Results 1 to 11 of 11

Thread: NAD. Again! Marshall MG30DFX. What's wrong with me?

  1. #1
    Forum Member Old Ranger's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2014
    Location
    East Texas, USA
    Posts
    557

    NAD. Again! Marshall MG30DFX. What's wrong with me?

    Couple months ago my neighbor invited me over to abuse his family and friends with sonic bombast. I arrived with the 339 in a bag and he had his 30w Marshall out for me. After a few hours of rattling the rafters I hadda head home and feed my dog and me. As I was headed for the door he hands me the amp and says take it home for a bit and let the Acoustic amp take a rest. Well you know me... A single 10", 30w~35w solid state, done. Then the Orange Crush 35RT comes home. I'm in solid state single 10" British amp bliss!

    Today, sitting on his front porch, I delivered two sets of Dean Markley 10~46 Round Core strings. Yes, the old #1973 bad boys that's been out of print for a few years. His Strat [formerly mine] deserves good stuff. We came to the subject of a mandolin and how he wanted one. I said I have one that's been sitting up a few years. He blurted out he'd trade the Marshall for it. I pondered this for a nanosecond. Done! I've had it for over 30 years as part of a trade if I recall. Thus I got the Marshall for zip! Ha!

    Is a discontinued model but I don't care. Has lots of bottom. Good Marshall overdrive. Two channels. Great digital reverb. The other onboard effects I'll never use. As soon as I get a day when I'm feeling froggy I'll build in an effects loop. I'm good with the trade.
    Not bad for a free amp! Ok. Pardon me as I bust out in my happy dance for a moment.

    Ok. I'm calm now. :)
    I forgot what I was going to say...

  2. #2
    Forum Member ch willie's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2008
    Location
    Tennessee
    Posts
    8,163

    Re: NAD. Again! Marshall MG30DFX. What's wrong with me?

    Congrats. Now you’re really amped up, in more ways than one!
    If we'd known we were going to be the Beatles, we'd have tried harder.--George Harrison

  3. #3
    Forum Member Old Ranger's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2014
    Location
    East Texas, USA
    Posts
    557

    Re: NAD. Again! Marshall MG30DFX. What's wrong with me?

    Yeah, now I got three!.
    Must be something wrong with me.
    Only got one guitar though.

    Oh well, as I mentioned before, I can't argue with the cost! Being a Vietnamese amp, I figure it came over on the "Chu Hoi Program".
    [Old vets will get the joke.]
    I forgot what I was going to say...

  4. #4
    Forum Member
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Location
    SW New Mexico, USA
    Posts
    1,658

    Re: NAD. Again! Marshall MG30DFX. What's wrong with me?

    Some of my friends had a couple of those deserters embedded with them, said they saved a lot of our guys! Once identified a high ranking NV "defector", (he said they shot him on sight).

  5. #5
    Forum Member Old Ranger's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2014
    Location
    East Texas, USA
    Posts
    557

    Re: NAD. Again! Marshall MG30DFX. What's wrong with me?

    Well I call it "NVA" as I got it for nuthin, the "No Value Amp" ! But its got that "fdd" circuit you can kick in and it really loosens up the signal. A frequency dampened something-or-other thing. I don't know, but it gets an almost tubelike sound. Not as good as the Orange, but ok. I still keep sniffing around for the smell of the tubes on the Orange.But for zero $ investment I'm not going to kick it to the curb! The clean channel is stupendous by the way....
    I forgot what I was going to say...

  6. #6
    Forum Member chuckocaster's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2003
    Location
    spanish for lard.
    Posts
    8,605

    Re: NAD. Again! Marshall MG30DFX. What's wrong with me?

    Very cool man! People get hung up on tubes, which I understand, but I have some SS amps that are killer. Usually I add a little extra compression to mimic the “sag”, that’s just me
    "don't worry, i'm a professional!"

  7. #7
    Forum Member
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Location
    SW New Mexico, USA
    Posts
    1,658

    Re: NAD. Again! Marshall MG30DFX. What's wrong with me?

    I love my tube amps, but I pick up inexpensive SS (generally Peavey's), when I find them. It's not hard to get a"tube" sound with Hartley's emulation circuits.
    I am building a cab for a Special 130, that I recently picked up, it will be a clean 130 watt, small combo when I get finished.

  8. #8
    Forum Member Old Ranger's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2014
    Location
    East Texas, USA
    Posts
    557

    Re: NAD. Again! Marshall MG30DFX. What's wrong with me?

    I worked on so many bottle jobs in the past that I never wanna see another one.
    I'm hooked on good quality solid state single10" 30w~35w amps.
    These two oriental made Britt amps are killer! The Orange is a monster with incredible in your face crunch! Owwww! And the Marshall is deep, rich, and robustly thick. Sounds like a twin 12" cab instead of the open back 10"... Amazing.

    I now evoke the "Old man's opinionated card" here. And once that card has been pulled, its all over.... Here goes: Tubes are dead. Museum stuff. Jack Kilby freed the circuits of the world in the late 60's at Texas Instruments when he invented the Integrated Circuit, and the IC Chip was born. And electronics has moved at warp speed ever since. Tubes are ancient history.... And since the card was pulled, I'm immune from any reprisals by valve worshipping types. I'm protected by the Old Farts Act of 1948. Remember, this site, its operations, and entire system is powered and fueled by IC Chips. :)
    I forgot what I was going to say...

  9. #9
    Forum Member OldStrummer's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2016
    Location
    Northern Virginia, USA
    Posts
    3,928

    Re: NAD. Again! Marshall MG30DFX. What's wrong with me?

    Quote Originally Posted by Old Ranger View Post
    I worked on so many bottle jobs in the past that I never wanna see another one.
    I'm hooked on good quality solid state single10" 30w~35w amps.
    These two oriental made Britt amps are killer! The Orange is a monster with incredible in your face crunch! Owwww! And the Marshall is deep, rich, and robustly thick. Sounds like a twin 12" cab instead of the open back 10"... Amazing.

    I now evoke the "Old man's opinionated card" here. And once that card has been pulled, its all over.... Here goes: Tubes are dead. Museum stuff. Jack Kilby freed the circuits of the world in the late 60's at Texas Instruments when he invented the Integrated Circuit, and the IC Chip was born. And electronics has moved at warp speed ever since. Tubes are ancient history.... And since the card was pulled, I'm immune from any reprisals by valve worshipping types. I'm protected by the Old Farts Act of 1948. Remember, this site, its operations, and entire system is powered and fueled by IC Chips. :)
    I am with you on this one, Old Ranger. I have two Fender modeling amps, a Champion 40 and a Mustang II V2. Just to see how a tube amp of that size and power would compare, I bought a Monoprice 15W 1x12 combo amp with Celestion speaker.

    All three are good amps, and suit my purpose well. Oh sure, I'd really like a DRRI or Twin Reverb, but I really have no place for them in my home.

    I've also found that the few times I've played publicly, everyone wants a line out to the sound board, or at the very least, a mic. So I don't require luggage!


  10. #10
    Forum Member chuckocaster's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2003
    Location
    spanish for lard.
    Posts
    8,605

    Re: NAD. Again! Marshall MG30DFX. What's wrong with me?

    Funny you mention Peavey Bill Moore! I forgot about the “TransTube” combo I played in HS, it sounded really good, especially plugged into a 4X12.

    I still play tubes for guitar, mostly. But I’m in love with my HOTONE AC30 micro amp!!! That thing sounds absolutely crazy, not exactly like a Vox, but too close at home volume levels. It’s a great little amp that puts a smile on my face
    "don't worry, i'm a professional!"

  11. #11
    Forum Member Old Ranger's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2014
    Location
    East Texas, USA
    Posts
    557

    Re: NAD. Again! Marshall MG30DFX. What's wrong with me?

    Played those late 70's to mid 80's Peavey SS amps for several years. Bulletproof!
    Sold my last one to the neighbor I got this Marshall from.

    Back to this Marshall. The more I play through it the more I like it. Absolutely the most clear and rich bottom response with crystal clear top end in the clean channel. I don't recall ever having an amp with such robust clarity.
    In the OD channel, I'm still trying to work my way through the Contour control. Some sort of mid cut/boost insanity that I cannot understand. Just when I think I got it right I'll change from single coil to humbucker and it sounds awful! I'd love to bypass it but the circuits are far too chip dependent. Too far to the left and its "tinny" sounding. 12 o'clock and too loud! To the right and its dark and flat, like a pillow was shoved in the speaker. Just don't get it. So mostly I use a dirtbox in the clean channel and forget about it. Only other Marshall I ever had was a twin 12" 50W SS amp that was great. But I got talked out of it. Money talks... Wouldn't have a tube amp from Marshall. They were my best source of repair income since they were always breaking down! I was glad my customers had em though.
    I forgot what I was going to say...

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •