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Audiofanzine FR
Published on 11/05/08 at 09:18
(Originally written by jerem63/translated from Audiofanzine FR)
Hybrid amp (with one 12AX7 tube in the preamp stage) and a solid-state power amp.
2 x 40 watts RMS output power and two 12" Celestion GT12 speakers. (very good speakers which aren't used in the second Valvestate series)
Two clean sounds plus two distortion sounds:
- Clean
- Crunch
- 2 x distortion (OD1 and OD2).
On-board reverb. Integrated stereo chorus switchable via footswitch.
UTILIZATION
The amp architecture is very simple.
The meaning of "good tone" is very subjective but I think this amp is very versatile. Of course you get THE Marshall sound with the OD2 function but you can also get blues and crunch sounds out of it (use the clean channel and increase the gain setting but be cautious, don't forget to decrease the master volume!!).
I'm using it with a Les Paul and the sound is awesome!
SOUNDS
It perfectly suits my style of music and as I already mentioned before it's very versatile so it will suit the needs of lots of musicians. It has a very high output power and allows to easily play with acoustic drums. Your drummer might get exhausted even if he's used to playing loud. Live on stage, you'll have a good monitoring with this amp behind you.
Event for larger venues, it won't be necessary to amplify the amp through the P.A.
With my Les Paul, it produces very good clean and distortion sounds.
The distortion sounds are very warm and the tone is close to the one of an all-tube amp.
The only critic I can make is that the knobs are not very effective so you'll have to exaggerate your settings.
The clean sounds are also quite good.
The stereo chorus is interesting because it adds some warmth to both clean and distortion sounds. It provides very round clean sounds.
OVERALL OPINION
I've been using it for one year. I bought it secondhand and I'm very happy with it. It's also very reliable (I carry it around in my car).
It gives me real Marshall distortion sounds.
I tried lots of amps before buying it, including all-tube amps like the Peavey Valveking 112 which can't hold a candle to the Marshall.
The value for money is great.
Given my current experience I would definitely buy this amp again. It's an amp for life. Even if Marshall and Mesa Boogie all-tube models are superior, this is a very good amp compared to them.
In short, it's a robust versatile amp with warm and powerful sounds.
Hybrid amp (with one 12AX7 tube in the preamp stage) and a solid-state power amp.
2 x 40 watts RMS output power and two 12" Celestion GT12 speakers. (very good speakers which aren't used in the second Valvestate series)
Two clean sounds plus two distortion sounds:
- Clean
- Crunch
- 2 x distortion (OD1 and OD2).
On-board reverb. Integrated stereo chorus switchable via footswitch.
UTILIZATION
The amp architecture is very simple.
The meaning of "good tone" is very subjective but I think this amp is very versatile. Of course you get THE Marshall sound with the OD2 function but you can also get blues and crunch sounds out of it (use the clean channel and increase the gain setting but be cautious, don't forget to decrease the master volume!!).
I'm using it with a Les Paul and the sound is awesome!
SOUNDS
It perfectly suits my style of music and as I already mentioned before it's very versatile so it will suit the needs of lots of musicians. It has a very high output power and allows to easily play with acoustic drums. Your drummer might get exhausted even if he's used to playing loud. Live on stage, you'll have a good monitoring with this amp behind you.
Event for larger venues, it won't be necessary to amplify the amp through the P.A.
With my Les Paul, it produces very good clean and distortion sounds.
The distortion sounds are very warm and the tone is close to the one of an all-tube amp.
The only critic I can make is that the knobs are not very effective so you'll have to exaggerate your settings.
The clean sounds are also quite good.
The stereo chorus is interesting because it adds some warmth to both clean and distortion sounds. It provides very round clean sounds.
OVERALL OPINION
I've been using it for one year. I bought it secondhand and I'm very happy with it. It's also very reliable (I carry it around in my car).
It gives me real Marshall distortion sounds.
I tried lots of amps before buying it, including all-tube amps like the Peavey Valveking 112 which can't hold a candle to the Marshall.
The value for money is great.
Given my current experience I would definitely buy this amp again. It's an amp for life. Even if Marshall and Mesa Boogie all-tube models are superior, this is a very good amp compared to them.
In short, it's a robust versatile amp with warm and powerful sounds.