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Guitar World Magazine - January 2003
Silicon Valhalla
Marshall has long since proved it can deliver its trademark
crunch without using tubes. The company’s solid-state offspring are
affordable and dependable, and nu-metallers positively thrive on
their extra-brutal chunk. In Marshall’s new MG Series of solid-state
amps, each model comes with a custom-voiced digital effects
processor. Our MG50DFX review model sits in the middle of the MG
range, and boasts 50 watts of power in a 1x12 combo format.
The controls on the front panel are divided between clean and
overdrive channels and the master/effects section. The clean channel
offers controls for gain, bass, middle and treble; the overdrive
channel has gain, bass, contour and treble controls, as well as a
volume control that allows a greater range of distortions when
balanced with the gain. The contour control is an enhanced midrange
EQ that morphs from a mid-heavy “humped” tone to a full “flat”
setting to an aggressive “scooped” sound. The master section
features controls for master volume, reverb, effects level and a
rotary preset/adjust selector. The sweep of the preset/adjust
control is divided into quarters that offer chorus/delay, delay,
chorus and flanging. As the control is moved through each segment,
delay time or modulation speed is increased for each preset.
The MG50DFX’s abilities are enhanced by some other great
features, including an effects loop, a CD input and an “emulated”
output, which delivers a realistic speaker tone to your studio mixer
or headphones. Marshall’s unique FDD (Frequency Dependent Damping)
switch mimics the organic amp/speaker interplay of tube amps, and
the all-steel footswitch lets you change channels and bypass the
digital effects. The MG50DFX’s clean channel is surprisingly articulate and supple for a solid-state circuit, especially with the FDD engaged. A splash of chorus and reverb makes these jangly chimes and soft overdrives sound even better. Shifting to the overdrive channel unleashes some wicked tones, from SRV sizzle to modern ultra-gain grind. Here, the contour control proved an effective tool for dramatically altering the tonal character with a simple twist. As simple as they may be, the effects provide the tools for full pro tones, including rich delayed leads and fat shimmering chords.
The Bottom Line |