John Squire’s Marshall JCM900 SLX

In the Seahorses, Squire moved towards Marshall stack amplification. He had a particular affinity for the Marshall JCM900 SLX head – a high-gain 100W amp that delivered a rawer, more “British” distortion tone​

The SL-X version of the JCM900 had an extra preamp tube and no diode clipping, essentially making it closer to a hot-rodded vintage Marshall. Squire likely acquired one as The Stone Roses ended (mid-’90s) or as he prepared The Seahorses’ debut.

With The Seahorses performing in larger venues and a more guitar-driven sound, the Marshalls gave Squire the on-tap crunch that previously he achieved with pedals. Songs like “Love Is the Law,” with its big Zeppelin-esque riffs and solos, were powered by the Marshall’s roar (often still boosted with a pedal for leads).

During The Seahorses’ 1997 tours, Squire was often seen in front of full Marshall stacks. This was a departure from the combo amps of his Roses days – likely a response to the need for a thicker stage sound and perhaps inspired by touring alongside Britpop and rock acts using Marshall stacks. A notable live example was The Seahorses’ set at Glastonbury  1997, where Squire’s Marshall rig provided a muscular sound befitting the festival stage. It’s worth noting that Squire’s JCM900 SLX was probably unmodified (it had plenty of gain stock), though he would have dialed it in to complement his pedals (keeping it loud and fairly clean on rhythm, then kicking in pedals for solos).