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moosers
Published on 11/23/10 at 15:15
The Marshall ValveState II VS65R is a 65 watt combo amplifier, best suited for practicing and for beginner/intermediate players. It's got a single 12" speaker, and as the name clearly indicates, it runs on a valve tube - a ECC83 to be exact, which is just like a 12AX7. The amp has a 1/4" input for plugging your guitar into it, as well as a headphone output and a line out jack. The Marshall ValveState II VS65R also has a real built in spring reverb.
UTILIZATION
Using the Marshall ValveState II VS65R isn't difficult at all, especially if you know your way around a guitar amp and have used a few before. The amp is split into two channels, one for clean and one for overdrive. The clean channel gives you parameters for treble, middle, and bass EQ bands, while the overdrive channel has the same plus gain and contour to go along with it. The clean channel also has a tone shift button for further option and there are also some controls for the spring reverb as well. I haven't had a need to look for a manual for this amp as I found it easy to figure out how to use everything on my own.
SOUNDS
The Marshall ValveState II VS65R is fine sounding amp for practicing by yourself or with a band, and can even be used for recording or live shows, although not ideal for the latter two. The amp definitely packs a lot of punch for it's size, but depending on the band you're playing with and the size of the venue, it may or may not be suitable for live shows. If you're just using the amp for practicing or recording, the amp offers a variety of different tones between the two channels. I like the amp best for it's distortion, as that's Marshall's bread and butter, but the clean channel is nice and vibrant as well. The spring reverb is quite realistic and is definitely a nice added bonus to have on this already versatile amp.
OVERALL OPINION
The Marshall ValveState II VS65R is a nice little amp to have for your home for practicing purposes and beyond. It's not ideal for live shows or recording but will do the job if it's your only option for sure. While not the best sounding Marshall amp out there, it's got a nice and warm sound that will definitely get the job done in more situations than not. I don't believe that they are making these amps anymore, but they shouldn't cost all too much if you can find one used. It's not necessarily worth it to seek one of these out if you can't find one easily, but if you do come across one it's absolutely an amp worth considering in the right situation...
UTILIZATION
Using the Marshall ValveState II VS65R isn't difficult at all, especially if you know your way around a guitar amp and have used a few before. The amp is split into two channels, one for clean and one for overdrive. The clean channel gives you parameters for treble, middle, and bass EQ bands, while the overdrive channel has the same plus gain and contour to go along with it. The clean channel also has a tone shift button for further option and there are also some controls for the spring reverb as well. I haven't had a need to look for a manual for this amp as I found it easy to figure out how to use everything on my own.
SOUNDS
The Marshall ValveState II VS65R is fine sounding amp for practicing by yourself or with a band, and can even be used for recording or live shows, although not ideal for the latter two. The amp definitely packs a lot of punch for it's size, but depending on the band you're playing with and the size of the venue, it may or may not be suitable for live shows. If you're just using the amp for practicing or recording, the amp offers a variety of different tones between the two channels. I like the amp best for it's distortion, as that's Marshall's bread and butter, but the clean channel is nice and vibrant as well. The spring reverb is quite realistic and is definitely a nice added bonus to have on this already versatile amp.
OVERALL OPINION
The Marshall ValveState II VS65R is a nice little amp to have for your home for practicing purposes and beyond. It's not ideal for live shows or recording but will do the job if it's your only option for sure. While not the best sounding Marshall amp out there, it's got a nice and warm sound that will definitely get the job done in more situations than not. I don't believe that they are making these amps anymore, but they shouldn't cost all too much if you can find one used. It's not necessarily worth it to seek one of these out if you can't find one easily, but if you do come across one it's absolutely an amp worth considering in the right situation...