While Marshall made its name as – and continues to be – one of the most iconic guitar amp manufacturers in the world, in recent times it has dabbled largely in non-amp-related products and services.
These include a jukebox developed in partnership with Sound Leisure, and more recently, a fully-fledged recording studio at its headquarters in Milton Keynes, England.
So it might not come as a surprise to hear that the audio giant has teamed up with BMW Motorrad – BMW's motorcycle division – for a pair of Marshall speaker-equipped motorbikes, the R 18 B and R 18 Transcontinental.
Each bike is fitted with a two-way speaker system – which sports Marshall's white logo and black speaker grilles – boasting up to four loudspeakers and two subwoofers with 280 watts of total output.
You can check out the bikes in action in the music video for The Cadillac Three's latest single, Get After It.
“This was such an awesome experience!” comments the band's frontman Jaren Johnston. “While recording the track we tried to incorporate the feeling of getting on that BMW Motorrad bike for the first time while playing a really loud guitar through huge Marshall stacks like we do out on the road. I think we nailed it.”
Adds drummer Neil Mason: “We've had a great relationship with Marshall for a long time and when we found out they'd recommend us to BMW to help launch their new motorcycle with a music video for Get After It, it felt like a big ole hell yes for us.”
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Says Ralf Rodepeter, Head of Marketing and Product Management BMW Motorrad: “Both music and riding a motorcycle are just about pure emotion. I can't think of a better song than this awesome track from The Cadillac Three for this project.”
To get your hands on the R 18 B or R 18 Transcontinental, you'll need the princely sum of either $21,495 or $24,995, respectively. For more info, head to BMW Motorrad.
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Sam was Staff Writer at GuitarWorld.com from 2019 to 2023, and also created content for Total Guitar, Guitarist and Guitar Player. He has well over 15 years of guitar playing under his belt, as well as a degree in Music Technology (Mixing and Mastering). He's a metalhead through and through, but has a thorough appreciation for all genres of music. In his spare time, Sam creates point-of-view guitar lesson videos on YouTube under the name Sightline Guitar.