I bought my Marshall MG 30 DFX from my local music store for 130 GBP. I was looking for an amp that would have a good sound at low volume levels for practicing, so a 'digital' amp would do the trick. I had the option of upgrading to the next model up, the MG 50 but I didn't think I would need this much power for just a practice amp, so I saved myself some cash and went with the MG 30.
The amp looks really good, like a mini version of a half stack with the head (or amplifier part) on top, with the nice speaker below, bearing the Marshall logo. I think it really looks the part and has pride of place in my bedroom where it lives. The dials are well spaced and easy to understand, there aren't that many, so fiddling about with them to get a sound you like isn't that hard.
The amp has two channels, clean and overdrive. You can switch channels by using the channel switch on the amp, or use a footswitch. You don't get a footswitch with it, so if you want one you will need to buy it separately, I paid 12 GBP. You will also need to get yourself a cable and they are quite cheap. It would have been nice if these were included but it is a value priced amp so costs need to be cut in some places.
Upon “plugging-in” and getting my first thoughts, I was instantly impressed. Getting a sound you like is very easy, from clean, to classic rock, hard rock, blues, metal, its easy to figure out and some example settings are available in the manual, which is just as easy to understand as the amp.
The digital effects are a real bonus; you get delay, reverb, chorus and flange. I hardly ever use chorus, usually delay or flange. The delay sounds brilliant and is my favourite effect. It also has FDD (Frequency Dependent Damping), which mimics the way an all-valve amplifier talks to a loudspeaker. I didn't really notice much of a difference, except a slightly lower frequency and better crunch. The 10-inch celestion speaker is a real beauty and the whole kit really works well together. It's also surprisingly loud for a 30W amp. I haven't had the volume much more than 5 in my house and 7 during band practice.
You also get an emulated line out, which you could use to plug into a sound card, recording equipment etc, which eliminates the need for a microphone to get some recorded music. There is a headphone out, which I am sure you can guess is for headphones. You also get a CD input jack. A good feature, especially if you are planning on playing along with your favourite band. You plug your mini-disc, radio, CD-player, whatever in, adjust the volume and you can play along to your chosen tracks.
There is no master volume; instead you have two different sets of volume, bass and treble for each channel. Some people may not like this, personally I like this, it's really a personal preference.
You can also only use on effect at a time. This may be a problem for some people but again, it is a value range amp, so you can't really expect everything for such a great price.
The Marshall MG 30 DFX has an exceptionally good build quality, you could drop it without fear but as with any musical equipment, don't test this theory! Nothing seems cheap about it, well put together, sturdy, beautiful looks and a range of sound that I haven't heard from any other amp I tested in it's price range.
I really recommend this combo. I wasn't a great fan of Marshall before but I definitely am now. For such a low price you certainly get a lot of bang for your buck. It is a practice amp, so you shouldn't expect to turn up at a big gig with it and expect it to drown out heavy drums but it is ideal for a pub, small band practice, or to just practice and play around with. If you are planning on bringing it places, try and use a car, as it is quite heavy. I wouldn't suggest walking any number of miles with a guitar, let alone an amp.
With a year’s warranty if it all goes wrong and such a great price for so much, you can't lose.
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Good op - nice level of detail - I enjoyed it !
Take it along to a gig though, stick a mic on it and crank it up through the PA and hear it sing..........
Cheers !
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Jun 30th, 2003
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