I've never really been much of a Marshall fan, they're the amp that sound good when anyone else is playing them but sound pants whenever I plug in.
However, that said, I have a 'brit' sound classic rock itch that needs to be scratched and the Vintage Modern series has piqued my interest. The online reviews sound pretty good (I've not yet played one so they might still sound pants with me plugged in) and they seem to have the sound I'm looking for.
If I can find one (don't think they're made any more) I would prefer either a 2266h or 2266c - 50 watts is plenty loud enough.
What's the general consensus on the VM range in terms of build quality, reliability, sound quality and versatility? Last attribute not terribly important but if there's wiggle room then even better.
TIA
There is no 'H' in Aych, you know that don't you? ~ Wife
Turns out there is an H in Haych! ~ Sporky
Bit of trading feedback here.
Comments
Nastily built, average sounding, unreliable.
There is no 'H' in Aych, you know that don't you? ~ Wife
Turns out there is an H in Haych! ~ Sporky
Bit of trading feedback here.
Sound quality - good when cranked up, but hard to dial in at lower volume... difficult to find a balance between dull and shrill. The 'Dynamic Range' volume change is too extreme to be usable on the fly unless the power stage is overdriven so it compresses enough to even out the difference.
Versatility - it sounds like a Marshall… sort-of - it doesn't have the fatness and warmth of a JTM45 or the punch and authority of a JMP. (The power is actually 36W not 50W, if that matters.)
The FX loop and reverb are usable but fairly poor - the reverb is digital but the fixed parameters chosen are just all wrong.
The footswitch is a unique type - momentary for Dynamic Range, latching for reverb - so you can't use a standard one if it breaks, which the cables do frequently.
Worth noting that Robin Trower was one of their main users - but recent gig photos show he's changed to a JTM45 and a Bluesbreaker. I would suggest you'd be much better off with one too, unless you need more versatility.
"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski
"Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
I had the 100 (actually 77) watt head.
Not loud. The fx loop is abysmal. It can't take level boosts, the "dynamic range" is gimmicky. It doesn't sound like a plexi or a JCM 800. The reverb is pointless, the build is crap. Mine blew up. It has clipping LED's in the signal path, most of the "sound" of the amp is just the phase inverter being smashed. The low dynamic range sounds woolly. The high dynamic range is weak. They share an EQ which is not ideal. The "detail" and "body" controls are gimmicky.
Its a fail on many levels.
Can it amplify a guitar? Yes. It can do that. If you A/B'd it with a proper plexi or 800, you'd piss yourself laughing.
There is no 'H' in Aych, you know that don't you? ~ Wife
Turns out there is an H in Haych! ~ Sporky
Bit of trading feedback here.
Awful amps. As reliable as a second hand FSO Polonez. Sounds like one too.
Sorry such a negative post
Cheers
Hugh
www.proudhoney.com
The Mode Four might possibly sound good, I don't know - I've never heard a working one. But it was the most poorly-designed and inherently unreliable amp I think they've ever made, and that includes the first solid-state models in the mid 70s and the MG-DFX series. Pretty much all of these are guaranteed to fail sooner or later.
However, like the Vintage Modern, the 4x12" cabinets they came with are actually good. The VM one is a standard 4x12" with the rather nice G12C-25s, the MF one is an oversized cab with either V30s or G12Ks and sounds huge.
"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski
"Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
It did break down though, overheated and I thought it was going to catch fire. That was my point, the Vintage Modern series might not have been Marshalls best amp but in terms of worst amp the one that sets fire to its self must take 1st place.
It roars a glorious Marshall sound and is easy to set up. I never had a problem tweaking the sound! The second I got it home, it just made sense to me. Like most amps it gets better with volume but takes pedals very well for quiet home playing.
* FET 3 Part no: TN2404KL-TR1-E3
Marshall part No: TRAN-10082
about £1.38 plus postage.
P.S. if you ever catch 'The Zeppelin 3' at a boozer near you, this is the Vintage-Modern in action, (sorry my crappy phone overheated & died)
The board is also such poor quality that it's hard to change the resistors without lifting traces even if you're good at it, and the space available makes it hard to fit better, larger resistors - although it can be done. This is the most common fault I've seen on them - it may be worth pre-emptively upgrading them, although there's still a risk of board damage.
It's also worth replacing the footswitch cable either with something far better (high-quality balanced mic cable is probably the best) or simply fitting a stereo jack to it instead so it can be used with any stereo cable. (Assuming you use the footswitch.)
"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski
"Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein