Jim Marshall, the founder of Marshall Amplification and one of the chief architects behind the sound of rock music, passed away today at the age of 88. Marshall, who was born in West London on July 23rd, 1923, used his training as an electrician to start making amps during World War II. Initially, he was just trying to boost the sound of his voice over the drums in his band, but eventually he started making guitar amplifiers at the request of customers (like Pete Townsend of The Who) in the music store he owned. This lead to the creation of Marshall Amplification in 1962 — and while Marshall was some years behind Fender (who started making a name for itself in the late 40s), his amps quickly became just as iconic.

By the late 60s, artists like Townsend, Jimi Hendrix, Cream, and Led Zeppelin were using all manner of Marshall amplifiers, most notably the "Marshall Stack." Marshall's amps have held legendary status ever since, with ever era of rock music containing notable guitarists who relied on Marshall for their signature sounds. Known as "the father of loud," Marshall is often spoken of as one of the four technological fathers of rock music (along with Leo Fender, Les Paul, and Seth Lover). For those who like it loud, Marshall's name will live on for decades to come.