Danny Fenton, lead guitarist with new wave icons The Vapors told us about his love for his Marshall Silver Jubilee...
Danny Fenton: In any rig, it’s the amp that takes those little sparks of electrical signal from a guitar and turns them into a “punch you in the face, burn your house down, spit on your grandma” wall of angst--or a “gently caress your face, tidy your house up, make a cup of tea for your grandma” serenade. The Marshall Silver Jubilee does it all. And does it beautifully.
When it comes to guitars, I admit I have a real thing for Les Pauls. We get along famously. But if you were to hand me any old guitar, I could probably find a way to get along with that one too--even if I do have to fight with it a bit. In terms of pedals--they’re fun, and can absolutely bring out the best in a rig, but if I’m being honest with myself the only one I really need is a tuner. For me, what actually makes the noise--what the folks listening actually hear and feel--is the amp.
Play a Les Paul through an AC30. Then run a Strat through it. Now put both guitars through a JCM800. Which made the bigger difference: changing the guitar, or changing the amp? Of course it was the amp! And for what I like, there’s something really special about the Jubilee--both driven and clean, that upper-mid bite makes any guitar shine. It cuts through any mix like a hot knife through butter. 100W head and 4x12 cabinet a bit inappropriate for an intimate venue? I have the 50W 1x12 combo too. Nothing else allows a guitar to sing quite like the Jubilee. Nothing else feels quite the same.
Can’t do without it? Well, I have been forced to make do without it on occasion--and I’m never happy about it. It’s like wearing someone else’s underwear. It might do the job, but it just feels wrong.
The Vapors' new album Wasp in a Jar is our February 28 via Vapors Own Records.
