NEWS: Marshall MG15FXMS Micro Stack

Published July 5, 2009 | By Peter Hodgson

Here’s a press release about the new Marshall MG15FXMS Micro Stack amp. My favourite things about this amp:

* Four channels (Clean, Crunch, Overdrive 1 and Overdrive 2, which reminds me of the tube-driven JVM series that Joe Satriani has recently started playing);.

* Built-in digital effects, programmable for each channel;

* Optional footswitch which includes tap tempo and a tuner display.

I guess that with more and more people using software modelling and gadgets like the Waves iGTR modeling headphone amp for practice situations, amp companies really have to pull out all the stops to make a practice amp more attractive. While I really dig the Fender G-DEC 30‘s features and usability, there’s just something particularly rockworthy in a warm analog circuit. My only suggestion to Marshall would be to throw in at least a tube preamp if not power amp – it would drive the cost up but I think it would attract a lot of buyers who might not otherwise buy a Micro Stack.

Marshall Introduces New MG15FXMS Micro Stack Guitar Amplifier

The MG15FXMS Micro Stack is the latest addition to the popular MG4 Series of Marshall amplifiers. The three-piece micro stack includes a 15-Watt compact head plus two matching speaker cabinets—one angled, one straight. Each cabinet is loaded with a full-range 10″ speaker. In addition to being highly transportable, the MG15FXMS also allows many entry-level and budget-conscious players to enjoy the look, feel, and classic tone of the iconic Marshall Stack.

Preserving the best features of the MG4 series, the MG15FXMS provides a three-band EQ section and features four programmable channels—Clean, Crunch, Overdrive1, and Overdrive2—to provide a wide range of tone colors from a single amplifier. The Gain, EQ, Volume, and Master Volume knobs are presented in Marshall’s tried-and-true layout for extreme ease of use. Push-button channel switching offers smooth, silent transitions.

Digital Reverb is built-in, along with a full complement of Digital Effects—Chorus, Phaser, Flanger, and Delay. The Delay time can be set using the Tap button on the front panel, and the Effects are programmable to match each channel.

The MG15FXMS Micro Stack provides a versatile array of inputs and outputs. The Line Input allows players to jam along with an MP3 player, CD player, or other source. The combination Line Out / Headphone Out features speaker cabinet emulation, so the full Marshall sound is always preserved when recording or practicing through headphones.

The optional STOMPWARE® footswitch provides seamless transitioning from sound to sound, as well as tap tempo control and display for the built-in tuner. STOMPWARE technology allows this multi-function pedal to be connected using a traditional guitar cable—eliminating the need for special or hard-to-find cables.

The MG15FXMS Micro Stack carries an MSRP of $510.00 and will be available in October 2009.

For more information, visit their web site at http://www.marshallamps.com/.