Buying either a 100w or 50w marshall mg.

[Thames]

I had a VS100 when they first come out. The VS100 uses the 12AX7 preamp tube on both channels (ss OD) whereas the 8080 (predecessor) uses the 12AX7 for OD only.

The VS100 was better built and more rugged than the 8080... but still fragile amp.

[greendy123]

Are you guys sure the mg aren't any good? Cause i tried the 30w and 50w mg at the store the other day and they sounded pretty good to me. They had the kind of tone was looking for too. If you guys have any other recommendations try keeping the price around $500 and under, also I'm looking for just a combo for now.

[Vincent]

+1 for the VS 265R. I had one of the 2nd gen ones when they first came out and it does sound a lot better than the newer AVT stuff today. Could do with an OD pedal in front of it, but otherwise it sounded very warm and cleans were very usable. I might also mention that the inbuilt chorus on that amp is among the best I have ever heard. Much better than the stompbox stuff out there - it doesn't change the natural tone of the guitar at all.

Try it out, you won't be disappointed.

[greendy123]

About the Marshall Valvestate VS265. Where would i get one new if possible? I have checked some of main musician equipment websites. I have found a few of these on ebay, but im not sure if it safe to buy equipment from there.

[TheProphet]

To be honest (and I might get riddiculed for this) ... if you liked the Tone of the MG series, outside of durability issues I see no problem with the amp

I think many of our problems is that we have our selective opinions on tone and what that can be. Some of my favorite tones are from Amps I never tell people about b/c I get told that they're crap.

That being said I'd look around at other amps to see if you find something you like more. I'm a little worred about the durability of the MG series a slight bit.

I see Kevlar reading this and he's a great person for advice amp wise IMO as he tends to have a really interesting and open mind when it comes to amps. YMMV

[kevlar3000]

You will only find them used. If you find a good seller it should not be an issue, I have bought a bunch of old heads on ebay with no issue. The thing with the MG is that you will have a 400-500 price tag on an amp the may be worth 100.00 or so down the line. Your resale is shot. If you have 500.00 to spend I would look at Line 6 or a Vox modeler. So much more for you to grow into with as a player. The MG is a bargain bin amp that does not come close to what many other amps offer. You could also look at a new Traynor combo, the new Laney stuff is very cool. Used PV classic ect... Lots of options.

[drew_half_empty]

normally I'd say that if you like the sound of the MG go for it, but i don't know your financial situation. You will, without a doubt, want to replace it someday, its definately an entry-level amp, and if you can afford to get another one a few months from now i guess theres not much harm in getting one, but if not, i mean, this is the sound you'll be stuck with for a long time & you gotta ask yourself if you'll be playing 3 chord punk in a few months

if thats the extent of your playing i'd say you really can't go wrong, but once you get into blues or classic rock or rockabilly, or hard rock, or anything like that, you'll find the MG just aint gonna cut it

[greendy123]

Guys now im considering getting a all tube marshall amp combo on ebay around $500. What would you guys suggest I get, if I buy a amp on ebay? I'm concerned about the volume too as I can't crank the volume too high on a tube amp to get nice sound when it's at higher volumes. I guess I will stand for something with less power but enough to play maybe with some band. I plan to go for the head and combo when i finish college and get a job anyways. I just need something to play with as I still have my starter amp "Fender 15g". Sorry about not much about amps as Im pretty new to all this stuff.

[kevlar3000]

I would look into a modeling amp esp if volume is an issue. Tube amps ain't right unless you can open em up a bit. The Flextone III sounds very good and is affordable. Lots of great FX, tons of tones to inspire experimentation with playing techniques.

[matt99camero]

Why not go with a smaller combo tube amp. Maybe a Blues Jr.(15 watts) or Hot Rod Deluxe(40 watts). IMO the Hot Rod dosen't sound that bad at lower volumes and it is plenty of amp if you want to play out. Plus there are lots of mods for them if you want to explore that later on. I put 6V6 tubes in mine which lowered the power to about 30 watts. Your still can't crank it in the bedroom but it makes it a little more quiet. And you can always get an annetuator(sp?) to give you the cranked sound. There are several tube combos around that price range.

I've haven't played a Tech 21 but heard sound clips and it sounds pretty sweet. Just depends on what you want. I'd go play a few tube amps and solid state amps beside each other at the volume you think you'll mostly be playing to get a feel of how they react differently. IMO. I'd go with something like the Blues Jr. or HRDx.

[theodie]

I will also vote for a Tech21!!! They are great little amps!!!!

[drew_half_empty]

actually for hot rods, I'd go for a deville 2x12

reason being, well, bass response & deluxes can't QUITE do clean at giggable volumes, but the hot rod series DO take pedals pretty well

I think a bassman/bassman 100/ bassman 50, avatar 2x12, and a ds-1 will do what you want right now, should be in about the $500 range for all that, maybe just a bit more

my 50 with a 2x12 is enough to gig with easy, but unless you roll back your guitar's volume knob you can't really do the whole clean thing. If you end up going with a 50 watt bassman & plan to do distortion, the best thing to do is get some tubes that'll give you a nice light crunch at the volumes you need & then use a pedal for the extra gain you need. Mine is fully outfitted with NOS tubes, which isn't really an option for you, but, there are good new tubes out there

I can post some clips if you'd like

[Mephis]

I like my roland, The only thing i dont like is the hearing loss.


With anything over 30watts, you really need to open it up, hell, even at 30watts, you have to open em up to get "That" sound.

For a small room, like a bedroom, no more than 15watts. Bigass basement? Whatever you can handle, or what ever the police can handle, depends.

[greendy123]

I wondering how good tube amps sound at lower and normal volumes. As I am considering possible getting a all tube amp combo now.

[Davey]

realy consider getting a tube amp.. if you get a good one on ebay or somewhere else for a good amount, you're the winner.. i'm not ever touching SS amps again. if you're worried about em being too loud, get an attenuator, it will keep the volume down to bedroom level, while you can still crank the tubes. or a master volume amp like the early JCM800's

[Jimbojsr]

when I started out on electric I had a MG but with a V-amp plugged in the front. I'd suggest a Behringer V-ampire, which is like my setup but better Seriously, consider the V-ampire and play one if you can, it does half a zillion things at a decent volume that a marshall can't.

[Dirtbagg]

I would go with Marshall's AVT50 the distored side is ran trough a tube and sounds oh so sweet

[Empty Pockets]

A Bassman, a 2x12 and a DS-1 do three-chord punk and a lot of other things really well if you have a diverse guitar...i'm pretty satisfied with that setup and I paid $480 for the amp and cab, and $20 for the DS-1...so there you go.

Tubes always sound better to me, even if they're not being cranked... they just feel more 'alive' when i play than a solid state.

-X