Marshall YJM100 Yngwie Malmsteen Signature 2-Channel 100-Watt Guitar Amp Head Black Tolex 2011

2011 Marshall YJM100 Yngwie Malmsteen Signature 100-Watt Head

A superb example of the highly sought-after Marshall YJM100 Yngwie Malmsteen Signature head, dating from 2011 and presented in excellent condition.

Note, we ship worldwide, well packed and fully insured.

The black Tolex is virtually unmarked and the amplifier has clearly been exceptionally well cared for. We have given it a full workshop inspection and it is now ready for a new home. It is supplied with its original Marshall footswitch and original cover and paperwork, making this a particularly complete example of what is now a genuinely collectible Marshall signature model.

The YJM100 is one of those rare signature amplifiers that manages to be much more than a piece of artist memorabilia. Developed closely with Yngwie Malmsteen and based around the classic Marshall Super Lead / Plexi concept, it combines the immediacy and harmonic character of an old-school Marshall with a remarkably sophisticated collection of modern features.

What makes the YJM100 particularly interesting is that Marshall resisted the temptation to create an overly specialised “shred” amplifier. The basic architecture remains unmistakably vintage Marshall: four inputs, separate Bright and Normal volumes and the familiar Bass, Middle, Treble and Presence controls. The result is an amplifier with a wonderfully organic foundation that can be pushed into much more aggressive territory when required.

2011 Factory Specification

Marshall YJM100 Yngwie Malmsteen Signature Series
Made in England
100 watts / 50 watts switchable
All-valve design
4 x EL34 power valves
3 x ECC83 preamp valves
Two channels with separate Bright and Normal inputs
Separate channel volume controls
Bass, Middle, Treble and Presence controls
Built-in Yngwie Malmsteen Custom Boost
Footswitchable noise gate
Footswitchable digital reverb
Footswitchable series effects loop
Variable power attenuator
Power reduction from 100 watts to 50 watts
Automatic power-valve biasing
Valve failure monitoring circuitry
Four-way Marshall foot controller
Black Tolex with gold piping

One of the defining features of the YJM100 is its built-in power attenuation. The output can be continuously reduced, allowing the power section to be driven at considerably more manageable volumes while retaining the feel and response of an all-valve Marshall. This makes the YJM100 unusually practical for recording and lower-volume use for an amplifier with a 100-watt output section.

The integrated boost is another major part of the design. Rather than relying on an external overdrive pedal to push the front end, the YJM100 incorporates its own footswitchable gain stage, with dedicated Gain and Volume controls. The noise gate can be engaged alongside it, making it particularly effective for the fast, articulate playing associated with Malmsteen, while remaining useful for any guitarist looking for a tighter high-gain sound.

Tone

At its heart, the YJM100 is a superb Plexi-style Marshall. Cleaned back from the guitar, it has the familiar open, immediate response and harmonic sparkle associated with the great early Marshall designs. Turn the volume up and the sound develops into a wonderfully rich, dynamic crunch with plenty of upper-mid character, sustain and compression.

The amplifier has considerably more range than its association with Yngwie might initially suggest. The basic tone is equally convincing for blues, classic rock, hard rock and vintage-style lead playing, while the built-in boost can take the sound into much more saturated territory, with increased sustain, focus and cut.

Played through a good 4x12, the YJM100 delivers the large, three-dimensional Marshall sound: tight and authoritative in the low end, strong through the middle and with the kind of articulate upper-end presence that allows lead playing to remain clear within a loud band.

The power attenuation is particularly clever here. It allows the player to explore the behaviour of the EL34 output stage without necessarily having to run a 100-watt head at full stage volume, making this a genuinely useful studio and rehearsal amplifier as well as a formidable live head. Contemporary testing also noted the amplifier’s combination of classic Marshall tone with its unusually comprehensive feature set.

For the serious player

The YJM100 is a remarkably sophisticated take on the classic Marshall formula. It offers the immediacy and touch sensitivity of a traditional Plexi-style circuit, but with features that make it considerably more practical in a modern playing environment.

The combination of built-in boost, noise gate, reverb, effects loop and variable attenuation means that much of what a guitarist might normally place between the guitar and amplifier is already incorporated into the head, while the four-way footswitch provides convenient control when playing live.

For the collector

The YJM100 was a limited Signature Series model, with production limited to 1,500 units worldwide.

It is consequently becoming an increasingly interesting amplifier for collectors of significant Marshall designs, particularly those interested in the company's artist collaborations. The understated black-and-gold appearance, classic Plexi-inspired architecture and unusually advanced internal specification give the YJM100 a distinctive place within Marshall's history.

This is a particularly clean and complete example, retaining its original footswitch and cover, and having been through our workshop for a full inspection.

A serious Marshall for the serious guitarist, and an increasingly collectible piece of the company's modern history.

Sold with its original Marshall footswitch and original cover.

Please study the photographs carefully, as they form part of the description.