While renowned for their valve guitar amps, Marshall produces and sells a large amount of
solid state and bass equipment. Marshalls
"Valvestate" amplifiers were at the time seen as evolutionary, as
they contained a hybrid of valve and solid state technology, to provide a
modicum of "true" valve tone, along with transistor reliability and
ease of maintenance. Currently named the "AVT series" (although these
are now out of production, being replaced with the "AVT tribute" for
a short time), there are a number of different models, all of which are cheaper
than their all-valve counterparts. It is Marshalls
current line of "hybrid" amplifier, featuring a 12AX7 preamp tube
employed in the preamp (to "warm up" the signal) as well as solid
state components, with a solid-state power amp. These are considered and
marketed as intermediate-level equipment to bridge the gap between the higher
valve range and lower range MG series. Some feel they offer a quality and sound
close to Marshalls
higher end equipment. These amps are fairly popular in the metal music
community for their quick response time. A minor controversy arose from this
amp series as some unscrupulous dealers attempted to market them as "valve
amps" to unsuspecting customers.
