Changes

From the early 70's to today, Marshall basically dominated the amp market, by delivering the crunchy, "British" tone. The clean tones were sweet, but what set the amps apart was they could be pushed into overdrive more easily and without getting nasty. Think Clapton, Hendrix (when he's not using a fuzz pedal), Ritchie Blackmore, and Pete Townshend. Their sound is somewhat nasal but delivers a relatively aggressive distortion, especially when boosted. This is how early Eddie Van Halen, Randy Rhoads, Zack Wylde, and pretty much every 80's hair metal band got their sound. Other notable artists include Joe Satriani and early Steve Vai. Many modern small-shop amp manufacturers got their start by modifying Marshalls to have greater and more focused gain.