Marshall 100 FX - replacement recommendations please

notanon

Rather than resurrect an old thread I will create a new one with more specific details and info:

I have a Marshall 100 FX I am happy with in the sense that I have a Zoom G5 and I can kind of get the tones I like. However, it is way too large and way too loud really for my needs. I can’t experiment with what the speakers are even capable of, I never get beyond 1 I think.  A couple of questions for you goodly folk:

Q1) What is a good replacement? I was thinking of a Fender Super Champ X2 - that is relatively tiny but seems well respected. The limit for size would be the dimensions of the H&K Switchblade 50 1x12 that I just missed out on:

Depth 25cm

Width 60cm

Height 48cm

A stupidly good TFB price http://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/comment/1632632/#Comment_1632632. That is the absolute max size though. What I loved about that is H&K Switchblade 50 1x12 has the foot-switch and programming the settings. I also like the idea of having that real tube tone - if other amps create the right tone I don’t care but tube still seems to do ‘the right thangs’.

For costs I would be happy to go to £300 for a ‘guaranteed tube tone’ (yep I know but hopefully you understand??) but prefer £200 kind of budget. Needs to be friendly to Zoom G5 (or other effects).

Q2) What price is reasonable for a Marshall 100 FX? I think I paid £120 5 years ago (?? time flies) - second hand in very good condition with footswitch. Looks like I need to drop down to silly prices to the point where postage won’t even cover the costs. I’d like to sell to part finance the new amp but looks to be better value keep it as a shelf or foot rest or dart board  :-( 

Advice appreciated.

Thanks folks

ICBM

The 100FX is sadly not worth a lot - I think you'll be lucky to get more than £100 even in perfect condition and with the footswitch, even though when you say 'speakers' I assume it must be the 2x12" version not the 1x12". They're actually not bad amps at all, but hard to sell, partly because of the reputation of its predecessor the 100DFX, which is complete junk and tends to die! (It doesn't actually sound too bad, in fact.) If you're going to a physical shop to buy a new amp, ask if they'd take it as a trade - it would at least save you the postage costs.

Look at the new Marshall Code series - I haven't personally tried one yet, but they get great reviews from almost everyone who has, and they will definitely sound more like what you're used to than the Fender. The Fender isn't bad, but I honestly don't think it's worth spending the extra on valves for your sort of purpose, unless you're going for a true vintage-style all-valve clean amp to simply amplify the Zoom and add 'valve tone' to it. Not that easy to find for £200-£300 though. At that price they tend to be quite small and boxy-sounding since it's unusual to find one with a 12" speaker.

You may read some online claims that the Super Champ's clean channel is all-valve, by the way - it isn't. That doesn't make it a bad amp, but it doesn't quite have that natural depth of tone that I think you're looking for.

darthed1981

The Code 25 is surprisingly wee with a nifty set of tones.

Also of course the Katana 50.

Blackstar ID core series are good and cheap as chips, if you want valve perhaps the HT1R?