MG15MSII Microstack Review

You won't be able to resist this 15 watt Microstack, complete with two 1x10 cabinets. This is the "mini-me" of Marshall stacks! Surprisingly loud, the Marshall MG15MSII Microstack makes an excellent practice amp, and looks great in any location.

Features:	7
Sound:	10
Reliability:	10
Impression:	9
Overall rating:	9
Users rating:	8.1
Comments:	26

overall: 9

Reviewed by: unregistered, on december 29, 2006

Price paid: $ 334.4

Features: This amp offers a lot of options in terms of sound (especially for me upgrading from a basic 10W Fender amp). It sports two cabinets and a separate head which looks cool and packs a punch for only being 15W. You have separate volume controls for clean and distortion (no pedal though) and you also have reverb (which is pretty dull). No fantastic special effects or anything, but what are pedals for? It plays rock and softer sounds fantastically and even has an input for CD's etc. It also has Mashall's FDD technology which sounds a tad better but it's nothing to brag about. // 7

Sound: I'm using a crappy Squier Bullet Strat and it sounds fantastic! Pretty much no cracking, and it sounds fantastic with hard rock/pop sounds and some good riffs. It can be very loud if you want it to be, I would consider using it for a few gigs. The distortion is great and gives you a lot of options to get the sound you want. // 10

Reliability & Durability: I've only had it for about three weeks now but I've pushed it to it's limits, I've had no problems with it and I don't expect any in the future. I would be more than happy to rely on it without a backup. It's a very sturdy construction and I can't see it getting easily damaged. It's very heavy and stable so I don't envision too many problems but this is my first Marshall so I don't know what to expect. // 10

Impression: For someone like me Who plays a lot of rock, but a lot of softer stuff as well this amp works brilliantly. It gives you a clean sound and is great with distortion. I would probably opt to use my distortion pedal due to the simple fact the amp doesn't have it's own pedal, but I cannot fault it for anything else. I'm entirely happy with this and would replace it instantly if I ever needed to. I love the way it is separated and looks like a full Marshall stack! Too cool! I still wish it had it's own pedal for switching between clean/distortion and possibly a few more effects but that's what the Marshall pedal range is for. // 9

Comments

[nabby2016]

hahaha

[Shinigami1337]

You're kidding.....

Please say you meant to put ones instead of tens.

[Earang]

great for home use yeah, but I wouldn't consider using it for a gig though! Zakk Wylde did!, but he had a couple of other 4x12" MG's next to it, so that doesn't count!

[Caustic]

Honestly, I jam with a guy who runs a real low end Epiphone Les Paul through one of these, and it keeps up brilliantly with a 100w 4x12 and my 300w bass rig. Obviously we're not pushing our bigger rigs to the limit, but anyone who turns up to ten just because that's how high the knob goes is dumb anyway. We play at a good volume, though, and this little goer still has headroom. It sounds good mic'd to PA too. So while maybe not ideal gigging gear, you could get away with it.

Consider it's what, about £150? Only other really viable competitor I've seen in that pricerange is the Roland Cube combo. But that's a different beastie - the Cube just doesn't sound as big. The Cube is a bedroom practice amp, this little stack is a viable band practice tool and at a squeeze, pub gig.

In fact, I'd rather have one of these little things behind me in a cramped bar function room than a big stack that'll have to stay at about half a notch on the master knob. Gotta think of the space...

[bgarnham]

is this louder than a 50w amp? it is usefull for live presentations?

[little_green_1]

well this one is a 15w amp so a 50w would be louder, but how big a live presentation are you talking about bgarnham?

[Deek_13]

A guy in out school battle of the bands used this amp and the sound carried right to the back of the hall which is pretty big and could be heard clearly over the drums.

[jakecko17]

thinking of buying to replace my kustom 12 watt. I have a yamaha pacifica 112 and a korg ax15000g. Would that make a good rig for home practice?

[High_o]

what the **** is the point of this amp. if you want a really cheap practice amp, get a small ss combo (even a ****ing mg15 combo) this ****er is nothing on a cube, and its also extremely unwieldly. the only thing it does well is looks kinda cool to people who know jack all about amps

[spitfire6860]

Whats the difference between this and the Zakk Wylde Microstack?

[High_o]

Whats the difference between this and the Zakk Wylde Microstack?

zakk wylde's one has his "cool" designs on it
i dont recomend you get either

[Rideski]

I have the Zakk edition (MG15MSZW) and it sounds amazing for an amp this size! I've had other Fender and Crate amps, both 100 watt combos and this thing has better sound, for what I play, than the others. I have yet to play it in a gig as I've only had it a moth but I'm ovin it so far...great for studio work.

[Sonicxlover]

Zakk Wylde doesn't play MG's, he just endorses them. No professional in their right mind would play a crappy amp like this.

[Isle17Rock]

i love this amp, although u can get better ones for the price. the stack is awsome but its only a 15 wtt head which isnt realy enough for anything mroe thn band practice or songwriting

[blinksawesome]

Hmmm you guys seem to be a tad confused... i have played this thing, it sounds like is bigger brothers, that same great "marshall tone". 15 watts is a good size for practicing at home, and for gigs if you have any musical brain about you, you will mic up one of the cabs, run it through a PA and then you can make your 15 watt amp as loud as the PA can handle.

[AvengedZeppelin]

spitfire6860 wrote:

Whats the difference between this and the Zakk Wylde Microstack?

Theres a cd input jack, some picks and a poster, but its like $50 more (including a "salt-and-pepper grille cloth" and zakks design on the head

and i wonder if any of you actually have tried this amp. i have the MG100DFX full stack, as well, and on like 2, i can hear this over my drummer at band practice and he's pretty loud, so... i don't know

[High_o]

Hmmm you guys seem to be a tad confused... i have played this thing, it sounds like is bigger brothers, that same great "marshall tone". 15 watts is a good size for practicing at home, and for gigs if you have any musical brain about you, you will mic up one of the cabs, run it through a PA and then you can make your 15 watt amp as loud as the PA can handle

i think you are a bit confused - this amp is nothing compared to it's big brothers (presumably jcm 800-900's or even 2000's). it;s tone couldn;t possiblky be described as "great". dont buy this because its a stack, or because it's a marshall- there are better amps for the same price

[ikarian-pride]

just out of curiosity, is it possible to use only one cab at a time. you know seperate the cabs and only use one with the head.
im just asking cause i might not have alot of space in my room

[High_o]

^^then get a combo dude^^

[ikarian-pride]

i was just wondering

but is it actually possible?

[ikarian-pride]

i was just wondering.
is it possible?

[AdamDK]

ikarian-pride wrote:

i was just wondering.
is it possible?

Yeah but if you're going to use one cab, you might as well just get the combo.

[jsml222]

Tone is a matter of taste. So for those who don't like the microstack, I respect your opinion. That said, I just bought one of these used and I think it is the coolest little solid state amp. It is not a tube amp and like all solid state amps lacks that certain something that a tube amp gives you in tone and feel. That said, the micro stack has tone and balls wrapped up in an affordable price. It definitely captures the Marshall sound and IMHO is a great little practice amp. I haven't used it to jam with anyone, but I don't think it has enough power to serve as an amp to jam with. Nevertheless, I like it, and think it sounds awesome when matched up with a Les Paul or any guitar with humbuckers. If you don't dig this amp, Hey--I understand. I think tone is a personal thing, and no one is wrong to like or dislike the tone of any particuliar amp.

[Iansmitchell]

You want to get what this amp WANTS to be?
Get a blackheart handsome devil head to go with it, 15W class A tube is equivalent to about 100W solid state, which is enough do drive the 10" speakers pretty well.
Real Tube sound, 7W setting so you can drive the tubes and not make your neighbors kill you.
Get a pedal for reverb. Turn the master up and the drive down or go to 15W setting if you want clean.

600 bucks, and you get a REAL TUBE MARSHALL STACK.
As opposed to this or the 4x12 solid state atrocity marshall has out for 600.

[High_o]

Tone is a matter of taste. So for those who don't like the microstack, I respect your opinion. That said, I just bought one of these used and I think it is the coolest little solid state amp. It is not a tube amp and like all solid state amps lacks that certain something that a tube amp gives you in tone and feel. That said, the micro stack has tone and balls wrapped up in an affordable price. It definitely captures the Marshall sound and IMHO is a great little practice amp. I haven't used it to jam with anyone, but I don't think it has enough power to serve as an amp to jam with. Nevertheless, I like it, and think it sounds awesome when matched up with a Les Paul or any guitar with humbuckers. If you don't dig this amp, Hey--I understand. I think tone is a personal thing, and no one is wrong to like or dislike the tone of any particuliar amp.

true, tone is a matter of taste for the most part. however, imo the biggest problems with this amp are the bad value, bad practicality and just the fact that no one needs a stack practice amp, and marshall are just playing to people who are in it for the image
also, i think the tone blows

[shredd]

reply to hihg_o ...do you even have a rig or do you just listen to disco?