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ENGLISH
Not many can claim the ʻLiving Legendʼ status but Motörhead frontman
Lemmy Kilmister is most certainly deserving of the title. He also happens
to be one of Marshallʼs most ardent fans, recently quoting:- “If it has
Marshall written on it you can buy it without even a test drive, theyʼre that
good.”
To honour this unique partnership that stretches back over three
decades, the team at Marshall has created this new Signature Series
amplifier that takes its inspiration from Lemmyʼs very own modified 1992
100W Super Bass unit – Murder One. The result is an amp that delivers
sublime tone combined with sheer volume and crushing power, all
wrapped up in a rugged oversized cab. The 1992LEM is no mere
re-issue, this is a celebration of an iconic amplifier and its masterful
owner, this is Murder One MKII. To fully understand the significance of
this particular 1992 model we have to delve into the mists of time and
revisit the history of Lemmy, Motörhead and Murder One itself.
We Are Motörhead!
Formerly a roadie for the late, great Jimi Hendrix and rhythm guitarist in
numerous bands in the late ʼ60s, Lemmyʼs first notable bass pummelling
antics were with psychedelic space rockers Hawkwind. Although not the
regular lead singer Lemmy gave his vocal chords a stretch on the 1972
track Silver Machine, which remains the bands biggest hit. During his
time with Hawkwind Lemmy developed his own distinctive bass playing
style, possibly gleaned from his rhythm guitar days, preferring to use
power chords rather than the single note technique favoured by most. But
as the man himself professed:- “All the technique in the world donʼt mean
sh*t if it donʼt sound right.” Youʼve been told! After being fired from the
band over a “misdemeanour” on the Canadian border in 1975, Lemmy
formed one of Rock ʻnʼ Rollʼs most musically prolific and uncompromising
outfits – Motörhead. After some initial line up changes it was the
combination of “Fast” Eddie Clarke on guitar, Phil “Philthy Animal” Taylor
on the skins and Lemmy on bass and vocal duties that defined the
Motörhead sound in the late ʼ70s. Their most recognisable hit of course,
is the iconic 1980 single Ace of Spades which has been the prerequisite
track for every rock compilation since. Brutally fast, refreshingly
uncomplicated and ear splittingly loud speed metal is what this power trio
produced and rock fans the world over have loved Motörhead for it for
over 30 years.
Guitarists and drummers may have come and gone, then come back and
gone again throughout the ʼ80s and early ʼ90s, but the current line up of
Phil Campbell (Guitar) and Mikkey Dee (Drums) has remained
unchanged since 1995. The common thread binding the many guises of
Motörhead together through the decades, apart from Lemmy himself, has
been the raw, un-relenting wall of explosive sound that batters you about
the head on every album and at every show. Never ones to follow big
haired trends or jump on Nu-Metal band wagons, the Motörhead sound
has remained as constant as Lemmyʼs pounding bass lines, microphones
that point south and his love affair with 1992 Super Bass amps.
The amp that would eventually become Murder One was bought by
Lemmy virtually brand new and had been finished in red vinyl. Made in
1976, just a year after Motörhead started down the road to rock infamy,
this ʻmoddedʼ 1992 model has featured on nearly all of the subsequent
brain rattling studio and live albums. For more than 30 years it was one of
the hardest worked amps in the business, due to the relentless pace of
life on the road sandwiched between stints in the recording studio.
During Murder Oneʼs tenure as Lemmyʼs first choice thunder box the
original red covering was given a lick of jet black paint and the face
further customised with two unique emblems. Created from five-pointed
Russian military stars inside ornate golden wreaths, these improvised
crests stood proudly either side of the Murder One nameplate which in
turn had been created from reflective traffic lettering.
Where did this custom of naming his amps come from though?
Well according to his bass tech Tim Butcher “. . .[it] just comes from
Lemmyʼs active mind, a blade and too much time on his hands. . .”
Lemmy has also had at his disposal: Marsha, No Remorse and Killer
among countless other Super Bass variants over the years which have all
formed part of the imposing backdrop to many a Motörhead show.
Lemmyʼs Marshall amps have become such an indelible part of
Motörhead folklore that there were reports after a riotous gig in Argentina,
where the crowd tore through the stage and destroyed most of the bandʼs
equipment, that Murder One was being held to ransom! Thankfully, the
truth is that most of Lemmyʼs rig, including his custom 4x12” and
monstrous 4x15” Marshall Cabs, was safely pulled off stage moments
before the over-zealous fans could get their sweaty, air punching hands on
it. Sadly though, three plectrums and a microphone stand didnʼt make it!
So Murder One survived to thump ear drums another day, which was
good news for the Marshall team when Jim Marshall instructed them to
produce a Signature Series bass amp honouring both his good friend and
the most famous of his 1992 Super Bass horde. Placed in their more than
capable hands, Murder One went under the ʻengineerʼs knifeʼ to see what
made it tick so vigorously. Voltages were measured, transformers
examined and circuitry scrutinised to establish the winning formula that
has made this particular model such a formidable piece of kit. The
outcome is the intimidating, uncompromising and brutish all-valve bass
amp that you are no-doubt drooling over this very second.
Prior to their release, prototype 1992LEMs had been cutting their teeth
with Lemmy, Phil and Mikkey on their 2007/08 world tour, a fiercely tough
proving ground for any amp. It suffices to say that they sailed through the
road test and proved themselves more than worthy successors to the
mighty Murder One, which is now enjoying a well earned rest. No such
retirement is planned for Lemmy though, as one of the last original metal
maniacs there seems to be no end to his un-yielding stamina to write and
perform Motörheadʼs own unique brand of head banging Rock ʻnʼ Roll.
Armed with his new Signature Series Super Bass amps, that will no-
doubt be christened before too long (any suggestions to
www.imotorhead.com by the way), we are certain of many more years of
the mind blowing tone and bone crushing volume that has come to
epitomise the Lemmy and Marshall partnership since the ʼ70s. Long may
it continue.
Finally, Marshall would like to thank Eddie, Roger, Tim, Abbe, Dan and
the rest of the Motörhead road crew for their un-wavering help and
support throughout this incredible project. Special thanks also to Phil and
Mikkey for their continuing efforts to destroy the hearing of Motörhead
fans the world over and thanks, of course, to the ʻgreatest living
Englishmanʼ himself – Lemmy. He may have belted out:- “They say Iʼm
gonna lose and gamblingʼs for fools, but thatʼs the way I like it baby, I
donʼt want to live forever!” over a thousand times since 1980, but on
current form it appears that he just might.