Marshall hybrids and so called 'tone monsters'
- Thread starter Grandor
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y2stevo
New member
Re: Marshall hybrids and so called 'tone monsters'
I had a lend of an MG100 (actually a G100CD) the older series solid state combos and it wasnt that bad at all.For what they go for they're not bad(taking into account that they're a good bit cheaper over this side a da pond)
I'M also sure that the Mode Four could be put to some good use with a moddler etc. ,With so much headroom,But to be honest even the clean channel sounded very sterile as well as the OD (but could have been just new speakers I had been playing it through at the shop) I ended up gettting the DSL50 tho because it sounded much better than the Mode Four and it was actually Cheaper too,Same with the DSL100 and TSL's, So one would think that a well informed person would take a jcm2000 over the Mode Four anysay in that case..
Ditto..JeffB said:You need a third option
"they are OK"
I don't love them, but the AVT's are not bad, and I've heard ALOT worse than the MG's :cough:Line6spider:cough
I had a lend of an MG100 (actually a G100CD) the older series solid state combos and it wasnt that bad at all.For what they go for they're not bad(taking into account that they're a good bit cheaper over this side a da pond)
I'M also sure that the Mode Four could be put to some good use with a moddler etc. ,With so much headroom,But to be honest even the clean channel sounded very sterile as well as the OD (but could have been just new speakers I had been playing it through at the shop) I ended up gettting the DSL50 tho because it sounded much better than the Mode Four and it was actually Cheaper too,Same with the DSL100 and TSL's, So one would think that a well informed person would take a jcm2000 over the Mode Four anysay in that case..
kmcguitars
GuitarArtologist
Re: Marshall hybrids and so called 'tone monsters'
I have a Marshall VS 8080. Is it a great amp? NO! But it's far from being
junk. I've bought and sold many Amps over the years. SF twin, 63' Bassman,
Super 60, Musicman RD60. But I've held onto that Marshall mainly cuz' it's
a great backup,And the most verseatle amp I have. I only payed $379
for it brand new. So there's no compairison to a $2000 amp.
I have a Marshall VS 8080. Is it a great amp? NO! But it's far from being
junk. I've bought and sold many Amps over the years. SF twin, 63' Bassman,
Super 60, Musicman RD60. But I've held onto that Marshall mainly cuz' it's
a great backup,And the most verseatle amp I have. I only payed $379
for it brand new. So there's no compairison to a $2000 amp.
lex666
New member
Re: Marshall hybrids and so called 'tone monsters'
Oh crap... I'm the first dude to say they rock and I'm wayyy over 13...
I have an older valvestate, the VS65R, not the current AVT line... I think this amp rocks, but I mostly leave it in my home office where I do my guitar maintenence. I mostly jam on it when breaking in new strings or trying to learn new licks... I thinks its a good sounding amp, but if I were playing to be heard, I'd definetely play on my TSL602. (thats what its for!!)
The MG line I don't care for at all. I played a Mg30DFX side by side with a AVT20, and I sounded so crappy even my wife said it sucked... I was dissapointed with the AVT20 too, so my little amp search will go on...
Oh crap... I'm the first dude to say they rock and I'm wayyy over 13...
I have an older valvestate, the VS65R, not the current AVT line... I think this amp rocks, but I mostly leave it in my home office where I do my guitar maintenence. I mostly jam on it when breaking in new strings or trying to learn new licks... I thinks its a good sounding amp, but if I were playing to be heard, I'd definetely play on my TSL602. (thats what its for!!)
The MG line I don't care for at all. I played a Mg30DFX side by side with a AVT20, and I sounded so crappy even my wife said it sucked... I was dissapointed with the AVT20 too, so my little amp search will go on...
TwilightOdyssey
Darkness on the edge of Tone
Re: Marshall hybrids and so called 'tone monsters'
'Tis crap.
'Tis crap.
Closed Eye
New member
Re: Marshall hybrids and so called 'tone monsters'
Eh, the problem with those amps is they aren't for tone hounds or "tube amp gurus" or any of those kinds, but most of the guys I've talked to (or heard talk about them) usually don't take the time sit down and tweak them. I think quality control is a big problem with the MG and AVT series...no two I play are ever voiced the same or have the same control senstivity. I guess I just lucked out and got a good one, but most of the rest I've played have been pretty shady. However, the MG15DFX, the little one, rocks out pretty hard and pushes loud for such a little amp.
Eh, the problem with those amps is they aren't for tone hounds or "tube amp gurus" or any of those kinds, but most of the guys I've talked to (or heard talk about them) usually don't take the time sit down and tweak them. I think quality control is a big problem with the MG and AVT series...no two I play are ever voiced the same or have the same control senstivity. I guess I just lucked out and got a good one, but most of the rest I've played have been pretty shady. However, the MG15DFX, the little one, rocks out pretty hard and pushes loud for such a little amp.
Benjy_26
25's Nemesis
Re: Marshall hybrids and so called 'tone monsters'
I played a VS100 at a gig recently (didn't bring my own amp). It was decent throgugh the 4x12 and I still got my musical point across.
Would I play one if it were a house amp?
Yeah, why not.
Would I pay to own one?
Not a chance.
I played a VS100 at a gig recently (didn't bring my own amp). It was decent throgugh the 4x12 and I still got my musical point across.
Would I play one if it were a house amp?
Yeah, why not.
Would I pay to own one?
Not a chance.
That90'sGuy
DyzaBoyzologist
Re: Marshall hybrids and so called 'tone monsters'
I've played a couple of those Marshalls and they sounded pretty good to me. I wouldn't put them up against anything much more expensive than it, but they really aren't terrible amps.
I've played a couple of those Marshalls and they sounded pretty good to me. I wouldn't put them up against anything much more expensive than it, but they really aren't terrible amps.
Rich_T
Kyuss_Rockologist
Re: Marshall hybrids and so called 'tone monsters'
the second generation valvestates, (ones before the current ones) i thought were pretty rockin amps. Fresno Bob will attest to this, he posted some clips with one of these babies, sounded pretty damn good. the current AVT range i find too fizzy however.
For practice amps the MG range aint half bad either, for the money.
The cheaper Marshalls i think offer good value, especially here in the UK. You can pick them up for silly money.
the second generation valvestates, (ones before the current ones) i thought were pretty rockin amps. Fresno Bob will attest to this, he posted some clips with one of these babies, sounded pretty damn good. the current AVT range i find too fizzy however.
For practice amps the MG range aint half bad either, for the money.
The cheaper Marshalls i think offer good value, especially here in the UK. You can pick them up for silly money.
MikeS
Bengalsologist
Re: Marshall hybrids and so called 'tone monsters'
For what they are they aren't bad. They do the bedroom practice situation quite fine. But, Marshall didn't exactly become what they are today by making SS amps. I've never A/B'ed a bunch of SS amps, but I have played a few SS Marshalls, and they were generally on par with SS Fenders.
However, if I were buying another practice amp I'd probably buy a Line6 combo. A buddy of mine owns a spider and if you spend the time to really tweak them they can roduce better tones than just about any similarly priced SS amp, especially with a speaker change (the stock drivers in those spiders are junk, which I think is why they get such a bad rap).
For what they are they aren't bad. They do the bedroom practice situation quite fine. But, Marshall didn't exactly become what they are today by making SS amps.
I've never A/B'ed a bunch of SS amps, but I have played a few SS Marshalls, and they were generally on par with SS Fenders. However, if I were buying another practice amp I'd probably buy a Line6 combo. A buddy of mine owns a spider and if you spend the time to really tweak them they can roduce better tones than just about any similarly priced SS amp, especially with a speaker change (the stock drivers in those spiders are junk, which I think is why they get such a bad rap).
Oldslowhand
New member
Re: Marshall hybrids and so called 'tone monsters'
so which speaker did he use?MikeS said:For what they are they aren't bad. They do the bedroom practice situation quite fine. But, Marshall didn't exactly become what they are today by making SS amps.
However, if I were buying another practice amp I'd probably buy a Line6 combo. A buddy of mine owns a spider and if you spend the time to really tweak them they can roduce better tones than just about any similarly priced SS amp, especially with a speaker change (the stock drivers in those spiders are junk, which I think is why they get such a bad rap).
Willis
New member
Re: Marshall hybrids and so called 'tone monsters'
I have a hybrid Marshall that has an SS preamp and a tube power amp, and I like the power amp. I'm planning on getting an ADA MP-1 to run in the effects return. The preamp is pretty good, but not the best. I'm not voting though because I don't think that's the type of amp you have in mind.
I have a hybrid Marshall that has an SS preamp and a tube power amp, and I like the power amp. I'm planning on getting an ADA MP-1 to run in the effects return. The preamp is pretty good, but not the best. I'm not voting though because I don't think that's the type of amp you have in mind.
Maximusgordon 2.0
New member
Re: Marshall hybrids and so called 'tone monsters'
The Mode Four is definently the best of the bunch, it has a nice clean tone and has loads of headroom. Im sure some metal heads would love it, for me i got kind of excited when i heard the cleans and then switched to the other channels, tweaked the crunch channel and the sound wasnt to impressive, it was voiced kinda like a jcm 800 but it supposedly has "tons more gain", i cranked the gain and for some reason it just didnt sound to powerful. So i went to OD1 and OD2, the distortion got more trebely and tight gradually, but even though technically it was voiced "very aggressively" i couldnt figure out why it didnt feel "heavy" and make me want to crank it and go nuts. I was a bit confused at the time, it just didnt seem to add up. Then, i found out that it was essentially a solid state amp, which i realized was the reason i found it so uninspiring, though well done, it doesnt capture the balls, dynamics, and plain old soul that a tube amp provides. It kind of proved one and for all for me that when it comes to huge stack sounds, a tube amp is the only way to go, generally i only like SS amps for clean sounds. These hybrid Marshalls, just dont have a tube sound even if they have a tube in them!
The Mode Four is definently the best of the bunch, it has a nice clean tone and has loads of headroom. Im sure some metal heads would love it, for me i got kind of excited when i heard the cleans and then switched to the other channels, tweaked the crunch channel and the sound wasnt to impressive, it was voiced kinda like a jcm 800 but it supposedly has "tons more gain", i cranked the gain and for some reason it just didnt sound to powerful. So i went to OD1 and OD2, the distortion got more trebely and tight gradually, but even though technically it was voiced "very aggressively" i couldnt figure out why it didnt feel "heavy" and make me want to crank it and go nuts. I was a bit confused at the time, it just didnt seem to add up. Then, i found out that it was essentially a solid state amp, which i realized was the reason i found it so uninspiring, though well done, it doesnt capture the balls, dynamics, and plain old soul that a tube amp provides. It kind of proved one and for all for me that when it comes to huge stack sounds, a tube amp is the only way to go, generally i only like SS amps for clean sounds. These hybrid Marshalls, just dont have a tube sound even if they have a tube in them!
F
Forbes
Guest
Re: Marshall hybrids and so called 'tone monsters'
Ditto, im an MG user, obviously if i had the money i would prefere a tube amp, but for what i payed i am very happy with my tone, its never gonna beat a tube amp, but i doubt you will find a reliable tube amp that cheap anyway, so you can't really compare.
JeffB said:
Ditto, im an MG user, obviously if i had the money i would prefere a tube amp, but for what i payed i am very happy with my tone, its never gonna beat a tube amp, but i doubt you will find a reliable tube amp that cheap anyway, so you can't really compare.
