The Father of Loud, Jim Marshall, dies aged 88

Guitar amp innovator Jim Marshall - dubbed "the Father of Loud" for creating kit used by some of the biggest names in rock - has died aged 88.

Marshall, who was running a musical equipment shop in London in the Sixties, decided he could make a cheaper amp than American imports such as Fenders. Early experiments soon gave rise to the "Marshall Sound" and having customers such as Clapton, The Who, and Hendrix boosted popularity of the gear.

The appearance of a Marshall stack or even an entire wall of cabinets is an oft-recurring image in the loud rock music scene... even if some of the cabs can be dummies. Unsurprisingly, it was The Who that helped popularise multistacking of Marshall cabinets. Yes, a real wall of sound.

The Marshall Amplification company said, "In addition to the creation of the amps chosen by countless guitar heroes and game changing bands, Jim was also an incredibly humble and generous man who, over the past several decades, has quietly donated many millions of pounds to worthy causes."

In the words of a fan, Andrew Mann: "The guy that put more ring in your ears than Alexander Graham Bell - Jim Marshall RIP."