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Posted by: beebo Sep 15 2008, 11:59 PM

hey guys,
long time no talk haha
anyway i'll have about 500-600-700 dollars around december and i think i wanna get a marshall halfstack.
just a 100 wat cuz that's about all i can afford.

any help on maybe what u guys think i shud or shouldnt do. ?

Posted by: fatb0t Sep 16 2008, 12:01 AM

$700 USDs for a head and cab? If you mean american currency you're going to get the lowest of the low Marshall, I'd either save more or get a more affordable combo....

Posted by: Bogdan Radovic Sep 16 2008, 12:09 AM

Hmm you want to buy a head + cab ? I don't know if you can afford a good quality halfstack for that money...Maybe a combo marshall amp ?

Posted by: ZakkWylde Sep 16 2008, 12:11 AM

Maybe you get a Mg series head (solid state) head with a low end cab for 700$ (used) but for a tube head with a great cab you have to pay at least 2000$ (which I would recommend over a solidstae Marshall)

Posted by: MickeM Sep 16 2008, 08:54 AM

What does that mean? Yeah sure the handwired lower watt amps can be a little more expensive than a 100 watt amp but other than that you'd have to pay quite a bit, unless you aim for the MG.

The MG might be a good idea. It's maintenance free. A tube head (that will sound a lot, A LOT, better) will require some more love and care and new tubes now and then.
Perhaps you can pick up a Marshall Mode Four off of eBay cheap. While MG's aim is the novice the Mode four were to please the experienced. I think that went wrong and tube amp dudes who bought it wanted to go back to tubes since they didn't think Mode Four lived up to it. I belive a Mode Four is difficult to sell and therefore cheap.

So rather a Mode Four + cab but if you can't get one the MG100 half stacks should fit your budget.

Posted by: Marcus Siepen Sep 16 2008, 12:20 PM

700 $ for a half stack really might not be enough money. I would also suggest saving some more cash and going for a good amp/cab combination then.

Posted by: Ivan Milenkovic Sep 16 2008, 10:10 PM

I agree, 700$ isn't gonna cut it even for some cheap tube head+cab like Bugera, let alone Marshall...

MG series is good as a 100W halfstack, they have a lot of headroom which is the only good thing. But I would really recommend that you consider your decision.

I have a proposition, you can buy for that money a sort of "mini version" of the halfstack. Get a AVT100 combo

, and extension cab for that amp

(doesn't need to be this cab, but similar)
You will then have 1 speaker in a combo, and 1 speaker cab that is bellow the combo + you have ECC83 in the preamp, that will warm-up the sound a bit, so it doesn't sound too dull. This is the best you can get with Marshall for that much of a budget IMHO.

Posted by: beebo Sep 16 2008, 11:32 PM

I AM SO CONFUSED!!!!!

Posted by: tonymiro Sep 16 2008, 11:53 PM

Consensus - as I read it and what I'd also say - is that you don't have enough cash to buy a new tube/valve half stack. You could either - and apologies as I'm over simplifying:

a) buy a 2nd hand one. Possible issue here is repairs.

get something that isn't Marshall - possible quality/sound issues.

c) get a solid state head amp - possible sound issues.

d) get a combo - possible upgrade issues.

e) Save up more cash and get a Marshall half stack.

For a) you may get a really good bargain for your money. You may however get a real lemon. If you go this route I'd suggest getting any 2nd hand amp checked out by a tech before you buy as a minimum unless you are confident enough to spot a lemon.

You say you want a Marshall and to some extent you have to pay the price. A cheaper 'Marshall clone' might work for you but you'd really need to check it out next to the 'real thing' to be sure.

c) A solid state head - rather like might work but you need to check it out. One advantage is that you could always keep the speaker cab and just replace the amp head at some future point. You'll probably lose money overall.

d) Combos tend to be cheaper than the equivalent head/stack but when you come to upgrade you have to replace the lot.

e) Really a question of how long you want to wait and how much you want to spend...

What I would suggest is to try out a Marshall half stack if you can and then decide how much you really want it or if you can compromise. Compromise is , c), d). No, or little, compromise is a) or e).

Cheers,
Tony

Posted by: Ivan Milenkovic Sep 17 2008, 02:27 AM

Why are you confused mate? We told you the stuff you need to know. If you can tell us what specifically is confusing you, maybe we can clarify or simplify things. Now, I love Marshalls and played a bunch of them (mostly because there's not much of a choice where I live), and all I can say is that 700 green bills isn't enough for a decent Marshall half stack. If you wanna get a "Marshall halfstack" just because of the looks, go for the MG version. MG is not made in England, that's why they are so cheap. Their quality isn't the best, and sound is the worst of all Marshall halfstacks. Also if you need it for your bedroom, 4x12 is a lot, and not needed. 2x12 is a golden middle, so again, I recommend a "mini" halfstack, consisting of AVT combo and extension 1x12 cab, or AVT150 head+2x12 cab, or save the money and buy a decent tube head.

Posted by: Ajmurrell Sep 17 2008, 02:46 AM

Out of pure curiousity Ivan, I was wondering what you'd consider to be the decent tube head you mention? Only because there are so many out there, I was wondering what you'd say are the really decent marshall heads? I know of the JCM's, TSL's, Plexi's, Anniversery's, DSL's just by looking at ebay but would have no idea what the difference in quality is!

I realise this question could take hours to explain in detail, but just interested in the basics. Point me in the right direction my friend

Posted by: ZakkWylde Sep 17 2008, 03:00 AM

Plexi and JTM models - early models with the Jimi Hendrix style sound
Jcm series - Rock and Metal classic from the 80's with Guns N Roses sound
Tsl/Dsl - Super Lead series with High gain output
Anniversary - Reissue of a classic Marshall Head
JVM - Newest series with a vast variety of tones
Avt - Hybrid amps
Mg - Solid State amps

Posted by: Ajmurrell Sep 17 2008, 03:01 AM

Thanks! Just what I needed

Posted by: Ivan Milenkovic Sep 17 2008, 11:15 AM

Thanks Zakk Here are some of my views based on your layout:



Plexi (JMP) and JTM models - vintage marshall sound of the 60ties - the 1st best

Jcm series - classic rock marshall sound. jcm800 series 80ties, jcm900 series 90ties. 900 series starting to use diode clipping and don't sound as good as jcm 800. jcm 800 is the best sounding main lineup series next to JMP/JTM.

Tsl/Dsl - JCM 2000 series with lot of features, 3/2 channels - good, but not the best, packed with features is a +, sound is not as clear and defined as with JCM and JMP/JTM. They did cut corners on these series the most.

Anniversary - reissue of the best amps - top of the line, very expensive, usually point to point hand wired.

JVM - improved jcm2000 series. Serving a transition/ jcm 2000 upgrade series until the 2010 line up arives. slightly better in overall quality than jcm2000 series, and a bit modern looking.

Avt - one valve in preamp. IMO great bang for buck series. Avoid AVT150head, and go for combos if they suit you, they are the best of the bunch.

Mg - solid state, doesn't come from England factory at all - avoid in general if possible. If you must buy it, go for nothing less then 100W.

Posted by: OrganisedConfusion Sep 17 2008, 11:33 AM

I have an '81 JCM800 and it sounds incredible. Crank it up at gigs and play rock and metal and it sounds like the world is about to end Play it clean and it is one of the only Marshall Amps that actually has a pretty good clean sound It's brilliant

Posted by: Ivan Milenkovic Sep 17 2008, 11:54 AM

Correction, TSL601 is arguably the amp that also has the best clean sound

Posted by: OrganisedConfusion Sep 17 2008, 11:58 AM

I don't believe I have played one of those. I will have to try one out

Although I'd buy a Fender '65 Twin Reverb if I wanted an awesome clean sound

Posted by: Ivan Milenkovic Sep 17 2008, 12:02 PM

Aaah teh good ol' Twin, nothing beats the clean on those

Posted by: sidewas lightning Sep 18 2008, 08:51 PM

I think you should get a tad more money and buy a peavey. They make really cheap >>>TUBE<<< Half stacks you can get for the same price as a crappy transistor marshall. Look at the valveking and windsor.

Posted by: MickeM Sep 18 2008, 08:58 PM

Yep, tubeamps FTW.

But, just so that beboo is aware that a tube amp needs mainenance and takes a mainenance cost.
New tubes frequently (depending on how fast you burn em, could take years) and needs to be handled with care, if one break prematurely (and they can if you move the amp around especially when tubes are warm) you have to get a full set of new ones which can cost you.
Just an example.

Posted by: Bogdan Radovic Sep 19 2008, 01:06 AM

Yeah I would also suggest checking out some peavey amps, they offer good value for the money!
Regarding costs of maintanace of tube amps , yeah they are present but not so great if you take care of your amp (depending on use they can last for years)...And the sound is THE sound so its wroth it!

Posted by: Smikey2006 Sep 19 2008, 04:20 AM

As far as peavy goes i really love my VK 100 watts of beautiful cleans. But even that is gunna run you more than 700. Id just wait and save mate don't be hasty:)

Posted by: mattacuk Sep 19 2008, 09:31 AM

The fender twin is awsome

Posted by: beebo Sep 21 2008, 04:34 PM

well im 15 have no job and had to save for this!!
y do those places have to make them cheap now and u guys were using SOME big words to me which i dont understand
....how have the marshalls changed? pros and cons?

Posted by: erik Sep 21 2008, 05:19 PM

Don't buy the MG. Just because it's big doesn't mean it's any good. You can get far better amps for that price.

Posted by: Ivan Milenkovic Sep 21 2008, 08:44 PM

I think it's great that you saved for your future amp, and it is great that you wanna buy it. Sorry if we confused you man, it is our purpose to help.

I'll try to explain a bit better:

You see, back in the good ol' 70ties and 80ties, Marshall factory produced some of the best amps available. And guess what - today they are still unbeatable! This is because they used high quality bulky, and sturdy components in these amps, and made it "to last".

As 90ties came, fierce competition appeared, and Marshall started to loose part of the market. So instead of making great amps, they though like this:"we will make not great, but reasonably good quality amps that people can afford". So how did they do that? Well, in 80ties and 90ties, there was a big industry boom in far east, and Taiwan, Japan, China, Malezya and other countries started to mass produce cheap electronic components. This was great for Marshall, as they could now get a very cheap parts for their amps. Also they cut corners in the amp architecture as well. Instead of adding more tubes for JCM900 series, they simply added some diode clipping (solid state), and got bigger overdrive and other features.
So all these things (among other things) led to production of less expensive Marshalls and company could now produce a wider range of devices suitable for expanding market.
But Marshall company didn't stop there. In order to stay competitive and one of the biggest amp brands in the world, they made a whole bunch of product lines, the most important categories being valvestate and solidstate. Valvestate is a hybrid technology, where they use one preamp tube, and the rest is solidstate. Solidstate are all-solidstate amps, that are the cheapest, but they also made Marshall amps and sound available to a wider market.
The thing that Marshall counted on are actually their main lines of all-tubers. These lines were very expensive, so they made these cheap series in order to "emulate" the sound of those big amps, and try to make a cheapo versions that would be available to all the people, and they could then begin to love marshalls and one day wanna buy the "real thing". And as a proof that Marshall is living on the "old glory" are constant comments on the whole net:"sounds like a super lead", "nothing beats the good ol' JCM800 stack", "it sounds almost as a vintage Marshall" etc.
Marshall still produces reissues of these amps and they are very expensive.

Their newest JVM series (some will not agree with me but it's MO) is a lame modeling all tube amp, basically a hot rodded JCM2000 series where they inserted a bunch of channels hoping to "model" (that word again) previous Marshall models.

And then we come to MG series. MG series is not even produced in Milton Keynes factory in England! So you know what that means - Marshall bought or invested in a factory abroad, and sticking their (old glory) name on cheap products that has almost nothing to do with Marshalls of the past.

So THIS is why we don't recommend MG series halfstack. It is because it is not the Marshall halfstack like you probably imagined. This is why I recommend that if you really wanna buy a Marshall halfstack, it is wiser to wait and buy a good Marshall amp, and I already gave you some suggestions what to buy, but will give again you the best option for the your money IMO.

"Mini" halfstack consisting of:

AVT100 combo
1x12 speaker Marshall cabinet.

Posted by: sidewas lightning Sep 21 2008, 10:33 PM

I just looked on ebay, and you can get a MARSHALL jcm-800 for under $1000- that's including the shipping, which is obviously pretty ridiculous since a half stack weighs a TON. It might be kind of guesswork because you don't know exactly what you're going to get, but usually it is very hard to screw up a good amp like that. But you probably ought to be careful anyways. I bet you could get a good deal though if you wait on it.

Posted by: Ivan Milenkovic Sep 22 2008, 02:43 PM

JCM800 for 1000$ is a good price, but there could be definitely something wrong with it. The free shipping can mean that the guy just wants to get rid of it fast.. Also amp is something that needs to be tried. Only new amp can be bought via net, or from a well known buyer.

Posted by: MickeM Sep 22 2008, 02:58 PM

Is that $1000 for a half stack?

it also depends on the model of JCM800. The 2203 would never go for $1000 (if it does, be suspicious) and if it's the 2005 (later 50W) it's quite expensive if it's the head only. With a 4x12 cab included it's alright.

A 2205 in good condition with a fresh set of tubes, $600-700 tops. A cabinet 1960 the same. That's what it's worth. People will be greedy and ask for more even if not in mint condition but question is if they get their stuff sold. Maybe a bit cheaper in the US.
An original 2203 runs for at least double of that.

Posted by: beebo Sep 22 2008, 09:46 PM

Well im wanting to play w/ my band at our high school in march
wat shud i do? all i have is a frgn small 15 amp!!!!! and all my cables are bad....
being the best guitarist in the high school is great but it's hard when ur not rich like those other kids who pretty much....well need practice! ive always practiced on small solid amps and they practiced w/ heavy distortion and really nice guitars, amps, etc! u know what i mean.

wish they werent so stingy either!

Posted by: Ivan Milenkovic Sep 22 2008, 10:45 PM

If you need that amp just for that one gig, it is far better option to loan an amp and pay like 30-40$ for a nice big tube amp for that gig.

Posted by: beebo Sep 25 2008, 09:57 PM

guys i live in alabama...they dont do that.
it would take me like 2 or 3 hrs to even START to find a music store that would do it and my uncles amp messed up when i was using it to.... i have bad luck

Posted by: Ivan Milenkovic Sep 25 2008, 10:55 PM

OK mate, just going through your options here. How 'bout checking out with to organizer of that gig? I'm sure they have some contacts that you are not aware of. Can you somehow get a phone number of the gig organizers?

Posted by: kjutte Sep 26 2008, 11:32 PM

My tsl has unbelievably good cleansound. Haven't tried any other marshall serie however.

Posted by: beebo Sep 27 2008, 02:31 AM

Its just our high school and there equipment are peavys and the aboslutely are old and the sound quality is horrible! so idk i guess i'll literaly have to just steal one!!! ...... just joking but idk really wat to do now.

Posted by: Ivan Milenkovic Sep 27 2008, 11:55 PM

Is your budget still 700$? For that kind of money, you can get a good loud hybrid amp.

Can you tell me what kind of music you play, and what kind of music will you play on that gig. Also how big the venue is, and what PA system do they have there. If you give me this info, perhaps I can help you better mate.

Posted by: beebo Sep 28 2008, 06:15 PM

I really wish i could but im a clueless guitarist.
but we're playing Waking the demon by BFMV and Free bird!


but really im into 80s rock and some metal from back then and id really like to have something w/ nice Hard Rock Tone
im even into some synester gates. We're playing in an auditiorium and then in the gym much later that night.
i know im an idiot and not helping u much but this is all i can say...i just confused myself!

Posted by: Ivan Milenkovic Sep 28 2008, 07:18 PM

Well, do you ate least know on what venue you're gonna play? How big is it? If the PA system is good, you can mic a relatively small amp and still be heard very loud you know.

Posted by: Bogdan Radovic Sep 29 2008, 11:28 AM

Well keep in mind that you can gig pretty nicely with a 50watt hybrid amp (combo or anything)...Its loud enough for small clubs and in larger venues you will anyway need to mic the amp (and the rest of the band) so the power really doesn't matter much (it will be used for your monitoring purposes on stage)...In most cases amps should and will be mic-ed (whole bend + drums + singer) so I wouldn't worry much about that...

Posted by: beebo Oct 5 2008, 01:38 PM

well some things came up so my budget is no longer 700$
and itll be about 300$ now. so no half stack just an ok amp i guess!

Posted by: TwistedSun Oct 5 2008, 05:22 PM

If you want to take a look at some Marshall amps and their prices: http://guitars.musiciansfriend.com/navigation/marshall-amplfiers-speakers-guitar-amplifiers?N=100001+201002+338491.

Posted by: Guitarman700 Oct 5 2008, 05:39 PM

I have a 15 watt Roland cube, and ive played with a 6 piece band and i can still be heard nicely, especially if you run the amp into the sound system, if you do that, you can play a huge gig with a practice amp. (although i wouldn't recommend it. 15 to 20 sounds about good!)

Posted by: beebo Oct 10 2008, 11:15 PM

Idk i just need someone actually in person to see everything at the store.