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Marshall: MG100HDFX reviews

SCORE: 4.3  
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Features
Playability
Quality
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Marshall MG100HDFX
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Review by a visitor on Apr 9, 2008




I bought it at Musicians Friend for $600 USD (half stack) a year ago, I bought this amp because i wanted something loud and on a small budget for light rock and cleans (since i normally play metal and only own peavey 6505+ and Madison Divinity heads, which arent to great for that style)

 
 
  Features  
 
The built in effects on this thing are terrible, they give you almost no control over time based effects...
the distortion is weak and thin, if your into metal, stay way from this amp
 
 
 
  Playability  
 
well, i've played alot of high end amps, and this comes no where close, and it lacks marshall sound, which mainly comes from transformers and tubes...
 
 
 
  Quality  
 
The cab that comes with it has cheap imitation Vintage 30's in it that sound nothing like the real deals, and the distortion is weak and thin, and when you crank this thing loud the tone changes to a nasely fake sound, and it has a loud fan in it, its annoying at first but when you start playing you don't notice it
 
 
 
  Durability  
 
Its built solid enough, minus the plastic handles on the cab
 
 
 
  Overall  
 
poor when A/B'd with expensive high end amps, but a great budget amp
 
 

Review by a visitor on Feb 10, 2008




Guitar Center, Hollywood CA - paid $620 (best damn $ I ever spent) I bought it cuz it was a marshall half stack I could afford.

 
 
  Features  
 
Marshall MG100HDFX 100watt head, slant 4x12 cab
 
 
 
  Playability  
 
The controls are great, standard marshall layout. Easy 2 manipulate while playing.
 
 
 
  Quality  
 
No noise, minimal buzz, great quality. I mean hell, it's a Marshall.
 
 
 
  Durability  
 
Hellllllllzzz yeah. I bought this thing right b4 a gig in Hollywood (unwrapped the plastic in the parking lot) and rocked it on stage fresh out the box. Played a ton of gigs since (almost a year) and it's the best amp I've ever had. Great 4 home, rehearsal and live.
 
 
 
  Overall  
 
I love this amp. Bought it almost a year ago and it's been phenomenal. Excellent for rehearsal and live gigs (which I've played a ton of since I got it). All in all a great package.
 
 

Review by a visitor on Nov 6, 2007




I bought the half-stack at Long & McQuade for about $723. Why I bought it? The amp is incredibly cheap, and it sounds amazing.

 
 
  Features  
 
The amp has alot of features, the amp basically comes with built in effects and digital reverb, so it helps your budget on buying effects pedals. It's got two channels, clean, and overdrive. Two options on each, for clean theres Crunch or Clean. For overdrive, theres overdrive 1 where the tone is that classic old marshall gain, and overdrive 2 is where it just starts to get screamin, raw, and punchy! What it needs is a standby switch, because you have to wait a minute or so for the fan to quiet down after startup.
 
 
 
  Playability  
 
Sounds almost like a tube-amp! Saving your budget. It's very smooth sounding, warm. You can go from soft classic rock to some in-your-face hard rock tone with the push of a button. There's a button called FDD (Frequency Dependent Damping), which makes the amp sound even MORE better. I was playing the amp right next to a JCM2000 half-stack and it sure can compete to those expensive amps.
 
 
 
  Quality  
 
The sound quality is great, the amp is very quiet, doesn't have that annoying hum, the sounds not clippy, very smooth. The amp is put together well.
 
 
 
  Durability  
 
It's durable, well at least I think it is. Never dropped it or anything. Sounds great, sounds the same since I bought it. Haven't made any adjustments yet.
 
 
 
  Overall  
 
Great amp, even for its price it makes it even more affordable and desirable. I'm planning to upgrade to a MG full stack soon too!
 
 

Review by a visitor on Jul 26, 2006




I bought this amp at Guitar Center. I just under 1000, but that is because I bought the full stack...both the slant and straight cabinets. I was drawn to this amp because as I was walking through guitar center i could not believe the price tag that was hanging from a marshall full stack. After I played it I was blown away because the amp has that classic marshall tone.

 
 
  Features  
 
Overall this is a great amp. it is very powerfull and sounds great. the effects are cool but do not give me the sounds i am looking for, but personally i would rather do all my effects with boss pedals...which i actually do and they sounds greeeeeeat through this amp. both distortions are awesome for rythem guitar. when you try and play lead sometimes it doesnt cut through the rest of the band. but i solved this problem...i went out and bought an ibanez tube screamer pedal...and i will never look back. that pedal sounds sooo good in the mg100hdfx and i would suggest it to anyone with this amp for a more powerful distortion...it compliments the marshall distorion on the amp well...
 
 
 
  Playability  
 
this amp is everything and more that i could ask for. obviously it doesnt compare to some of the more expensive marshalls it power all the time...but in tone it def. does. this is def. a professional amp that i would suggest to any experienced guitar player that plays gigs, or just wants a great amp...
 
 
 
  Quality  
 
it is not as powerful as some other amps out on the market but at the same time it is. and i am talking about when you are playing the amp straight up......go out and get some nice effect and distortion pedals and you will be rocking just like any other top of the line amp.
 
 
 
  Durability  
 
very good!! i have played many shows with this amp (putting it in and out of cars/trucks...ect, and moving it in and out of houses and up and down stairs for practice and it holds up wonderfully). it obviously gets a few dents here and there but that will happen to any amp...it gives it charecter!! this is a great amp to gig, record and practice with.
 
 
 
  Overall  
 
i say this is a wonderful amp. i def was drawn to it by the price tag...but it has lived up to my expectations and more. i am def not considering a better amp because it is not nessasary. this amp delivers the tone, power and classic marshall look that i am loving...
 
 

Review by a visitor on Jul 17, 2005




I brought this amp head from Roadhouse music in Boston, Lincolnshire, UK for ?250.

 
 
  Features  
 
2 channels, and 2 settings on each channel, Clean (clean and crunch) Overdrive (overdrive 1, this channel is ok for some blues stuff, the gain is'nt amazing on it, dont expect to hit and squeals/pinch harmonics this is for the light stuff. Where as overrive 2 smack the gain to 8 treble on 9 bass on 7 and mid on 1 - 2 and conntour between 7 - 10 and u'll be screamin with the metal gods, or whack the gain between 4 - 6, treble on 7, bass on 6 - 7, mid on 4 and the countour between 4 - 6, ull have an awesome classic rock tone that i use quit alot for my original stuff which is more modern rock but still a killer sounds.

The DFX (digital effects) are great, as it doesnt have a switchable on/off reverb i set the delay to realy fast and use that as my reverb and it works just nice for the typical richie sambora boost in the solo's, the chorus is nice but i aint much of a chorus person, not to keen on the flange it could be better but for what i paid for it what do you expect, it is worth payin for the amp without the DFX there an added bonus so i aint complainin!
 
 
 
  Playability  
 
As already described above this amp is a guitarist on a budget dream come true.

My band recently played with another local band and as we're good mates i used my friends Marshall TSL 60 watt head (all valve) and 1960 cab. i had never heard such a crap tone in my life, i play with an epiphone les paul and i love my MG 100 watt head, i had the amp settings on the TSL at 9 gain, 8 treble, 5 mid and 7 bass it sounded crap, i couldnt get my classicy rock sound i had to put the gain high because the was no umphh it was pure crapness considering the volume was on 7!

i am never gigging without taking my Marshall Mg 100 head anywhere again!
 
 
 
  Quality  
 
Read above thats enough said.

i am stunned on how my amp sounds so great compared to one of marshalls top amps!
 
 
 
  Durability  
 
I have used my amp head for recording and live and it has worked wonders, when i used it live in a fairly decent sized night club it was on half way and was shakin the floor like an earthquake it is unreal.

the only fault is the fan it makes a wierd noise when its just turned on, its liek it has to warm up! Leave it for a couple of minutes and it will go normal, im not sure if its surpose to do this or is a technical fault but it does'nt do any harm!
 
 
 
  Overall  
 
at the time i had just over ?1000 and wanted a new guitar aswell as, i spotted a mode 4 and thought wow, then i spotted a gorgeous light amber burst les paul and thought im having that and it left me enough money for the marshall MG half stack so it was a spear of the moment choice, i wanted a big amp and thats what i could afford.

And i dont regret it for one second!
 
 

Review by metaler4 on Jul 13, 2004




I bought this amp from musicians friend for $400.00 in the summer of 2003

 
 
  Features  
 
The MG 100 HDFX is a great all around amplifier. I have a Custom made cab with Celestion made vintage 30's, but the MG 4/12 cab is the weakest point of the half or full stack. The effects on this amp dont get used much but are of pretty good quality, the Overdrive Channel is increadable, strongets point of this amp, also this amp is very versitile.
 
 
 
  Playability  
 
This amp is the best solid state amp on the market, the FDD is great, creates great tube sound.
 
 
 
  Quality  
 
the sound quality is great, solid stare so no worry of blowing up your tubes, the louder you play, the better you sound
 
 
 
  Durability  
 
THis item is 100% reliable, never needs adjusting, great for live gigs
 
 
 
  Overall  
 
On a scale of 1 to 10 i would give this amp a 9 if you have a speaker cabinet of you own, withthe mg cab you do not get even close to 100% of your tone