(L to R: Aidan McFall, Poppy Hanton, Andy Farrow of Celestion; Terry Marshall, Mick Goodyear of Marshall)
Bletchley, Milton Keyes, UK (December 10, 2024) — In honour of the company’s 100th year, Celestion, the premier manufacturer of guitar and bass loudspeakers and sound reinforcement drivers, has been presented with “Serial Number 100” of the special limited edition Celestion 100 JTM Amplifier by Marshall Amplification.
To commemorate the two companies’ partnership and collaboration over the past 60+ years and their rich musical legacy, Marshall produced the new Studio JTM in a special limited run of 100 pieces handcrafted in the UK, in a new cream colour, featuring the anniversary Celestion 100 Alnico speaker. The original JTM amplifiers which inspired this limited edition have a legendary rock and roll heritage, having been used by artists such as Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton.
The anniversary Celestion100 alnico speaker, introduced at NAMM 2024, channels the legacy and tone of the Celestion’s G12 speakers from the late 1950s and early 1960s including the T530 Alnico Blue, the first speaker ever purpose-built for electric guitar amplifiers—as designed by Les Ward, Celestion’s chief engineer during that era.
In the new Celestion 100, the voice coil is based on Les Ward’s original T530 design but has been carefully re-created with more heat-resistant materials to match the vintage tonality, while offering a power rating of 30 watts. The cone and its dust dome, the bolt-on magnet assembly and rear-label have all been painstakingly designed to ensure a period-correct appearance.
“The tone of the Anniversary Celestion 100, is very much based on those really early Alnico guitar speakers. Designed to look and sound as close as possible to those early Alnicos as we could possibly make it, and a real tribute to the original, we believe we made these hundredth anniversary speakers into something truly special,” says John Paice, Marketing Communications Manager at Celestion.
The new Marshall JTM limited edition amplifier featuring the Celestion 100 anniversary speaker is a nod to the legacy and innovative future ahead for the two companies.
Upon presenting the special edition JTM amplifier to Celestion, Terry Marshall recalled, “I remember picking up speakers with the van from Celestion in Thames Ditton. It’s a long standing, very special relationship between the two companies.”
“Celestion has been partnering with Marshall for over 60 years and the relationship is stronger than ever,” added Andy Farrow, Sales Director at Celestion.
About Celestion
With worldwide headquarters in Ipswich, England, Celestion design, develop and manufacture high-quality professional audio loudspeakers and compression drivers for sound reinforcement, premium guitar and bass guitar loudspeakers. These world-renowned speakers are used onstage and in clubs, theatres and other venues the world over. 2024 marks Celestion’s 100th year, please join us in the celebration. celestion.com
