But getting an amp as loud as he wanted took particular skills and talents. It also took perseverance on Blackmore’s part to convince the only man he knew could do it: Jim Marshall.

Speaking of legends, it was one of his designs, the Fender Bassman, that made it to England and inspired Jim to open Marshall amps. Beyond being the seed for times to come, Fender amplifiers are ...

In 1962, high import taxes made it impossible for Jim Marshall, a music-store owner in London, to meet demand for popular American-made Fender amplifiers, and he set out to create his own.