I swear by the Marshall/Strat sound,Marshall amps just seem to bring out and enhance the best quaalities of Strats.I have an '83 JCM 800 2204 stack that's 50W with a master volume and when I play a Strat through that it's aural sex-the sound is right up in Hendrix/Blackmore territory.I have 2 Marshall combos that also sound incredible with a Strat.

_________________
'65 Strat,65 Mustang,65 Jaguar,4 more Strats,3 vintage Vox guitars,5 Vox amps,'69 Bassman with a '68 2-15 Bassman cab,36 guitars total-15asst'd amps total,2 vintage '60s Hammond organs & a myriad of effects-with a few rare vintage ones.

Funny story....You know the Stones song "Satisfaction (I can't get no)"? That opening guitar riff was played through an old AM/FM radio that Keith Richards hot-wired to work as a guitar amplifier. A crappy little radio, probably with a 4" speaker. And a lot of people LOVE that sound.

The point is that what "sounds good" is a matter of your personal opinion and your opinion cannot be incorrect. Now....a lot of people like the sound of a Strat through a Marshall. OK, great.

But maybe the discussion could be about "why" rather than "what". "Why does a Strat sound so good through a Marshall?"

Well, the answer is likely because single coil pickups produce a more thin and delicate tone, as compared to double-coils. That thin and delicate tone pairs well with a very high-gain amplifier. Strat pickups of the late-60s vintage, like what Hendrix, Clapton, et al. played, are especially thin wound. Moreover, the famous Marshall amps of the day were extraordinarily high gain. The two paired up especially well to produce those tones everyone loves so much.

So....in my mind, if I liked "that" sound, I'd try to pair a lightly wound and thin sounding single coil pickup with a very high-gain amp....like certain Marshals and VOX and Orange.

Funny thing about Fender amps....they are legend for their clarity and not their gain. Not that a thin wound single coil sounds bad through a super loud but clean, bell-tone amplifier like a Twin or Frontman. It just doesn't have that impact and breakup like the others.

Also funny thing.....Ever push a hot Les Paul, with gainy burst buckers or 490s through a vintage Fender Twin? Plunky and chirpy the way a vintage LP ought to sound. It sounds AMAZING!!! Also a legendary tone, but different from the Strat/Marshall.

_________________
BigJay's Custom '69 Kickassocaster
'90 Les Paul Standard "Vintage"
'00 MIJ '62 Tele RI
'76 Fender BandMaster Reverb
'71 Acoustic Control 2x12 w/Celestion V30s
'71 Martin D18
Mesa Mark IV
'65 Deluxe Reverb RI

strats and marshall have been doing it for me for a long long time now , i used to have a stack , but nowadays i just plug the 81 jcm800 into a 1960 4x12 cab or if i'm going to a practice or a jam i have an old roost 2x12 , and sometimes i use the two for a 6x12 settup cheers
Alan

_________________