NAD Marshall MG 15

[swervinbob]

Somehow I wound up without a little practice amp. The speaker on this thing is kinda ok. Nothing to get too excited about. But I’m shocked at the headphone out quality. With my open-back headphones it’s a pretty good tone.
I need to find where I stored my looper pedal. I’ve found a new writing tool.

 

[Ben Harmless]

When the speakers get that small, they tend to get a little ratty, but I've always felt that the MG series was miles better than most people think. The bigger ones tend to get played by low-budget, younger punk and metal bands, and they kind of do what you'd expect with them, but any time I've seen someone over the age of say, 30 (someone who's learned how to dial in an amp) they've sounded pretty darn good to me. Cool about the headphones.

 

[swervinbob]

Cool about the headphones.

I just adjusted the trem on a Strat so it wouldn’t pull flat on a bend. After I finished, I tuned up and sat and jammed for about an hour with headphones on. Maybe it’s because I’ve got the right set of headphones (Sennheiser HD 400 Pro), but I’ve never had a lower priced practice amp headphone out sound this good.

 

[groovemastergreg]

I have two really good sounding (like you through headphones, or when using as a pre amp), Marshall Lead 12. I have a trio of tube marshalls but this dang amp is pretty marshally for no tubes.

I’m planning to install cliff jacks in them this weekend so I can hook up to a 12” high quality speaker.

I read a great post here about cliff jacks recently, which inspired me to get some quality jacks.

 

[VintageSG]

Many years ago, I had an MG15DFX
While the effects were nothing stellar, a little delay or reverb fattened the sound up nicely. The cleans and clean-ish sounds from it were really good. I found it to be cab/speaker hampered. Popping the back off transformed it. Bodging it to run an external 1x10" revealed a fine sounding little amp.
I gave it to my eldest when he wanted to learn to play ( Proud Dad moment. SG + Marshall ). He still has it and prefers it to the Vox AC4 I gave him!
Mine had a switch marked 'FDD' which, when disengaged, made the amp sound like a Squier SP10 or Gorilla 10. Nasty!

If you find the room sound lacking when it gets loud, pop the back off. Celestion Eight-15 speakers crop up on Ebay and the like for peanuts. It'd be an upgrade.

I hope you have as many years pleasurable use from it as my Son has had from his MG15

 

[jasperthecat]

A couple of years ago I bought an older Marshall MG15 CDR for the princely sum of £20 just to leave at our caravan 100 miles away so that I didn't need to take it with us every time we visit during the summer months plus due to it's small size, it doesn't take up too much room. I wouldn't leave any of my amps or guitars there during the winter months, so over winter the amp now sits in my home studio along with my other five amps.

Oddly I happened to be playing my Gretsch 5120 through it tonight which prompted me to write this post.
Although I'm spoiled for choice with regard to amps and guitars, if I want to play something jazz influenced the little Marshall is actually now my go to amp with the Gretsch played through the clean channel. I don't need a lot of volume but tone is important. I also play my Fender Telecaster, Strat and LP through it all of which sound pretty good too when playing a bit of country/rock or the likes but my favourite guitar through it has to be my Gretsch and together they make a perfect recording duo for the right music genres.

The overdrive effect on my amp I find needs delicate adjustment to get it set just right otherwise it doesn't sound particularly good as it's almost all or nothing but then again I have other amps and pedals that can give me those sounds better but the little Marshall's clean channel can give a really nice warm round sound perfect for such as jazz when the amp is adjusted correctly. The reverb isn't the most intense I've heard but it's adequate and certainly compliments and gives the sound a lift so I am happy with it.
All in all, musically speaking it's probably the best £20 I've spent.

In the late evenings/early hours when my OH is asleep I use headphones in all of my amps/gear so as not to disturb her. I have several sets of cans. My favourites are my Audio Technica as they don't colour the sound especially when recording but any decent cans will do and they really can make a modest amp sound good too.

 

[thaynes]

The headphone output is an emulated output. On the DSL series the emulation is a Marshall 4 x 12 cabinet. Not sure about the MG series without more research.

Good find!

 

[jasperthecat]

The headphone output is an emulated output. On the DSL series the emulation is a Marshall 4 x 12 cabinet. Not sure about the MG series without more research.

Good find!

It says emulated on the my little MG amp's headphone output. As to emulating a Marshall 4 x 12 I'm not sure about that.

 

[radiocaster]

My friend has one. I hate it. I think it's just the speaker that makes it sound so bad.