock guitar: Marshall amps. Yep, the late, great Jim Marshall was a drummer — one of England's finest actually — who also mastered the vital art of listening.

Jim opened a drum shop on the outskirts of London, England, in the early '60s, and while his competitors shunned the then-fledgling rock community, Jim embraced them. So much so that Keith Moon actually worked there as a "Saturday boy"! As a result, Jim's shop became a regular hangout for rock bands. And guitarists such as Pete Townshend pleaded with Jim to also stock guitars, strings, picks, and amps. So he did. Jim also listened closely to what players like Pete really wanted from a guitar amp and why.

Once he had the sound rock guitarists lusted for firmly fixed in his head, Jim put together a 3-man team to make it happen. The sixth prototype "was the one," and so the legendary Marshall sound was born, because a drummer was smart enough to listen, understand, and then strive to not only meet but exceed rock guitarists' expectations!