Marshall MG15FX

[hellmurderer]

Hi guys,
Planning to get the above amplifier, any users can give a review of it and whether it is recommended? If not, what other alternatives are there which is comparable?

Cheers!

 

[loldude333]

There are numerous reviews on ultimate-guitar, harmony central, etc. We also need to know the purpose of this amp, (eg is it just for practice) your budget, the kind of tone you wish to get, both clean and overdriven (eg heavy overdriven tones with rich midrange, twangy cleans), your gear (eg what guitar you're using, pedals if any) and so on. Providing us with such info can help us recommend you other amps in case the MG15 doesn't fulfil the requires you set.

 

[simplecomplexity]

and youuuutube!

 

[subversion]

an acceptable amp for make-do moments.

 

[sharp__edge]

actually of all the 15 watt solid state amps (that are easily accessible to beginners), the Marshall MG 30 and MG 15 are the only ones i'd touch.

The distortion on that thing can sound reasonably good if you know how to set it well.

Personally i feel that any amp, no matter what it is, will sound good if you spend at least a few months playing and tweaking the thing. It may sound like crap at first, but that's only because you're not used to it at all.

Whenever a new amp comes into the house, i need AT LEAST 3 months to bond with it.

 

[subversion]

in terms of good on-board distortion & staying within the 15W bracket, NUX's Mighty 15 can offer the Marshall a good fight...

we need to be objective when considering low wattage combos, the brand names there (of any unit) are not representative of the manufacturer's 'signature' offering.

 

[Jumpin'Jellybean]

Yep... Pignose amps? They've pretty good stuff too, not sure bout the onboard distortion.
Roland Cube isn't bad either...

 

[Timothong]

Honestly from past experience the MG series pales in comparison with amps in the same range.

I'd suggest a Roland Cube 30/Micro Cube.

 

[subversion]

the smaller MGs are actually 'normal' amp; nothing special about them. it's because there's a 'Marshall' tag there, people tend to expect something special.

 

[hellmurderer]

Thanks for the advises guys, I've settled for the MG15FXMS instead. Can't find any reviews on it though, hopefully it will be worth the money! What do you guys think?

 

[Lifehouse]

Thanks for the advises guys, I've settled for the MG15FXMS instead. Can't find any reviews on it though, hopefully it will be worth the money! What do you guys think?

I never liked them and I feel there are better amps for the money. I don't really like the Cube series either. The cleans are good but the drives not too awesome. FYI, I started with the MG series.

I think it is better to list your budget so we can probably give you better suggestions.

 

[hellmurderer]

Actually the amp is just for practise at home, my budget is around $400. Had stopped playing for quite some time and I wanna re-pick up the hobby.

Anyone knows why aren't there any reviews for the MG15FXMS? I have tried all international websites and even youtube but to no avail!

 

[subversion]

em... is there an obligation to review the MG15FXMS?

 

[hellmurderer]

Oh come on... What I meant was that is there a possibility that this model is so lousy as to not get any kinds of reviews or even mentioning in even major websites.

 

[subversion]

there is also a possibility that it's so ordinary, no mention of it is necessary. when i was in the market for a small practice amp, the MG15fx/ MG30fx was on my consideration list but i don't need any on-board FX so the MG10 was it.

 

[loldude333]

Well, if you don't even state your preferences, how are we going to help you decide? I shall spoonfeed you the info we need: are you going to use the onboard distortion or use pedals? Why do you feel the MG15FXMS is for you? If you like the sound, then by all means go ahead, because its your ears, not ours. But as lifehouse said, there are better amps for the price. So would you be so kind as to provide us with this important info so we can help?

 

[hellmurderer]

Sorry for missing out all the necessary information. I will probably use the onboard distortion for some time until I get more advanced.

Answering your 2nd question, I was pretty satisfied with the sound of that amp (not that I heard the other brands of amps though) when I went down to Davis to take a look. Moreover, that model was around the price range I was looking for. Since the salesperson told me the different wattage of amps is just difference in volume, I would prefer to get the 15watts for home use.

Used to own the cube 15 so wanted to get something different, I know it is shallow but the looks of the micro stack looks beautiful!

Appreciate all the help given.

 

[loldude333]

Alright that's better. Hmmmm........alright well at the price i don't think the distortion quality differs much (referring to the amps on offer at that price range) i was actually looking more at the effects side. I would suggest you continue looking around though, you might find something you like better. I'd actually like to suggest getting the Vox Pathfinder 15R, IMHO its one of the best, if not THE best small practice amps out there. It shouldn't cost more than $140 at Citymusic, and with the extra cash you can then invest in a good distortion pedal (Wampler Plextortion comes to mind). The amp takes pedals well and has a very nice clean, the only problems i had with it (i used to own one) was the lack of a midrange knob (something quite serious IMHO) and the terrible quality of the headphone output. Yeah that could be a viable alternative if you've got time.

 

[subversion]

the difference in wattage accounting for volume differences isn't a comprehensive account for any manufacturer offering amps of various wattage ratings, even for the smaller combos. it's how the amp react to your set up at different volume levels that matters when wattage differences are concerned.

i used to own the MG15 MSII, it's the most appealing Marshall in terms of on-board distortion in the small (Marshall) combo range. there's some mojo going on in this amp which makes it attractive in both clean & driven modes.

 

[hellmurderer]

Alright that's better. Hmmmm........alright well at the price i don't think the distortion quality differs much (referring to the amps on offer at that price range) i was actually looking more at the effects side. I would suggest you continue looking around though, you might find something you like better. I'd actually like to suggest getting the Vox Pathfinder 15R, IMHO its one of the best, if not THE best small practice amps out there. It shouldn't cost more than $140 at Citymusic, and with the extra cash you can then invest in a good distortion pedal (Wampler Plextortion comes to mind). The amp takes pedals well and has a very nice clean, the only problems i had with it (i used to own one) was the lack of a midrange knob (something quite serious IMHO) and the terrible quality of the headphone output. Yeah that could be a viable alternative if you've got time.

Thanks. Will take another trip down to the guitar shops and take a look at this model.

the difference in wattage accounting for volume differences isn't a comprehensive account for any manufacturer offering amps of various wattage ratings, even for the smaller combos. it's how the amp react to your set up at different volume levels that matters when wattage differences are concerned.

i used to own the MG15 MSII, it's the most appealing Marshall in terms of on-board distortion in the small (Marshall) combo range. there's some mojo going on in this amp which makes it attractive in both clean & driven modes.

Is the MG15 MSII the same as the MG15FXMS accept that there are more onboard effects for the latter?