This awesome, 100 watt head will drive any cabinet from the Marshall range, but is best suited to the Celestion loaded MG412A (angled) and MG412B (straight) 120W 4x12" cabinets. Unbelievable tone, feel and projection come as standard.
Featured review by:
ollerom_mot, on december 22, 2004 13 of 15 people found this review helpful
Price paid: $ 384.3
Purchased from: Music Makers
Features: This head was made in 2003, and I have been using it with the recommended MG412 cabinet. I play in a metal band, and with plenty of fiddling round I found a nice tone that suited metal, but to satisfy my hunger for punk (Bad Religion, Pennywise) some adjusting made that sound pretty good too, even with my sub-standard guitar. It has 2 channels, clean and overdrive. On clean you can choose between clean and (bluesy) crunch, which I haven't found much use for, and on overdrive there are two different sub-channels also, OD1 and OD2. I found OD1 was a bit lame for my tastes and I normally have OD2 on the overdrive channel, and clean on the clean channel. There is a footswitch to change between the two channels. This head has jacks in the back for effects loops, and a headphone jack (for when I've been practising at home). For the effects built into the amp, it has another pedal on the footswitch to turn the effects on and off, but you can only have one effect on at a time without turning the knob. It has all the features that I could really ask for, apart from a footswitch that turns the reverb on and off would have been nice. I use this amp to practice at home (with headphones in), for band practices (max it ever goes up to is halfway), but have not had a gig since buying it, but 120 RMS pretty much assures me that it will be big enough for anywhere. // 8
Sound: I'm currently using a Squier Telecaster with this amp, but I feel that with this guitar I am not doing it any justice, but I can still get some decent sounds out of it that suit my metal, punk and classic rock needs. The amp is very versatile, and if you know how to use it, it could be anyone's best friend. The clean channel is gorgeous, it's the best clean tone I've heard on an amp in my entire life, I love it. The distortion isn't the best I've heard, but I have only heard it on my guitar, which is not very nice. However, I'm not saying the distortion is bad, it's brilliant, but I haven't found a tone that matches to the clean channels standard, and yes, you can shake your nextdoor neighbour's house with it. // 8
Reliability & Durability: I've had it for a few months now, and (possibly due to my paranoia of damaging it) it doesn't have a scratch on it. It also has a 3 year warranty on it, and the cabinet, too. Nothing has been damaged to it, I can see this amp lasting me for a long time. // 10
Impression: This amp is real good, especially for someone who needs volume and versatility (looks too, of course, but that doesn't really bother me). I have been playing for around 3 years now, but have owned very few (but played many) amps. Before this amp, I was playing through a 30w Nobels bass amp through a Danelectro Grilled Cheese Distortion pedal, and it sucked. So my bassist has inherited my pathetic bass amp and this one casts a large, dark shadow over it. If it were stolen/lost (although it's pretty hard to lose something this big), I would probably break down and cry, and complain for the next few months as I saved up for a new amp, which wouldn't be this one. I would probably buy a similar cabinet, but save up for a JCM series head instead, something more professional, or maybe just get a combo, depending on the way things with the band are going. The only bad thing about this amp is sometimes I feel I might have gone a little OTT, as it certainly isn't practical to lug the cabinet around, and it takes up a fair amount of space. Despite this though, I do not regret this purchase and all-round is a brilliant amp, but advise anyone who is considering buying it to seriously think if they truly require an amp of this size. // 10
Reviewed by:
unregistered, on january 25, 2008 3 of 4 people found this review helpful
Price paid: $ 913.17
Purchased from: Gloucester Soundhouse
Features: This solidstate amp is the stack version of the MG100DFX. The name says it all really. It's a 100 watts, with digital effects (delay, chorus, delay/chorus and flange). It has two channels, clean and overdrive. The clean channel has a Switch that allows you to change between clean and crunch, and the distortion has a button for changing between overdrive 1 and overdrive 2. As the names suggest, when you have the channels on either cruch or overdrive 2, it steps up the distrotion a bit. The two channels and the DFX are switchable using the footswitch that comes with it. This amp also has a CD in that can be used for playing backing tracks or just some of your favourite tunes; and a emulated line out and headphone jack for recording or playing some serious rock at 2 in the morning without pissing off the neighbours. It also comes with a spring reverb and a FDD (Frequency Dependent Damping). When the FDD switch is selected, it tightens up all the mids in your tone and makes your solid state amp sounds more like a valve amp, which rocks some serious ass. It also has a effects loop which is good if you have some effects pedals that you want in an effects loop. // 8
Sound: I play with a Epiphone Les Paul Standard which has Seymour Duncan pickups at the bridge and a Fender atomic humbucker for the neck pickup. I also play a Encore stratocaster which is cool for playing Van Halen and Steve Vai styled music because of the whammy bar. I also have a Boss gt8 effects pedal which is gopod when I have it set up in the 4 cable method. I play mostly classic rock (Aerosmith, Black Sabbath and Ozzy, AC/DC, Queen, Dire Straits, The Eagles, Hendrix and so on and so forth). The clean channel on cruch mode is great for doing hendrix or Eagles styled music with my stratocaster. The overdrive channel is suited for everything else. The clean channel is good for crisp country type music whilst the overdrive channel is great for solos.This amp has a lot of variety and it's well suited for most types or rock, from blues to classic to country. // 9
Reliability & Durability: This is Marshall amp. This thing is built like a tank and because it's a Marshall, I can count on it to not breakdown when I need it most. This is probably the only make of amp which I would gig with withoput a backup. I haven't had the amp long and it's only been in my room for about 3 weeks, but I can tell it would take a lot to break it. // 10
Impression: This amp is great for me, It allows me to have a diverse range of sounds at the flick of a Switch. The tone is brilliant, it's very reliable and I just love the look of the half stack with the slant cabinate in the courner. This amp is perfect for me and I'm sure that it's perfect for other people as well. // 8
Reviewed by:
The Konztranata, on july 03, 2006 5 of 16 people found this review helpful
Price paid: $ 457.5
Purchased from: Local Guitar Shop
Features: Built in 2005. 3 channels, although the third is debatable. Solid state, gives respectable solid state companies such as HH and Carlsbro a bad name. A terrible gasket of inbuilt effects, which are basically either on or off. No compromise or tone Switch for us then! The amp is versatile, provided that you care very little about your tone. And most importantly, the Marshall logo, because of course, this amp is so poorly designed and constructed, that this is the only feature of supposed repute. // 5
Sound: I was sold this guitar, having been told that it could provide a reasonable volume for medium-ish sized gigs. it provides very little volume, infact, through the terribly designed and cheaply made G12 speakers in the stock MG cab especially. If you require volume, move at least to the AVT series or beyond. Remember, for the price of this lazy giant, you could buy a superbly high volumed Marshall or other combo. It has a poor low end presence, hence no bones will shake or hearts break etc. The high end frequencies however, even on mid settings are often shrill and tinny, even through the burstbuckers in my Les Paul. // 4
Reliability & Durability: Mine gave up after medium-heavy gigging in 6 months. Pathetic. Need I say more. At least it comes with a good warranty from new! // 1
Impression: I am a member of an experimental band, but consider myself a guitar and noise nerd! I was and still am dissapointed that Marshall have produced such a low quality and weak product, especially given that this product in particular is often bought by kids bursting with ambition as the begin their lives as musicians. Way to leave a bad taste in their mouths Marshall, just hope they knock on your dissolved factory door when they are superstars. // 3
Reviewed by:
mesaboogieman, on september 10, 2005 2 of 3 people found this review helpful
Purchased from: Mansons Guitars
Features: This is a fairly new amp from Marshall, I play mostly thrash metal but also some Led Zeppelin and blues. This amp has one channel for clean, and a channel for the overdrive, with which you get a choice between OD1 or OD2, OD1 is fairly weak and even with full gain is not worth using, it sounds like you've turned the volume knob right down leaving a little bit of sound to come through, but pushing the button into OD2 you get the full blown distortion that you would expect from the 4x12" speakers in the cab. It has an effects loop, CD in, headphone jack, footswitch comes with the amp, the footswich has only two buttons to press, one for the channel select, and one for the FX, a reverb selector would be good on footswitch, as the reverb sound on this amp is amazing, but obviously you don't want it there all the time, so I tend to play with very little of it. The effects on this amp are chorus/delay, not an effect I use alot, flanger, chorus and delay, all the effects are great but only when playing the right stuff, you can get an amazing sound from the chorus, you can also use the effects knob to adjust how much presence the effects has on your sound. This amp also has an FDD button, which tries to simulate the sound of a valve amp, it gives an amazing punch to the distortion and makes the clean sound alot brighter. // 8
Sound: The guitar I use is an Epiphone Les Paul, this guitar is great for pretty much any style of music, but quite weak to use in the bluesey areas, like Stevie Ray and Hendrix, in which case I use my Yamaha Pacifica, which sounds great on the clean, neck pickup. This amp is a bit too loud to just practise in your bedroom, so I suggest buying some headphones, if you try to play it quietly it just doesn't sound the same. I find the clean sound doesnt distort atall, unless you want it to, in which case you hit the clean crunch button included on the clean channel, again, I would prefer this to also be on the footswitch, all round I would say the only thing that let me down about this amp is the fact there are only two buttons on the footswitch. // 8
Reliability & Durability: I would use this amp without a backup because it's hard as anything, I got covers free with mine to protect and bumps to it. As in tube amps, neglect or accidents can lead to having to have it repaired costing money, and not too good if you have a gig coming up. I find with the solid states its alot more reliable. // 10
Impression: Like I said, I play Heavy and thrash metal, the heavy overdrive on the amp is great, it has an amazing Punch to the sound and really bassey sounding, which is what I like. The sound I could compare it to is songs by Iced Earth, one of my favourite bands, in songs like "Stand Alone" you can hear what kind of sound this amp can give you. I have been playing 4 years and this is my 4th amp, all of them marshalls, but none quite as big as this one, nor as loud! Theres no comparison when you turn the volume up and you hear those speakers working so well. This amp has served me well over the past 2 months and I expect it will be my amp for a few years to come, until I outgrow it. // 8
Reviewed by:
WOLFMAN JOE, on january 08, 2006 2 of 4 people found this review helpful
Purchased from: Musicians Friend
Features: I got this amp for Christmas and it has just gotten better and better. The effects it has are:
- Chorus/Delay
- Delay
- Chorus
- Flange
- Reverb
It is pretty large, the cab is about 2' x 2'; and the head is about 6" x 2'. It's great for practice in you room or for live gigs. The cab weighs apporxomatley 70lbs, and the head weighs approximatley 36lbs. It has a CD-In 1/8" jack and a headphone 1/8" jack. It has channel switching, and includes a footswitch. The head has outputs in the back for pedals and other speakers if you want to use them. Carrying handles on the side make it pretty easy to carry. Under the back of the head there is a compartment where you can store things like strings and picks. It comes with a 5 year manufacturers warranty. It just has so many features including the fact that it is somewhat affordable. It also comes with a bunch of 1/8" cables. // 10
Sound: I play a Limited Edition Fender So-Cal Speed Shop Strat, and it has one humbucker at the bridge. I play mostly emo, but I also play some metal like Slipknot and Killswitch Engage. I also play some punk like Green Day and Blink 182. And it makes all of those bands sound exactly the same, with the right amp settings of course. I use it in my room, and it can be noisy because it is big, but just turn it down and it is quiet. But that ain't fun. My friend came over to see it and know he wants one because he said the sound is amazing. // 10
Reliability & Durability: I just got it not even a month ago, but by the looks of it, it will last a while. It seems pretty reliable. I don't in a band so I don't know about gigs, but if I did I would definitley use this one. // 9
Impression: I have been playing about a year now and this amp is the best thing I bought so far. If it was stolen, because I could never lose such a large object, I would buy a new one after a lot of saving. I love everything about it. And it plays great with any type of music. // 10
Reviewed by:
Ich_Bin_Ibanez, on august 18, 2006 1 of 2 people found this review helpful
Price paid: $ 199.99
Purchased from: Pawnshop
Features: The Marshall MG100HDFX head is a lot more versatile than I thought it was going to be, when I first purchased it. It is a 2 channel head that you can Switch between with a footswitch pedal. It has a headphone jack, and an input for a CD. It has a few effects that saved me the trouble of getting pedals. Like reverb, flange, and chorus. I play grunge/metal/hardcore/acoustic all kind of put together on this amp. And it is more than capable of doing this. It has more than enough power than what I know what to do with. Because if we end up playing shows I know people with full stacks that I can use. // 9
Sound: This amp suits my style a lot more than I thought it was going to. It's not as noisy as I thought it was going to be as the volume dial moved up. This amp can make some amazing sounds with very very clean pinch harmonics to an amazing of variety of divebombs. It is very smooth mellow sound when you need it to be and at other times it can be distorted and all up in your face. // 10
Reliability & Durability: I would depend on this amp. If I played a show I would carry this in with 100% confidence in it. It has been through some tough times. And it still plays fine and sounds just as good as the day it was bought. If this amp ever breaks down not due to neglect I will be really surprised even if it's in like 5 years. // 10
Impression: My overrall impression of this amp at first was sort of suprise. I was afraid to turn it up all the way thinking it was gonna freak out and make me deaf with feedback but it didn't. I have been playing for like 2 monthes and I own a Ibanez AEG10E with a Behringer hell-babe, and Boss Mega Distortion, and Boss Super Overdrive, I also use my friends Jackson Randy Rhoads with it. No matter what I have plugged into and what it's set to it keeps up with me. From stuff like Lamb Of God to Black Sabbath. // 10
Reviewed by:
Mark-O1987666, on january 27, 2006 1 of 2 people found this review helpful
Price paid: $ 567.3
Purchased from: Ebay
Features: I've only been playing guitar for just over a year and a half I think, anyways I was upgrading from my pathetic Fender FrontMan 15 or whatever you call it, and I saw this on Ebay, I thought 100watts would suffice for a while, whilst my band gets off it's ass. It's got 2 channels each with it's own distortion, plus the overdrive channel has a second mode of distortion, mainly for metal playing I guess. It has 4 built in effects too, chorus, delay, flange, and chorus/delay. This is a solidstate amp. // 8
Sound: OK, at the present I gots two guitars, my Jackson JS30DK Dinky; with Jackson CVR2 humbuckers, and my ESP LTS AX-50; soon with EMG 81's. I play ina metal type band, thrash/death metal style I'd say, so I mainly play with full distortion, and it sounds good for me, not absoloutely amazing, but good enough for some crushing riffs. However, if I want to play something a little less distorted, I can turn the second overdrive mode off for a pretty jazzy kind of distortion (not that, that gets used much). The clean channel sounds nice in conjunction with the flange effect, can write some nice tunes with those settings. I recently cracked this up to a quater of the max volume, and wow I was impressed, at firsrt I was expecting a horrible thumping kind of sound, but no, there was very little sound interference, this comes from the cabinet build quality though. I doubt even in a gig situation I'd need to pump this head higher than 25-50% of it's max. // 9
Reliability & Durability: I twatted this off the wall so many times when I was taking it up to my room, and it's still working fine, so I'd say it's pretty god damn durable. I'd trust it at a gig too, since its solidstate I wouldn't have to worry about valves burning out, only powerfailure or liquid spillage. // 10
Impression: I really like it, I can see myself keeping it for a long time to come, and if my band gets anywhere, I'll be gigging with for a long time, even when I can afford a JCM900. If it was stolen however, I'd probably fork out for the JCM. // 9
Reviewed by:
unregistered, on december 19, 2005 1 of 2 people found this review helpful
Price paid: $ 366
Purchased from: gak
Features: The MG100HDFX one of the latest budget guitar amps from Marshall, Top of the line in its class. It comes complete with a footswitch for changing between the 2 channels and turning the onboard effects on and off. There are 2 channels, "clean" and "overdrive" and both have 2 modes, perfect if you don't have an effects chain. The "clean" modes are completely dry or mild (very Marshall sounding) distortion. This channel has a 3 band EQ and a gain knob. The "overdrive" modes are a lishter distortion or a very heavy distortion. This channel has a 3 band EQ, Gain, Contour and volume controls. The footswitch changes channels, not modes. This amp's got a wide range of holes to put cables into, including headphones (also "Emulated Line Out"), CD in (or line in) and Input (for your guitar) on the front. The back has an effects loop in and out, 2 outputs for speaker cabs, footswitch and power cable. You can adjust the level of the effects when you use the loop, but the loop takes away a lot of the sound that your effects give you, leaving you with a decayed sound (not in a good way) so I don't use it.
The onboard effects to choose from are pretty good though, Theres not many budget amps that come complete with chorus, flange, delay and reverb (theres also a chorus/delay mix option) and remember you can switch them on or off with your footswitch. There's a problem with the headphone jack (design flaw, not broken) in that you can't adjust the volume, but i never use it anyway. Great for first time stack buyers! // 9
Sound: I use a Gibson Les Paul Custom with standard Gibson pickups and loads of mainly boss pedals and it sounds great! It comes with that classic unmistakable Marshall sound! I play a very wide range of styles, from heavy metal, to pop punk, to indiepop to new wave, and it's that versatile to suit my needs at home! It makes not much of that single coil feedback you get with teles or strats either but if you use it too loud, it struggles to keep your sound from decaying! The main annoyance is the stupidly loud processor fan, I can usually hear it from accross the room but if your playing, you wont hear it. You get a 3 band EQ on both channels so you can vary your sound, and both channels have 2 modes, so you can personalise it to your own style. The "Clean" channel is what it says it is, but if you press the OD button you get very light distortion (in that classic Marshall 'crunch' tone). The "Overdrive" channel is classic Marshall once again a milder distortion, but press the OD button for this channel and you get something that can make your ears bleed or perhaps reserect the devil himself! // 7
Reliability & Durability: I've giged with it a couple of times (I have a DSL100 and it gets used a lot more) and it's never failed me. I can take it to rehearsals and it's always working fine. Seeing as I drink on stage it's not surprising that I've dropped it and spilt things on it and nothing! Absolutely nothing went wrong with it! The footswitch, being Marshall, can take just as much crap too. For the guitarist who's just starting to gig, you cant ask for more! // 8
Impression: Overall its a great choice. Its a versatile amp delivering 100watts of pure Marshall sound! But saying that, if it were stolen or I dropped it from the roof, it wouldn't be the end of the world! There are better amps out there, just not for this sort of cash. I wish I tested the headphone socket and the effects loop before I baught it. I love the on board effects and its outstanding value for money! If you want to tinker with stacks to see how they work, or just want something you can gig with for the first time, its a great package, but if you've been gigging for a while and had a few amps before, I'd look elsewhere! // 8
Reviewed by:
cyclefreak207, on march 26, 2007 1 of 3 people found this review helpful
Price paid: $ 600
Purchased from: Guitar Center
Features: I think that the amp was made in 2006 or 2007. The amp has really good features, clean channel: gain, bass, middle, treble, and (clean/crunch). There is a overdriven channel: gain, (OD1/OD2) bass, middle, treble, contour volume. Also it has digital fx, preset/adjust (chorus/delay, delay, chorus, flang, reverb, effects loop mix. Also master volume, and FDD (frequency dependent dampening). There is also the foot Switch, with a channel Switch, and FDX. It is a solid state amp. On the front there are also CD/MP3 in, and headphones out. // 10
Sound: I have a Jay Turser Telecaster copy. It has elixir 10s in it, that were from whoever I bought it from. I use this amp for practice and to jam with my friends. I wouldn't have bought it if it didn't pack some noise. It's noisy as hell, but with a great tone. The distortion is not unmanageable like most amplifiers, the clean channel sound good with distortion, as does the overdriven channel. I prefer to play with a reverb too. It makes it sound like I'm in an auditorium. // 10
Reliability & Durability: I can depend on it, I would probably bet my life on it, I don't really "gig" per say, but I would definitely use it on stage, in front of an audience. It is not a tube amp so I don't worry about that. But I would definitely depend on it, I will hopefully use it on stage soon! // 10
Impression: I don't own any other gear, and don't really think I need it. But if it were stolen, I would buy this same one. In fact, my friends were so impressed by it's power and sound, a dude I didn't know that well kinda tried to take it I guess, but it is heavy and he didn't make it far through my living room. I compared it with a Randall half stack, and a Fender half stack, but I decided on this one. I kind of wish it had more effects, but I can Live without, because it is great. Dog Matter, is the name of our band! // 10
Reviewed by:
Johansensan, on july 19, 2008 0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Price paid: $ 600
Purchased from: Guitar Center
Features: I got this amp for Christmas this past year, Brand New. I have the recomended MG412A cab along with it. It has 2 channels with 2 options for each channel. The clean channel offers a crunch option that I've never really had a use for. The overdrive channel has OD1 and OD2. My understanding is that the OD1 is built like a solid state amp should sound (this amp is solid state). The OD2 is designed to mimic a tube amp and 1-ups pretty much everything the OD1 option can offer. The amp has built in effects, reverb, chorus, delay, flanger, and chorus+delay. It comes with a footswitch that lets you Switch between clean and overdrive and turn the effects on and off. I use this at home nonstop. I never take it higher than 5 and I usually wear protective headphones when I do. The amp is a bit smaller than most cabs/heads because it is built for the halfstack package. Also the controls are on the top of the head rather than the bottom which makes it easier to adjust with 1 cab but could be difficult with 2. // 9
Sound: I run an LTD EX-400 through this 99% of the time but I'll sometimes use my Dean Michael Schenker Standard. I play metal (mostly Metallica) and this amp definatly does the job. My house has amazing acoustics, you can hear a normal conversation downstairs from the upstairs so this amp gets boosted a lot from that. There's no feedback from the amp until you get up to about 7. I've gotten up there once just to see how loud it was and the feedback was unbearable. The amp can go anywhere from blusey to metal, to classic rock, pretty much anywhere. using active pickups the clean channel gets distorted very easily which is annoying but using the Dean it usually is fine. The distortion is pretty heavy, I play with the bass on 9 or 10 which is pretty low but it's not quite low enough for me, the bass needs to be a bit lower and darker but other than that everythings pretty nice. // 7
Reliability & Durability: This amp is very light. The head weights 30lb which is incredebly light for an amp which some say means the amp isnt worth getting. I think it works fine. I heard that after being on for long periods of time the fan starts to fail and it smokes a little but I haven't had that happen to me. I've had this for I guess almost 7 months and I've yet to have a problem with it. The amp seems very durable and I've seen it used for gigs and it's worked fine. // 7
Impression: This is a pretty good match for someone Who plays metal or hardrock, or really anything. I like my bass super low which kind of upsets me. This is my first head and cabnet so I don't have much to compare this to but it's good enough for me. If someone took the amp I'd be upset about it and I'd probably get it again, unless I was told money isnt an option. this is definatly worth the price. I love the nice price, huge volume, and the built-in effects but again, I'd like to have deeper bass tones and a longer cable for the footswitch. // 8
Reviewed by:
drake-182, on july 07, 2008 0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Price paid: £ 175
Purchased from: Nevada Music
Features: I purchased my MG100HDFX approximately 8 months ago, from Nevada Music in Portsmouth. It has 2 channels, each with 2 different distortion levels. The clean channel, is what it says it is, no distortion, and it is paired with the crunch channel, which has a little distortion. The overdrive channel has OD1, which is more of a classic rock style distortion, and OD2, which is a very high gain distortion, which has added high and low end. It has a headphone/line out jack, which I find very useful, and was pleasantly surprised as to the quality of the output for recording! It also has CD-in, which I've never used, and a Frequency Dependent Dampening Switch, which effectively emulates tube amps, it's useful if using a cabinet, not useful if using line out. It has a built-in digital FX circuit, and an FX loop. You can use one of 4 different effects (chorus, delay, chorus/delay and flange), as well as the reverb at any one time. There is also an FX level knob, and a reverb level knob. // 8
Sound: I play my MG100HDFX through a Marshall AVT 4x12 200w cabinet. I chose to get the AVT cabinet over the standard MG cabinet due to the better response over the entire sound spectrum that you get from the AVT cabinet. I would avoid the standard MG cabinets if you can afford the extra £90 for the AVT cabinet. I play an Epiphone Les Paul Junior, fitted with a Seymour Duncan Invader humbucking pickup in the bridge position. I find that I can almost completely replicate Tom DeLonge's Live sound using this setup, and this amp's OD2 channel is great for all types of Pop-Punk and some metal (e.g. Lamb Of God). I use the OD2 channel mainly, with gain at 7, bass at 6, mids at 8, treble at 7, and contour at 4. I love the sound that these settings give me. When using the clean channel, I must be sure to turn down the volume on my guitar, due to the slightly too high gain that this amp has on that channel. You can however get a very nice tone from it. // 9
Reliability & Durability: I would certainly rely on this amp, It has been dropped getting out of a car 3 or 4 times, and still sounds the same as it did the day I bought it. This head is used for bedroom practice, rehearsals, and at local venues. I have had many people Who stuck there noses up at this amp due to the solid-state nature, but after hearing it were actually pleasantly surprised. // 10
Impression: I have been playing guitar for nearly 3 years now, and I feel that this amp is perfect for someone of my playing experience. If you have been playing for more than 5 years I would recommend taking a long jump up the price range to the TSL or JCM series of Marshall amps. I mixed and matched all of the Sub-£300 (I had a £500 budget to get a stack with) heads and cabinets at Nevada Music in Portsmouth, and came to the conclusion that using the AVT412 200w cabinets with the MG100HDFX head makes a really good sound. I would recommend trying this head with many different cabinets before buying it, some of the cabinets that I tried were very poor. I would definitely recommend this head, aslong it is matched with a good cabinet. // 9
Reviewed by:
Th6r6a6sH, on july 15, 2008 0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Price paid: $ 699.99
Features: This amplifier is a 2007, 100-watt, solid-state model, consisting of 2 channels, clean and overdrive, with a crunch button on the clean channel, and an OD1/OD2 (overdrive) Switch on the overdrive channel. A 3-band EQ and gain control exist on either channel, but the overdrive channel adds a Contour knob and overdrive volume knob to that channel. A footswitch jack for channel switching and onboard effects activation is located on the back panel, alongside the parallel effects jacks (send & return), and the two external speaker jacks. Four separate effects when activated, effect both channels: chorus w/ delay, delay, chorus, and flange can be achieved by an effect selection knob (limited fine tuning abilities, as there is only a small space to rotate knob before changing the effect), activated by footswitch only, and a global effect volume determines the overall volume of the engaged effect, while a separate Reverb knob (non-footswitchable) controls the global Reverb Effect. On the front panel a 1/4' CD input jack is supplied for play-along practice, right next to a 1/4' emulated line-out/headphone jack for silent practice. To date, I have used this amp in practice situations, such as rehearsal in a garage or band classroom, and school auditoriums for a live performance, and this amplifier has supplied quite enough power for either venue. // 7
Sound: Currently I run a Squier Stagemaster H/S/H model with stock pickups through this amp, and have never had much trouble with things like feedback and gain levels that couldn't be controlled by moving away. My style is influenced by a fair amount of classic Thrash metal like Puppets-era Metallica, Rust In Peace-era Megadeth, but isn't limited to blues-rock styles like Guns N' Roses and Stevie Ray Vaughan, and I've found that with the right amount of patience, the right ear, and a few knob tweaks here and there, any sound I desire can be replicated efficiently. From bright clean and bluesy Drive on just the clean setting alone, a wide array of tones can be heard that don't distort much at a. The crunch switch engages a gritty AC/DC type growl, but the gain knob doesn't do much to control the level of distortion. The overdrive channel has two very gritty settings, OD1 being the lower gain overdrive, that at a low gain setting sort of picks up where a maxed-gain clean left off in terms of distortion. Great for single-coil drive without much hum. OD2 is a higher gain stage that, at a low gain setting, picks up where a maxed out OD1 setting left off. A Maxed out setting lends an intense distort the classic metal fans would enjoy, but it's not too brutal. The contour knob modifies the midrange to make the amp sound more midrangey when turned down, and more scooped when dialed up, and this helps greatly when searching for a razor-edged tone. All in all, a wide variety of tones can be achieved with patience and a good ear. // 7
Reliability & Durability: This amplifier has never given me any trouble live or in a practice situation. I have treated it with the utmost care I could, and I expect this amp to deliver as much as I put into it because of that. I have had a few spills with this amp, it was knocked over, dropped twice, and had a few beverages spilled on it, but never once have I run into an instance where I thought I might need to replace the head. Durable, yes, Reliable, Yes. // 8
Impression: I'm well-known around my school as "that rock dude" who plays hard rock often. The black and gold cosmetics from Marshall are synonymous with a Rock image, and I've found that to my advantage when playing for a large congregation. In my Four years playing through cheap guitars and inexpensive practice amps, I've come to appreciate what this amp has done for me. I've even named the thing, I appreciate it so much, and if someone were to ever steal it, I would have to get after them with a blowtorch and pair of pliers for taking something dear to me like this amp. I love the classic look of Marshall and even though this isn't a tube driven amp, I use it like the best piece of equipment in the world. I'm not so big into effects, so iI admire this relatively simple setup. // 9
Reviewed by:
cccforthree, on july 16, 2009 0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Price paid: $ 200
Purchased from: guitar center used equipment
Features: I do believe its made in china. Well this thing can really do good for my two bands and plays my style of metal extremely well and I don't even need pedals to have the power I need. Two channels and a crunch switch for the clean one and a second overdrive for the overdrive channel, effects loops too but only if you have the pedal, headphone jack too yes.
I wish it had a phaser effect in it and a solo option because then I would have a little more to work with, I rarely use the flange because I don't see to much use for it but all the rest I use a lot such as the chorus delay and reverb they are very nice for metal power metal death metal and even rock and the reverb goes great with the light tones and blues music.
I wish it had a bit of a tube sound but it does get that kinda of sound from the FDD Switch which is a Marshall signature option that is in most Marshall amps now so you can buy a solid state amp for cheap but have some of the tube sounds which a lot of people love. Also I think it could use a built in looper because the pedals cost so much and I think this amp has a great deal for the price. Just so others know the amp usually cots 300-350$ I got it used but still have no problems with it thankfully. Which shows how Marshall are a reliable amp even though a lot of Ug'ers dis them they last great but you have to take care of your amp. // 9
Sound: I use the B\.C\. Rich warlock bronze series guitar with stock pickups and I tend to play metal and hard rock with it most of the time such as Bullet For My Valentine, Lamb Of God, Slayer, Steve Vai, Van Halen, Paramore, System Of A Down, Avenge Sevenfold, Breaking Benjamen (alternative).
It suits my music almost perfectly if I had better pickups and the amp didn't feed back it would be perfect but in a room like mine feed back tends to happen a lot being its small and filled with things that interfere, but in a room with good acoustics it would be great feed back wise.
Its plenty noisy but usually in a great way but careful not to turn it to higher so you don't blow the cabinet or amp head. Just because it says 100 Watts doesn't mean it can't put out about 1000+ not kidding. The sound variety can be any where from Acoustic like sounding to heavy heavy playing so you have a wide variety depending on your guitars. Yea the clean channel uses gain for its volume so the higher a little bit of distortion is added but its really great when combine with reverb effects.
Brutal distortion? If you mean how awesome then a 10/10 on the distortion if you turn the gain up with the second overdrive channel on with little volume and master volume and contour all the way up then you have a "balls to the wall" distortion it rocks so much. // 10
Reliability & Durability: Yea its really dependable I haven't had a problem with it in any of my practices with my bands or at home and I play for like 5-10+ hours a day every day so it lasts very well. Yea I would use it in a concert or gig with out a back up I'm sure it would last well.
No it has not broken down but I take good care of all my amps because a good musician should but it holds pretty well you could probably get a year out of it without any care just don't slam it around because thats bad for all amps lol. // 9
Impression: Yet again I play metal but I'm not limited to that I also love blues rock classical jazz and flamenco and its a good match for all but flamenco lol.
I have been playing a year and 7 months I also own a Fender stratocaster and a Epiphone Les Paul, and a old premier cabinet. I own a DigiTech Grunge distortion pedal and bad monkey pedal and a Line 6 noise gate pedal but I haven't had to use any of them for this amp yet thats how great it is. // 10
Reviewed by:
intenseshawn, on august 12, 2009 0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Price paid: $ 429.99
Purchased from: American Music Supply
Features: This amp was constructed in 2009, and I would say will acomadate to anyone's style of playing, weither its jazz, blues, rick,or heavy metal. It boasts three channels, built in effects, effects loop, headphone out/emulated line out, CD/MP3 player input, and included a channel footswitch(the foot switch only changes from the channels you have selected on the head and turns the effects on/off). The purchase also included a 4x12 Marshall cap with celestion speakers in it. // 9
Sound: I have played many guitars with different pick-ups through it, and aside from each one having different pickups and wood, the constant is that there is some buzz on the overdrive channel, this is also dictated by the pickups you use(the cheaper the pickup the more buzz I have noticed). The clean channel seems to be noise free, the headphone jack sound great but when outed into recording equipment is very noisy. // 9
Reliability & Durability: This head does NOT feature tubes, however it seems to still hold up fine at high volumes and has a built-in fan to regulate the temp. I have used it on a small gig and would say that thus far it has been completly reliable. It has not broken down or given me any trobule in the six months I have owned it. The version I own has a distinct silver finish that has held up so far. // 10
Impression: I play mainly heavy metal and jazz material and this amp provides the tone and effects I see fit to play it. I have been playing for a little over three years now and usually play either a RR3 Rhodes Jackson, an ESP LTD Kirk Hammett, or my custom made Retro-V through it with out any other pedals or effects except my Weeping Demon Wah. When it comes down to it if this amp was stolen or destroied I would probably buy a high level Marshall, but for the price paid and features I believe it was a great deal. My favorite feature about this amp is the included foot switch and how smoothly it changes channels, my least favorite feature about this amp would have to be the fact you can only choose one effect from the Switch at a time(however the reverb has its own switch)or the feedback buzz. // 10
Reviewed by:
jo3myster, on june 30, 2008 0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Purchased from: Guitar Center
Features: This amps features are pretty nice. The FX loop is a pretty nice bonus.Its got two channels, Clean and Over Drive. On each channel there is a button you can press that will add more Drive. So if your on clean and you want a little crunch press that button and there you go. If your on overdrive channel press that button and you'll go from overdrive to distortion. This thing also has some built in effects. It's got Delay, Chorus, Flanger, Delay Chorus, and reverb. It also comes with a two button foot controller so you can turn on the selected effect with the controller or Switch channels with the other button. This amp is good enough for now but as soon as I get enough money for an Orange stack this thing is gone! // 7
Sound: I'm constantly kicking my self in the head for buying this amp. I bought this before I knew what the difference between tube and solid state was, big mistake. As of right now I am using an Epiphone G-400 with Seymour Duncans(JB-4 and Jazz) and an Ibanez RG series. Then for pedals I have Dunlop 535Q Wah-Wah, Boss MT-2 Metal Zone, Electro-Harmonix Big Muff Pi. Through my FX loop I got an DigiTech RP80 and a Boss AC-3 Acoustic Simulator. With all of this I play a lot of Metal, Blues, Hardcore, Progressive type music. (Anything but country) This amp barely satisfies my needs tone wise. I can hardly ever get an exceptable tone out of it. And don't bother turning this thing past 7 8ish type area it sounds terrible. Not that it is necisary for me to do that cause this thing sure is loud enough to play over my bros drums but if you need something real loud this is something to take into consideration. // 6
Reliability & Durability: This amp is deffinatly durable and reliable. I've had this amp for about six months now and it has never broken before and I've never had any problems with it not working properly. I take pretty good care of my stuff, but even if I didn't I'm sure this thing would still last. But if I had a gig or something of that nature, this amp would be my backup amp if I had another better amp but I don't. But if I did gig with this amp I would bring a backup because I'd rather be prepaired but I don't think I would need a backup. So all in all I think you can trust this amp for a while. // 8
Impression: I have only been playing guitar for a little over a year now and I've had this amp for about half of that time. This amp is good for a starter stack, but if your an experienced guitarist or in a serous band don't buy this amp. Save up for a tube amp, I myself plan on buying an Orange half stack after I get enough money. This thing will just help get you started out with a band, it's good for just jamming with your buddies. If I lost this amp or it got stolen I would just save up for a tube half stack, preferably an Orange. // 7
Reviewed by:
tmfiore, on january 09, 2009 0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Price paid: $ 349.99
Purchased from: Guitar Center
Features: This amp is solid state. The amp head is 100 Watts, and the cab is 120 Watts. I bought the half stack package, so it was less money than if you bought the head and cab seperate.
Lets start with the channels. There are 2 main channels. Clean/Crunch, and OD-1/OD-2. The Crunch channel sounds the best for metal, and the OD-1 is good for rock, punk, and other genres. The OD-2 gives it an extra kick for more distoriton. The only thing this doesn't really cover is blues, which other amps would be better for. I would reccomend using pedals with this amp though. The channels aren't the best, but with pedals this amp sounds great. It all depends on what you like.
This amp also has a few built in effects, which are Chorus, Delay, Flanger, and a Chorus/Delay combo. There is a Reverb with controllable volumes. The effects are pretty good, but I just wish they were more adjustable. If you don't want to use the effects on it, there are always pedals you can use. I don't use the effects or channels, I have a pedal to cover overdrive/distortion and other pedals for my modulation and delay/reverb.
I use this amp in my bedroom and when I am playing with my band. When playing in my room, I keep it at 2 or lower. 3 or higher is good for playing with the band. Trust me, it is loud enough for playing with your band. Overall, the features are okay. The effects are good and the channels are alright, but it depends on what you like. I would totally reccomend using pedals for this amp though. // 7
Sound: I use my Epiphone SG G-400 with this amp, with the stock pickups. I also use a Boss OS-2 Overdrive/Distortion pedal with this amp to make my own blend of overdrive and distortion, but the overdrive channel is still pretty good. One thing I noticed is that when you turn the amp on, even with the Master Volume at 0, you hear the cooling fan in the background. It isn't that bad. While playing gigs it would be hard to notice it, and your playing would drown it out anyway.
This amp's tone is good for anything you want, except blues maybe. I play and write different kinds of punk, and so does my band. Almost anything is good for punk, but this works great for it (with and without the pedal.) I also do some shredding for fun, and this amp works for that as well. It suits my style well. This amp can also be suiting for rock if you adjust your settings a little bit. As for metal, the tone will work well, but I suggest a pedal like a Boss Metal Core or a EHX Metal Muff for distortion. The built in one isn't that brutal, so if you want to go really brutal I would reccomend a pedal.
This amp can go really loud. it's 100 Watts, and Solid State, but usually for solid states you want to go for more watts than you need cranked, and then you will be settled with that. I have yet to put it up really loud, so I don't know what the clean sounds like at high volumes. Overall, this amp sounds great, especially for a solid state. If you want a solid state for home and for gigs, this one works. // 9
Reliability & Durability: I haven't had to worry about this amp breaking down at all. It is a solid state, which are more durable than tube amps, so that's an extra bonus you get from buying this amp. I have to carry the cab down 15 stairs every time I need to take it out of my room, and back up. I never got a scratch on it, even after moving the cab around a lot. As for the head, you don't really have to worry about this breaking. It has a handle you can carry it by and there is not much on it that is breakable. You can use this thing for a whole gig, you don't have to worry about it breaking at all. It is really loud, so you don't have to worry about it blowing out at any kind of gig volume. You can totally rely on this amp, don't worry about it breaking. // 10
Impression: When I tried this amp out in Guitar Center for the first time, I fell in love with it. I didn't care what other people said, I loved how mine sounded and I stuck with my choice. The tone is the best you can get for a solid state. If you want a loud amp without losing all your money, this is what you want. I have 4 years experience of playing and use a good quality Epiphone SG G-400 with this amp. If somebody stole this, I would definately buy another one. I still can't afford a Marshall JVM, and this is the closest thing I can use without having to pay $2000.
I love the tone, and I love the volume level. I am not a big fan of the channels, but they are pretty good. I use a pedals for my overdrive and effects anyway. I compared this amp to a Crate V-18, and I liked the MG better. I didn't like the tone of the V-18, and this one sounded the best to me. As crazy as it sounded, I liked the sound of this amp better than a V-18. It was all my preference, and I liked the MG. After playing around with the EQ and my pedals tone, Drive, and blend controls I got a great sound out of this amp. I just wish it didn't have that faint noise of the fan, then it would be perfect for me.
Overall, this amp is a good loud amp you can get without breaking the budget. I would reccomend it to anybody Who plays rock, punk, or metal and wants a loud amp. // 9
Reviewed by:
MattRemmel, on december 12, 2008 0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Price paid: $ 750
Purchased from: Samash
Features: I bought this amp cause I needed to upgrade from the 15 watt amp I had been using. I bought it as a combo with a 120 watt cabinet. The amp works with all types of music... I even pug a mic into it sometimes and sing out of it and it sounds great. It has two channels and it came with a pedal for switching channels. It has a set of effects and loops and a headphone jack for 1/4 inch headphone plugs. I haven't had a problem with the effects because I use a footpedal for my effects, so I don't use the effects on the header. I use my amp when I'm playing at my house or a gig. It has more than enough power for anything I have done. // 9
Sound: I'm using an ESP with two humbucker pickups and the sound is very clean. I haven't had a problem with any type of music I play on it. It can become very loud if need be however once you start maxing out the sound limit it gets a little fuzzy. It can handle a variety of different sounds and effects without sounding cheap. I couldnt tell how the settings are on it because I use a footpedal for all my tones. // 9
Reliability & Durability: I have not had a problem with the amp at all. I would definitly use it on a gig without a backup and I wouldn't think twice about it. it's never broken or stopped working. I have used it in a number of gigs and it's worked and sounded great. I haven't had to taken it in to get any repairs. // 10
Impression: My overall impression of it is very good. I have never had any thoughts of getting a new one or replaceing it. I have been playing about six years and I haven't found another amp that I wish I would of gotten instead of this one. If it were ever stolen I would deffinitly go back and get another one. My favorite thing about it is the overall quality of the sound and the volume it can get without sounding bad. // 9
Reviewed by:
eyebanez333, on december 05, 2008 0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Price paid: $ 400
Purchased from: Local Shop
Features: I got this amp over a year ago from a local shop that we go to a lot. This amp is fairly versatile, and I've used it from punk to metal. It has two channels that are footswitchable. However, there is a crunch setting on the clean channel and 2 different overdrive settings on the overdrive channel, so it pretty much has 4 channels. It also has an effects loop and headphone jack. I have used this amp many times Live, and I have the full stack version. You will never really need this, especially since most places have a house PA and you will just mic into that. // 9
Sound: I have many different guitars that I've used with this amp, with both active and passive pickups. The amp does get a little noisy at high volumes, which is expected with most solid states. Like I said above, you should never need it this loud if you can mic it. The distortion leaves a lot to be desired. I use a stompbox to get the best distortion from it. // 9
Reliability & Durability: I have used this amp many times Live with out a backup without a single problem. I have had this amp for well over a year now without any glitches. The amp seems fairly durable. The cabs are kind of cheap though, they have plastic handles. For what I paid for this amp used, I have nothing to complain about. // 9
Impression: Perfect amp for metal, and the cleans are pretty good for being a solid state. I've been playing guitar for a few years now, and I've owned a couple of other amps. Crate Blue Voodoo, Peavey Windsor, and a Line 6 practice amp. If this were lost or stolen, I would probably buy another one, especially at this price; even though I mainly use it as a back up now. The only thing I wish it had was better distortion, other than that I really can't complain. This model gets a lot of hate from people, and it may not be worth what the new price is. But if you get it used like I did, I think it's a very nice amp. // 10
Reviewed by:
sektor47, on november 14, 2007 0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Price paid: $ 571.881
Purchased from: Long & McQuade
Features: The amp is very versatile, extremely versatile, yet keeping its original Marshall sound quality. I play classic rock, blues, and hard rock, and the amp can reach all of them tones with no problem! 2 channels, with 2 positions on each. Comes with chorus, delay, and flanger. The digital reverb knob is seperate from the effects. I wish the amp had a standby switch, so when you go to get something, or go on a break, no need to turn off the amp, just standby! I never really use the crunch on the clean channel, cause when you turn it up, it gets a bit too distorted for the natural warm clean crunch. I use this amp in my dining room, in my house. Of course it has enough power for me! 120 Watts of Marshall quality, can't get better than that. Solid-state half-stack, yet still sounding like a real tube-amp. // 9
Sound: I am using a modified Epiphone G-400 Korina with it, and it just sounds beautiful. Nice and smooth, warm clean sound, warm classic gain sound, face-licking raw crunch, just beautiful! The amp is quite hummy on high gain, but I think that's because of my guitar, somethings wrong with the pickups. The amp sounds great when it's cranked, keeps it's original sound quality, but sounds better when cranked! The distortion can be brutal, just know how to set your knobs and you can get some face-licking ball-kicking gain. // 10
Reliability & Durability: I would depend on it, nothing has happened that is bad yet. No crackling noises, fan is nice and quiet every time, no pops. I play it for many hours, and the head stays nice and cool, the fan is working properly. I haven't taken it apart yet to see what's inside, but right now, it doesn't need to be taken apart yet. // 10
Impression: This amp is awesome. I recommend it to anyone past beginner level in guitar. The amp is pretty simple to use, I just wish it came with a standby Switch, really useful. I love the sound that comes out of it, sounds so solid, full, smooth. I compared the half-stack to a Marshall JCM2000, Vintage Modern, and it can compete! For 723$, it's a great budget half-stack, that sounds like a Marshall tube-amp! // 10
Reviewed by:
unregistered, on january 04, 2007 0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Price paid: $ 722.85
Purchased from: williams guitar shop
Features: The features of this amp are awesome. I play mostly heavy metal and it sounds great through my Marshall. I has 4 channel: clean; crunch; overdrive 1 and overdrive 2. I don't really use OD1 as it isnt really my sound but OD2 is awesome for metal; punk ect. The crunch I don't really use either as it isnt the style of music I play but the clean channel is great and can be used for a lot of music styles. There are also equalizers for each channel: on clean there are gain; bass; middle and treble and on od there are gain; bass; middle; treble; contour and OD volume. The last of the features are the digital fx. There are 5 preset effects: chorus/delay; delay; chorus; flange and reverb. There is also an effects loop mix and a free footswitch to turn the dfx on and off and to change channels. Unfortunatly it doesn't turn off the reverb as the reverb level is seperate to the FX levels. // 9
Sound: I am using a Westfield E8000E Explorer guitar which is a decent guitar with decent pick ups and the Marshall makes it sound brilliant like it is a Gibson (bit exageration). It suits my style of metal because it's loud, sounds great a looks awesome. I haven't giged it yet but am going to very soon. It's really loud! It's being on half way max and that's probably loud enough to play a large pub gig and make everyone deaf. The amp has a large variety of sounds from blues and classical to rock and metal and it sounds brilliant for all types of music. The clean channel sounds brilliant at all levels and the distortion is brutal enough to rip your head off and put it on upside down! // 10
Reliability & Durability: I can't really say as it's never been gigged and I've only had the amp for a short time but I've asked people I know Who own this amp and they say they've had there's for 1-2 years and it still sounds great and has never failed them. I hope the amp will last a a long time and I'm pretty sure I wont need a backup amp when I eventually do gigs this year. // 9
Impression: This amp is absolutely awesome for all styles of music, I've been playing for 3 years now and know quite a few styles and playing them on this amp they sound brilliant. if it was stolen I would either buy this amp again or get a dsl head from the Marshall range as they are probably the best amps in the world. I love everything about this amp apart from not having a footswitch to turn the reverb off because that is soooo annoying. If there was anything this amp could have to make it better it would be more preset effects and a reverb footswitch and that would be about it. // 10
Reviewed by:
LustGarden, on december 04, 2006 0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Price paid: $ 300
Purchased from: Dunham's Music
Features: I think this is a 2006 head. I purchased it with the 400w Peavy Valveking cab. I play mostly blues rock and hard rock and I've found that this amp is pretty versatile and is very good for what I play. I never use the OD1 channel, it just seems pointless. the OD2 channel however is very good. I've played a couple gigs with this amp and it has more than enough power. The only thing that pisses me off about this amp is that the fan sometimes makes a loud grinding noise for about 10 seconds when I first turn it on. It doesn't effect the sound, but it is annoying. // 8
Sound: The sound is very good. The clean channel is excellent and doesnt't break up or sound muddy when it is turned at high volumes. My main guitar is a Fender Standard Telecaster and they sound good together there is feedback but it's just the stock pickups on the Telecaster. The good sound probably somewhat has to do with me using the Peavy Valveking cab instead of the Marshall. The head sounds very good with the cab. The distortion on this amp is pretty good. A lot of people say it isn't enough, but I have a feeling these are the kinds of people that like to hide behind a huge wall of distortion and noise. The distortion is warm, and sounds very good. I especially like the reverb on this amp. The other effects are pretty good too. I don't use a lot of effects, but it's good to have them. // 9
Reliability & Durability: I have used this in a couple gigs and it hasn't failed me yet. It's very reliable. As far as durability, I'm careful with my equipment so it hasn't taken any hard hits, but I'm guessing that the fan will be screwed if the head falls off the cab or something. Amp has never broken down, but I would like to know what causes that awful buzzing noise from the fan. // 7
Impression: Overall this is a very good amp for Blues Rock, so it's perfect for me. You can't really get that much of a metal distortion from this thing, but there are pedals for that. If this were stolen or lost, I would have to buy another one but it would cost almost twice as much as I paid for this, because I got both the head and the cab, brand new, for only 300 at a closeout sale at Dunham's Music. My favorite feature on this amp is the clean channel at high volumes. It sounds so good and it doesnt't break up or anything. But cranking the distortion up, setting the reverb up a little bit, and burning the house down with a wah-soaked solo is another favorite. // 9
Reviewed by:
unregistered, on june 20, 2005 0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Purchased from: www.gak.co.uk
Features: I have just recently purchased this amp as my first big amp because I'm just starting having gigs. It has two channels, footswitchable. A headphone input, CD in (so you can rock along to your favourite tunes). It's A solid state head with an fdd button which Marshall say imitates the sound of a valve amp, To be honest I can't hear the diffrence. // 10
Sound: At the Minute I'm using a Yamaha Pacifica for rock styles mainly as it has 2 distortion modes od1/od2, I am impressed with the volume of it I am using the head with a angled 4 x 12 cab and the volume is unbleeivable! The clean channel is very high quality it is good when electro-accostics are plugged in it doesnt distort them. The distortion is either very beefy or more mild and bluesy your choice! // 10
Reliability & Durability: I'd say this amp is very dependable I would use it at a gig without backup. It has never broken down. // 10
Impression: I play mostly rock/heavy metal, this amp is perfect for that. I have been playing 3 years and I own a Laney hardcore max practice amp and a Yahama Pacifica and a few acoustics. If It were stolen I'd get another one of these. If I Had the money I would buy a straight 4x12 cab to make it a full stack! // 10
Reviewed by:
grungefan89, on april 30, 2007 0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Price paid: $ 321.82
Purchased from: GO Music
Features: I purchased my Marshall MG100 Half-Stack used, badly needing an upgrade from the small, practice-level Fender amp I was soldiering on with. Both the MG412 cab and the head were made in early 2003. The MG Half-Stack comes with a clean/crunch channel and another OD1/OD2 channel, as well as built-in effects (delay/chorus, delay, chorus, and flanger, as well as reverb). There is also Valvestate-type emulation with the FDD button on this amp, which gives just a little more "ooomph" to the clean channel. I find that this half-stack has the power I'm looking for as a guitarist Who plays mostly metal, hardcore, progressive, and alternative and also as a guitarist in a band preparing to enter gigs, etc. This particular MG100 stack has a great tone when you play it clean and acceptable tone with the OD2 channel, both channels actually being much better than the few MGs I've played in the past in shops. However, as with those other MGs, I find the Crunch and OD1 channels are useless nevertheless, providing horrible, muddy tone not much better than the Frontman amp I had to use previously to my purchase of this used amp. Use of these channels are best avoided entirely. The built-in effects are very nice, though I'm partial to the delay effect myself. The effects aren't actually half bad. As with the entire MG-Series line, though, the sound tends to be less authentic Marshall. Put any MG in front of a AVT or JCM, or even the VS that the MG-Series replaced, and you'll savor the chance to buy at least the head unit from any of those other series. The Marshall patina is there, just not in the very high doses that you'd expect. // 7
Sound: I use an Epiphone Les Paul Standard/Classic of the same year as this stack (2003) loaded with Ernie Ball Not Even Slinky.12 gauge strings, which suits what I play and my playing style quite well. I also keep an '02 Fender Strat close at hand as well, loaded with.11 gauge strings also from Ernie Ball, for some playing with a clean channel, blues, or leads. The only time you can get "negative feedback" (or just a lot of static-type noise when you're not playing anything) is when you use a single-coil equipped guitar, but that has to do with the single-coil pickups and not the amp itself. However, the fan that keeps the head cool on mine does tend to be very noisy when you first Switch the amp on. It's a mere niggling complaint though, albeit very annoying. As I said earlier, the amp has great tone on the clean channel which doesn't really distort any any volume and acceptable tone using the OD2 overdrive channel. The Crunch and OD1 channels have less than acceptable, muddy, can I say "cheap" tone and they are best not used. Overall, the distortion has backbone, but no balls, if I make any sense. However, if you really want a nice, distorted, crunchy tone, buy a Boss DS-1, Metal Core, EHX Metal Muff or any other distortion-type pedal and click it on through the clean channel. That should provide a nice, clear, distorted sound suitable for whatever you want to play, depending on the settings. For the price I paid though, the tone overall is nice. // 8
Reliability & Durability: Could I depend on my MG half-stack? Why of course. This amp is sturdy as a lead brick and I could use this at any upcoming gig without a backup. A plus to the MG-Series, or any other solid state-type amp as far as that goes, is that they can hold up to extreme amounts of punishment. My MG hasn't broken down so far and it probably won't if I hold up my end and take good care of my equipment. // 8
Impression: For playing metal, hardcore, alt., and the other styles of rock I play, this amp tends to be a good match. I've been playing for almost six years now so I'm not terribly experienced, but I'm not exactly a beginner either. I also own a garden variety of what you would call cheap guitars, I have a Squier Strat and a Telecaster Special which are my back-up guitars to my Les Paul and Fender Strat. When I bought my amp I just wish I could have listened to the cooling fan and asked what was up with it (I think it's just a quirk, though, since I've heard that MG just have noisy cooling fans in different reviews on different sites). If this amp vanished, were stolen, set on fire, hit by a Mack truck, shot in a Drive-by, blown up by Johnny Knoxville and the Jackass crew, or mauled in some freak accident featured on Scarred, I don't know if I would go for another MG half-stack, as I wouldn't pay the price for one of these puppies brand-new. These amps are better off purchased as used equipment or in blowout sale where the price is brought down to the three-hundred dollar and below mark. I love the clean tone, however, it's not as bad as most people make it out to be and is much better than other MGs I've had the (dis)honor of playing. Whoever had this half-stack before me must have a good ear and played a few others MGs before settling on it. As I said before, I loathe the Crunch and OD1 channels, as well as the noisy cooling fan. The effects are a nice feature, although I fail to find a favorite feature on this amp. I played my used MG stack against a Randall half-stack and a Line6 Spider II half-stack. The MG was the better amp out of the three hands down (for those Who hate the MG half-stack, play a Spider II: they're probably the worst half-stack out there). This amp is going to have to last me a pretty damn long time until I can get a Mesa Boogie Rectifier. // 7
Reviewed by:
unregistered, on november 05, 2007 0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Price paid: $ 513.5
Purchased from: Long & Mcquade
Features: I believe it was made in 2006-2007, one of the newer half stacks from Marshall. The amp is very flexible, you can go from classic soft gain to some hot, raw crunch tone. The distortion itself is not so good for metal, more of a hard rock/classic rock amp. It has two channels, clean and overdrive. Then you have the whole effects section, which comes with a lot of fun effects and a seperate reverb knob. The amp is pretty good, it gets room-loud at about 2-3 volume, it's a fairly simple amp, a volume knob for each Drive. It is a solid-state half-stack, but sounds incredibly tube-like. What this amp needs is two seperate portions in the overdrive channel, so you can have a preset for classic rock, and then with a footswitch or whatever, you can change to crunch. What it needs is a standby Switch, so every time you don't need to wait for the fan to start up, which takes like 5 minutes to quiet down. // 9
Sound: I am using an modified Epiphone G-400 Korina, with a Seymour Duncan SH-4 Humbucker in the Treble pickup slot. Nothing else, just guitar & amp. The amp suits my music style very much, because of its famous crunch and classic gain, I fell in love with the amp after playing a few riffs on it. The amp is not that noisy, if you really stick your ear at the cabinet, you'll hear a little bit of hum, but it wouldn't bug you at all. The amp can make a lot of tones, you can go from crunchy soft rock to some deep long soft rock, to some raw-ass crunch and such. The distortion is good for me, I'm not a guy that cranks the gain to full, so it wouldn't matter for how brutal the distortion would be, the gain sounds great at low distortion and mid. The amp sounds very solid, and full. Balanced in smoothness and crunch. // 9
Reliability & Durability: I think it's pretty reliable, I played it for 5 hours straight and nothing really happened or changed. I would definetly use it in a gig without a backup, because the amp works and sounds great! The amp has never broken down, why would it? I just bought it recently. // 10
Impression: I really like this half-stack. And for its price, it's hard to not fall in love with it. The amp is a incredible match for my style of playing, it is flexible enough to reach the tones of my hard rock licking riffs, and then my soft classic rock stuff. If I lost this amp, or it broken down, and I did not have the budget to get an expensive Marshall, I would get this amp again. It's a very good half stack for its quality to price ratio. I don't like how it only has a clean and overdrive channel, and nothing else in the clean and overdrive channel. I also wish they had a standby Switch, it's just good when you plan to take a break after jamming for a while. Overall, this is a very good amp from Marshall, it's almost as good as the 2000$ half-stacks. // 9
Reviewed by:
sektor47, on january 26, 2008 0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Price paid: $ 576.7
Purchased from: Long & McQuade
Features: This amp was made actually pretty recent. Both the head and cabinet was made in 2007. This amp is VERY versatile. It's great at achieving many different tones. You can have bright clean tones, mild dirty blues tone, dirty blues tone, classic rock tone, hard rock tone, metal tone. The MG100HDFX achieves them darn well keeping good sound quality. The amp has 2 channels, clean & overdrive. On each of the channels, includes 2 secondary channel options, clean/crunch, and OD1/OD2. It comes with a footswitch for channel and effects. The amp has decent multi-effects. Delay, Chorus and Flanger. Also has a seperate digital reverb knob. There is a headphone jack for if you want to jam at home being quiet. I wish this amp had a Standby Switch. I am known to leave my amp running when I take long breaks, etc, and a standby Switch really comes in handy! I really don't use effects that much, unless I'm experimenting or doing a cover that requires effects to be used. I use this amp as my primary amp, in every situation. This amp is a powerhouse of power! I've already cranked it to full and it is loud enough for slightly larger stages, etc. // 8
Sound: I am using an Epiphone Korina SG with this half-stack. This amp supports my music style best, and it supports all music styles pretty darn well. The amp gets a bit of hum as you turn it louder. There is a bit of hum when you turn up the gain, and it's even worse when there is lighting around, etc. This amp can make a lot of sounds. You can go from tones such as, nice ringing bright soothing cleans, soft fuzzy blues, soft classic crunch blues, classic crunch, crunch, raw crunch, hard rocking crunch, metal crunch, metal, deeep leads. The amp has a lot of variety. I can reach some AC/DC tones preferably well, some Led Zeppelin tones, etc. The interaction between the channel volume and master volume knob is incredibly realistic. If you have low channel volume, and higher master volume on the clean channel, the tone stays nice and clean, but if you Switch it around, clean channel volume at full and master volume low, the channel distorts like a real tube amp. If you have the clean channel on full with master on full, you have fairly high speaker distortion! I am not so sure about the overdrive channel, I can't really tell the difference. // 8
Reliability & Durability: It's been reliability tested AND durability tested. I've jammed for countless power hours many times with the amp on full, I've stood on it while jamming, I've driven it around, so this amp WILL stand up to most things! I would use this amp on a gig without a backup, because my backup would be a low quality 25 watter! The amp has never broken down, I have never had a problem with it at all except for sometimes when you roll the clean channel volume knob, there's a scratchy sound coming from the speakers. // 10
Impression: I play mostly blues, classic rock, and hard rock, and this amp DEFINITLY fits all three styles. I have been playing guitar for 3 years now. I own an Epiphone Korina SG, Marshall MG100HDFX half-stack, Epiphone DR-100 Acoustic, Fender Frontman 25R, and a Squier SP-10. Not at all, I do not regret buying this amp! If it was stolen / lost, I would probably look and see if any amps have dropped into the same price range as this one, if not, I would rebuy this amp! I love the tone, the looks, the feel of this amp. I hate how there is no standby Switch, and how there is little holds for the head to go exactly into place. My favourite feature, is master volume, it really lets you balance out your clean channel and overdrive channel when you go to footswitch it out. I compared it to many amps, including the Vintage Modern. It can compete with the Vintage Modern, but to be 1/3 the price of the Vintage Modern, I only had the money to get the MG half-stack. // 8
Reviewed by:
marko1000, on november 19, 2007 0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Purchased from: Troy's music
Features: Marshall MG100HDFX head is a lot more versatile. It is a 2 channel head that you can Switch between with a foot Switch pedal. It has a headphone jack, and an input for a CD. It has a few effects that saved me the trouble of getting pedals. Like reverb, flange, and chorus. I play grunge/metal/hardcore/acoustic all kind of put together on this amp. And it is more than capable of doing this. It has more than enough power than what I know what to do with. Because if we end up playing shows I know people with full stacks that I can use. // 10
Sound: I use an ESP KH-202 with EMG LH-300 pickups, and the style I play is mostly heavy metal, hardcore, death metal, rock. It has the best tone, has the grunt and brutality of the overdrive. has a most chunkier sound! At almost halfway through the dial of the volume, is very very loud and I hardly get any feedback at all and humming, perfect. This amp has a very nice warm clean tone to it, overdrive 1 and 2, and crunch for those people that play old school rock. The distortion I am most of a fan about, my friend has a Randall G2 RH200 head, and when we were jamming today, the MG100HDFX kills it with the beefiness of the distortion compared to the Randall. // 10
Reliability & Durability: I'd definitely use this to gig with, it has the clarity and Precision and tone and power I need for it. I would never neglect this amp, I've been playing everday with this amp, and never been disappointed. This amp I will use for many years and never throw it away or sell it. this amp has been with me for 3 years of constant jamming with it with my mates and at school. this amp cen keep up with any thing for such a small price to pay too! the amp is built like a truck and does not have any chips or scratches, still Brand New out of the box condition. // 10
Impression: This head has everything you need to play with, whatever style of music you play, buy this amp. I've been playing 3 years now and this solid state amp almost mimics a all valve amp which is amazing. I'd definately buy this amp again if it were to be stolen or lost. My favourite feature of this amp is the delay and re verb for those clean tones. And also the beautiful overdrive. I love everything about it. // 10
Reviewed by:
spunkeymonkey36, on april 14, 2008 0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Price paid: $ 457.5
Purchased from: ebay
Features: The MG100HDFX is a solidstate amplifier that has a lot to offer to it's user. It has many features even if some are pointless however. The good features are the overdrive settings, the sound effects, and the clean setting option and the footswitch. The headphone jack is okay if you want to connect it to a recording system, but I haven't tried this and using headphones on a 100W amp seems a bit silly. The bad and pointless features are the CD in jack, the digital enhancer thing (FDD) and the effects loop which doesn't make much difference to the sound. Also comes with a bass, middle, treble and contour setting which is expected and they perform quite well. Some of the features could be left out because it seems all they do is raise the price of the amplifier. // 6
Sound: This amplifier can make a good sound but it has it flaws. The overdrive is good when turned up to the max so it's great for metal players. The midway overdrive settings are good for classic rock players. For blues players a decent sound can be achieved with low settings of overdrive. The tone is average on overdrive on low volumes and if often hollow and does not sustain long notes. I'm sure this is the amp and not the guitar as I have other amps which perform much better at these levels. Once the amp is cranked in a large hall this is where it out performs itself. The tone suddenly gets much better and beefier. Playing chords on it does sound muddy but it's okay. Unfortunatley where the sound does fall down is the clean setting is not so good. I've had the amp for about a year now and it's started to fuzz on teh clean setting at low volumes. Also it has a pointless gain setting on the clean which does nothing but feedback at high volume and add price to the amp. Another pointless feature is the digital enhancer which is also rubbish because the amp is useles unless it is turned on so you may as well cellotape it to the on setting when you get it. The effects are also good and are fun to play with especially the reverb and it doesn't sound cheesy. A rather good thing about this amp is the volume which can play comfortably high on the overdrive setting. What I would change however is the A BIS MAL cabinet that is recommended my Marshall, the mg412. I beleive this is the main cause for many of the amps get rid of this and spend a bit more money and buy a real cabinet and this will play a lot better. Overall it's okay, if you spend £200 on a head then buy this, you'll be happy. Remember though it's not a JCM. // 8
Reliability & Durability: So far this hasn't broken down yet even if it has been bashed around quite a bit. It seems pretty tough when handling it and I can't see it breaking anytime soon. The build quality is quite good as well. If I had the choice I would play with a backup amp Live, but I don't have the money. // 9
Impression: I like this Marshall amplifier. It does have it's bad points but it's expected for the price paid and sounds great if played in a room with good acoustics. It looks quite nice as well with the whole black and gold and Marshall logo. I wouldn't buy this amp again and would perhaps go for one with tubes and overall a higher spec. Paying a little more would be worth it. I guess if Marshall were to sort out all of the problems of the MG100HDFX then this would be a great amp, but it's not: it's only good. // 7
Reviewed by:
ESP^Guitarist, on july 14, 2008 0 of 1 people found this review helpful
Price paid: $ 749.99
Purchased from: American Musical Supply
Features: Marshall Amps were made for the "everyday musicians" and the "unique" guitarists. It has 3 channels which features clean, overdrive, and digital FX channels. It comes with a footswitch for toggling with Clean and Overdrive channels. While the overdrive channel wins for the most knobs and sound control, the digital FX takes the gold for the best overall sound changes and effects. This amp couldn't be more versitle and giving sound wise. It has been the loudest but takes your hearing to a heaven it could never imagine! // 9
Sound: I'm using an Alexi Laiho 200 Signature with Floyd Rose trembelo system pickups. It takes me to a new place of quality sounds I thought I would never find in an amp. It only takes it up to "2" on the master volume knob to have home practicing. Louder than 2 and you have a real beast! This amp has the variety equivilent to CD shop, unlimited. The clean channel is only distorted if you have it on the "clean/crunch" setting. Other than that, it is asclean as clean gets. The distortion is the most hardcore distortion I've ever heard. It gives you a "death metal" sound while having enough cleaness to where you can hear what you're playing. // 10
Reliability & Durability: I could depend on this amp anywhere and everywhere I could go as of shows. I trust this amp with my life. It might just be the most durable amp I've ever owned! I've never had an amp that hasn't broken down or has been short-circuted. I also am impressed with the move weight and how easily I can move it. // 9
Impression: I play mostly hardcore/screamo with a twist of metal. This amp gave me the versatility to play this genre. I've only been playing about 2 years but my friends and family say I could be famous at a young age if I wanted to. If my amp were ever to be broken or stolen I would go right back and purchase the same model and brand because I have fell in love with my Marshall. My favorite feature of this amp is the overdrive channel. It has given me a new outlook on sounds and amp can give. I compare it with the so called best-of-the-best amp, Krank. In my opinion, I think Marshall has a better sound quality and sounds better in gigs. There is nothing I could want or change on this amp. Very close to perfection. // 10
pjrocks54
: I will agree with the above reviews to the point that you can get killer tones out of the MG100HDFX, but, as far as being reliable it's a POS!!! Cuts out at practice as well as at gigs. I got rid of it and replaced it with a Marshall AVT50H. It has as much balls as the MG100 and sounds much warmer as it has a 12AX7 preamp tube in the preamp section. I just got it and feel the best is yet to come. Rock on my children! POSTED: 05/10/2006 - 08:07 pm / quote|
sabbath1313
: I bought this amp about six months ago mainly because I am a student and don't have a lot of money to spare, and this is (in my opinion) the best amp in it's price range. Despite it's low cost it is surprisingly good sounding and mixed with different FX pedals it sounds great. Unlike pjrocks54 I have bashed this amp around, and gigged with it and have never had the slightest problem. It makes all my friends jealous, and to get such a great amp at such a low price is a bargain. POSTED: 05/28/2006 - 01:56 pm / quote|
Shredlet
: Ive heard that the MG's are meant to be really crap is this a lie or does it have some truth to it? POSTED: 06/24/2006 - 08:45 am / quote|
rockdude_2008
: i was gonna buy this but everyone told me it sucked, wow differnces in opinions on ultimate-guitar.com
spunkeymonkey36
: I bought this guitar amp of ebay a few months back. I think this is a great amp for the money and the tone on the clean channel is great. I like the overdrive on it as well, but surprisingly I found that my smaller marshall mg15fx has more tone and can sustain notes longer in the same settings. It is a great shame really. I have also heard rumours that these amps have a tendancy to over heat if the volume is pumped up to high. This hasnt happened to me yet but i dont go any higher than 3/4 of the way up. Nevertheless this is very loud and will do your ears in if your not careful. POSTED: 07/05/2006 - 06:22 am / quote|
Corle
: Guys if anyone rights a bad review, they lie. BUY IT. you cannot go wrong with this amp POSTED: 07/21/2006 - 09:39 pm / quote|
different107
: marshall makes some of the best...no doubt about it POSTED: 07/23/2006 - 03:03 pm / quote|
gibsonlespaul44
: marshall makes THE best....no doubt about it POSTED: 07/28/2006 - 01:27 am / quote|
gibsonlespaul44
: i also own this amp. if your into punk music like fallout boy, greenday, ect. youll love this amp. also corle is right. they reason they are lying is to get u to buy a different one like one in the jcm series. this is the best solid state amp for the price and sound POSTED: 07/28/2006 - 01:30 am / quote|
thunderinblack
: zakk wylde sometimes uses it POSTED: 08/29/2006 - 03:05 pm / quote|
E V H 5150
: Is an MG100HDFX better than an MG250DFX? And is either better than a Peavey ValveKing? Or should I go to EBay and buy a 5150 combo? POSTED: 09/09/2006 - 10:29 am / quote|
powerlord
: I just bought one of these today after trying a Crate,a kustom,and a peavey in the same price range and all I can say is way to go Marshall!!!I thought for a long time that Marshall was just a name,not true,they deliver and roll the competition,this stack rocks! POSTED: 10/10/2006 - 09:26 pm / quote|
No, he doesnt. He uses JCMs. He got paid by marshall to appear in ads for MGs. Please look things up before trying to act like you know about them.
For all of you wanting to buy this amp, please, save up a little more and go for an all tube amp. If you stick with guitar, you will thank yourself in the long run. The cleans are decent on these, but the distortion is really muddy. Look into a B-52 AT series amp for a reasonably priced tube amp. It may be a bit of a step up price wise, but you will love it. Tubes are also MUCH louder, my 2x12" tube is at least 2 times louder than my friends MG half stack, and his sounds terrible when cranked. POSTED: 10/24/2006 - 10:53 am / quote|
iceberg
: Not everyone can spend $1000 on a head and then $800 on a cab. If your a serious gigger, then you should have a PA system which projects all the sound. Marshall has earned it's respect in the rock world. I got the mg100dfx with the mg412a cab and this thing is all I need. This amp WILL hurt your ears, be careful!! Anyone who put's this amp down is probably using something rediculous like a avt pitbull or a mesa boogie. That could be 6 month's of income for some people. If your using a combo amp or a pathetic box with a speaker in it, then this is your best bet for a reasonable upgrade. Nevermind the anti-Marshall meatheads!! Nothing looks better than a Marshall stack on stage!! POSTED: 11/01/2006 - 05:42 pm / quote|
lamb-of-god-666
: This is a kick ass amp and sounds great for the price. POSTED: 11/15/2006 - 06:00 pm / quote|
No, he doesnt. He uses JCMs. He got paid by marshall to appear in ads for MGs. Please look things up before trying to act like you know about them.
For all of you wanting to buy this amp, please, save up a little more and go for an all tube amp. If you stick with guitar, you will thank yourself in the long run. The cleans are decent on these, but the distortion is really muddy. Look into a B-52 AT series amp for a reasonably priced tube amp. It may be a bit of a step up price wise, but you will love it. Tubes are also MUCH louder, my 2x12" tube is at least 2 times louder than my friends MG half stack, and his sounds terrible when cranked.
No he uses it in the studio somtimes ive seenpitures of him in a recording video with it. POSTED: 11/16/2006 - 06:50 pm / quote|
phillyguitar
: If this amp is cutting out on you, you need to get it fixed!
I've had this thing for 3 years and it has never done me wrong. It's been in vans, dragged around everywhere, it's got nicks to prove it. Never once have I had to even think of repairing it. Marshall makes some of the best amps so check this thing out, you can't really get much better at this price POSTED: 11/29/2006 - 09:59 am / quote|
ponnightingale
: im a dud!
do you still have to buy a seperate amp for this or no? meh ive only got a marshall 10watt amp see? POSTED: 12/10/2006 - 12:11 pm / quote|
TheDev01dOne
: I bought this amp around 4 months ago and I agree with most people here. It is definately the best amp init's price range, by FAR. Of course it's not as good as a JCM or Mesa Boogie. But not everyone can afford to spend 6 months pay on a guitar amp.
It is loud and has a GREAT clean tone. I prefer a pedal for distortion though. If this is your price range I would definately recommend buying this amp. POSTED: 12/14/2006 - 01:21 am / quote|
rockdude_2008 :
i was gonna buy this but everyone told me it sucked, wow differnces in opinions on ultimate-guitar.com
whoever told you that is a moron, this amp is one of the best issued by marshall. dont let the cheap price fool you man...go out and get it. Ive had this amp for six months and it has never let me down unlike the tube amps ive used forever. POSTED: 12/14/2006 - 04:34 pm / quote|
Terrify_Dmac
: This amp is alot of bang for the buck. It sounds great with my yamaha pacifica and bcrich zombie.
danet12345
: ive heard that this amp is a bit on the pants side but some these reveiws have changed my mind. one of my mates has just this week bought a marshall mode4 350 and cab but theeres no way im gonna get them in a million years other mate got a limeted edition version in blue but i dont care im just gonna try it out just in case it is a biut pants POSTED: 12/20/2006 - 10:08 am / quote|
mattmcavoy400
: Is this amp better than the line 6 spider 75 head? POSTED: 01/20/2007 - 05:46 am / quote|
im a dud!
do you still have to buy a seperate amp for this or no? meh ive only got a marshall 10watt amp see?
Yeeeees u need a cab. POSTED: 01/20/2007 - 05:47 am / quote|
dylan87654321
: the amps way better then a spider POSTED: 01/25/2007 - 05:54 am / quote|
xyour_name_here
: i have this head. the distorion in my opionion kicks every other amps ass POSTED: 02/08/2007 - 01:14 pm / quote|
gunsnr92
: Ive had this amp for a couple months now and I love it! It has an Awesome Clean Sound and not quite enough distortion but I just add a BOSS DS-1 onto it an it works great! I would suggest getting a 1960A or 1960B cab to go along with it personally. But Wayne Static from Static-X uses this Stack. POSTED: 02/22/2007 - 09:46 pm / quote|
Kirenjob
: Im getting this soon!!! I can't wait!! POSTED: 03/04/2007 - 04:35 am / quote|
cyclefreak207
: Dude, Today is wednesday, and on friday, i am going to guitar center to buy one of these, so YAAAAYYYYY,
they are bad ass!!! POSTED: 03/21/2007 - 09:51 pm / quote|
shaunems
: i have been playing for 6 years and im in a band
is this the right amp for me?
cyclefreak207
: YO Yo I went and got it!! It's so good, it even sounds good playin a bass through it. You should definitely buy it POSTED: 03/25/2007 - 12:25 am / quote|
zAg1619
: I've had this amp for about 2 years now. It was the best amp decision I could make for the price range i was in. Now, if money flew outta my ass, obviously i would have bought a mesa/boogie, but that's beside the point. I play metal, and classic rock. For me, the OD tone isn't hard enough for metal so I use a pedal instead, but that's just me. I frankly think the OD tone is perfect for many classic rock songs. Also, as a side note, do not turn it up to 10 unless neccesary.. I got this amp on top of two cabs and hell, I usually stay parked at 5, and the cops drop by every day. I hate my neighbors.. POSTED: 03/27/2007 - 03:49 am / quote|
DescendanceRock
: i Bought this amp, about say,..... 7 momths ago?
just before novenber or something, because i wanted a new one for a small gig my band was heading for, and, i definitely need to rig it up through a PA, the feedback is just terrible, when you try to crank it up loud enough over a big-ass double bass, 6 tommmed pearl export drum kit, so id advise people who have a big-ass PA system to buy this, but it wont stand on its own, I personally have no idea how much difference the amplifier makes when you add another CAB, which is possible, as its a HDFX and not a DFX, this makes it alot better than the DFX, but people its a very nice amp, and you can get awesoem clean sounds and heavy metal sounds, so dont listen to them on that, any sound is possible through this beasty, its just, if your live, youll need a monitor or two and youll need to channel it through a mixer/PA.
Haydn,
www.Myspace.com/descendance1 (check my bands profile out
oh yeah theres a picture of me woth it on my site if youd liek to look !!
i have been playing for 6 years and im in a band
is this the right amp for me?
NO!
just because it says Marshall, doesn't mean that it's good. this is easily the most hated amp on the forums and theirs good reason. Their is better stuff for that money. I have a Carvin SX100 it has the exact same features as the combo MG. and it sounds at least 10x times better, and it only costs 350 bucks! A Roland Cube, or a Vox Valvetronix are better than this as well.
and tube amps aren't all 1000-3000 dollars, check out the peavey valveking, or the ashdown fallen angel. POSTED: 04/24/2007 - 05:14 pm / quote|
grungefan89
: I have a review coming up on this amp.
Overall, it's decent. But as many other people said, there are better stacks out there (just not for 320 bucks used). POSTED: 04/29/2007 - 12:15 pm / quote|
High_o
: best amp for the price? no ****ing way. fairly decent tone? maybe. people are complete ****s for buyin a solid state stack. buy a smaller tube combo, not this. you dont really ever need a 100watt stack POSTED: 05/02/2007 - 06:33 am / quote|
i also own this amp. if your into punk music like fallout boy, greenday, ect. youll love this amp. also corle is right. they reason they are lying is to get u to buy a different one like one in the jcm series. this is the best solid state amp for the price and sound
They are not punk bands, and there are solid states equally as crappy as this for a lot less than the price. POSTED: 05/02/2007 - 12:40 pm / quote|
No he doesn't, that would be daft. Why would he play an MG over his old JCM800's? Oh and just because marshall say he uses mg's doesn't mean he does. POSTED: 05/02/2007 - 12:41 pm / quote|
No he doesn't, that would be daft. Why would he play an MG over his old JCM800's? Oh and just because marshall say he uses mg's doesn't mean he does.
Zakk doesnt use this model. Marshall just came out with a Zakk Wylde signature mini stack MG. He just uses it as a practice amp. I think the mini stack MG is the only decent one outta the whole bunch. POSTED: 05/02/2007 - 01:37 pm / quote|
I think the mini stack MG is the only decent one outta the whole bunch.
Then you are obviously a bad thinker. POSTED: 05/02/2007 - 04:01 pm / quote|
jessejames1414
: This amp makes me sad ;-;. I was like "yay Marshall " than I felt like I was dating the sexy football captain until I realized he likes to do it in the ass and is abusive. POSTED: 05/02/2007 - 04:07 pm / quote|
stephen_rettie
: i wouldnt pisson this amp guys
seriously not jusrt sayen that cause theres better amps ouyt there
but the mg seies is just shit
in general
some ppl would say they cant afford a mesa or a tube amp or whatever
im saving up
i dont want to settle for shite
which is what this is
im saving up for a DSL401, ya it will take a while but man is it gonna be worth it POSTED: 05/02/2007 - 04:56 pm / quote|
Doodleface
: go to the forum. go to the "Guitar Gear and Accesories" forum, then click on the "The Ultimate Gear Information Sticky:Incorporating Info on Amps, FX and Pickups" and the "Amps Q and A thread and ONLY "Which Amp?" Thread"
read up. you will find better amps for the price and more useful information POSTED: 05/02/2007 - 05:07 pm / quote|
pub hero
: Hahaha. People LIKE the MG series? I guess if you're running a Yamaha Pacifica or a Squier you'll like anything. POSTED: 05/02/2007 - 05:19 pm / quote|
I think the mini stack MG is the only decent one outta the whole bunch.
Then you are obviously a bad thinker.
Why? Do you think all the MGs are good or you think they're all crap? I said the mini stack MG was DECENT, not good, not okay, not great but DECENT for a practice amp. Maybe you should explain what ya meant instead of just typing in one ****ing sentence. POSTED: 05/02/2007 - 06:56 pm / quote|
FacingUsAll
: I feel sorry for the people who buy an MG based on the reviews on this site.
68_SG
: worst Marshall ever... period i hope they stop that line and get back and stick with the hybrids and tubes POSTED: 05/02/2007 - 08:45 pm / quote|
Chinomaster182
: I want to cry after reading all this newbness.
Best amp in the price range? This is easily at the bottom right next to the spider, under no circumstances would i consider buying this pos. POSTED: 05/02/2007 - 09:36 pm / quote|
people_hate_me
: i play an epi sg and i find the mg alright with that....has a good distortion channel but very shitty clean channel unless ya use sum reverb and chorus, then its not as bad POSTED: 05/02/2007 - 10:27 pm / quote|
llanafreak44
: Wow. I can't believe how many people are going to buy this amp because of these reviews by gear noobs. POSTED: 05/02/2007 - 10:53 pm / quote|
bloodyskull
: i have this marshall head running through a 1960 lead cab and its the best. POSTED: 05/03/2007 - 12:00 am / quote|
EiDF202
: People who are saying '...solids are crap, but a tube...' should realise that tubes don't suit everyone. I have this amp, go it with the MG cab and was contented, not blown away. I then plugged it in to an AVT cab and with the added lower end response of the AVT it's probably the baest amp i've played. I play proggy/post rock stuff ad if you're going to run a tonne of effects through an amp, like I do, the this is the one fo you. POSTED: 05/03/2007 - 03:27 am / quote|
Zakk doesnt use this model. Marshall just came out with a Zakk Wylde signature mini stack MG. He just uses it as a practice amp. I think the mini stack MG is the only decent one outta the whole bunch.
do you realise that the ZW micro stack is just a crappy mg15 head with tiny cabs, and the signature part is just some bullseyes drawn on? he is paid to say that he uses these amps. why would he use an unweildly micro stack as a practice amp when there are so many better practice amps that would give better tone, are more veratile, and would be so much easier to movearound (as htey are combos)? POSTED: 05/03/2007 - 09:19 am / quote|
This amp makes me sad ;-;. I was like "yay Marshall " than I felt like I was dating the sexy football captain until I realized he likes to do it in the ass and is abusive.
Lovin' it. got one of these in the music room in school, i basically use it as a speaker, with my own distortion and effects. no ****ing way would i even dream of buying this as an amp.
last_biscuit
: To all the people on here claiming this amp sounds amazing and better than any other even near the price:
Crank this amp past half master volume, and come back and say what you think. This amp can sound fine, like most other solid-state amps at low volumes, but once you put the thing into gigging volume, you lose the thickness and just end up with a really trebley sound.
This amp is fine for bedroom use, though if you have a stack for bedroom use i don't see the point, but try gigging a decent-sized venue with this and by the look on the soundguys face you'll know how this amp truly sounds.
All down to opinion though of course POSTED: 05/09/2007 - 12:41 pm / quote|
To all the people on here claiming this amp sounds amazing and better than any other even near the price:
Crank this amp past half master volume, and come back and say what you think. This amp can sound fine, like most other solid-state amps at low volumes, but once you put the thing into gigging volume, you lose the thickness and just end up with a really trebley sound.
This amp is fine for bedroom use, though if you have a stack for bedroom use i don't see the point, but try gigging a decent-sized venue with this and by the look on the soundguys face you'll know how this amp truly sounds.
All down to opinion though of course
ditto. and i actually have an mg series amp POSTED: 05/09/2007 - 04:54 pm / quote|
rockdude_2008 :
i was gonna buy this but everyone told me it sucked, wow differnces in opinions on ultimate-guitar.com
whoever told you that is a moron, this amp is one of the best issued by marshall. dont let the cheap price fool you man...go out and get it. Ive had this amp for six months and it has never let me down unlike the tube amps ive used forever.
you sir, are an idiot.
a shit solid state over a tube? Man you must be like 13 or something
Dude....chill. Im just saying it like it is. I used the fender hot rod deluxe for a few years and the tubes kept going microphonic. Then i checked out the peavey valveking 100, not really a bad amp but still there is a reason that it is only about $530. The JVM410 head is really good though and ill probably invest into that.
Get a grip on yourselves. Just because an amp is a solid state does not mean that it is a shitty amp. The good tube amps are the ones that are $2000 a piece and not many of us can afford that. There are some solid states that are better than tubes out there. This is not a bad amp. Im in a band, i have done many shows with it, cranked it to its full potential and if you actually know how to work it youll hear that it sounds really great. You can crank this amp and get great sounds out of it. So go ahead and get this but take some time to see how it works in order to run it properly. Thats what i do and i havent had one bad show yet with the amp. We played with another band that had this amp and they sounded good too. Its obviously not comparable to the JVM or anything from the JCM or Vintage Modern series but its not a bad amp. For a solid state, its really quite good. POSTED: 06/11/2007 - 05:20 pm / quote|
Get a grip on yourselves. Just because an amp is a solid state does not mean that it is a shitty amp. The good tube amps are the ones that are $2000 a piece and not many of us can afford that. There are some solid states that are better than tubes out there. This is not a bad amp. Im in a band, i have done many shows with it, cranked it to its full potential and if you actually know how to work it youll hear that it sounds really great. You can crank this amp and get great sounds out of it. So go ahead and get this but take some time to see how it works in order to run it properly. Thats what i do and i havent had one bad show yet with the amp. We played with another band that had this amp and they sounded good too. Its obviously not comparable to the JVM or anything from the JCM or Vintage Modern series but its not a bad amp. For a solid state, its really quite good.
whilst it is true that it isn;t that bad of an amp, there are cheaper, better solid state amps out there (such as the cubes and vox valvstates) POSTED: 06/29/2007 - 07:15 am / quote|
High_o wrote:
whilst it is true that it isn;t that bad of an amp, there are cheaper, better solid state amps out there (such as the cubes and vox valvstates)
Vox Valvtronix you mean? Marshall make the Valvestate :p: POSTED: 07/01/2007 - 02:01 pm / quote|
deaththrashcore
: This head is great. I use it with a Boss ML-2 pedal and it's perfect. POSTED: 07/04/2007 - 11:22 pm / quote|
Vox Valvtronix you mean? Marshall make the Valvestate :p:
oops, yeah that one POSTED: 07/08/2007 - 11:00 am / quote|
Kirenjob
: MG's don't suck. People reckon that just cause they are a solid state amp they are pathetic. For a solid state they are brilliant. POSTED: 08/07/2007 - 04:53 am / quote|
MG's don't suck. People reckon that just cause they are a solid state amp they are pathetic. For a solid state they are brilliant.
no they're not. you can get better one's for a cheaper price. POSTED: 08/07/2007 - 05:16 am / quote|
HelpComputah
: The above comment that there are better, cheaper half stacks is BS. The only (New)half stacks cheaper than the MG100hdfx are from Crate. They're not bad, but Crate's gain channels tend to be very sterile IMO. That's not necessarily bad for extreme metal, but if your looking for more of an crunchy Marshall tone, then get the freakin' Marshall!
As far as other competitors, there's Randall with the RX120, but that's no cheaper than the Marshall and again, doesn't have the Marshall vibe. There's Carvin, which you have to buy on faith because you can't try it out before hand. There's Peavey but they no longer make a halfstack in the MG100's price range (the Supreme XL is discontinued). Line 6? I can't stand the Spider III's, personally. Of course, I've yet to play one that didn't have serious bugs in the FX sections.
I don't own an MG myself, but in over a decade of playing I've come across plenty of SS Marshalls. Most of them have been OK. The MG series are easily their best S.S. designs since the 1980's. They are about on part with the pre-AVT Valvestates IMO. They deliver a good approximation of the crunchy Marshall tone many guitarists crave (including myself) for not a lot of $$. They are definitely transistory sounding when compared to their big brothers in the JCM series. Nonetheless, it's more than possible to get a nice tone out of the MG with the Marshall flavor that other amps just don't do as well (including modeling amps).
Is the MG100HDFX as good as a JCM2000 DSL? Of course not! Is a DSL halfstack worth $1500 more than the MG half stack! Hell no! No one buys an all-tube stack out of necessity anymore. They buy them because they CHOOSE to and can afford to. Guitarists love to delude themselve into thinking they NEED this or that, and this board is full of those delusional types IMO.
Tube amps are not worth starving one's self over. Choose with your ears, and buy what you can afford. Take all written opinions (including the naysayers) with a grain of salt. POSTED: 09/27/2007 - 07:39 pm / quote|
The above comment that there are better, cheaper half stacks is BS
you talking about me? because i said there are better ss amps for the same price (or less), not better half stacks. roland cubes and vox valvetronix's are better (and you can get a valvetronix head anyways, so there are better halfstacks)
you talk about people deluding themselves, saying they need a tube amp. well, the biggest delusion of a ll is that you need a ****ing halfstack. combo+mic=just as good as a halfstack, with none of the hassle of buying and transporting a cab.
maca-venagas
: most of these reviewers say that they have been playing for like 2 months, and so many people here who have also been playing for two months believe them in all that they say. to all those beginners out there, ask yourself, would u be able to truthfully recommend a good amp, for whatever type of music, for whatever type of place. Could u do that? no. hell no. because your only starting out,uve played on two amps in ur lifetime and only owned one. everyones first amp sounds good to them. dont go reviewing it here on UG. talk to veteran guitar players, read their reviews.they have been around, played heaps of amps, heard heaps of bands and been around the scene, they not whats good for practice, gigging, the lot. dont listen to someone who just got a guitar and amp and thinks " wow what i play on this horizontal music majigy goes to this amp where is comes out all loud and distoted, WOW THIS AMP IS THE BEST!! im going to go to UG and give it a ten, without visiting the forums or asking anyone else about it" beginners most likely havent tuned their ears to good tones and such, they just hear clean and distortion, bass and treble. you can trust someone who has heard hundreds of amps and knows the very intricacys of the tones, and the different types. so please if u have been playing guitar for anywhere up to a year, dont review things here, you are destroying the young guitar community and making them buy crappy amps, which may make them get sick of guitar and alternative music, and they go back to buying to buying black eyed peas and panic at the disco albums. Just don’t listen to beginners. POSTED: 10/24/2007 - 07:37 pm / quote|
maca-venagas
: ALSO_ i can bet that zakk wylde gets paid a shit load to endorse MG amps, but look at his collection and he wont have one. hes one of the best guitarists around, why the **** would he take an MG over a Mesa, Engl or orange? or any high class marshall for that matter. think about it you ****s its the world of advertising and greed. MGs cost shit all to make and still cost a bit. so if u get someone like zakk to endorse it, mindless newbs like these reviewers are gunna flock to them and make
marshall an absolute shitload. Personnally i havent played this amp, or any MG. but ive been told by many guitar veterans to stay away from them. And i will. If i get the opportunity to play it at a store i will. but anyything that is loved by begginers and hated by pros really is worth my time.
Im no begginer, and next amp will be a VOX Valvetronix AD50VT. great sounding and great value. its a much loved amp too.
fingers62887
: MG Series is a big let down played this at guitar center and thought i was playing through a no-name brand i have A JCM900 Marshall Head And A Krankenstein Head And play both through A krankenstein CAB. If You dont have the money for an actual Marshall I would Recommend Trying this amp and many others at this price range NOT A GOOD PRODUCT. POSTED: 10/26/2007 - 02:49 am / quote|
SG_Man_1810
: do you need to buy the cab as well or can you just use the head? Im not using it for gigging but just bedroom practise really...I know this is loud for practising but Im hoping one day to be gigging with it, at which point I will buy a cab, but Im not sure if both are required straight away!? POSTED: 10/29/2007 - 04:37 pm / quote|
the_dogs_master
: It's good to see that snobbery is alive and kicking! My son has just got an MG100hdfx, he's more than happy with it, and I've been impressed by its sound and versitility for the money. He's got it to replace his ageing Marshall valve amp, which isn't always reliable for gigging. I've found that the MG sounds best on od2, with the fdd button in. This way the amp produces a warm valve-like tone, but this is just personal preference. So far, we've tried it with a Gibson Les Paul Studio, a Les Paul Custom, a Tele and a custom built rosewood and maple Lawsuit, with hand wound pickups, made to my spec, which make EMGs sound like single coils (sensible offers over £12,000 only), and this amp has sounded great. Alright, it's not a JCM or a Mode Four, but with the built in effects and it's output, it strikes a good balance between home use and live work, on a sixteen year olds budget. Bear in mind also that rock and roll is not all about playing Stairway To Heaven note for note, it's 80% image. In all the years that I've been playing, one name is synonymous with rock music, Marshall. A Vox is great if you're in a sixties cover band (I've even got an old AC myself), Krankenstein are awesome amps, especially if you don't mind being seen as a metalhead and can put up with the sniggers behind your back. When all is said and done, if you're looking for a new 100 watt head and 4X12 cab for less than £350, than I personally would like to see a better deal. POSTED: 11/03/2007 - 04:38 pm / quote|
maca-venagas
: ^^^^ how much did marshall pay you to say all that???
dude, how can u say that and expect us to take u srsly.
leave UG and never come back. i would rather a tottally marshall free world rather than a world with marshall mgs POSTED: 11/06/2007 - 05:19 pm / quote|
the_dogs_master
: Everyone has the right to their own opinions, and I'm sure you have valid reasons for your own preferences, but critisisms need to be constructive or they become worthless. I'm sure nobody would choose an MG as their first choice, but like I said, anyone looking for a new 100 watt head and 4x12 cab on a budget ain't gonna get much better. There's no point advising kids to go out and spend £1000 plus on a rig, 'cos it's not gonna happen. For instance, I could comment on any guitar, stating my preferences for tone woods; how a Brazilian Rosewood five piece set neck with Honduras Rosewood fingerboard adds a warmth to the tone that just needs to be heard to be appreciated, but how's that going to benefit someone checking reviews on a Squire Strat, who wants to know if any bits are gonna fall off. So, come on, let's be constructive here, what is a viable alternative half stack? POSTED: 11/08/2007 - 03:17 pm / quote|
strungoutuk
: I think that some of the comments on this head are a little harsh. This amp does what is expected of it within its price range. I have had one for about 5 years now and it has never let me down. I hasnt been wrapped in cotton wool either, it has been trown around in the car and in vans, used at gigs, had beer spilt on it and although it looks tatty as hell now, it works just fine. Im not sure if it makes any difference but mine is one of the first series before they changed a few bits but im not sure what they changed.
As for the effects, if you are a fan of the "keep it simple"(i am) setup then its fine but i would advise that weeker pickups will sound a little shrill as in my strat i t almost squeeled but with my Jackson it sonds nice and heavy.
At the end of the day if you are buying brand new and are looking for something to help you get started gigging then this is great.. if you have been using somthing thats worth a few hundred quid more amd are used to that sound then it may not be for you.
I would just say try it out in the shop and make sure you try it thru the whole volume range. the reliability should not be a problem. POSTED: 11/12/2007 - 02:23 pm / quote|
Bear in mind also that rock and roll is not all about playing Stairway To Heaven note for note, it's 80% image
Maybe thats why i dont respect your oppinion. if you're in it for teh image, fine, buy a big, unwieldly marshall. but if you only want the best tone possible for the money, there are alternatives (as i've said, vox valvetronix, roland cubes are better amps in terms of tone and versatitly) POSTED: 11/14/2007 - 05:55 am / quote|
sektor47
: For me, the MG100HDFX totally pwns the MG100DFX in sound quality. It's just higher quality because all the stuff isn't crammed into a lil cabinet, theres a seperate head, so it can work it's fullest, and a seperate cabinet with FOUR 12" celestion speakers, now how crazy is that? Crazy good! POSTED: 11/14/2007 - 08:16 pm / quote|
mongo_man
: Hey guys! How do you think a Ibanez RG350EX and a Marshall Guv'Nor 2 (effect pedal) would sound on this Amp? Anyone know? POSTED: 11/19/2007 - 04:31 pm / quote|
GNRAGE_2010
: It would be better to get a 30-50w tube combo which would sound 100x better than this piece of poo and also be just as loud. POSTED: 11/20/2007 - 10:38 am / quote|
mongo_man
: just as loud? I can't see that possible :S... POSTED: 11/22/2007 - 02:35 pm / quote|
A DSL401 is LOUD and sounds infinitely better than this piece of shit.
Well obviously it's goping to be louder and better - for one, this is a solid state whereas that is essentially Marshall's flag-ship valve/tube amp combo. I like my MG50 a lot (read me review), but I'm thinking of replacing that with this & me practice amp with maybe the 15w version of this. Each to their own, fair enough - I just really like this range. POSTED: 11/24/2007 - 03:43 pm / quote|
mongo_man
: I tried this amp with my Ibanez RG350EX and a Jackson guitar! It sounded awsome! It can play louder than drums when it's on volume 3.0 ! And you can play up to 10. The delay is awsome, and the clean sound is as clean as it can get. I'm gonna buy it this week POSTED: 11/26/2007 - 06:22 am / quote|
mongo_man
: Now I have baught it :P It is really really awsome! seriously... it's great! If you know how to use your knobs, you can get really good-sounding stuff. As you might know it has OD1, and OD2, but it you only need one of them though. POSTED: 12/02/2007 - 09:12 am / quote|
mongo_man
: Hey guys! I was just wondering if anybody know how to get a great Rush sound on the Marshall MG100HDFX and the MG412A. Hopefully I will get some response :P thx POSTED: 12/05/2007 - 11:09 am / quote|
arowana1027
: I've played through SS amps all my life. I've been playing for nearly 20yrs now. I'm saving up for an ENGL or Krank Rev100, but I need a halfstack on stage that not only can rock, but has a good stage presence as well. My Crate XT120 combo just doesn't look badass on stage, although it sounds badass. Almost ANY QUALITY SS amp can be made to sound good with the right effects, in the right order, and with some tweaking of the knobs on the amp it self. So with that said, I'm purchasing this amp after trying it out at my LMS. At the beginning of the year with tax money, this baby is mine. POSTED: 12/06/2007 - 12:36 am / quote|
Guitar Sletten
: The Konztranata is ****in crazy! What the **** are you talking about?! do u have a braindamage or something?! POSTED: 12/06/2007 - 04:50 am / quote|
The above comment that there are better, cheaper half stacks is BS. The only (New)half stacks cheaper than the MG100hdfx are from Crate. They're not bad, but Crate's gain channels tend to be very sterile IMO. That's not necessarily bad for extreme metal, but if your looking for more of an crunchy Marshall tone, then get the freakin' Marshall!
As far as other competitors, there's Randall with the RX120, but that's no cheaper than the Marshall and again, doesn't have the Marshall vibe. There's Carvin, which you have to buy on faith because you can't try it out before hand. There's Peavey but they no longer make a halfstack in the MG100's price range (the Supreme XL is discontinued). Line 6? I can't stand the Spider III's, personally. Of course, I've yet to play one that didn't have serious bugs in the FX sections.
I don't own an MG myself, but in over a decade of playing I've come across plenty of SS Marshalls. Most of them have been OK. The MG series are easily their best S.S. designs since the 1980's. They are about on part with the pre-AVT Valvestates IMO. They deliver a good approximation of the crunchy Marshall tone many guitarists crave (including myself) for not a lot of $$. They are definitely transistory sounding when compared to their big brothers in the JCM series. Nonetheless, it's more than possible to get a nice tone out of the MG with the Marshall flavor that other amps just don't do as well (including modeling amps).
Is the MG100HDFX as good as a JCM2000 DSL? Of course not! Is a DSL halfstack worth $1500 more than the MG half stack! Hell no! No one buys an all-tube stack out of necessity anymore. They buy them because they CHOOSE to and can afford to. Guitarists love to delude themselve into thinking they NEED this or that, and this board is full of those delusional types IMO.
Tube amps are not worth starving one's self over. Choose with your ears, and buy what you can afford. Take all written opinions (including the naysayers) with a grain of salt.
If only there were more people like you on UG...
It would actually make this site constructive, helpful, and friendly.
The MG is great but it's all a matter of opinion. Marshall, along with most other popular brands, rarely produce "pieces of shit." That's the most ignorant thing I've read on here.
If you're interested in getting this, go try it out. When you're looking up reviews on it try to focus on the constructive reviews. Take the negative/ignorant ones with a grain of salt. It all boils down to opinion.
Some people like coffee, some don't. People are different. Accept it.
If you're interested in getting this, go try it out. When you're looking up reviews on it try to focus on the constructive reviews. Take the negative/ignorant ones with a grain of salt. It all boils down to opinion.
Some people like coffee, some don't. People are different. Accept it.
but by that same token, dont be convincedthat this is the perfect amp because it gets straight 10's in the reviews. a lot of the reviews are from people who are begginers, and dont have a great ear for tone, and most of the time dont gig. so yeah, always try before you buy, and dont have what you hear altered bythe fact you see Marshall or fender writen on something POSTED: 12/10/2007 - 07:08 am / quote|
Is an MG100HDFX better than an MG250DFX? And is either better than a Peavey ValveKing? Or should I go to EBay and buy a 5150 combo?
MG100HDFX is the best amp in your price range.
Well it depends on what you want.
If you don't like to struggle with big cabs you'd take the 250DFX, cuz it's a combo.
Also, if you're more into metal, the 250 might be a better option, as more power includes better overdrive sound.
I prefer the 100HDFX as I really need the 4x12' speakers (gigs)
Right now I'm playing Line6 Spider II series.
30 Watts, it sucks.
When at a gig, I can turn the volume to highest, and I'm still not being heard.
Well it depends on what you want.
If you don't like to struggle with big cabs you'd take the 250DFX, cuz it's a combo.
Also, if you're more into metal, the 250 might be a better option, as more power includes better overdrive sound.
no it doesn't, and anyway, i think the 250dfx is 50 watts with 2x12" speakers, not 250 watts POSTED: 01/25/2008 - 09:25 am / quote|
phenom1991
: This is shit. You can get a Tube stack for same price as that hunk of junk hooked up with that damn marshall MG cab with those wannabe celestions. POSTED: 01/25/2008 - 09:43 am / quote|
Is an MG100HDFX better than an MG250DFX? And is either better than a Peavey ValveKing? Or should I go to EBay and buy a 5150 combo?
MG100HDFX is the best amp in your price range.
Well it depends on what you want.
If you don't like to struggle with big cabs you'd take the 250DFX, cuz it's a combo.
Also, if you're more into metal, the 250 might be a better option, as more power includes better overdrive sound.
I prefer the 100HDFX as I really need the 4x12' speakers (gigs)
Right now I'm playing Line6 Spider II series.
30 Watts, it sucks.
When at a gig, I can turn the volume to highest, and I'm still not being heard.
AND I CAN'T EVEN BELIEVE YOU DIDNT SAY HE SHOULD GO FOR THE 6505!!!!! *STUNNED* POSTED: 01/25/2008 - 09:44 am / quote|
SylKain
: I often find this one in rehearsal spaces and I can't find anything good to say about it. I usually use heads as poweramps for my Pod XT Live and pretty much anything goes as long as the cab's speakers are fine, but this one is a nightmare even to use like that! And what about that ridiculous noise it makes from the fan... I'll admit I'm not a big fan of marshals but honestly even the most hardcore fanboy of this company that has any clue about what a decent amp sounds like won't be able to say anything good about this one (except maybe for the price). My advice? If you are really on a budget buy a combo amp and if you want a cheap marshall go for the AVT series. POSTED: 01/25/2008 - 09:48 am / quote|
Death-Speak
: I have the MG250DFX 2x12 which I believe is the combo version of this head. I really don't know how to say it without sounding harsh, but it sucks. The distortion sucks, the built in effects all suck, except the reverb which is just OK. The cleans also suck. My Crate 25 watter delivers more tone than the Marshall MG...
Save money buy tubes. /End POSTED: 01/25/2008 - 10:10 am / quote|
phenom1991
: Ditch this amp...or never buy it in the first place. Buy Randall RH50T/Peavey Valveking/Used Tube combo
/END OF FUCKING STORY! POSTED: 01/25/2008 - 10:17 am / quote|
GuitarPlayer716
: Here's the problem: WHO USES A FUCKING SQUIER WITH A MARSHALL HALF STACK????? POSTED: 01/25/2008 - 11:21 am / quote|
phenom1991
: Here's another problem: WHO EVEN WANTS TO USE A MG STACK?! I was ABOUT to buy one but i tried it out and it sounded like shit. Tube amps cost as much but are miles away from this horrid box! POSTED: 01/25/2008 - 11:33 am / quote|
Everyone has the right to their own opinions, and I'm sure you have valid reasons for your own preferences, but critisisms need to be constructive or they become worthless. I'm sure nobody would choose an MG as their first choice, but like I said, anyone looking for a new 100 watt head and 4x12 cab on a budget ain't gonna get much better. There's no point advising kids to go out and spend £1000 plus on a rig, 'cos it's not gonna happen. For instance, I could comment on any guitar, stating my preferences for tone woods; how a Brazilian Rosewood five piece set neck with Honduras Rosewood fingerboard adds a warmth to the tone that just needs to be heard to be appreciated, but how's that going to benefit someone checking reviews on a Squire Strat, who wants to know if any bits are gonna fall off. So, come on, let's be constructive here, what is a viable alternative half stack?
You dont even need 100W but Valveking would be a choice. POSTED: 01/25/2008 - 12:33 pm / quote|
dilbert_5150
: When do you guys need to use a solid state half stack anyway?! I mean, what's the purpose? You don't need 100Watts for practicing in your home... And if you're playing a gig, do you really use SS for that? This shit rarely sounds good. The only thing it produces is loud noise. I don't own a valve amp, but when it comes a gig time I borrow one. If a was like giving concerts every week, I would buy one for sure. POSTED: 01/25/2008 - 12:55 pm / quote|
failsaferemedy
: I used this amp while I gigged in a hard rock/metal band and it could do the trick if you worked with it enough. However, I've used better solid state amps, such as the Ibanez Tone Blaster series.
This amp has a great clean channel, as far as I'm concerned, and the effects are a plus, but the distortion could never really be as warm as I needed it to be. I eventually sold it and I'm now saving up for a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe so I can get that warm blues tone.
It's really a matter of preference. Wayne Static uses these amps faithfully, and they obviously work for him.
Whatever floats your boat. POSTED: 01/25/2008 - 03:01 pm / quote|
Aminos
: sounds really good with a boss gt-8 POSTED: 01/25/2008 - 03:51 pm / quote|
i bet you if you played ur mg with the boss gt-8 next to my JCM900 halfstack (which i got for roughly the same price as an MG stack) you would never touch the MG again. i would defend the MG so far as to say that it makes the 15 and 30 watt ones are decent practice amp. but anything louder than that (especially the halfstack) is a dimwit purchase. there are much better choices out there for the money. but i guess you gotta learn somehow... POSTED: 01/25/2008 - 04:39 pm / quote|
SkAsupafly
: i like my red one.... i think it sounds pretty good... if your guitar sucks and you don't have a good eq setting this amp will sound like crap....
try it... if you like it you like it
if you don't you don't....
sounds good with rg series ibanez guitars for sure... POSTED: 01/25/2008 - 05:15 pm / quote|
fretsonfire74
: for all the flak this amp gets, it got good reviews. POSTED: 01/25/2008 - 06:03 pm / quote|
which ones pink
: We really need to do something about these reviews, they're bullshit. Everyone with experience knows that these amps suck, yet noob reviews keep getting posted, and it's terribly misleading to the people that come on UG for the reviews. POSTED: 01/25/2008 - 06:14 pm / quote|
Bear in mind also that rock and roll is not all about playing Stairway To Heaven note for note, it's 80% imageMaybe thats why i dont respect your oppinion. if you're in it for teh image, fine, buy a big, unwieldly marshall. but if you only want the best tone possible for the money, there are alternatives (as i've said, vox valvetronix, roland cubes are better amps in terms of tone and versatitly)
This is somewhat true. This is amp is reliable, but it has a marshall price tag. It really doesn't give a very good tone and is hard to mix with a full band if you want any good distortion or overdrive. It's definitely not the best, and the reviews aren't that helpful because some guy was like, **** marshall a 3.3 which isn't fair, but then again others are obviously under the marshall spell and like omg 10 out of 10 which also is not a very good review. POSTED: 01/25/2008 - 06:30 pm / quote|
Dance_of_Death
: Damn, i can't believe this amp is getting such good reviews. It has piss poor everything. It is an oversized practice amp. My Roland Microcube has more tone than this. I wish some of the negative reviews got on there, showing how this is such a piss poor attempt at a Marshall. Yes i have played this amp, yes i know it sucks.
And to the ONE negative reviewer, i salute you, you know tone and you know quality (something this amp does not have). POSTED: 01/25/2008 - 06:32 pm / quote|
wyldeshredder
: i tried one of these puppys out...and it sounded like utter shit. luckily i smartened up and bought me a JCM2000 half stack...i used to have an MG50 combo and it sucks if ur any louder than bedroom level...as a practice amp,the mg is good...but why do u want a half stack practice amp??? if ur thinking of buying an MG, DO NOT DO IT. DONT MAKE THE SAME MISTAKE AS ME,AND MANY OTHERS. BUY A TUBE AMP IF UR LOOKING TO RECORD OR GIG,AND GET A SMALL LITTLE PRACTICE AMP FOR WHEN U WANNA PICK UP AND JAM. and 25 or 30 watt is fine,heck i have a 10 watt traynor that i practice through. save ur money for a tube amp people...look at what the big boys play. TUBES!
that is all POSTED: 01/25/2008 - 10:21 pm / quote|
TheBloodstained
: I had one.... it was the first decent amp I ever played but as it turned out it just didnt have the tone I wanted.... I have now replaced it with a Randall RH150G3 which just suits my style better....
overall the MG100HDFX is a good place to start if you want something more than a 10watt practise amp ^^ POSTED: 01/26/2008 - 02:18 am / quote|
No, he doesnt. He uses JCMs. He got paid by marshall to appear in ads for MGs. Please look things up before trying to act like you know about them.
For all of you wanting to buy this amp, please, save up a little more and go for an all tube amp. If you stick with guitar, you will thank yourself in the long run. The cleans are decent on these, but the distortion is really muddy. Look into a B-52 AT series amp for a reasonably priced tube amp. It may be a bit of a step up price wise, but you will love it. Tubes are also MUCH louder, my 2x12" tube is at least 2 times louder than my friends MG half stack, and his sounds terrible when cranked.
That's just a piece of crap, it plays well and are LOUD if you want to, the distortion i pretty good and the clean is nice, the tubs have something elese, that's true, but it's a good amp POSTED: 01/26/2008 - 01:55 pm / quote|
phenom1991
: ^Son...you need to stop being tone deaf! Get your head of out of marshalls arse! POSTED: 01/26/2008 - 02:02 pm / quote|
geetar_alex
: Marshall makes alot of from people who believe they truly need 100 watts for a seemingly small price but to be honest if you play a gig you can mic a small valve combo up this is what they do at festivals. there is know way you will get a good sound at the back of a fetival with full stack or two unless its micked up so a small valve combo will save you money in lthe long run instead of purchasing bigger and bigger amps POSTED: 01/26/2008 - 05:34 pm / quote|
Bigdave9576
: Seriously now. MG series? The whole series? Rubbish. The avt series is mildy better but if you think this is good its a shame. Maybe if you just play in your bedroom its good enough. If you want to sound good at a gig though....you need some valves. How can someone give this a 10 for sound???? hahah POSTED: 01/26/2008 - 06:55 pm / quote|
Marshall makes alot of from people who believe they truly need 100 watts for a seemingly small price but to be honest if you play a gig you can mic a small valve combo up this is what they do at festivals. there is know way you will get a good sound at the back of a fetival with full stack or two unless its micked up so a small valve combo will save you money in lthe long run instead of purchasing bigger and bigger amps
True, just like someone else said, this is a big practice amp. It's targeted to people who think they NEED a half stack but don't want to shell out big bucks. POSTED: 01/26/2008 - 07:11 pm / quote|
Hey guys! I was just wondering if anybody know how to get a great Rush sound on the Marshall MG100HDFX and the MG412A. Hopefully I will get some response :P thx
You don't, you get a decent amp.
Christ, having seen the state of things this review page has gotten into since I last posted.
About Rush again (briefly), like me, Alex Lifeson uses Hughes & Kettner amps (namely the TriAmp MkII and more recently the Switchblade as well). That is how he gets his tone, with high-quality gear.
People, this amp really is as bad as the gearheads have been saying all along. Crank the thing and you will instantly notice the dreadful clipping it gives; and though it does have a fair bit of headroom this amp is so trebley at higher volumes that cleans are painful unless you really max out the bass knob.
And I think he was called 'the_dogs_master' but yeah, putting a JCM and Mode Four in the same category as 'good amps' and 'better than the MG' is just sacriligeous to the JCM.
Oh and to the person (possibly the person I quoted at the start) who doesn't understand how one amp was louder than this with a much lower wattage...that's because the lower wattage amp was a tube amp. They are louder... 1 tube watt converts roughly to 2.5 solid-state watts, though the actual amount is highly debatable depending on the model.
Seriously, I guarantee my H&K Swithcblade stack is A LOT louder than this amp, though they are both 100 Watts.
Do some research before you begin reviewing things, I've been playing guitar for 12 years and I still learn things all the time. POSTED: 01/26/2008 - 08:32 pm / quote|
last_biscuit
: Oh and before you get me on the 'loudness' argument, I don't have mine on full volume, and didn't buy it for the 'loudness'.
I use a power attenuator in the studio when cranking the amp, so it doesn't have to be as loud but I can still really drive the tubes.
Through a PA the tone is altered off-stage anyway, so I don't care as much for driving the valves as high, I keep the volume to a reasonable level on stage to eliminate feedback in combination with an ISP Decimator, and that way I'm happy and can hear myself through the monitors or by heading towards my amp POSTED: 01/26/2008 - 08:37 pm / quote|
AdamDK
: I don't get why people are comparing the MG to JCM's, etc. It's a practice amp. It's decent for the price, but there is better amps out there IMO, such as Vox Valvetronix and Cube's. POSTED: 01/27/2008 - 05:14 am / quote|
buhda
: You guys will give anything a 10. POSTED: 01/27/2008 - 06:52 am / quote|
Kevin Saale
: I feel ill, this amp does not deserve a 10 at all. It's one thing to give a weak amp a 10 when it's cheap and meant solely for practice, I.E. microcube, but this is NOT a practice amp. Anyone who buys a 700 dollar halfstack practice amp is either, A, a total newb, or B, a complete moron. Stay away people, just stay away. POSTED: 01/27/2008 - 02:14 pm / quote|
fleh
: marshall make some brilliant amps but they cost a bomb. (JCM n stuff). also....
marshall make some cheaper amps but their completely crap and still overpriced (MG) POSTED: 01/27/2008 - 03:46 pm / quote|
Demonikk
: Only one review was honest imo
The one who said this had a tone like high-end Marshall tube amps made me lol so hard
unkownman99
: i have this amp i had shows with it i ****in love it i play in a rock n roll band and i use the overdrive channel with thses settings gain:3 bass:3 middile:8 treble:7 and contour:2 and it is a great amp so every one tht says mgs suck try it before u open ur mouth POSTED: 01/27/2008 - 04:15 pm / quote|
i have this amp i had shows with it i ****in love it i play in a rock n roll band and i use the overdrive channel with thses settings gain:3 bass:3 middile:8 treble:7 and contour:2 and it is a great amp so every one tht says mgs suck try it before u open ur mouth
we have...
Try a cranked valve combo. POSTED: 01/27/2008 - 06:10 pm / quote|
i have this amp i had shows with it i ****in love it i play in a rock n roll band and i use the overdrive channel with thses settings gain:3 bass:3 middile:8 treble:7 and contour:2 and it is a great amp so every one tht says mgs suck try it before u open ur mouth
Wow, lyk OMG!!!1!! You've had shows?! f0r realz?!
Firstly, Marshall's in general (let alone sh*tty MG's) are too trebley for most people's liking without a bit of tweaking...almost entirely removing the bass from the EQ is beyond a noob mistake, utter idiocy.
Secondly, I have tried this amp...almost every week when I can't be bothered to take my amp head to the rehearsal studios my main band use, I have to use these damn heads, and they are dreadful.
Do fullstops exist in the country you come from? Or do you actually talk the way you type? If the latter, you should try to beat the world record for holding your breath...actually, maybe you should anyway if you like the MG. :P POSTED: 01/28/2008 - 08:21 pm / quote|
I don't get why people are comparing the MG to JCM's, etc. It's a practice amp. It's decent for the price, but there is better amps out there IMO, such as Vox Valvetronix and Cube's.
I agree totally. I have this amp because it was cheap and it does the job I want it too. I do agree that its a bit trebally, but i just turn it down and keep the bass up. I love that classic rock feel and sound. This is the setting I have: OD2- Gain:7.5 Bass:5 Middle:8.5 Treble:7 Contour:5.
I agree that its not the best amp butif I had the money to blow on a valve amp, I would have gone for a Marshall vintage modern stack or maybe a Marshall JVM410 stack.
But for it's price, I personally think that it's ok enough. I run my GT8 though it using the 4 cable method and I can just use the EQ on the GT8 to sort out any problems. POSTED: 02/06/2008 - 05:31 am / quote|
mikeiscool
: Hey. I've been looking around the internet looking for a cheap tube amp. Any suggestions?(Besides the peavey valve king...)
This amp makes me sad ;-;. I was like "yay Marshall " than I felt like I was dating the sexy football captain until I realized he likes to do it in the ass and is abusive.
Hey. I've been looking around the internet looking for a cheap tube amp. Any suggestions?(Besides the peavey valve king...)
$Price Range$: $600-$800
Go to the guitar gear and accessories forum and ask. You'll get a bunch of help. POSTED: 02/23/2008 - 10:44 pm / quote|
ekord123
: i play a lot of avenged sevenfold, trivium, metallica,and as i lay dying. is this amp good for metalcore and heavy metal like that or will i need a pedal? POSTED: 03/03/2008 - 05:56 pm / quote|
Toolshed#9
: This amp is seriously sucks. POSTED: 03/04/2008 - 06:34 am / quote|
i play a lot of avenged sevenfold, trivium, metallica,and as i lay dying. is this amp good for metalcore and heavy metal like that or will i need a pedal?
No.
This amp is good for putting people's windows through, injuring small animals, or making dents in people's faces... all when thrown, I'm afraid. POSTED: 03/04/2008 - 07:38 pm / quote|
i have been playing for 6 years and im in a band
is this the right amp for me?
NO!
just because it says Marshall, doesn't mean that it's good. this is easily the most hated amp on the forums and theirs good reason. Their is better stuff for that money. I have a Carvin SX100 it has the exact same features as the combo MG. and it sounds at least 10x times better, and it only costs 350 bucks! A Roland Cube, or a Vox Valvetronix are better than this as well.
and tube amps aren't all 1000-3000 dollars, check out the peavey valveking, or the ashdown fallen angel.
yes it is the right amp... the above guy is a tit..
plus on stage, you have to be standing in front of a marshall.. nothing else looks as good... and this amp sounds unbelievable.. POSTED: 03/19/2008 - 09:05 pm / quote|
Seriously now. MG series? The whole series? Rubbish. The avt series is mildy better but if you think this is good its a shame. Maybe if you just play in your bedroom its good enough. If you want to sound good at a gig though....you need some valves. How can someone give this a 10 for sound???? hahah
i gig every week, not with this amp but with the 250 one..
it sounds better than everybody elses gear.. POSTED: 03/19/2008 - 09:14 pm / quote|
In-Jeenyus
: Basicly the od1 and crunch channels are useless, and the od2 has too much treble at higher volume, the clean channel sounds quite nice though and i run a boss ds-1 through the od-1 channel, and get a damn nice sound, i mean it's no mesa but it is a solid amp for the price. POSTED: 04/16/2008 - 12:02 am / quote|
I've had this amp for about 2 years now. It was the best amp decision I could make for the price range i was in. Now, if money flew outta my ass, obviously i would have bought a mesa/boogie, but that's beside the point. I play metal, and classic rock. For me, the OD tone isn't hard enough for metal so I use a pedal instead, but that's just me. I frankly think the OD tone is perfect for many classic rock songs. Also, as a side note, do not turn it up to 10 unless neccesary.. I got this amp on top of two cabs and hell, I usually stay parked at 5, and the cops drop by every day. I hate my neighbors..
Thanks for the bottom 'postscript'! I've just bought a secondhand MG100HDFX (I'm waiting to have it delivered) and your review is one of the few that shows a sense of balanced criticism ...with some good humour! I'm looking forward to putting it through it's paces. ; POSTED: 04/16/2008 - 02:07 pm / quote|
rikigo wrote:
Thanks for the bottom 'postscript'! I've just bought a secondhand MG100HDFX (I'm waiting to have it delivered) and your review is one of the few that shows a sense of balanced criticism ...with some good humour! I'm looking forward to putting it through it's paces. ;
I'm sorry.
I recently tried it out at my friend's house (his brother's amp), and though it wasn't too bad at low volumes, it sounded horrible once you cranked it. POSTED: 04/19/2008 - 03:22 am / quote|
HammettMustaine
: maybe you need to learn how to play dick POSTED: 04/23/2008 - 03:57 pm / quote|
Pat_s1t
: Is this amp any good for metal and metalcore? I'm no where near a music store and i plan to be getting an ESP LTD Alexi 600 this summer in ottawa, so i just wanted some insight on how this performs with stuff like Children of Bodom, Bullet For My Valentine, Avenged Sevenfold, etc. POSTED: 05/03/2008 - 08:57 am / quote|
travd92
: i once suggested to someone on UG to get an MG100 and i got brutally flamed. I seriously don't know why. I've never had problems with mine, and it's got some killer tones and all the channels. granted its not the best in the world, but for 600 (half stack) i think it is the best for the price. for the people whose amps broke down, stop bitching and get it fixed. POSTED: 05/26/2008 - 11:11 pm / quote|
Chl0rine
: Isn't it annoying when you want an honest review of something, and all you get is a bunch of pompous gits complaining? It's all personal preference.
'This amp is seriously sucks'
'maybe you need to learn how to play dick'
'You're all idiots. MGs suck. Ask any gear head.'
these and many more comments aren't helping anyone. If you dislike the amp, back it up with some reasons, or no one is going consider your childish rants. Some people will like the MGs, others wont. Being a fat headed moron when you post a comment won't make anyone else look bad, except yourself.
guitargodderyck
: So this amp is great for like AC/DC GnR and Van Halen kinda of stuff right. Wht about shredding? POSTED: 06/13/2008 - 08:40 pm / quote|
shredder_666
: Its okay for shredding. Its great for its price and for solid state its brilliant. It is. It did die out on me though...but i gig alot (and my bass player knocked it around a bit) but i replaced it with a Mesa triple rec and a Marshall 1960 cab. POSTED: 06/25/2008 - 05:18 pm / quote|
SULLYvin
: PEOPLE! The people that are writing bad reviews for this amp are clearly comparing it to valve amps, which cost about 4 times the price. For a SOLID STATE amp, this is the best that I've heard. It will give you huge tonal variety, and it's built like a tank.Best in it's price range for sure. POSTED: 07/01/2008 - 12:58 am / quote|
GUMO,222222
: Can this get a good Metallica sound? i am thinking of this or a bugera amp. POSTED: 07/07/2008 - 09:13 pm / quote|
GUMO,222222
: Adding to what i posted, good older metallica sound, like kill em all to puppets POSTED: 07/07/2008 - 09:16 pm / quote|
house212
: does this head sound better than an avt150h? POSTED: 07/07/2008 - 11:02 pm / quote|
sam1618
: Thanks SULLYvin for being a voice of reason here. If you have money for a tubehead, and a better cab, get it, and don't come back here saying how it makes the mg sound like crap. If all you do is post about how amps (that you do not own) suck, then you need to find yourself a girl, mate.
I played next to one of these boys for more than a year, the fullstack. It isn't bad, and it holds up very well unless you don't treat your equipment well. If you spend more than half a second on your tones, you'll find what you're looking for, as long as you're not in some industrial "find the wierdest sh** you can" band. Then you can fu** yourself. If your amp broke down within "like 3 hours after I got home" or "right after I cranked it to whatever," then chances are you're not smart enough to try out your stuff IN the store, for more than half an hour.
TRY BEFORE YOU BUY! Retailers don't get the rad equipment guarantees we do, so they will do all they can to pawn off shoddy stuff on you (not all, but some will).
I will say, the head is probably not as good of a piece of equipment as the cab. If you have some extra change, upgrade your head and keep the cab. It performs very well under other heads. I personally like it under the ValveKing, but its all your personal preference, and I'm sure under some heads it doesn't sound quite right. Don't put the head on a better Marshall cab though. I promise it isn't that great.
PS none of you are Zack Wylde or Kerry King so why are you so worried about what they play? POSTED: 07/23/2008 - 12:51 am / quote|
Korzack
: TBH, I've had an MG50 for a couple of years - thought the tone was fairly limited and start well and truly buggering about with the EQ and now I like the sound a lot more - it's surprisingly versatile. Just don't expect it to do valve-work. In all honesty, it's a good choice if you want to start gigging on a shoe-string. But if you try comparing this to a DSL50 or a JVM, it's always gonna come off badly. That';s technology for you - Valve amps are great when cranked - solid states ain't. I like the sound of my 50, and if I need a bigger amp, I'll probably buy this and a 2x12 (because a 4x12 is a stupid amount of hassle for the weight) POSTED: 08/08/2008 - 06:20 pm / quote|
spyguy34
: first comment on here pj u suck lol u just dont know how to use it i bought it yesterday and its killer nough said buy this amp POSTED: 09/17/2008 - 11:06 am / quote|
maiden_mexico
: most of these reviews are fail. POSTED: 10/28/2008 - 04:01 pm / quote|
ReaperWaits
: I've just bought this with the cab for £200, for the price, you couldn't ask for more. The only people on here that don't like the amp are those that don't actually own it.
eyebanez333
: ...WOW...damn if people would put as much effort into something positive as they do into bashing this amp we could cure AIDS, cancer, and herpes before the day is over. I'm not jumping on the bandwagon like everybody else and talking shit on this amp because its not a tube amp, or its not really a Marshall, etc. I own this amp, I've played it for over a year and have had 0 problems with it. I got the full stack used for 400 bucks, and its been worth every penny. I've gigged with it several times, no problems and it holds its own against much more expensive amps, including tube models. All I can say is try one out, if you like it, BUY IT. I'm a firm believer that the musician makes the gear, not the other way around. POSTED: 12/01/2008 - 03:13 pm / quote|
Salamandyk
: Im debating between this amp or an ibanez TBX150H.....i know marshall is the bigger and more popular brand for amps and whatnot...but what ive seen on sound reviews it doesnt seem like the marshall has a good heavy metal/progressive metal sound. What do u think? POSTED: 12/12/2008 - 05:29 pm / quote|
tr_shredder
: i got this yrs back. on musicians friend. for a little over $550. in less than a yr it blew.
what do i mean "blew"? i'll tell ya.
i was in the middle of playing, with the gain set around 5 and the max volume around 4 and it made this popping sound then this really loud screeching noise. i turned it off and it wouldn't turn back on.
Apperently because marshal didn't know why it blew it wasn't covered under warrenty. after hearing that i had someone take it apart. they put in a new power supply, fuse, and new transistors or something.. and they turned it on and got power to it for a few seconds then the fuse popped and the power supply went bad. the guy went through 2 power supplies from marshall and a handful of fuses.. i didn't have $150 for the parts let alone more money to try more and to play him. so i just gave it to him. as far as i know he still can't get it to work.
i didn't really like the amp all that much anyway.. both clean and distortion channels were nice at low levels but muddy with any decent amount of volume.
the effects were alright but nothing too great. the distortion channel actually was horrible if you had too much gain..
i later got myself a last minute head for $200 because i was low on money and my band was supposed to play a show in a few days.
that head was much better. POSTED: 12/14/2008 - 10:37 pm / quote|
opeth222
: what are some of these people talking about with the amp feeding back?
you probably need to get yourselves some decent pickups that are properly wax potted and don't stand so close to the amp.
if your playing live, you can turn it up a bit to hear over the drums, but let the PA do the work. i can imagine some of the stage volumes people are playing at. makes for a rough night.
Megdidar
: Marshall MG100HDFX 599.99 for head and cab set, or Peavey Windsor 100watt all tube half stack 499.99 for head and cab. It's been said time and time again, there are better amps out there that are much cheaper. And really, you DON'T need a halfstack. POSTED: 01/10/2009 - 10:45 pm / quote|
tonedeafidiot
: How can you like the sound of this amp? I played a chord on it in GC after EQing it and turned it off it was so horrid. POSTED: 01/11/2009 - 02:39 pm / quote|
Thanks SULLYvin for being a voice of reason here. If you have money for a tubehead, and a better cab, get it, and don't come back here saying how it makes the mg sound like crap. If all you do is post about how amps (that you do not own) suck, then you need to find yourself a girl, mate.
I played next to one of these boys for more than a year, the fullstack. It isn't bad, and it holds up very well unless you don't treat your equipment well. If you spend more than half a second on your tones, you'll find what you're looking for, as long as you're not in some industrial "find the wierdest sh** you can" band. Then you can fu** yourself. If your amp broke down within "like 3 hours after I got home" or "right after I cranked it to whatever," then chances are you're not smart enough to try out your stuff IN the store, for more than half an hour.
TRY BEFORE YOU BUY! Retailers don't get the rad equipment guarantees we do, so they will do all they can to pawn off shoddy stuff on you (not all, but some will).
I will say, the head is probably not as good of a piece of equipment as the cab. If you have some extra change, upgrade your head and keep the cab. It performs very well under other heads. I personally like it under the ValveKing, but its all your personal preference, and I'm sure under some heads it doesn't sound quite right. Don't put the head on a better Marshall cab though. I promise it isn't that great.
PS none of you are Zack Wylde or Kerry King so why are you so worried about what they play?
GunslingerG20
: I came here trying to find reviews on equipment by experienced musicians. For the most part, all I see is a bunch of high-school geeks who haven't been playing long enough to have any clue. And who is going to give legitimacy to a review by someone who can't even spell correctly??? This is a SS amp guys --- it's pointless to compare it with tube amps. Both types have there place in the grand scheme of things, and both have thier supporters and detractors. While I generally prefer a good tube amp for the sound I desire, for some applications a solid state amp is better, and they are definitely more reliable. You know, there IS a reason why no one uses tubes in any form of electronics anymore except amps (I can just see these little gamer types trying to play Halo on a tube computer!!!lol). tube amps are great, but you can pretty much do the same things with solid state equipment IF you know what you are doing. I've been playing for 36 years now and have played through literally hundreds of different types and brands of amps, and I'll take a good Randall ss amp over MOST tube amps (the major exception being the JCM800, which is the benchmark for rock n' roll amps)any time. I've also got to laugh at these guys that want to get a good JCM800 or 900 head, and then ruin the tone by using some silly effects pedals. What's the point? The ultimate electric guitar sound is simply taking a well seasoned LesPaul and plug it straight into a JCM (well, OK, I admit I may put a cry baby in line also) and crank it. Nothing on this planet can match that tone!!! For any other sound, solid state equipment is just fine, and is much more reliable.
Just my $.02 worth!!! POSTED: 02/11/2009 - 04:26 am / quote|
tmfiore
: Don't listen to my review, my opinion changed. It is not worth buying. POSTED: 02/20/2009 - 06:55 pm / quote|
[R]ocker.4.life
: mine buzzes alot when i crank it up. anyone know any ways to reduce that? POSTED: 03/03/2009 - 08:30 pm / quote|
Bob_Sagget
: First why would you need a ss amp for gigs? (Tube) I mean this isn't rocket science. And whats the purpose of having a half stack in your bedroom. Thats like driving a mack truck around like a car, wtf is wrong with u ppl? I have a 2 Kustom 12watt tube amps and I can beat the MG series by a mile with both set on 5. I've acctually been able to drown out my drummers dbl bass set with them on 7. Heres the funny thing they're about $100 an amp and they're extremely solid. POSTED: 03/25/2009 - 12:03 pm / quote|
duzit89
: my band just financed this amp.. with a Warranty you can't go wrong with it.. even if it does mess up at some point you get a new one anyway.. and i have to laugh about the kids on here reviewing it.. "Never gigged with it but uhh ..Yah its Cool" Lmao Sh!!!t.. POSTED: 03/31/2009 - 12:00 pm / quote|
UneasyxKarma
: This is a pretty amazing amp ( now i was using a fender frontman 15G which blew hard core) its a little complicated but the tone that i get out of it is amazing. the only problem is the channel light wont go out but the channels will change, but that isnt a real big deal because the product that counts still works like a charm . Does any one else have a problem with the channel light? POSTED: 04/16/2009 - 07:57 am / quote|
bigman07
: this amp has the worst distortion ever but with a great pedal it sound pretty go to me but i play on kranks sooo hahah POSTED: 04/24/2009 - 09:31 am / quote|
OXL
: Gonna get it next month because I can't spend a lot of money on an amp. The band I'm playing is giging again (after a 5 year hiatus) and I need something to play on. In the past I always borrowed our bass player's Peavy tube amp. But since he's not in the band anymore and also the tubes need to be exchanged (otherwhise I could borrow it if I wanted) I need something cheap for gigs. Fortunately my girlfriend withholds me from spending all my money on equipment, if that wasn't the case, I probably would starve to death ;
I never played live without a PA and most of the time the sound dude is wining about turning the volume down so I guess this one will do just fine in a live situation.
If you play gigs mainly without PA, then it's about ****in time that you start looking for something more then playing in your friends garage/garden!
PS: My band plays metal and my experience (yes, I have played plenty other amps over the past 20 years)is that SS amps do just fine for this kind of music. POSTED: 04/28/2009 - 09:47 am / quote|
JustMeMark
: Ok so I don't play punk and heavy metal where a guy who can't play needs to hide behind all of this distortion crap. I've played this amp consistently for a year now and never once had I come up with a complaint about it. I play country/country rock primarily and my American Std. Tele sounds EXCELLENT through it. I've played venues of 50 to 1200 people. When you go to big venues, that's why you mic your amp guys!
Also, for those who think valve amps are the be all, end all. Hmmm....think about all of your "CD's" and your amplifiers in your cars. Everything is digital, even your recordings. Marshall did a fantastic job of creating a digital copy of any valve amp! That, along with the lighter weight of a digital amplifier and it's high reliability and ruggedness, you can't go wrong if your a working musician.
When I see all these comments about Zakk Wylde, what he plays and what that guy plays, it's all because they have very lucrative contracts with gear manufacturers. They don't have to pay a dime. That in turn creates the demand cycle for these types of products and OILA, the price goes up!
Sure when I first brought my Marshall to my first gig, it was like dude, that's a cheap ass's amplifier, get a real one, until I proceeded to blow them away on my Tele. It plays razor thin on the clean channel, just the way a Tele should sound. On the distortion side, if you are a real player, you're not gonna need but a slight amount of distortion and this stays true throughout any volume. The only drawback was getting used to the effects knobs...no problem anymore with that.
OXL
: Recently purchased this amp because it's cheap. The distortion, to my liking, sucks. A digitech metal master pedal fixed that problem, the overall soyund now is much better and there's a better balance between mid and high tones. It's not the best sounding amp in the world (that's impossible for such a price) but it's certainly okay.
If someone would comment on it that it's a cheap amp and I had to buy a "real one" I would call him a gear snob and tell him to **** off ;
pete_190290
: i had my garage broken into the other day and had all my gear stolen. I'm now getting one of these off the insurance and really looking forward to it.
Everyone on here that just says "it's f*ckin shit don't buy it but tubes' is a twat. fair does tubes do sound infinately better than solid state, but not all of us can afford itm or even afford to replace the tubes when they blow every five mins. If i had the money yeah i'd save up and get myself an old JCM900, but i don't, so i'm settling with this for now.
Can't see the point in these dicks that just say 'it's ****in shit don't buy it' don't let it put you off, for the price i reckon it's pretty good. POSTED: 06/08/2009 - 05:58 am / quote|
mileo@ug
: My name is Michael, I live in Philadelphia, and have a love for Punk; Blues; and Classic Rock...
I recently decided to but three particular items: The Boss ME-70, The Marshall MG100HDFX and Cab, and the Epiphone Lucille copy... if someone could tell me how they feel about these three items in particular it sould really help me and my pockets... e-mail at mileo100890@aol.com or im me at mileo2wolf
mileo@ug
: I dont have a lot of cash and i want to my music seriously as a guitarist... So please be helpful POSTED: 06/16/2009 - 02:37 pm / quote|
sikguitarist07
: damn after reading these reviews i think i made a mistake on putting this amp on layaway at guitarcenter =[ it seemed good when i played it at the store. maybe ill sell it and buy a vox combo. =D POSTED: 07/04/2009 - 04:13 am / quote|
No he doesn't, that would be daft. Why would he play an MG over his old JCM800's? Oh and just because marshall say he uses mg's doesn't mean he does.
he does use MG's in a lot of instructional video's and on the tour bus.
and YES, he did use this amp but i cant remember when, it was on the tour bus i think... POSTED: 07/08/2009 - 02:43 pm / quote|
SG-Burchett
: no offense to any guiater players who have commented on this album and said its shit and said : buy a £1000 tube amp. ok of course those amps are better.its like going on to review for a yamaha pacifica and saying its shit, buy a gibson les paul studio instead.buts thats ridiculous-yes they rubbish-but not THAT rubbish compared to other stacks in its price range.not everybody has money poring out of their ears and not everybody can just borrow a 100 watt tube amp. POSTED: 07/30/2009 - 06:14 am / quote|
SG-Burchett
: sorry-not album-amp.btw -i also didnt make it clear that i have tryed this amp. i was really disapointed by the overdrive.-awesome clean channel though but i felt that it wasnt what i was looking for.the main thing of all i have to say is TRY THIS AMP. then you can make your own opinions but unless you try it-you cant because some people love this amp where as others dont so TRY IT. POSTED: 08/13/2009 - 05:29 am / quote|
My name is Michael, I live in Philadelphia, and have a love for Punk; Blues; and Classic Rock...
I recently decided to but three particular items: The Boss ME-70, The Marshall MG100HDFX and Cab, and the Epiphone Lucille copy... if someone could tell me how they feel about these three items in particular it sould really help me and my pockets... e-mail at mileo100890@aol.com or im me at mileo2wolf
Thank you
the boss me-70 is AWESOME btw POSTED: 08/13/2009 - 05:31 am / quote|
tele_god
: this amp is garbage...im glad i sold it...i got my knucklehead reverb and never looked back..imo..dont waste your time or money...wait till you can get the amp you want...this is a disgrace to the marshall name POSTED: 09/06/2009 - 01:05 am / quote|
hadookin
: they are okay, they get slated way too much for what they are, however, ive had mine for a while in the stack form, and sometimes, the volume just goes and takes some of the tone with it on the overdrive channel!
but if i smack the side of it, it comes back... i dont mind doing it haha but playing live? the amp can be a bit of a worry, im not quite sure why this happens but its very annoying, but they do get slated too much, its a great beginner amp if you're not looking to spend much. POSTED: 10/04/2009 - 04:53 pm / quote|
Is this amp any good for metal and metalcore? I'm no where near a music store and i plan to be getting an ESP LTD Alexi 600 this summer in ottawa, so i just wanted some insight on how this performs with stuff like Children of Bodom, Bullet For My Valentine, Avenged Sevenfold, etc.
I wouldn't get it. If you're planing on spending the money on a good guitar (LTD Alexi 600), than I would save up a little bit more for a decent amp.
it will NOT give you a good CoB sound.
just my 2 cents. POSTED: 10/13/2009 - 11:39 am / quote|
if you want a good looking, great sounding stack that won't cost too much, this amp is perfect. I got mine for £300 give or take.. and to be honest you can't get better. The sound is perfect for my band and the volume is great.. you get plentyof head room which is great on this as it doesn't sound sh*t when you crank it up.
!! WARNING !!
it WILL hurt your ears. If I stand a foot away, 1or2 10ths of the master volume shakes the floor. You need to wear ear protection - you only get one set of ears so look after them. POSTED: 11/04/2009 - 01:34 pm / quote|
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