Marshall MS2 Micro Amp Review - Demoing the Marshall MS-2 Mini Amp
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- Опубліковано 12 січ 2016
- Thank you for watching my Marshall MS-2 Micro Amp review. I hope you found it helpful. While I believe we covered a lot of the questions you may have in this video, I realize that there might still be some more details that you want to find out about the Marshall MS-2 Mini Amp.
Buying info and more details around the Marshall MS2: amzn.to/2Lt8LzS
As mentioned in the video, I strongly encourage you to check out my comprehensive article review about this device which you can find on my website along with more details around features, FAQs, comparisons to other mini amps, pros and cons as well as purchasing information.
guitaringenuity.com/the-marsha...
If you are subscriber to my channel, you may probably know that I in the past did a few reviews on the popular Vox amplug mini guitar amps. People who watched those review asked me, if I could take the Marshall MS2 for a test ride and share my findings. Well, my wife must have used her sixth sense - she put this guitar accessory under the Christmas tree for me. Therefore, I was now able to test the MS2 amp for a little while and share now my findings and thoughts with you.
To recap the main points I made in the video:
The MS-2 by Marshall comes in different versions. First of all, there is a half-stack and a full-stack option. On top of that, you can get the device in black (standard), red (MS-2R) and chrome (MS-2C). The design is simple, just the way a like it. Instead of trying to cramp-in too many buttons and features, the Marshall did well by keeping the layout straight forward. Overall the casing is very solid and the thing looks really neat, in my opinion.
There are three dials in the front of the Marshall MS2 mini guitar amp: Volume, Tone and Off/On/OD. Volume and Tone are self-explanatory. As for the last dial, it serves a dual purpose as the on/off switch as well as switching into overdrive mode.
In the regular channel, the sound is decent, but it lacks volume. You need to bring up the volume to “5” or higher, but the problem is, the more volume you add the crunchier the sound gets.
In the overdrive channel, the Marshall MS-2 mini amplifier kills! The tone is awesome. Playing around with the Tone dial gives you a broad spectrum of sound, anything from ultra gainy to doomy.
Instead of using the integrated speaker, you can connect a headphone set. Also, the device can be powered either via a 9V DC Adapter which you would need to purchase separately, of a 9V block battery, which comes with the product. The battery life is very good, but you need to ensure that you switch off the MS-2 after you’re done playing!
The Marshall MS-2 is a lightweight at 12 ounces. Oh, yes, you can absolutely use your pedals in connection with the MS-2. It works very well, I tried it myself. Also, instead of a regular guitar, you can connect a bass guitar.
Alright, let’s wrap this up: In my personal opinion, the Marshall MS-2 Micro Guitar Amp is a great product at a very reasonable price. I love the fact that it has an integrated speaker, so you don’t need a headset, yet you can use one, whenever you want. The sound quality is better than I expected. Yes, I wish the clean channel could produce more volume, but that’s okay since I’m playing in overdrive most of the time anyway. The design is slick and the overall quality to the Marshall MS 2 is great.
So, what do you think? Any more questions for me? Fire away and leave them in the comment box below. Don’t forget to check out my article with more details on the Marshall MS-2 micro amp.
Thanks for watching.
It's a small, cheap and portable amp for more casual use when you just feel like playing late at night in bed without disturbing your neighbours and whatnot and for students who have absolutely no room for a big amp or money and who can't carry a huge amp since they move and fly around often. This is perfect for me. Of course I won't record any great sounding songs, but most times I find that low quality songs that aren't mastered sound more genuine and nice anyway.
And it's probably a better purchase than a more expensive big amp that's like $100. If you wanna get a good quality amp you might as well spend over $500 on an amp that lasts you a lifetime instead of getting a $100 shitty one. And if you want a budget one just get a $30 one until you can afford a great one. Just my opinion.
Yep and for playing in your car
@@ESP12345 or on horseback
@@BltchErica or on the moon
I have a vox amp thats maybe 4 times the size, it has everything this has and sounds great. I don't see the point in sacrificing quality to make it unnecessarily more portable.
Also I got it for $50 aud. So it was actually cheaper than this
Now Available With Big Mac At McDonalds
Don't you mean happy meal
Trevor Graham Welch,..... hehe where is the input in the burger ???
Good warm practicr sound
This comment is seriously underrated LOL
Every guitarists dream happy meal toy
4:32 rip headphone users
Mines died when I clicked it
4:54***
Jesus christ!!
@@thesonicexplorer75 oh yeah that even worse lol
Ouch! 🤕
Am I the only one that legitimately likes the sound? To me, it sounds really thin, because it's solid state, but also sounds like a fuzz pedal. Stacked with a real fuzz, this could sound really good.
Nah, I sympathize. It's just a matter of perspective. If you think you're getting yourself a 'real' Marshall amp, you'll be disappointed. However, if you take this device for what it is, a cheap/handy, practicing item, I think you're fine.
I don't think I would buy it at the price it is for a new one, mostly because I have a real tube amp that sounds great in comparison, but it's a cheap solid state practice amp, and it sounds good for the price.
i like it too. good sound for practice home.
this IS a fuzz pedal. a cheap ass distortion circuit with a 1W power amp that costs like nothing. I would buy it for 20$. but not more
I dislike fuzz so that's actually adds another negative to me unfortunately.
This is the best and most helpful reveiw i've found on this amp. Thankyou very much!
+Marlon Benjamin Walker Thanks man, much appreciated. Personally, I am not satisfied with the sound quality, specifically the volume levels. But oh well,....thanks again!
For everyone hating on this little amp, I own one next to my mini tower and it actually sounds pretty good!
Obviously you can't compare it to a bigger amp but for the price, it's awesome!
Is it good for beginner practice?? Nothing fancy just practicing basic playing
Great review the most helpful I have seen !! Just bought this amp to use with my guitar. I'm only a beginner. Thank you for the detail!
+Yes, that is Frank kissing Gerard Glad you found it helpful - thanks a lot.!
awesomeness at its finest.. i live with my 3 collegues in one room.. this is perfect. i can pratice playing without disturbing them..
My girlfriend bought me one of these for my birthday. I plugged my Les Paul in and played around with it and dialed an awesome tone. Playing leads sounds a little flat so chords only. I crank everything on the od channel and let er rip! Coolest thing ever.
Excellent explanation of its possibilities. Excellently explained. I once had one. I think I might get another one..... keep up your excellent videos... thanks 😊
perfect for burzum covers haha
Good one...hehehe
Only for Filosofem
Hilarious.
the only reason i got this amp lmao
Kurt Cobain baader meinhof
This is an awesome *objective* review of this amp. I mainly play AC/DC stuff, so I think that natural overdrive will fit perfectly for some play on the go. Thanks for helping out! I'll go ahead and pick it up.
Hey man, you're right, I think this amp is indeed very conducive to play AC/DC stuff.
Just for trying it out with Snowblind, I like you already. Thanks for the rev.
I bought one this week, and it is over my expectation.It has a decent sound of a E-guitar. As you mentioned, clean sound is too low, but I use overload mostly. For the Price, it is perfect!
thank you for the review bro 😊
I really appreciate this video. I was considering buying one of these due to budget constraints, but I will have to unconstrain my budget for something more non-toyish.
Good thing to have for a night owl living in an apartment like me. This definitely won't wake up my neighbors.
is this the same mini amp jack black use in school of rock..
No idea. I never saw the movie, sorry.
Yup :"). The one he wears on his belt
of course
Negative, Jack Black used a Danelectro Honeytone N-10 mini amp. Those are utter crap also as I've ordered two and sent both back.
thats not correct
This thing is so cool , i look forward to playing this to a 200 man gig.
Just put a mic in front of it that goes into a pa system. Could be done.
@Jeff Watson /r/Woosh
May I ask sth?? suddenly my MS amp sounds really rough,actually just like a mixture of blast sounds ..does its battery happen to need a change??
Not a bad little amp. Its good if you want something affordable. I bought one for £30 and it was nice to buy. Now I've got a blackstar id core 10 amp and I love it.
Thanks Daniel!
Thank u. The clean tht gets crunchy help out A lot
Was thinking about getting one of these!
Its handy jammin with friends on acoustic or bass is my belief, thanks for sharing. i SUBSCRIBED
I need help here, it sounds acoustic on normal channel, ok? But when I go to over drive and it’s supposed to have a distortion tone, it is acoustic, any idea why?
My fiance' gave me one of these Marshall Micro Stack amps for my birthday a couple years ago. The cleans are still dirty no matter what you do, but if you roll everything to 10 it has a nice AC-DC sound to it. Also, if you put it in a box it sounds pretty cool. I already knew that it wasn't going to sound like a million $$$. It's everything I wanted in one of these little guys.
Thank you real information
good review brother I love this amp I have this amp
Paid a few dollars for mine at a goodwill store it very nice sounding just take the output and plug it into your amp and it makes a very nice distortion pedal.
Holy shit i wish there were amps at my goodwill
Is it possible to use this mini amp for other instruments than the electric guitar? For example electric violin. I read somewhere that it's only for electric guitars
Wow! That's the tone I've been searching for! That belt bracket rattle is just awesome man! That's it, Bye Bye Mesa Boogie Triaxis!
Amazing! I want one!
i ordered one, im curious if i can tune it to more watts with some very high quality speaker putting inside, i also going to ad some weight i think, because it looks very cheap lightweight, that i dont know yet offcourse
Testing the mini amp with some Sabbath... Classic.
That's sweet, think I'll go and order one
When the ants need to jam out lol
I like it. So convenient and have fun with the tiny combo amp.
I've got one at home and, in opposit to most others, i don't regret buying it, it sounds waaaay better than the first 15 watt gear4music amp i got with my first guitar, i don't think the video justifies the sound though.
i wanna buy this as a home decor, yay!
I have one of those. I like it. It has a very good sound for a small amp.
Nice vid. Is there a way to get more death metal sound with this? With some pedal or something like that?
Now i want one
Hi can you use microphones in the marshel ms 2r amp
i play the bass guitar. would it be ok if i plug in a bass guitar and use an ear phone to practice? i will apreciate your reply man. Thanks and more power to you.
I have been keeping this amp for over 20 years, had fixed noise of the nobs myself a year ago. You can't expect sound like a big amp but If you use this with Guitar Rig S/W or effect emulator or guitar effects, you can get what you expected like almost everything. If you turn on the highest volume in the house, your neighbor or housemate would complain.
Yeah, that's a very healthy assessment of what you can expect of this thing. Couldn't agree more.
Hi great video, maybe a stupid question but
Can you use it as a tablet/laptop speaker with a 3.5 Jack adapter , like a marshall Kilburn ?
What do you want for under $100? You idiots who even compare this to any other amps or the larger version your words are just useless. It's more of a novelty item and just cool to have!
I wouldn't phrase it that way, but I do agree with your general point that it doesn't make any sense to compare this device to a 'real' amp. It's like comparing a bicycle to a fully loaded sportscar.
It will sound better run into a 4x12.
The amp I use is about 100 dollars, it is 15 watts and it sounds great.
I can make a better amp DIY style for that price. caps and resistors, a 1W power amp IC, some transistors for an overdrive stage, a couple of pots and connectors, a 3 state switch, DONE! Under 20$. You can also put in that shitty speaker, it's like 2$, so who cares.
That's why many of us complain.
I'm considering just buying it so I can put it on my desk because it looks really cool.
Ulrich, Based on your review, I recently bought the VOX AC30.2 and am very pleased with it. I prefer it over the Marshall MS-2. Very helpful review. Thanks.
+Jonathan Hubbs Hey man, I'm glad you're happy with the AmPlug. I think they are both great devices but I too prefer the VOX.
it's perfect to pratice on the bed ... in the kitchen... it's nice just to have fun
this garbage belongs to the toilet
Kristóf Iglai haha
It's a small practice amp. What do you expect? Stop with the attitude.
That kinda amp is suited for camping or going to the park with your mates (hell knows I've done that many times).
And be ready to carry a backpack full of batteries.
Took my Les Paul to one of these, then ran it through my Fender BXR300. A great sound for rhythm guitar
I took out the super crappy 0.8 watt speaker and installed a speaker the same width with a 4x bigger magnet and a tiny foam rolled edge. I had to cut away part of the battery tray to get the case closed. I taped a layer of thin cardboard in the bottom of the battery tray to cover the hole with the - and + indicated. Everything fits and works perfectly. Sounds waaaaay better.
nice i was wondering the same, any chance you tell me wich speaker u used please? some reference
This is the best review! could get to know how cheap it is.
Black star makes a great micro amp really good tone
Would I be able to connect delay and flanger effect pedals to this?
Is it fine if i put distortion or multi fx in that amplifier?
I travel a lot with my family in our car so this is what i want to play on the road , idiots this for specefics clases great video bro
can i connect a guitar pedals on it? im planning to buy. appreciate ur reply. ty :)
Hey there, yes you can.
Do you think this amp would be good for something like an electric acoustic ukulele? Got a honeytone but it doesn't really have the quality that I want even for a small cheap mini amp
Hey there, I wish I could answer this but since I never tried that, I really don't know. I am sure that you can make it work, but the question is how it's gonna sound - and I have some doubts with regard to that.
The mini Marshall is great !
Can i use it for my acoustic guitar? Thanks for answer!
Hello ,great video but plz I need some help cause I'm a newbie! I just bought an electric guitar WASHBURN Sonamaster together with this amplifier and I cannot really understand the settings for the brutality/distortion of the sound..can anyone please help me??
Hi! I would to connect this Amp to external cabinet 1x12.
Is possibile made it front jack of headphone?
Max
Max, I never tried it myself, but I think with the right adapter it should actually work.
I wonder what would happen if this could be used as an almost tube screamer and if so what it would sound like
I bought one of these and it works good on my friends jazz bass
Thanks for sharing, Ajack!
For the a "key chain" ...its amazing
Ohhh 8:10 on the smoking on water riff that’s Little Marshall sounded good man , I got one twin stack with Gain back in 2006 on my Birthday, but the person who was given it me and it was the nicest gesture off him , he was blind drunk and he dropped it as he was going to handle it to me .... after that it won’t work with batteries at all , mine sound bloody awesome but only when switching on power device ... in which it sucks because it lost the coolness and functionality in in which is by the way on the mobility.... I’ve got a JCM900 twin channel 100 Watts wth this beat up old school quod box that used be used for P.A. hire at Bondi Rock shop in Bondi beach Australia, the former owner Ben told me it’s the loudest quod he had ever heard off ... I love Marshall and Orange .
Hello :) I am a beginner and I need some Amp I can practice at home with (just at home) and I need something that I can put in my bag, do you think this is ideal for me? Also for daily using.
sounds great. perfect for practice. r jam on a low volume
I need something portable and light so I can practice guitar in school for a school band. I can't be bringing 20w amps in cuz it won't fit in my locker and I carry loads of stuff to school anyways. Is this the answer to my problems?
I'm afraid, it's not, man. Sorry, wish I could tell you that this is all you need, but you need something with a little bit more juice to reasonably play in a band. That's just my honest opinion, others may disagree.
Get a headphone amp
Try the blackstar or a 15watt amp
Try a 7w combo amp man, that should be enough and it might sound good.
Blackstar LT-Echo 10 would be one answer. 20x20 cm and maybe 2 kilo around. perfect fit in a locker. it has delay and overdrive and can play louder than this Marshal. this Marshal is good for practice home where you cant play loud and noisy. Then the VOXMini 3 G2 is even noisier. and powerful enough for a band . it has many modulation possibilities and you can put even a mic. also the NUX has a mini with 15 W which is very similar to the VOX mini and is good and even less expensive . But the Blackstar is lightweight than the VOX
This is so cool
i have that amp, i saw it in a store and picked it up for my desk. i put it on top of my bluetooth speaker that i never use. its a decorative peice
Any good alternatives for a mini amp?
Its just a cheap practice amp for when you don't want to wake up the rest of the house. I have one next to my computer for late night riffing. Get over yourselves.
Exactly
Exactly the same, got both a mark V and a tiny terrors and those are obviously too noisy at night to be played on which is why I’m searching for this kind of practice toy
I'm using the mini ampiflier because my neighbors call the police when it's too loud lol
Thanks for this! I just want a cheap amp for practice mainly, I don't want anyone to hear me
I think it sounds good
I had one of these, I mean for what it is it's not too bad. Clip it on your belt and walk around picking. Decent crunch, but you can get pretty heavy feedback from the amount of gain needed to achieve pinch harmonic level.
i just picked one up for $13, clearance sale at a local shop, its going to sit on my desk, one day i might hook it up for something
Great Video 😉
I agree with most of the others here ...the sound isnt. comparable with a big marshall tube stack,but the characteristics of the mini amp go into the direction of a tube amp .
And for my little 9squaremeter room its perfect and loud enough for practicing .
Especially when you combine the ms2 with the Vox amplug via adapter cable as a booster ,there are great sounds possible 😉
Thanks Michael!
The only thing i do not like is that the battery gives up after 1-2hours full power ...but theres the option to use an external power supply 😉
Thanks for the review. Now I know mine is not broken (because it is impossible to create a clean sound with it...)
really sad, mine just dropped and stopped functioning, ive been so eager to get in and solder away as i know a cable came loose, but unfortunately, the ridiculously deep Philip screws are just a pain in the rear end to get to, and all of my screw drivers are short.... so until i get myself a good screw driver, i live on the memories of this beauty.
review of amp.
great little thing to be honest, i just use it battery powered, not cabled, and it still packs a mighty punch, i wouldn't recommend this for band or gig use, just practice or recording, this handles my bass perfectly, and once the over drive is flicked, its a loud sucker. hehe, just a shame that its not very practical physically, its lightweight means it will fall with small tugs from your cable, and unfortunately mine fell a bit too hard, so now lets wish me luck in my effort to repair this, yay.
Is it useful also for electric violin?
Does it works with bass?
I got one of those lol. You can strap if to your trouser pocket and walk around while playing so it's not that bad.
Best solid state amp I've ever heard LOL!
Can I raise a practical question at this point ? Are we gonna do Stonehenge tomorrow ?
Can you plug this into other speakers like this one?
Can we use pickup for that?
Great.......I always have likes towards these portable devices😁
this is probably a dumb question, but would one of these work for a bass?
what adaptor should i take for this one
This is impressive
Where can i get that little thing? I love it
Nice video man very cool toy so my qwestion is I like to cycle a lot but don't use headphones as I feel it blocks my sences wen I'm on the rd do you think this device would be usable if I was to plug my phone into it and play it though the speaker and attach it to my bike would I be able to hear my music or do u think the notice from out side would interfere. If you know of a simpler device that might be more more suited let me no and ile check out outher wise this one seems to be the best size. .thanks againe look forward to your fast reply :)
Hi Kenneth, honestly, I don't think this particular device is the most practical one for the purposes you described. While I don't know of any specific product, I am certain there are smaller, lighter and better sounding speaker devices to just play music from your phone. While this mini amp is small compared to a regular one, it is still too big - in my opinion - for using it the way you described.
You play guitar while you ride your bike?
no i ment to plug my phone in or my bike horn in to amplfie the sound
Will this work with acoustic guitar using a magnetic pickup? I'm looking forward to buy my first amp..
Do not buy this you will regret it so bad.This is just a joke not a some kind of great amplifier.Total garbage you can use this amp as decoration on your room.
Josip Balić thanks for the advice.. 👌🏻
I am a guitarist with my schools pep band and the director would like me to march with the band any suggestions for a portable amp that I can walk with
Hmmm, no, not really, sorry! I hope the others here who read this have some suggestions.
julian aguero take a look at the Blackstar Fly 3, it might suit your needs
Get a Roland Micro Cube Bass RX. I have one, and use it primarily for guitar. It's battery (AA batteries) or AC powered. It has four 4" speakers and five watts, but it is amazingly LOUD. It has built in reverb, echo, chorus, flange etc and has strap buttons for a guitar strap so it can be carried. BTW, it really sounds great with a Strat, Tele or Les Paul, and goes from clean to scream. Has a built in tuner, drum machine, aux input, many preamp models (all useable for guitar) and it's built rock-solid. It's not cheap, but it's worth every penny. Did I mention it's LOUD?
If I am not wrong it ha also a Overdrive feature, I had that mini amp 20 years ago
Is that available all over the countries?
Would this work for melodic death metal and melodic deathcore?
I have the ms4 full stack 2x 1w speakers 😂, it has 4 knobs gain, vol, tone, and on/off. Looks great with rock guitar miniatures
hehehe, yeah, I can see that!
I feel like somehow, somewhere down the line the quality of the capture/recording was overdriven, or maybe there was some digital distortion? Cause mine sounds absolutely great. Its amazing for demo's and just general guitar practice. Beyond that its like £30. I actually think you're getting what you pay for here. I do believe it sounds better, louder and more nuanced when plugged in with a mains supply (alternate to the 9V) battery. But yeh, its useful for me, and I'd recommend to all guitar players for practice.
I'm a bedroom guitarist...I don't intend on being a guitar god...I just love some famous solos and I want to play them...so should I buy it?
Maroof Ali do it Maroof! One year on, I’m still using it daily!
Great..does that m 2 has distortion?