Guitar Gear Forum

On my local Craigslist, there is someone looking to trade a Marshall 1959SLP reissue modded by Curt Granger. The mods are a PPIMV and the Granger X-Gain push/pull mod.

I’ve been on the fence for a while about trading my handwired Bad Cat Hot Cat for a JMP or JCM800. I’ve never owned a genuine Marshall (aside from briefly a Mini Jubilee), and I thought this could be my chance.

My dilemma is I can’t get a good feel for the value difference between the two. I’m assuming the Plexi is worth more than my Bad Cat, but used Plexi reissue prices seem all over the place, and I don’t know how much value the mods add. On top of that, Bad Cat discontinuing their handwired series doesn’t help.

Both heads show some signs of use, but are in very good condition overall. If I offer up a trade for the Plexi, what kind of value should I offer up on top of my Bad Cat?

To me the mods don't necessarily add value from a dollar perspective. Mods are funny like that. Perhaps if it was from a really well known modder, but Granger's stuff is pretty much only known in nerd circles like this.

To compound that, the market is so fucked up right now, you should just offer him almost a 1-1 and see what happens

Value of the Plexi is definitely higher. And it's a much easier amp to sell.

The mods neither add or reduce value, assuming that no extra holes were drilled in the chassis. I had the Granger Master Volume installed on my 1987x and it was great. Granger is really high quality.

I'd do this trade without any hesitation. See if he agrees with a straight trade but I'd be okay with adding about 500-600 on top.

The Marshall is garbage when compared to a hand wired Bad Cat. The Bad Cat is also made like a tank here in the USA and the Marshall should be made in the UK but who knows where the hell it was built. Not in a million years would I trade a boutique amp for a mass produced piece of garbage. I do own 2 pre-80's Marshall's and some really well built clones. Don't do it you will be sorry trust me.

I don't like the idea of having to pull the chassis to change a tube, like you do on the Hot Cat.
They make good amps but, Marshall has the brand.


Bad Cat Hot Cat... why?

That's a reverb tube and how often do you change those. Just saying. Lets see the guts of a Marshall 1959SLP.

Just looked up the guts of a 1959SLP and they actually look better than work I have seen from Friedman. I still would keep the Bad Cat.

ibenhad wrote:That's a reverb tube and how often do you change those. Just saying. Lets see the guts of a Marshall 1959SLP.

The Marshall Plexi reissues are the same construction method they used since the 70s. A single PCB with flying leads to pots and jacks.

The only addition was the effects loop. Which can be bypassed.




I do agree with you that clones is where it's at for newer Plexi style amps. There are some really good ones out there for less than the Marshall Reissues and they're fully handwired with better parts. I have a Mojotone 2203 here that is amazing. That amp cost me $1100 plus another $400 for Pete Cage at Cage Audio to rewire to his specs.

Thank you all. I emailed the seller to gauge his interest. I’ll wait and see what he says. I’m hoping I at least get to try his Plexi side by side with the Bad Cat so I can get a feel for the differences in-person

My Hot Cat does not have a tube inside the chassis. Mine is a non-reverb K-Master model. They stopped putting the tube inside the chassis sometime before the K-Master was released. Not exactly sure when though