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Lot Essay
Johnny Marr acquired this Fender Dual Showman amp and cabinet through well-known British guitar tech Alan Rogan in the late 1980s. In conversation with Martin Kelly for Marr’s Guitars, Marr explained: Around this time [while he was living in Earls Court in mid-1984], when The Smiths started to have a run of hits… I became friends with a guy called Alan Rogan, who is sadly no longer with us. He was the guitar tech for Pete Townshend, and he'd also looked after Keith Richards, Eric Clapton and George Harrison among many other people over the years. Alan was one of the most respected guitar experts there'll ever be.
Between 1987 and circa 1990, Rogan worked for the Rolling Stones, resulting in him coming into possession of various pieces of their old gear, some of which he offered to Marr. It is possible that this composite pairing of 1967 Fender Dual Showman amp and 1965 speaker cabinet were formerly owned and used by Brian Jones. As Andy Babiuk chronicled in Rolling Stones Gear, Brian Jones and Keith Richards each bought new Fender ‘Dual’ Showman blackface amps (without the word ‘dual’ on the faceplate) and cabinets in 1965, which were shipped back to England from Los Angeles. Having used Fender amps on their first two US tours and recording sessions at Chess and RCA studios, these amps became their main stage and studio amps, replacing their Vox AC30s. The amps were fitted with red variable voltage-regulator switches, which meant they could be used in any country (a feature not present on this amp). In 1967, Brian Jones then acquired another pair of Showman amps and cabs, with the cabinets of this pairing being slightly wider than the amp heads, and with the Fender logo of the cabinets readable in the vertical position as opposed to the horizontal positioning of the 1965 speakers. His new amps and wider cabs were used for the Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus, filmed in December 1968, with one visibly having the ‘Dual Showman’ to the faceplate (differentiating it from his and Keith’s 1965 amps) and one with ‘Showman’ logo, in the style of the present amp. It is possible that the amp Rogan acquired for Johnny Marr was one of these, paired with Brian’s earlier cabinet, however, a lack of records of serial numbers, and the fact that this would have been new when first used and visible, with therefore no visible wear in photos and footage to which to compare the present amp and cab, make it difficult to be certain.
The Dual Showman amp has been a mainstay of Johnny Marr’s studio for almost 40 years. Speaking to Guitar Player in January 1990, he talked through his amp set-up: At my studio, I’ve got a Roland JC-120 amp, one of the new Fender Twins (they sound great when they’re turned up), a Fender Showman, and an old Fender Bassman, which I really like for soloing and practicing. Marr was photographed by Niall Lea for the cover of his 2022 album Fever Dreams Pts. 1-4, in a pared back Crazy Face Factory, with this amp and cab combo and one of his black Signature Jaguars.
See lot 46 for additional images of this lot.
Between 1987 and circa 1990, Rogan worked for the Rolling Stones, resulting in him coming into possession of various pieces of their old gear, some of which he offered to Marr. It is possible that this composite pairing of 1967 Fender Dual Showman amp and 1965 speaker cabinet were formerly owned and used by Brian Jones. As Andy Babiuk chronicled in Rolling Stones Gear, Brian Jones and Keith Richards each bought new Fender ‘Dual’ Showman blackface amps (without the word ‘dual’ on the faceplate) and cabinets in 1965, which were shipped back to England from Los Angeles. Having used Fender amps on their first two US tours and recording sessions at Chess and RCA studios, these amps became their main stage and studio amps, replacing their Vox AC30s. The amps were fitted with red variable voltage-regulator switches, which meant they could be used in any country (a feature not present on this amp). In 1967, Brian Jones then acquired another pair of Showman amps and cabs, with the cabinets of this pairing being slightly wider than the amp heads, and with the Fender logo of the cabinets readable in the vertical position as opposed to the horizontal positioning of the 1965 speakers. His new amps and wider cabs were used for the Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus, filmed in December 1968, with one visibly having the ‘Dual Showman’ to the faceplate (differentiating it from his and Keith’s 1965 amps) and one with ‘Showman’ logo, in the style of the present amp. It is possible that the amp Rogan acquired for Johnny Marr was one of these, paired with Brian’s earlier cabinet, however, a lack of records of serial numbers, and the fact that this would have been new when first used and visible, with therefore no visible wear in photos and footage to which to compare the present amp and cab, make it difficult to be certain.
The Dual Showman amp has been a mainstay of Johnny Marr’s studio for almost 40 years. Speaking to Guitar Player in January 1990, he talked through his amp set-up: At my studio, I’ve got a Roland JC-120 amp, one of the new Fender Twins (they sound great when they’re turned up), a Fender Showman, and an old Fender Bassman, which I really like for soloing and practicing. Marr was photographed by Niall Lea for the cover of his 2022 album Fever Dreams Pts. 1-4, in a pared back Crazy Face Factory, with this amp and cab combo and one of his black Signature Jaguars.
See lot 46 for additional images of this lot.