What's the cheapest and good tone Marshall amp for practice?

Hello
I'm very confused with this case...I'm gonna buy an awesome Marshall amp good for practice and of course a low price about 200$ or so for a beginner like me to have a similar tone of Iron Maiden ....I want to buy a Marshall MG30DFX but some people say that it sucks...Is it real?? I don't know what to do , I had a bad experience with a Laney, so I only trust Marshall amps in Transistor amps.
Do you recommend buying a MG30DFX? or it really sucks? I want a good dist sound suitable for playing Iron Maiden Masterpieces.
What should I do??
 
I got myself an MG15CD. It's not good, but it definitly doesn't suck. It's OK for home practice, not really good for anything outside of a rehersal room.

So I can't imagine someone saying that other amp flat out sucks. I say go check it out for yourself, like always.
 
RealMaidenFan said:
What should I do??

Try this: go to a shop and try out a few different amps. Think about the different sounds you want. Think about what size rooms you'll be playing in. Think about which amp has the easiest control layout. Think about which one looks the coolest if you like. Then...

Make a decision. Go for it. Take care of whatever amp you end up taking home with you. If you change your mind you can always trade it in for another one later.
 
Cheap Marshalls DO suck. And you will not sound like Maiden, there is much more than an amp brand.

For beginning, some try Roland Cube - they are known to be good for the price.
They don't sound like Marshall, but neither do cheap transistor Marshalls.
 
Basically what Gibson said. And you don't have to sound like maiden. You might find yourself to be much more happier if you have a tone you can call your own.
 
I've tried both and I would definitely go for the Cube. More versatile, more convincing sounds and easier to use. Don't be distracted by the fact that the MG30DFX has the word 'Marshall' written on the front. For a good Marshall you have to pay a bit more and get something with at least one valve. I've gigged a Cube, mic'ed through the PA, and it just about did the job. There's no way I'd consider gigging the Marshall.

Sooner or later you'll want to try a valve amp. A good option to check out is the Blackstar HT-5. It's not too expensive and it has some excellent sounds to offer.

But don't take my word for it: go to a shop and try them out. Only you will know if the sounds you hear please you or not.
 
I bought a Marshall MG30FX and it kicks ass! But I would like to have your suggestions for the tone settings on the font panel to get a nice rhythm sound (I mean the Gain, Bass, Mid, Treble, and other knobs position) If you can help me I would be so happy!
 
Glad to hear you're happy with your new amp. May it bring you much joy and much rockin'.

You need to spend time exploring what the controls do. Every amp sounds a little different, and the guitar you use will of course also influence the sound.

Here are some quick tips. I expect you'll know much of this already:

Gain basically determines how distorted your sound is. Low gain and high volume should give you a relatively clean sound. High gain and lowish volume will give you a more distorted sound. Avoid using too much gain or your notes will become indistinct.

Bass obviously controls the low end. Too much bass can cause an unpleasant "boomy" sound, but a certain level of bass is necessary to avoid a thin sound.

Middle is an important setting, and you should listen really carefully to the effect it has on your sound. Running the mid-range low will result in what is known as a "scooped" sound, characteristic of 80s metal and a lot of other high-gain metal sounds. A high setting on the mid-range will give you a more "classic rock" tone with more body to the sound.

Treble at a high setting was very popular among 60s and punk guitarists. It is also useful to raise the treble to cut through a noisy band. If your treble setting is too low, you will struggle to be heard. For home practice, you'll probably want to reduce the treble a bit to avoid an overly bright, brittle sound.

There is a lot more to getting a good tone than what I've mentioned here, and you must use your ears to tell you what sounds best. Your guitar settings and, very importantly, your fingers and brain will also have a big impact on your sound. Learning to get a good tone is part of learning to play guitar, and it will take time. I hope you enjoy the journey.
 
Don't mean to be picky but at some point he'll ask you to play his guitar (look at all the topics he opened on this subforum).
 
czgibson said:
Glad to hear you're happy with your new amp. May it bring you much joy and much rockin'.

You need to spend time exploring what the controls do. Every amp sounds a little different, and the guitar you use will of course also influence the sound.

Here are some quick tips. I expect you'll know much of this already:

Gain basically determines how distorted your sound is. Low gain and high volume should give you a relatively clean sound. High gain and lowish volume will give you a more distorted sound. Avoid using too much gain or your notes will become indistinct.

Bass obviously controls the low end. Too much bass can cause an unpleasant "boomy" sound, but a certain level of bass is necessary to avoid a thin sound.

Middle is an important setting, and you should listen really carefully to the effect it has on your sound. Running the mid-range low will result in what is known as a "scooped" sound, characteristic of 80s metal and a lot of other high-gain metal sounds. A high setting on the mid-range will give you a more "classic rock" tone with more body to the sound.

Treble at a high setting was very popular among 60s and punk guitarists. It is also useful to raise the treble to cut through a noisy band. If your treble setting is too low, you will struggle to be heard. For home practice, you'll probably want to reduce the treble a bit to avoid an overly bright, brittle sound.

There is a lot more to getting a good tone than what I've mentioned here, and you must use your ears to tell you what sounds best. Your guitar settings and, very importantly, your fingers and brain will also have a big impact on your sound. Learning to get a good tone is part of learning to play guitar, and it will take time. I hope you enjoy the journey.
Thanks a lot for your perfect explanation I appreciate you.  :ok: :yes:
Forostar said:
Don't mean to be picky but at some point he'll ask you to play his guitar (look at all the topics he opened on this subforum).
:eek:fftopic:
 
What's wrong with him asking? Sure, he asks a lot of questions, but this is a forum...
 
I think SMX explained it the best:
SinisterMinisterX said:
Finally, it's about time you actually did some of this. You've been posting here for a year or so, asking these same questions ... never participating in discussions, not replying when people try to help you, but still with the nerve to bitch if we ignore you. Why do we ignore you? Because whenever we try to help, there's no indication you listen. You don't reply, you just ask the same question again some months later. I have personally tried to help you with serious answers several times, but you post like you never read them.
 
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