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Author Topic: Marshall 9040 – the unknown model?  (Read 11151 times)

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Sirion

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Marshall 9040 – the unknown model?
« on: Time Format »

Are any of you familiar with these power amps? I bought one cheaply a decade ago, and after a long hiatus from all things guitar related I am finally working towards putting together a proper late-80s rig. I was specifically wondering about two things:

1. How does it compare to one of the Carvin FET amps that were so popular at the time? I was thinking about building a rig comparable to Vito's rig (MP-1->effects processor->noise gate->sonic maximizer->solid state power amp), and I was wondering if this is on par with the slightly earlier Carvin power amps everybody and their mother were using.

2. The manual says that cabinets should have an impedance of no less than 4 ohm. How does it react to higher ohm ratings (8 & 16)? I don't really know solid state power amps well, so I'm not sure how it reacts compared to tube amps, which I know fairly well.

Any other information on this model would be appreciated. There is virtually nothing written about it online!
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Kim

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Re: Marshall 9040 – the unknown model?
« Reply #1 on: Time Format »

2. The manual says that cabinets should have an impedance of no less than 4 ohm. How does it react to higher ohm ratings (8 & 16)? I don't really know solid state power amps well, so I'm not sure how it reacts compared to tube amps, which I know fairly well.

Any other information on this model would be appreciated. There is virtually nothing written about it online!

I have to say that the apparent lack of any real info would really make me mistrustful of it.   :dunno:  Everything is supposed to already be on the net to find....

But since it's a SS poweramp (and unless stated differently in the Owners Manual or on the back panel) 8 ohms would be the optimal load for each channel.  You definitely don't want to give it a 2 or 32 ohm load.   Is this a stereo or mono poweramp?  What cab(s) are you using?  More specifically, what's the power and impedance rating on the cab?
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rnolan

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Re: Marshall 9040 – the unknown model?
« Reply #2 on: Time Format »

Seems it's a 2 x 200w stereo mosfet amp.  I suspect it will be fine at 4 (200w per chan), 8 or 16 ohms, just less output into 8 and even less into 16.  As Kim said, don't run it at 2 ohms or 32 ohms. There seems to be a bit around if you google it. (https://www.google.com.au/search?q=marshall+9040&biw=1871&bih=849&tbm=isch&imgil=pyEZPZRMaTtCaM%253A%253Be6OM2lDeUHH21M%253Bhttp%25253A%25252F%25252Fes.audiofanzine.com%25252Famplificador-de-potencia%25252Fmarshall%25252F9040-power-amp%25252Fmultimedia%25252Fimagenes%25252Fa.play%25252Cm.440647.html&source=iu&pf=m&fir=pyEZPZRMaTtCaM%253A%252Ce6OM2lDeUHH21M%252C_&usg=__mafdTP4sQhgn98octdcguvwBeXo%3D&ved=0ahUKEwi3--Ci-5HSAhXrhFQKHXklAbYQyjcIJA&ei=vjakWLekLuuJ0gL5yoSwCw#imgrc=pyEZPZRMaTtCaM:)
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Sirion

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Re: Marshall 9040 – the unknown model?
« Reply #3 on: Time Format »

The lack of information is just bizarre, isn't it? To be sure, there are images enough, but little information, and I haven't found a single person discussing the most important matter, viz. how it stacks up against other MOSFET amps of the era. Oh well, it sounds good enough for me at the moment, and I hope to be able to use it to build a reserve rig at the very least. I have a Marshall 9100 that has a more tubey sound but also demands a lot more volume and maintenance, so if I could go solid state for everyday use I would be a happy camper.

The question of cabs is a bit up in the air still, as I am currently rebuilding my rig(s) after almost a decade away, but I am hooked on stereo, and will probably be running two 2x12 cabinets with Eminence Legend V12s in them. These should fit the gig well as they can tame the high end a little bit (my entire rig is very presency), and at 120w each they should be able to run even a large power amp like this without problem. I am not sure whether I should go with 8 ohm/16 ohm and series/parallell wiring, but I will probably end up with 2 16 ohm speakers in series (that is, 8 ohm) in the end, as this would be the more versatile option. Hopefully the going up to 8 ohm would not be enough to turn the roaring amp into a whisper  ;)

(Just to clarify, this is meant to be a back-up rig or a rig to be used for less auspicious occasions, and I am therefore eager to implement some odd gear parts I've had lying about for years anyway.)
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Harley Hexxe

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Re: Marshall 9040 – the unknown model?
« Reply #4 on: Time Format »

Hi Sirion,

    First welcome to the Depot :thumb-up:

    I must correct you here if you use 2 - 16 Ohm speakers and you connect them in series, you will end up with 32 Ohms! You want to wire them in parallel to get 8 Ohms

    Harley 8)
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Sirion

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Re: Marshall 9040 – the unknown model?
« Reply #5 on: Time Format »

Thanks for the warm welcome! Yes, parallel indeed, had a bit of a brain fart there it seems!
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Harley Hexxe

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Re: Marshall 9040 – the unknown model?
« Reply #6 on: Time Format »

No worries, it happens to the best of us :lol:
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rnolan

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Re: Marshall 9040 – the unknown model?
« Reply #7 on: Time Format »

No worries, it happens to the best of us :lol:
Absolutely  :facepalm: :crazy: Dante's Asylum LoL...

(So as worked out) if you eminence speakers (good choice BTW IMO) are these (http://www.musiciansfriend.com/accessories/eminence-legend-v128-12-120-watt-vintage-british-tone-speaker), then they are 120w 8ohm (each).  And you have two 2 x 12 cabs.  The 9040 is 200 w per side into 4 ohm, so wire each 2 x 12 cab in parallel (8 + 8 = 4ohms). This will give you 200w into 240w worth of speakers  :whoohoo!: . If you wire one 2 x 12 cab in stereo (you could wire it so you can use one cab in mono (4ohm, 240w) or stereo (2 x 8 ohm, 2 x 120w)) you'd just need to be a little careful not to blow the speakers.  I used to run my B200s into 2 x 50w 8 ohm fender twin (eminence) speakers (my small rig at the time)  :thumb-up: . I just never turned the B200s vols past 3/4.  It seems the 9140 doesn't have vol pots  :dunno: so you just have to be a little conservative with the input levels.
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Iperfungus

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Re: Marshall 9040 – the unknown model?
« Reply #8 on: Time Format »

I had one many years ago: it was my first power amp section in the old 1.38 ADA MP-1 rig I owned.
Then I sold it for an ADA Microtube100.

A good horse, anyway.
I used it stereo into a classic 4x12 Marshall 1960A cab (8ohm/channel) and that was a very good match.

A little heavy, but solid, easy to use, simple, good sounding and powerful.
It has no volume controls, so you've to work your output from the preamp and/or fx unit...but this is not an issue with this unit.
It just works fine.
« Last Edit: Time Format by Iperfungus »
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Sirion

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Re: Marshall 9040 – the unknown model?
« Reply #9 on: Time Format »

What?! Somebody who has actually used one? Splendid!

My rig plans have changed slightly since I started this topic, but the power amp is still in the rig. Since I am a complete n00b when it comes to solid state I have a few more questions:

1. The amp runs 200w at 4 ohm. It has been suggested to me that it will then run at 100w if I use 8 ohm. Is this correct?
2. Are there parts in the amp that could need replacement by now? (Given that it is 25 years or so old)
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rnolan

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Re: Marshall 9040 – the unknown model?
« Reply #10 on: Time Format »

Hey Sirion, probably more like ~130 ish into 8 ohms ? MJMP can probably calculate it a bit more accurately, however it's always good to ere on the conservative (for speaker selection), particularly as it doesn't have vol knobs to turn it down, so at 8 ohms having 150w worth of speakers would be a safe margin (popping speaker cones is expensive..).

A 25 year old amp could do with having the electrolytic caps changed, they do go off over time  :facepalm: , and it's allot of what the noise mods for the MP1/2, MB1 are about..  There may be other things that could use attention (particularly f you want to gig with it).  The input and output jacks would have taken some wear, if it's spent its life in a rack, then it's probably just the speaker jacks that had plugs in and out many times (depends, if you leave them plugged in and wind you speaker cables into the rack (an option) then they take way less wear (over the years)).
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Iperfungus

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Re: Marshall 9040 – the unknown model?
« Reply #11 on: Time Format »

Hey Sirion, probably more like ~130 ish into 8 ohms ? MJMP can probably calculate it a bit more accurately, however it's always good to ere on the conservative (for speaker selection), particularly as it doesn't have vol knobs to turn it down, so at 8 ohms having 150w worth of speakers would be a safe margin (popping speaker cones is expensive..).

A 25 year old amp could do with having the electrolytic caps changed, they do go off over time  :facepalm: , and it's allot of what the noise mods for the MP1/2, MB1 are about..  There may be other things that could use attention (particularly f you want to gig with it).  The input and output jacks would have taken some wear, if it's spent its life in a rack, then it's probably just the speaker jacks that had plugs in and out many times (depends, if you leave them plugged in and wind you speaker cables into the rack (an option) then they take way less wear (over the years)).

+1
100% agreed!  :thumb-up:
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MarshallJMP

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Re: Marshall 9040 – the unknown model?
« Reply #12 on: Time Format »

Could be a bit more then 100W in 8 ohms but it doesn't really matter.
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Iperfungus

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Re: Marshall 9040 – the unknown model?
« Reply #13 on: Time Format »

Could be a bit more then 100W in 8 ohms but it doesn't really matter.

I used it that way in stereo with a classic Marshall 4x12 1960A cabinet (150W + 150W)@8Ohm.
Never had a single problem...and 100W + 100W in stereo has a nice amount of "FIST IN YO FACE"!  :metal:

https://www.manualslib.com/manual/558289/Marshall-Amplification-Mgp-9001.html?page=10#manual

http://www.marshallamps.de/fileadmin/_marshall/downloads/all-manuals/9000-MGP90xx-Handbuch.pdf

Just remember to set Output level BEFORE the 9040 to 0, power it on, set output to right level and have fun!
Then, if you cannot survive with volume controls, you can easily build a small box with a pair of pots and put it between preamp and power amp.  :lol:


« Last Edit: Time Format by Iperfungus »
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Sirion

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Re: Marshall 9040 – the unknown model?
« Reply #14 on: Time Format »

Sorry, I don't visit here very often, but I am stoked to see so many people having chimed in. You rock!
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