MG15DFX Review

This twin channel, 1 x 8" combo is the most affordable Marshall to ever house Digital Effects (DFX). Its impressive array of Reverb, Chorus, Flange and Delay effects are easy to dial-in and sound incredibly natural.

Features:	9.1
Sound:	8.7
Reliability:	8.4
Impression:	9.1
Overall rating:	8.8
Users rating:	6.4
Comments:	49

overall: 9.5

Featured review by: unregistered, on august 08, 2005

Price paid: 73.2

Purchased from:

Features: This amp seems to be able to handle a lot of diffrent styles. It's really easy to get a great metal sound from it, on the back of the instruction manual it shows how each knob should be adjusted to get each sound (bright clean, warm clean, blues/crunch & metal), although I have an Ibanez and a strat copy and on the Ibanez it doesn't like making pop/rock sounds, which is ideal as I prefer metal. There are 2 channels, clean and overdrive, there is no gain control for the clean channel which is slightly annoying, and there seems to be no way of controlling the amount of overdrive which is also annoying. The clean is a very good sound which I can only describe as the Marshall sound, the overdrive is madness, it's the opposite extreme to the clean, it's crunchy and a very good basic distortion (great for metal), put turn it up too much it starts to get a bit too grainy. This is the same as the MG15CDR but with flanger, delay, chorus & reverb which can be controlled quite well, you don't have complete control over the effects but if you were serouis about the effects you would buy pedals, this amp is for begginers who want to try out some effects, or somebody who just wants to nab a bargain like me. There is a emulated CD input and emulated headphone jack, the cd input is designed so that you can play along with your music, it's also very useful for plugging another guitar into the amp, so you can play 2 guitars on the same amp, although you cannot use the volume controls or effects in this socket it's just a clean sound.

I wish there was a clean gain control and an control for the amount of overdrive. I don't really use the in built effects due to having a Boss ME-50 pedal which has all the effects and sounds under the sun, also you need to remember unlike pedals, when playing live you cannot turn the effects on and off (unless you run up to the amp and turn the knob exactly, so it's good for steady all thought the song sounds.

I use this amp in my bedroom, which is probably considered small to most people but it's big for me! It has plenty of power for what I need, I only ever keep it on volume 2-3 because my neighbours can hear it even when I have it on 3, at band practices everyone takes 15watt amps because it's to heavy to carry anything else and most of us don't have transport and my Marshall MG15SFX drowns everybody out when everyones on max volume, which suits me being lead guitarist! The Marshall 15watt amps seem to have 25watts of power compared to other amps. It's solid state I believe, but there is an FDD button which makes it sound like a tube amp. // 8

Sound: I use an Ibanez RG350DX, also a cheap Strat copy, the Strat was 3 singles, the Ibanez has 2 humbuckers and a single. Using the Ibanez with high gain overdrive is awesome! You feel like Kirk form Metallica has come round and messed with your amp, you can easely get a metal sound, it's even better with a metal effects pedal. On clean the sound feels solid and toney, on overdrive it's crunchy and reminds me of when the TV goes snowy due to lack of reception (that's not bad) overdrive can get really out of control and noisy if you're using seperate effects (not built in the amp) with it. I'd recommed buying a noise surpressor if your planning to use pedals on overdrive. I can make a bluesy sound with my strat copy, which I can't do with my Ibanez (some new pickups would solve this), it's good for everything I'd say, as long as you don't have a guitar like my Ibanez which is specifically designed for metal and hard rock. // 10

Reliability & Durability: I would depend on it, It came with a 3 year warranty, so thats got to be good (although thats probably not for all these amps). It's very heavy for a 15watt, I have another 15watt amp which is half the weight admittadly half the sound. I would gig this amp without a backup, I'm not sure if it'd cope with a gig any bigger than a small-meduim sized pub. I've only had the amp for a while now but I've heard nothing but good things about the durability of Marshall, and my freind has the MG15CDR for 3 months and it works fine. I think you could probably jump up and down of this amp for an hour before it'd stop working. // 10

Impression: As I've said metal and this amp go extremly well, and I'm sure if I playied anything else it'd work just as well, but I haven't really spent alot of time experimenting as I know what I like. I've been playing for 6 month now although I'm outplaying 2 of my freinds who have been playing for 2 years. I have an Ibanez RG350DX, this amp, Boss ME-50 effects, unbranded Strat copy, wah-wah pedal, another 15watt amp unbranded. I wish I'd seen how powerful it was first, but it was a bargain and I can always sell this one for more and buy another. If it was lost or stolen I would buy the 30watt version (without the effects) because I don't need them with my pedal and all.

Almost everything is good about these amps, I highly reccmend them and would never buy any other brand. One thing I really do hate about this is the weight, I used to be able to carry my effects pedal in a backpack with all the leads, the guitar in one hand and the amp in the other and that would wear me out walking for 2miles with it (which I did a few times) now I would want to have a trolly for the amp otherwise I'd kill myself as the amp weighs more than all of my other equpment but together! but if I had a trolley I'd be thrilled with this baby, I'd take him everywhere hehe! I wish it came with a Marshall t-shirt so everyone knows I have a Marshall amp but other than that it's great! // 10

overall: 8.5

Reviewed by: steve_slash, on july 28, 2006

Price paid: 155.55

Purchased from: Gak

Features: This amp has many features to it. IT contains clean, Distorted, flange, chorus, delay and reverb modes. They can all be messed with my using the little knobs on the face of the amp and make quite a good sound. There are not many features it lacks to me. I only use it for home practise as it is small but can squeeze out some quite loud sounds. It also has a little fdd button which supposedly gives the amp the sound of a valve amp but it sounds good on or off to me. It has an input soccet for headphones which is handy for late night practise and an input soccet for pc connection which I guess is handy if you use that sort of thing but I do not. Like I said this amp is only really good for home practise, you want to look for something bigger if your gigging etc. // 9

Sound: I am using an Epiphone Les Paul Standard through this amp and it gives out a great sound overall. I play a lot of Gun N'Roses as it works well for this. It does get a high pitched shrill feedback when the overdrive is turned up full and this is pretty harsh on the ears, Although this only really occurs when the guitar is a few feet away from the guitar. The overdrive isnt amazing either it is just standard but still pretty good. The clean channel stays pretty clean even at highest volume on this. The distortion isn't top class but it gets you through. Gives a nice fuzz to the sounds anyway. // 8

Reliability & Durability: I can depend on it, so far its been a nice little amp to practise on a gives out a true Marshall sound. I wouldn't use this to gig at the end of the day I'd have a much bigger sized amp. It hasn't broken down on me yet and I have had it for a while so its all good. But a few times it has cut out or so it seems but that may have been due to the lead connection or guitar so I cant comment. // 8

Impression: Like I said I play Guns'n'Roses and it matches quite nicely. I have been playing for 2 years 7 months and I own an Epiphone Les Paul Standard, and a Snarling Dogs wonder wah 2 pedal. A nice set up overall. I'm happy with this product and it was a bargin £85 for a Marshall amp so I purchased it as soon as I saw it. If it were stolen or lost I don't think id buy a new one purly because id get a bigger sized amp but this is not to say it is a bad amp it is quality and a great home amp. I love the sound it gives off and the ability to use different effects. I don't hate a thing about it although the effects can be awkward to use so I wouldnt consider buying it if you want it just for effects as your better off with a pedal that you have more control over. I didnt really compare it to any other products, I mean your always told Marshall is a top quality amp so I decided to see what the fuss is about and I'm completely happy with it and spread the word to others just as I was told. A great amp overall buy it. // 9

overall: 9.5

Reviewed by: Tapmaster923, on june 21, 2006

Price paid: 0

Purchased from: Sam Goody

Features: I don't know when this amp was made. But I know it is versatile enough to play Van Halen, The Police, and other random stuff that I play, but I don't try to sound exactly like them. I has two channels: clean and standard. It also has this FDD thing, I think it stands for frequency dependant damper, I don't have the manual with me at the moment. The FDD circuit is supposed to mimic an all-valve amp. It has an input jack (of course), the clean volume, Drive volume, gain control, and three EQ settings: bass (low-end), contour (mid-range), and treble (high-end). I like to turn the bass low, contour to half, and the treble at full. I control the bass through the 5-way Switch and tone knobs on my Squire Strat. It also has an effects loop. As you turn it clockwise, you run through different settings of each effect. There is a Reverb section, and as you go clockwise in that section, the decay time grows longer. The next is the Delay section. That controls the delay speed and how many times it repeats. Next is the Chorus. and moving through that controls depth and speed, and then the Flanger, and turning through that controls depth and regeneration. I wish it had a seperate reverb control, but I could just buy a pedal with more control over it. I never use the Chorus or Flanger, and you can't easily change effects in between songs. It's a 15W amp, but it's pretty loud, especially when I plug in my Bad Dog Distortion. It has more than enough power for me. // 9

Sound: I have used my Squier Strat. It's still in factory settings, so it has crappy single-coil pickups. It suits my music style(s). I like classic rock and '80s stuff, and the reverb really helps emphasize the sound. It also has delay, so I can attempt, but no more than attempt, to play EVH's Cathedral. If I set it right, it also makes my two-handed taps sound a lot faster and more professional. I don't have trouble when I use it with my friend's Ibanez. It sounds cool with distortion, and the harmonics sound awesome. The clean channel, when turned at above halfway, puts the amp into crunch mode, and gives it a "bluesy" distortion, according to Jim Marshall. // 10

Reliability & Durability: It is reliable. I would depend on it. It's pretty loud, so it might be good for a small show, but I haven't had one yet. It's durable. It got some rust/corroding crap on it, but it sat in my basement for a while when my electric guitar's strings broke. It feels extremelly solid, and I've even plugged in a bass guitar into it several times, and I've plugged a bass guitar into the emulated CD jack, and my guitar into the Input jack, and it played just fine. I've even played distortion bass on it. It hasn't broke down yet, but I don't know if using bass on it could hurt the lifespan of this amp. // 9

Impression: It's a match for my style, but the overdrive isn't strong enough for me, so I use a distortion pedal. But I only have one cable, because the crappy cable I got with the Strat Pack decided to completely stop working one day. I've been playing for over a year, and that is irrelevant to the quality of the amp (which is A++). Is there something I wish I asked? Well, I wish I would have shopped around to find a cheaper MG15DFX, because I worked so many hours in a cornfield for this. Even though it cost a lot of money, every penny was worth it. If it were stolen, I'd turn into the Hulk and rampage all over the world until I found it. I wouldn't steal it from anybody else, though, because it's a good amp, and I'd only want mine back if it got stolen. I love everything about it, and only hate the fact that I don't have a functioning electric, or acoustic-electric guitar to plug into this ferocious beauty. I used it a few times at Sam Goody and I fell in love with it in the first note. I chose it because it was sexy, powerful, it had the digital effects, and you can get a ton of sounds out of it. // 10

overall: 8

Reviewed by: Trivium_A7X, on november 13, 2006

Price paid: 0

Purchased from: Chichester

Features: The amp was made in 2002. It is very versatile considering it has only 15 watts of output. I play a lot of thrash metal, and use this for practise, and the tone is perfect. It has 2 channels and a headphone jack. It has enough features for what I use it for, as I use it at home. It has enough power for practise, however I prefer to use my 100 watt for gigging to provide sufficient noise. // 8

Sound: I am using it with a B.C Rich Warlock with it's standard pickups, it suits my style very well, but to be perfect it just needs more power. It's noisy enough for a good band practise at home, I have it set on volume 5-8 and gain 3.5 on the overdrive channel, wheras the clean channel I rarely use. The treble is 10 and bass is 3, the contour is 4 and level is 6, and I always have FDD on. It can make a huge variety of sounds, though I tend to stick to my current settings. The clean channel does not distort at high volumes. The distortion has to be set up exactly as I have for perfect metal brutalitly, as if it isn't it either seems muted or undistorted. // 10

Reliability & Durability: I can depend on it, however I wouldn't use it for gigging as it doesnt't produce enough noise. It has never broken down. If I was to use it for gigging then the only reason I would take a backup would be if I blew it, however it has never occured before and I don't belive that it ever will. // 7

Impression: I play quite a mix of strumming and plucking in metal, and this amp is a good match. I have been playing for two years and own an MG100 too. If it was lost or stolen then I would probrably just use my 100 watt on lower volume. I love the tone and recommend it to new players as for the price it's the best 15 watt out there in my opinion. // 7

overall: 9.8

Reviewed by: tbarrettl, on february 03, 2007

Price paid: 150

Purchased from: Henri's Green Bay

Features: This is my first amp so I can't really compare it. The Amp is very versatile and works good with many guitars. I can play good soft rock, space rock, Metal and Alternative/Electronica Tunes well on this amp. The channels I know of are clean, clean w/FX, distorted, and Distorted w/FX. If I could have a higher distortion that would be nice but for it's size the amp works well. I have used this amp in my School's band room, my bedroom, and outside (the neighbors complained) in all it was loud enough. // 10

Sound: I currently use an okay Dean Vendetta 1\.0 which actually plays good but the amp is the main reason because on others my Dean is horrible. The distorted setting is not noisy even though the Guitar pickups are not great. The guitar distorts on the best amps in clean mode but on other guitars this amp plays clean in all volumes. The distortion is not brutal at all, it may be weak, but It works well for what I play. // 9

Reliability & Durability: I feel comfortable using my amp anywhere. At a gig it may be a little weak, only being a practice amp but can go loud. The amp has never had a problem with it's tubes or anything. I wouldn't put much weight on it but the build seems sturdy. The knobs and back have stayed on. The only way I may neglect it is hitting it when walking out my door an the frame. // 10

Impression: Plain rock with some electronica and for practice this amp works real well. I have been playing on this amp for about 1.5 years the other gear I own is a Wah Peddle which works good so far. I am satisfied for I researched this before buying it. If stolen I would probably buy it again as a practice amp, I would like something more powerful though. I love the FX and distortion, I don't hate anything. I can compare this to my brother's Fender 15 watt FX amp which is louder, more distorted on clean and with poor working FX. // 10

overall: 9.3

Reviewed by: played[out], on december 27, 2006

Price paid: 180

Purchased from: guitar center

Features: This amp is mainly a practice amp but my buddies band used it once for a gig and they said it was better then the amp they had before, I forget what it was. It's good for ranging styles of music from blues to pop to metal it's all good. It's got two channels clean and overdrive, three eq knobs one for bass one for contour and one for trebble. It also has an effect loop that has four effects. They're all good despite not being able to change the effect or the intensity of that effect in the middle of a song unless you want to run over to the amp and mess with the knobs. It works for songs that have the effect throughout the whole song such as "The End" by The Doors and "Immigrant Song" by Led Zeppelin. It also has a CD input jack witch helps when learning a new song. // 10

Sound: I use an B\.C\. Rich Bronze Warlock I couldnt afford anything else at the time, it's all stock nothing changedthis amp is great for the music that I play being classic rock in the style of Jimi Hendrix and The Doors. I play some Cradle Of Filth and othe metal music and this amp does a great job coping with the diffrent sounds ane effects of the songs. This amp has two channels clean and overdrive, the clean is great for thoes Hendrix songs and the overdrive is awesome for the cradle songs to an extent because te higher the gain goes the worse it sounds I keep it at about 1/3 of the way up because it sounds good and it's somewhat clean. It's also great for punk songs because it is very clean. // 8

Reliability & Durability: Like I said my buddie used it at a gig and he said it was great nothing else to say. It's really loud for a 15wat amp but I never take it up too loud because the speeker might explode on me, hasant yet but you never know. I don't have a backup but I wouldn't need one anyone because this amp is great. // 9

Impression: This amp is great for practice and smallgigs that shouldn't excede the corner coffie shop but even though it's great if you play at a party or a gig over all the people. I haven't ben playing long mostly a year. I wish I knew that is was so damn heavy for an amp of this size but I guess that needs to be sacrificed for the sound quality. If it was lost or stolen I would have to go back to being a freelance hoe in order to buy another one or maybe a better one I'm not sure but for now I really like this one. Maybe the ontl thing I wish it had was rollers to transport it easyer and maybe a way to use the effecet on and off. // 10

overall: 9

Reviewed by: cartoonydude707, on may 16, 2006

Price paid: 169.99

Purchased from: Guitar Center

Features: This amp is great for quiet personal practise. If you don't have effects pedals and dont mind getting on your knees, then you can use one of the four effects on the amp (reverb, delay, chorus, flange) each with adjustable levels. There are two basic channels, clean and distorted. The distorted side has adjustable gain, so it can be used for both crunch and metal sounds. It also has adjustable bass, mid, and treble. // 9

Sound: I use a Fender Stratocaster (so 3 single-coil pickups), and the amp seems to work pretty well. I play classic rock/metal (like Metallica, AC/DC, Queen, the works) and I can get the sound I want out of the MG15DFX. if you turn the distortion up too high it can sound pretty nasty, but in the mid-range its got a full tone. Since this amp is not meant for gigs, it shouldn't be turned up too high. // 8

Reliability & Durability: I don't use it at gigs mainly because that's not what it was made for. Because I turned it up too high, I have a permanent buzzing sound, even on the clean channel. But since that was my fault, I really cant complain too much about it. // 10

Impression: Any Marshall is perfect for rock and metal, so it fits my needs. I use a Stratocaster w/ DigiTech effects, and my setup gets me what I want to hear. My favorite feature is the FDD (Frequency Dependent Dampening) which gives your ax a fuller sound. Also, for practise, the amp has CD ins, so you can jam w/ your tunes through your amp. // 9

overall: 10

Reviewed by: Gasso, on march 30, 2006

Price paid: 80

Purchased from: musicians friend

Features: I'll start out by saying this amp is great. I've had mine for almost a year. My amp came with the clean, and overdrive channel. I use a Metal Zone pedal on mine, but I also use it with the overdrive on the amp. It sounds great. I wish I would have got something with a bit more power, but I still love it. I mostly use this amp in my studio. // 10

Sound: I use my Gibson SG Custom, with a Boss Metal Zone pedal, it sounds awesome. I fell like this amp was made especially for me. There is a small electric humm, but a compression pedal will take care of that. The amp can produce any sound you want it to. I like my distortion heavy, and it sounds perfect on this amp. // 10

Reliability & Durability: I'm still waiting for something to go wrong with my amp. I payed little money for a great amp. I'm not sure if I would ever use it at a gig, because its just not loud enough. // 10

Impression: This amp is perfect for any heavy metal you play. It sounds great distorted. I have been playing for about 5 years, and I havent ever heard something this good. If I ever got rid of this amp, I would probally get a Marshall full stack, just because of the huge sound. If you are in need of a great amplifier, and you have a limited budget, this is perfect for you. // 10

overall: 9

Reviewed by: IlIkE2plygUItAr, on february 03, 2005

Price paid: 170

Purchased from: Musician's Friend

Features: I play mostley hard rock with some punk, metal, and plain rock. This amp handles rock really well, hard rock pretty well, punk okay, and metal notso great. It has the standard two channels. It lacks on the effects, only having reverb, delay, chorus, and flange. I wish it had vibrato and all that. A nice little feature is fdd, which makes the amp sound a lot better. I use all of the features on this amp. I only use this amp for my room. its great for that, but not much else. // 8

Sound: I run an Epiphone Fat-210 through it, and it sounds great. It has more power than I need for your my room, but not enough for my band practices. The amp has bass, contour, and treble controls, so you can get a good variety of sounds. The clean channel handles high volume really well. The distortion is pretty good. It doesn't exactly deliver the marshal crunch, but whatever. // 8

Reliability & Durability: I have had it since Christmas and it hasn't ever broken. I wouldn't use it at a gig, because it doesn't have enough power. // 10

Impression: This is a good match for most styles I play. I've been playin for about a year. I also own an Epi Fat-210, a hotrod distortion pedal, and a Rogue wah/volume pedal. All work pretty well through it. If it were stolen, I would get an MG30. I compared this to some Fender amps, and figured out I hate them. This is a better amp than any low priced Fender amp. // 10

overall: 8.5

Reviewed by: ReMiX, on june 14, 2004

Price paid: 219

Purchased from: Guitar World

Features: I mostly play rock so I did not know what to expect from this amp since I had never played a Marshall before. Once I turned it on it had crisp clean sound on the clean and scratchy crunchy rock on overdrive. The digital effects also give you a variaty of different music styles you can play. You can have the clean channel and overdrive channel. You can change the volume on clean and on overdrive you can Annihilate your metal riffs by pumping up the Gain. For clean and overdrive you can mess around with the Bass, Contour, and Treble to get different sounds. The digital FX range from clean clear echoes to echoe repeats and more. This is a 15-watt amp but can surely kick some ass with it's volume. I use this at home when practising and even when the volume is at 4-5 my mother asks me to turn it down. Awesome amp. // 10

Sound: This guitar fits almost all music styles. You can kick it in clean and turn up the bass for some blue's riffs, Turn over Gain and Contour to slash metal riffs, and have it crisp and clean for some good old country. This amp can get as loud as you want it to get, with these music features it can blow your windows out. The only bad part about this amp is that if it is turned up too loud you get bad feedback and some noise but it stops when you start playing. The overdrive is simply dreamy and is a hand-full of joy for any metal or rock guitar player. // 8

Reliability & Durability: I have had this amp for about a month now and nothing has gone wrong even though I have heard some bad things about it. I would only use this amp to practise since it isn't really gig material unless you are playing at a coffeeshop. // 6

Impression: As I said before I play rock and this amp is perfect for me. I have been playing for about six months and this amp really adds falvor to my riffs. I would definately buy another one of these if it were stolen, except I would probably get the 30-watt. My favorite feature is the clean channel with a slight echoe, it sounds very proffesional and that is what I love about this amp. I bought the marshal since it just plainly had better sound and would last longer then other amps. The only feature I wish it had was some more channels for more variety. Overall a great amp, I would recomend this to any begginer who wants good sound. // 10

overall: 9.5

Reviewed by: unregistered, on february 04, 2004

Price paid: 199.47

Purchased from: RGM Kilmanrock

Features: This amp is the next step up from the MG15CDR the only difference really being that it has a good set of digital effects included with the amp. The effects contain your Reverb, Delay, Chorus and Flange. Might I add that all of which sound great especially with the clean channel and the FDD selected! Again if you have a look at the review on the MG15CDR it tells you most of what I would say about this amp it is good for pretty much all styles of music that I can think of! Recently I've been playing around with some Muse songs and also songs from the Used and the amp hndles them brilliantly giving a great sound throughout! The only draw back to this amp is that it is a heavy son of a bitch! you would be surprised at the weight of it! However this is made up for greatly by the sound quality that comes out of this monster! If you are thinking of buying this amp though and your thinking that your never gonna use the effects then listen closely to some songs and you'll realise that a lot of todays music has in some way got the effects in there. On of the most noticible is the Chili peppers Dosed. The delay is used to a great effect in this song and this amp can pull it off easily!!! (Again this mp has all the other features the CDR version has included). // 10

Sound: I'm running this amp with (don't laugh at the first) an Encore strat replica and a Fender Strat guitar. Although you may think that the guitar sux this amp really does bring it to life! The sounds produced are excellent the only drawback I could possibly make is that the overdrive channel really is quite fierce on this amp is pretty fierce and it takes a little bit of messing around with to get it right so that it does not sound too loud or screwed, I know that sounds hard as it is an overdrive channel! THis again however is the only argument I could make against the amp as the rest of it is just perfect and is great fun to play with and has aperfect sound to it. // 10

Reliability & Durability: This heading is hard for me to say much about becaus eI have only had the amp fo about a month but it managed to withstand me dropping it on the first day I got it and not seem to lose anything so I'm guessing its a bit of a survivor bearing in mind it was dropped on a hard floor! So I'm giving it a five but if you know someone who has had the amp for a while your better asking them due to the short time I've owned mine! // 10

Impression: My overall impression of this bad boy is thayt it is a sturdy amp with a fantastic sound! When playing Nu-metal or heavy rock it sounds fantastic but in saying htta it handles the lighter stuff brilliantly as well from Easyworld to Feeder its great! If this was to be lost or stolen by some junkie then I'd be forced to firstly hunt him down and shoot the guy and then go out and get a brand new one! I don't think my guitar would feel the same if its amp was taken away from it!! Overall this is a brilliant amp and I highly recommend it to the guitarist who has been playing more than two years anyway! Just so they can establish themselves well enough to use the effects channels. I have been playing guitar for about 3 years now and I find it easy to use. AS for using this at a gig I can't see any reason why not ot it is fantastic and I would definetly use it if I had no back-up! Overall a great amp the only hting that brings it down is its weight and the fierce overdrive channel but I wouldn't let that put anyone off of buying it! It's a Great amp. // 8

overall: 9.5

Reviewed by: unregistered, on august 19, 2005

Price paid: 109.8

Purchased from: eBay

Features: The name says it all. Marshall MG15DFX. What more could you ask for a 15W practice amp? // 10

Sound: I'm using a Strat with standard Fender pickups. With this baby you can play any style. I mainly play Hendrix, Led Zep, Eric Clapton, GNR, U2, Pink Floyd, AC/DC, Eagles, Queen a bit of everything really. I also enjoy playing jazz and blues like Charlie Parker and BB King. You can really get the Marshall crunch with this amp (if you set it right of course). The clean channel is great aswell with the turn of a dial you can really vary your sound. For the price the FX are fantastic. // 10

Reliability & Durability: It's Marshall so what do you expect? It's only 15W so not loud enough for gigging really, but it's got a line out so I don't see why you couldn't rig it up to a PA. // 8

Impression: If this amp was stolen, god forbid, I would definatley look at the DFX series of amps to replace it. I love this amp, it suprises me every time I tinker with the dials. However, I have a warning: this amp could seriously improve your sound! The retail price is £109 but I'm sure you could get it cheaper if you look around. There arn't many second hand ones and do you know why? Because this is such a good amp! // 10

overall: 7.3

Reviewed by: unregistered, on january 26, 2006

Price paid: 183

Purchased from: SoundControl

Features: I wouldn't call this amp versatile as the Overdrive channel is not very good. I have run a cheap encore, Squier Jagmaster and a Yamaha Pacifica. // 7

Sound: The clean channel is absolutely fantastic with the FDD turned on. The contour control helps to shape your sound. The Spring Reverb is quality so is the Delay. Would rate it at 10. The overdrive sounds are just usable and can be good for beginners. So are the Flanger and chorus, I think this is a bit of a let down considering it is a Marshall. I have tried the Roland Micro Cube and Line 6 Spider at the same range, product much better distortion and overdriven sounds. // 7

Reliability & Durability: This is more of a practice amp and is loud enough for band practice possibly, although I have never played in a band. Perfect for bedroom practice. It is built well. Has the typical squeak, when switched off but this I guess is part of all solid state amps. The controls are good ones and dont crackle. // 8

Impression: Overall, a good amp for clean sounds. If you would like distortion or a hard rock/metal fan, sorry this probably is not for you. If I lost it, I would be disappointed but would probably get a more versatile amp like the Vox AD series or the Roland Cube 60. I wish it had more versatile options in the crunch/distortion departments. // 7

overall: 7

Reviewed by: karma_carver, on february 24, 2004

Price paid: 201.3

Purchased from: ProSolo, Burnley

Features: The Marshall MG15DFX is one of the best practice amps on the market. Although its more expensive than the CDR version, or other leading amp models. It manges to deliver much more than the price-tag would suggest. It has 2 Channels, Clean, which is very toneful, and Overdrive, which is absoloutely catastrophic! The difference between the two channels is immense. The Digital effects work wonderfully. There is a Reverb, which can be set from slight tape reverb, right upto stupid "cathedral gig" style reverb.

The delay is very responsive and loses none of its tone. Chorus can be set from groovy surf tune upto phyco raver and the flanger is perfect for Ska and blues.

It falls back with the problem that the clean channel has no gain control. // 10

Sound: I currently use it as a practice apm in my bedroom through an Ibanez RG270 and a Gibson Voodoo SG. I works excelently with both guitars and through my band mates Gibson Les Paul and Fender Telecaster.
The overdrive channel is too powerful and doesnt allow for anything short of speed metal.

At high volumes the Distortion is minimal on the clean channel and Over grainy on the overdrive. // 8

Reliability & Durability: This amp doesn't take too much of a beating, unlike so of my other kit.

Last Month, The Warranty Ran Out And Now The Amp Has Broken Down Beyond Repair, This Is Not A Coincidence, Is A Part Of The Design... They Are Made To Break Down Beyond Repair So You Are Forced To Buy Another!!! // 2

Impression: Overall, this is an excellent amp, capable of controling lots of other amps in series... no more to say. // 8

overall: 8.3

Reviewed by: E V H 5150, on october 09, 2006

Price paid: 170

Purchased from: Sam Goody

Features: This is a pretty versatile amp. It fits my style for the most part, which happens to be mostly classic rock. It's not too hard to get good tones, and getting the early EVH sound isn't too hard, when I use my distortion pedal. The overdrive on this amp isn't the greatest. It has a clean channel and overdrive channel, and one EQ section for both. It's only a 15W amp, anyway. So of course there's not going to be a footswitch, FX loop, seperate EQs, but there sure is a headphone jack, but that requires an adaptor. Nothing to cry about, they're cheap anyway. I'm content with what I bought it for, which was to learn and practice electrically. It's a nice around-the-house amp. It also has an input jack for a CD player (I found out that you can actually plug in a 2nd guitar into this). It also has digital effects that aren't the greatest, but they're suitable for me. But sometimes it's hard to find the right delay settings for "Cathedral", and the reverb sometimes gets in the way. The flanger seems kind of weak at times, and the chorus seems hardly noticeable at times, even with the FX volume at max. It also has a Switch to simulate an "all-valve amp" using some special circuitry. I keep that Switch on, because it adds some bass. I forgot what it sounds like without it. I'll give features an 8 because it has the DFX, and for what you pay, it's great. But for ease-of-use, and because the overdrive seems weak, that brings it down. // 8

Sound: I play my Peavey HP Signature EXP through this amp. See the review for that guitar. I also use a Bad Dog Distortion with this. Check the reviews for that, too (Washburn: Bad Dog Distortion). It suits my need for the early-Van Halen distortion, and the reverb is just perfect for "You Really Got Me" and "Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love". I can also use the chorus to get the sound from "316", the flanger is nice to get the "Unchained" sound, and with the right delay settings, I can play Cathedral. It can take loads of distortion. It does get a "bluesy distortion", according to Jim Marshall, when the volume of the amp on the clean channel is "at over half volume". It pisses me off because if I want to play clean loudly, it sounds like I'm on the overdrive channel! I can get some acoustic-sounding sounds out of this, depending on the kind of guitar I'm running through it. Excluding acoustic-electric guitars, of course. I give sound a 7 because though I can get the EVH distortion, it isn't really clear at all. It can be noisy, and the feedback can be deafening. But the sound isn't horrible. // 7

Reliability & Durability: I can depend on it, I think. I don't know if it's my pedal, if it's my cables, or if it's the amp, but sometimes the signal is lost, and I can't hear the guitar at all. It hasn't broken down at all, thank God. The reason I ever bought this amp was because my Frontman broke down. Not much to say. I'll give it a 9 because I think it'll last. // 9

Impression: I play classic rock. It matches pretty well. I've been playing for about 18 months because I'm too lazy to count at the moment. Since about April of 2005. I also own: a Peavey HP Signature EXP guitar, and a Bad Dog Distortion Pedal, with a Peavey patch cable, and Fender Electro-Volt cable. I also have: Squire Strat (no pickups, no pots), Squire Acoustic (broken nut) (both Squires came in packages), and a Frontman 15G (broken input). It seems that me and Squires weren't meant for each other. If it were lost, I'd be pissed, because I don't have an ME-50 and an amp. But if I had an ME-50 and a nice amp, I wouldn't care that much. I didn't compare it to much. I just saw it on the shelf at Sam Goody. I plugged in several random guitars (whichever ones sounded mostly in tune, and had all the strings) and fell in love with it. I just compared prices, really. This was the cheapest amp, and the other ones didn't have as many features. Not much I wish it had. I bought it for the FX. But at this point, it's time to move on to bigger and better things. That's why it gets a 9. It's great if it's your first Marshall. But at this point I'm in the middle of deciding whether to buy an MG100HDFX halfstack, or some sort of Peavey halfstack. // 9

Comments

[HappyHoboDude]

gah! i had one of these. It sucked ass. Now I have an MG250DFX. Now thats an amp!

[StuC]

^^ any MG sucks

[relientkrock]

It's really not that bad for a practice amp

[GuitarJunkie]

HappyHoboDude wrote:

gah! i had one of these. It sucked ass. Now I have an MG250DFX. Now thats an amp!

I really hope that was a joke....the only difference between those two amps is that the 250Watt is just a louder piece of shit

[RiveR89]

I have one, Great for practicing but thats it.

[cointurtlemoose]

GuitarJunkie wrote:

HappyHoboDude wrote:

gah! i had one of these. It sucked ass. Now I have an MG250DFX. Now thats an amp!


I really hope that was a joke....the only difference between those two amps is that the 250Watt is just a louder piece of shit

Your right. I, unfortunately own one and the overdrive, with the gain past 12 o'clock, sounds like a bee buzzing.

[Ibanez_shredder]

I say buy an amp thats worth something, so ya don't have to buy one again... Especially since this ReMiX fellow paid 219 for one...

[Golden_creature]

Ibanez_shredder :
I say buy an amp thats worth something, so ya don't have to buy one again... Especially since this ReMiX fellow paid 219 for one...

get a line 6

[Jord1235]

its gu 4 practising but when u need it 4 other purposes it sux. the overdrive has a crap tone

[OttovanZanten]

I bought it short time ago, and i think it Rules, but hey, i'm a beginner and I havn't tested a lot of amps. =þ
compared to a crappy 15 W. fender amp, it rocks!

(and if u ever wonder if its loud enough, it ****ing is :| i have never had the colume further open then 3 (out of 10) with overdrive)

[High Risk 666]

I had one, ok for my first amp. But now that i know a thing or two it sucks huge, DON'T BUY IT

[OneHappyCamper]

I play mine in my bedroom at 5. That's just about enough. But the tone isn't exactly to die for. I want a JCM800.

[sum_english_guy]

it really doe suck i love my Valvestate much much more

[Ali_Boulala]

they're bad!
and well...the rg350ex is not a cheap strat-copy...
what would you call a gibson sg? a starter-kit guitar?
gosh...that guy sucks

[wallyyfm]

TERRIBLE AMP

why do people give 9 and 10s, wtf, have you used anything but that piece of garbage?

[wigers will die]

Ali_Boulala wrote:

they're bad!
and well...the rg350ex is not a cheap strat-copy...
what would you call a gibson sg? a starter-kit guitar?
gosh...that guy sucks

ya.....

[Metallica1989]

Hm. I wouldn't consider this amp so great for quiet practice. I think a Roland MicroCube or a Vox AD15VT would sweep the floor with this MG.

[OttovanZanten]

either this amp sucks arse, or my guitar sucks arse, it it is because my guitar was in a very humid room for a month and the bridge humbucker is ****ign rusting :@ or my guitar just sucks, (RG321) but i can't get a nice sound of it.

[OttovanZanten]

ah, finally a decent sound just bought the UM100, from behringer, metal-stompbox. now it sounds fine, the distortion on this amp doesn't sound nice, if you ask me

[mbuu007]

i love this amp its built to last all hail marshall

[Ace Frehley]

All the marshalls rock out!
First this amp is soo cool cuz you got the fx on the amp and it's only 15watt!I'm using it for home practise but I also use it for my band practice.
This amp really rocks the logo "Marshall: on it says it all. Big rockstars are all using marshall,They know something more than you to use them.

[notoriousnumber]

I saw one today and I was totally going to buy it, but when I had gathered all my money together and I was about to go back and buy it, I remembered that I had ripped all my electrics out of my guitar while customizing it.

[DenHond]

This is a good amplifier for beginners, not for pro's. Everybody that says that this amp sucks is because they want to boast with their more expensive amp. But like I said before, this amp is only for beginners, not for band usage or professional use. It is perfect for beginners...

[E V H 5150]

What are people trying to compare this to? Of course this isn't as good as your 6505, your JSX, or your Behringer, whatever it is you have! This wasn't made for show purposes. I'm able to compete with a drumset with my distortion. Marshall's aren't bad amps. EVH used on for the first Van Halen album. There are more people than you think that use Marshall. If you see live videos, chances are, at least one video you see throughout the day will show a Marshall. And when I somehow find out how to place the speaker from my old 15G in with the MG speaker, it will be the best MG15DFX ever!

[Thunderstrucked]

It´s not good! Sometimes, with the flanger on, it makes a sound like alert or something(but with all the 15 watts). Buy a vox hybrid amp for less money than this piece of .....

[Chad11491]

All the marshalls rock out!
First this amp is soo cool cuz you got the fx on the amp and it's only 15watt!I'm using it for home practise but I also use it for my band practice.
This amp really rocks the logo "Marshall: on it says it all. Big rockstars are all using marshall,They know something more than you to use them.

ummmm.....yeah.....i'm pretty sure they're not using MG's, you're showing your ignorance by saying you bought it just for the brand, "big rockstars" use higher grade marhsall tube amps, and not those crappy AVT's either

[Gibson Phoney]

Stop comparing this to more expencive amps, of course its not as good as them. This is a practise amp, and it will always be and for that reason it isnt designed to do anything else.

Checked.

Cut out the flaming too.

[almostdabomb]

It's an awesome amp ( compared to my old 1964 gorrila amp )

[megadeth_online]

well...
this amp sucks...
dont buy it...
unless u like punk rock...
its not 4 heavy metal...
if u want something really loud and good distortion...
get line 6 spider III 15...
4 the same price or less...
anyway...this is my advice...
cuz i tried them both...
MARSHALL GOOD AT STAGE
LINE 6 GOOD AT HOME
for 15 watt
get the spider

[Deathcore Dude]

yes this amp is awesome for BEGINNERS....
once you get a few years of playing under your belt you come to relise how bad the amp is...would of been better if it had distortion and not overdrive...best thing to is to play some kind of multi effects/dist pedal through it

[last_biscuit]

Ace Frehley wrote:

All the marshalls rock out!
First this amp is soo cool cuz you got the fx on the amp and it's only 15watt!I'm using it for home practise but I also use it for my band practice.
This amp really rocks the logo "Marshall: on it says it all. Big rockstars are all using marshall,They know something more than you to use them.

Ok, ignoring the obvious fact that these 'big rockstars' wouldn't touch an MG series mp with a barge pole, I take it you've never seen an onstage view of their gear then, and noticed a) how good their guitars sound through an untampered channel and b) the racks full of extra effects, eq modules etc.
And many, many famous people use different to Marshall, it's preference. If you want a real amp, get a Hughes & Kettner TriAmp

[lightspeedchili]

wtf y r u guys using a beginners amp and playing BCR warlocks and SG customs???

[DOOdooroCK]

i used this amp for a live gig, it wasnt all great but not terrible. it worked okay

[CrudeSapphire]

I only hear good stuff about it :]

[Apoca-lipsis]

Yippee-ki-yeah

[dextery]

How does it perform when working with GT-8 or GNX 3000? Thanks!

[synpet713192]

Ali_Boulala wrote:

they're bad!
and well...the rg350ex is not a cheap strat-copy...
what would you call a gibson sg? a starter-kit guitar?
gosh...that guy sucks

he's saying he has that AS WELL AS a cheap strat copy, cuce

[synpet713192]

Ali_Boulala wrote:

they're bad!
and well...the rg350ex is not a cheap strat-copy...
what would you call a gibson sg? a starter-kit guitar?
gosh...that guy sucks

He's saying he has that AS WELL AS a cheap strat copy, dude

he's saying he has that AS WELL AS a cheap strat copy, cuce

[synpet713192]

GAH!!! i typoed, then tried to fix it, but didn't get rid of the first screw up in the edit... dammit

[udaz]

Gosh!!! This is a practce amp and one of the best,

i would consider only buying these amps as practice ones

+Marshall MG15DFX
+Orange Crush 10 or 15
+Vox Pathfinder or Valvetronix 10 or 15
+Peavey Backstage
+Line 6 Spider III 15

THESE ARE THE ONLY GOOD PRACTICE AMPS!!!!!

Dont compare this to you valve,jsx and 1962 Marshall!

[udaz]

oh yea roland amps are pretty kick ass to

[Pingis_Or_Death]

Impression: 9.1
I Lol'd.

[flabberflob]

Nice amp, owned one for 3 years now (still in perfect working order). Great for metal and rock-y stuff, and the effects are surprisingly versatile. I don't think the clean channel is THAT great, but i play a westfeild E2000 (SG copy) which isn't bad but definitely not great; so thats probably got something to with it.
Although; as a 14 year old kid; i haven't had that much experience of amps, of all the ones I've ever used this is easily the best value for money.

[flabberflob]

....and also-
you all got ripped off! I paid UK£60 for it, brand new, AND it came in box with a strap and some picks and a lead and shit.

[Kynyster_K]

i've been playin 4 awhile now and i might say im about "intermediate" level now... (alittle better than beginner) but i am getting a schecter hellraiser c-1 FR, and i need a decent amp that dont cost out my ass... any suggestions?

[mikeiscool]

Kynyster_K wrote:

i've been playin 4 awhile now and i might say im about "intermediate" level now... (alittle better than beginner) but i am getting a schecter hellraiser c-1 FR, and i need a decent amp that dont cost out my ass... any suggestions?

Well...Do you mean a good practice amp or a gigging amp?
It also depends on what kind of music you play.

For a practice amp:Any Rolands, Marshall MG's, Line 6's, and Vox.(You'll need to move up on quality amps when you play longer.

[JamesLimborg]

I own this little amp and I do a lot of recording with it... MANY TIMES I have guitarists asking me... What equipment do you use to get that sound. They are surprised to hear it's this little MARSHALL MG15DFX amp and my Steinberger model GL7TA guitar.

[gizmoooo]

Ali_Boulala wrote:

they're bad!
and well...the rg350ex is not a cheap strat-copy...
what would you call a gibson sg? a starter-kit guitar?
gosh...that guy sucks

he meant that he plays an rg350dx and a cheap strat copy. he didnt say the ibanez was a cheap strat copy