Love watching the old videos. It is fair to say that the Marshall MG is a much underrated amp. Yep other modelling or valve amps can be great, but the MG can still deliver amazing tones at a very sensible price.

Brilliant Dave, just the comparison I needed. Now I know what I’m looking for. Many thanks for this.

Mine is from 2009 (which this technically my Second MG100HFX). My first one was from around/built in 2003/2004. Remember taking back in a brand new Spider 2 Head w/ the FBV shortboard and instantly fell in love with the Marshall. Now the '09 model i have w/ the 4 button programmable footswitch, to me had that gnarly Marshall tone just they improved certain things on it. But!! I completely concur with you on the newer ones being lifeless haha 😄 😆 🤣 that's a guitarist term ONLY WE understand...great vid brother

When I was at music college we had a room full of Marshall MG half stacks. This was just when the new series of MGs came out, so most of the stacks were the old ones but 1 or 2 were new ones. When we first saw the new ones we all fought each other to play them, but once we realised how weak they sounded compared to the older ones we then turned to fighting to NOT be the one who had to play the new MG. The harshness doesn't even benefit genres you might think it benefits, for example I mostly play metal, and the older ones still sounded better for that.

Just got the Tone City Golden Plexi as always-on pedal for my CR120. They just match perfect together. I get a really nice cranked Marshall sound out of it + the Golden Plexi cuts the volume boost of the Boss DS-2. :-)

Very cool head cab

Old MG100HDFX is great, I play mine through a 4x12 with G12T-75's and it sounds superb. For what they cost now, I think they are unbeatable. Got mine with a 4x12 MG cab for £150 and it's mint. Swapped the MG speakers out for G12T-75's, all second hand and now have a very gig capable setup for around £250.00. I agree with you Dave, cannot speak too highly of the old MG100HDFX heads. BTW, the old G12T-75's sound better than the newer ones, if you can find some. The older ones have a black label on the back, the newer ones are black and white.

Gt 75 in the Marshall 1960 slant cab what I got from 1996 hard to beat. .. :)

Awesome ! The "master lead series "are my favorite Solid state versions by marshall ! Using different - better speakers proves to be a game changer ! Experimenting with different Speakers through the Orange cr120 would be very interesting too !

Just found a Marshall MG 100HDFX head..like i said i didn't realize how great these Amps really are until i played through a 2009 MG 100 FX..simply brilliant Amps..True Marshall power and Tone and they sound fantastic ran with a JCM900..SO i should get this older Model MG 100HDFX in a few days..

Hi Dave, Totally agreeing with you. I've had the new Marshall MG and had to replace it within a week with Fender Champion 40. feel much more at ease with the Fender have to say...

Damn you make it incredibly clear that the newer MG heads just don't have the same JF like tone compared to the 2004 version. Turns out the 2004 model is now incredibly difficult to find.

Got it through Guitar Center here in the States..its in great condition...

The older one really killed it, the new one sounds so lifeless to say the least, the old one sounded awesome

I own one of the carbon fiber models that I bought for our rehearsal space. I run it through an orange 2x12 with vintage 30s. I use the clean channel and run pedals through it and I'm actually much happier with it than I thought I would be. Maybe the OD channels aren't as great? Maybe the new ones are better as a clean pedal platform? Definitely don't get the combo version though.

Totally luv your channel, the highlight of my day, and yes, you can play the old willow! Do you drink too much coffee? 😬 I bought the HCFX, against your recommendation, more for the 100 watts, to pee off the neighours

That "down they-er" at 3:06 sounded decidedly American.

I've an MG DFX combo and I love it. The one with the conour knob. Our other guitarist got one of the new ones ages ago (of course better amps now), and it sounds awful. I still use my old MG for solo recording before anything else, even my 2 Randalls as it's so much more smooth, but the new MG, main point, is just bland and lacking in treble/mid definition. The mid knob does absolutely nothing. I also hate memory save amps. Let the knobs tell you what they're doing! Great comparison sir, haven't seen the old one as a head, and don't even really know how old they go, but my combo is at least 16 years old.

I bugs me how when I got a MG 100hdfx my friends said they sucked, having never played through one. I brought it to practice and blew them all to metal hades just using the OD 2 channel and my Mexican fat strat! Nice to see on your other video that you advocate the MG100hdfx! Great vid BTW some sick tones!

loving your videos so much! and anyway, you change the casing of the old MGs?? IT LOOKS BLOODY AWESOME!!

Hello Dave, thanks for this test ! From what I hear with my headphones, the two first channels are very similar but there is indeed a difference with the third (distortion) channel : - less middle (or more bass, more trebble) with the new MG which makes the whole less precise, less coherent as an instrument, somewhere less "in your face" than with the old MG. Clearly, I don't like the distortion channel (or its setting ?). Perhaps the new MG OD channels need some specific EQ adjustment (less bass, less trebble and more middle ...) for them to sound more like the old MG ? After reading the new MG 50 FX manual, the best way to do this in mode "preset" (which is the factory default mode) is to store the needed EQ settings for each channel so that when you switch again between channels the appropriate stored settings (and not the default ones which may be poorly adjusted) are recalled for the selected channel. Maybe that would get better results or maybe you have already done this and the new MG is indeed a disappointment ? Cheers.

Thanks Dave I'm thinkn bout ditching my one trick pony tube head and getting another mg for all the presets etc !!!!

How about a review of the Marshall DSL100H? Vs. the newer DSL100HR? Affordable tube models (less than 1K USD) made in Vietnam.

I have the New MG 100fx with 4x12 cab.. out of the box in factory preset mode they sound really off.. the trick with the new MG's is to run them in manual mode.. I dont know why they sound they way they do in preset mode but they're bad compared to manual mode.. once you run them in manual mode and set the eq right they actually sound real good. You can set them up to sound good.. I used mine in a live show, some of the other players couldnt believe it was a solid state. at the show I was running it through my 82' JCM800 4x12 with G65 Celestians.

I definitely liked the od on the combo, but overall the head sounded better.

Have you had a go with the newest versions yet, Dave? The 50watt looks interesting. I saw someone's video a few days ago and it seemed to respond really nicely to turning the guitar volume down, which in itself is a huge improvement on the 15watter (paint splat logo) I've got.

Would love this test done with a Gibson Les Paul

Hi guys, strange that MG2FX sounds really nice again. This one is just battery combo with only 6,5" speaker and no possibility to store any presets. But the sound is great again in all 4 channels, including all on board effects. Somehow they managed to remove the sound flaws, as this one was the latest of that series.

If I was using a Marshall jcm 900 cab and a combo amp would I plug my amp into the 4 ohn input and my guitar would go into the 16ohm input

Hello Dave, I have been following your videos for a few months and first of all I congratulate you on the quality of the content and your ability to play. I'm just starting out on the electric guitar. I am switching from acoustic to electric and I am choosing my first practice amp. What do you think about Marshall mg15fx and blackstar id core 20? Does blackstars work good? At the same price, the blackstar fascinates me more. What do you think about it? Thanks if you want to help me!

We ordered the Marshall mg 30wcfx silver version it's coming next Thursday

The new MG did sounded ok, but you can definitely feel (and hear) the better tone from the older MG and ok I may be biased as I absolutely love the older MG's having had an MG250DFX 2x12 stereo 50 watt combo and currently have an MG100DFX into a Marshall MG 4x12 cab. It always makes me laugh how many people dimiss MG's without ever playing through one or even hearing one. But if their ignorance keeps the prices down i'll be happy to buy more cheap MG's (old ones) :-) Another great vid Dave always enjoy them. Thanks

i got the new one problem 1 there are no separate volume gain controls to match the volume between channels problem 2 the light blink on clean crunch od 1 od 2 red or green produce sound to the speaker it sound on off like you turn on off a effect pedal anyway those blinking ligths are terrible like a christmas tree Mary Christmas ho ho ho i sen it back for a refund and i try to find an old one in the used market i found a 2 50 stereo what about it ?

Old has a much warmer full tone. The new one seems very bright and twangy. the Old has more of that real Marshall sound imo.

Dave, The amps look fantastic with the vintage head boxes. I HAVE TO KNOW... Where did you get the Plexi type head boxes for your HDFX chassis? I read below where you said that someone done it for you and I'm sure there will be some modification needed to make it fit, I just need to know what model amp(s) are those head boxes actually made for so I know which one to shop for? (IOWs, are they "Large Box" for JTM, or "Small Box" for Plexi, or other? I appreciate any tips you can share, Thanks A Lot!

Hi Dave, I thought the new MG especially on the bridge pickup, sounded very shrill and thin. Definitely a better sound and feel from the old one.

Hey there Dave. I got my DS2 and Guvenor v2 couple of days ago. And i agree with you there awesome pedals. Could you let me know how you EQ the Guvenor? Oh and do you use the turbo mode on the ds 2 or the normal mode? Oh and the old marshall MG sounds better by a country mile and does not surprise me in the slightest.

I like the old one and also love how you fit old one into a Jtm head. Have you ever used a vs15r? It's an underrated combo used for years by Billy Gibbons but in a custom head into rack. I picked one up cheap and planning to swap speaker for either Celestion greenback 25 watts or an evh green back version 20 watt.

Hey Dave, have you ever tried a 1985 marshall lead 100 mosfet . ?

Chalk and Cheese. There is nothing like an old Marshall for sound quality. I use an MGFX 30 watt at home and have to kid myself it sounds okay. My very ancient Custom Sound Cub 30 gives a much better tone especially for blues if I can tolerate the pot crackle and valves playing up (note to self save up and get it serviced). Loved the Hendrix bits :-) .

Thank you so much for this video. Now I just need to decide what speaker to put on my MG30fx. Any sugestion?

hey Dave, i,m sure you know about the new line of the MGS which are the Gold series, what you think of their speakers? is there any improvements(any comparison to the voice of the world spkrs of orange cr 2015 models that we all agreed that they are awesome?, i,m thinking of adding the mg10 gold to my bedroom gear. please need your advice. cheers mate.

Normally I struggle to hear the difference; you tube makes it hard. However, this time the difference was clear. New one had little depth and sounded not nice.

they sound the same over youtube even on a nice speaker system like I have with 3 way 15" and a sub

Who did the re-housing on your MG heads? They look great!

Did you mount your old MG heads in those larger vintage style head cabinets or do they come that way?

Im trying to want to upgrade from the MG101FX, but I dont think the HDFX was any better. I like my valvestate VS30r but it doesnt have od1/2 and clean/crunch and its only 30 watts

Hi Dave I got myself MG100HDFX Combo with a 2004 serial number. Does this model have the MG speaker you talked about in this vid? Because it roars like a beast. A monster of an amp.

Hey Dave. Any thoughts on the MG 100DFX (from 2008)? Thoughts of MG 100DFX vs Peavey 112? And lastly do you know if they Orange Cr120 pairs nicely with the MG412B straight cabinet?

HEY DAVE! have you had a play on the BOSS KATANA? if not i would love to see/hear you do a demo of it.

Dave! Who's making the plexi cabs for tour MGs??? I know you've mentioned it in other videos, but I can't find it!

Hey Dave, I’m looking to buy my first ever Marshall Mg half stack, what should I go for? sadly the mg100 hdfx has been discontinued

Hi Dave, been watching you for a while and really think you bring something fresh. What's the actual name or serial number of the 'old' MG?

I prefer the newer MG 100 FX 2x12 I have one and most certainly prefer it over the the DSL Marshalls and the older MG'S

New one sounds a lot better to me!

I wanna get an MG in Plexi's style housing like this! Ahhh!!! :)

Hey Dave, have you tried the MG Gold series?

Hi Dave, talk about that re housing of the old mg, put in a plexit head

Do you think the new MG (combo) would sound better with a speaker upgrade?

Are all HDFX a safe bet being as how they are no longer made? How can you tell old vs. new MG?

I’ve got an old MG100dfx. But it has a US made eminence speaker in it? Brought it new in 05

I wonder if the Les Paul sucks as well on the new?

Daaaveeeee pleaaase, do "Second Walk" in your "How to play like JF" series.

at least for distortion I like the old one better edit: the old one really sounds more alive it's less idk kinda alive like you said, hard to describe with words ':D

How do you rig up that MG amp to your 4x12s cab??? Have code 50 that I want to attach to Marshall 4x12s cabinet and any assistant is appreciated.. Btw ... your sound is different between tubes vs digital. Ppl say sounds are identical I say 👎 they ain’t and tubes will consume your music soul and digital is just to listen 👂 at. I’m bouncing back to tube amp ASAP!!!

Marshall avt 150h... Dave needs one lol :)

the old mg which I have 100hdfx is very bass heavy I find, on clean did you have it dialled back and on new mg dialled right up, because the new does not give full frequencies most notable clean on neck, bass seems missing and mids seem to over the top

Yes, those newer MG series amps don't seem to have the balls of those older 2004 MG amps. I hate when an amp gets a certain reputation that just won't go away. The few that actually discover that these are decent amps, they will start to get snatched up. I am buying as many as I can. In fact, I'm selling all my other amps to buy these stupid MG amps. What can I say, you get so much bang for the buck. I paid $75 for a MG100DFX 1x12 combo. These sold for $500 brand new. That's a steal.

51st Anniversary!

Dave the lick you play at 3:30 , is that a Hendrix song....I recognise it from somewhere. A quick little lesson on this would be awesome.....but I know your busy,and everybody wants a lesson on this or that song. So no worries if you dont have time....just thought I'd have a shot in the dark. But would really like to know the name of the song....then find a shitty tab book..lol. It def helps having you guide us through a song. Some people on you tube are awful at teaching....but you explain things well and at a nice pace.

Hi Dave, first: I have not the best musical ears and I ran the video over my computer, no earphones. So: I do not hear that the New is worse. Partial it even sounded better to me. But I am no expert and if I would be in your room and hear it in the real sitaution it might be different. But could you do us a favor and make a short clip with the "shitty" speaker? The difficult thing is, that every thing (guitar or amp) you play sounds good. Only exception was the metal beast you once played. :-)

I see that guitar center has a bunch of cheap used MGs available. Does anyone know what year ranges are the good ones, is there any way to tell by looking at it or by calling the guitar center stores that are shipping these used ones? It seems like there are a lot available and for really low prices, online it seems these get so much hate yet its one of Dave's favorite amps and he makes them sound so good. I want to buy one but don't want to be very disappointed...

Would you rather recommend the Peavey Bandit Red Stripe or the Marshall MG100HDFX?

Where did you go to get your head modded to look like a plexi?

I have an old one (with Korean made cab!) and they are hard to beat! The new MG's suck it right in the pooter

Really shocked at how lifeless the new MG is......deff stick to your old MG heads.

:)

I've played an old mg and there is a difference, I don't know how it sounds thin

I dont get it. That does not look like any MG head i have ever seen, what year is that?

Another good cheaper marshal is the DSL SERIES. The 40c combo is a badass amp but its 500 bucks .....If you want a cheaper one they have lower wattage models...I havnt played a mg but knowvalot of guys start out on them but if you like them I KNOW they are awesome...

Firstly, you should call it "oldER vs newER" ;-). Secondly, yes, they sound different, and maybe even more so in your room - but nothing striking. But some commenters just need to learn to listen to what they hear, not what they (think they) know. But hey, who knows... maybe in this tiny frequency-spectrum their smartphone- or iPad-speakers reproduce, those amps really do sound completely different.

Can i come and buy one of your 'flexi' amps pleaseeee

the old is beyond better

Hello Dave!

Hey Dave did you know there are actually 2 versions of the older MG that you have? Im curious which one you have? The first gen, HDFX has a chrome fan grill and the fans were notorious to flake out and start making noises like a dead cow. The newer versions dont have the chrome fan grill and the fans are better built. I also heard the second gen has a different voicing? Do you know which version you have?

Did you hear about the new Hendrix album coming out???? 10 unreleased songs!!!!

Are you a heavy smoker Dave it always looks like a pub tap room on your vids.

Straight away, the new mg lacks the depth and warmth of the old one

Great comparison! Shame how crapy the new gear is, doesn't deserve the Marshall name.

Hi Dave you are right at all. I got an MG 15 gr and It hisses without any instrument connected. I can't go over 2 of volume if I want to play clean without noise. Nn pause is possibile. Can you Imagine the overdrive ? I had 3 Marshalls tube with no problems. This garbage made in Vietnam Is putting down Marshall name. How Can we make Them stop making this shit? Ciao from Italy. Thank you.

New mg sound bloody terrible. Clean was sterile and o/d just really really bad

BUT WHAT ABOUT THE EFFECTS COMPARISON!!!! : / THESE ARE EFFECTS AMPS! YOU HAVE TO DEMONSTRATE THE EFFECTS OF EACH OF THEM!

Point made, new sucks. I wonder why they fixed something that wasn't broken?