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Pros:
- Compact size
- Leaves feeling of tube amp
- Best for home practice
Cons:
- Does not have versatile features
When it comes to practice amps, it is always difficult to make a final decision. The majority of low-watt devices offer quite the same features and controls, thus, it is hard to determine which one to pick out. However, there are some amps that stand out in terms of body quality, price, and sound. Marshall MG10CF falls into that category. It has everything a decent practice amp should have and provides you with extreme simplicity. If you are considering purchasing one, keep on reading, because this article will discuss this device in-depth and give you all the useful information. Let’s cut to the chase and get started!
Features
Right off the bat, it can easily be said that MG10CF is not exactly packed with features. As you take your first look, you notice that everything is quite straightforward. However, this bad boy has certain gems that you might not come across that often, especially at this price point. It has two channels for your pristine and distorted signals, which makes it easier to work with your sounds. Additionally, it offers preset effects that can be reprogrammed and saved in the amp. This way you have the ability to create something unit and employ it whenever needed. MG10CF is equipped with one ¼” instrument and one 3.5mm auxiliary input (for your media player), as well as 3.5mm, emulated headphone output, which mutes the speaker and allows you to practice silently. This is a great feature for those, who do not want to wake up their kids or disturb the neighbors. And let’s not forget that this is a solid-state amp with one 6.5” speaker and 10 watts of power.
Controls
Marshall decided to go simple this time and the controls in here are nothing to write home about. However, they are still enough for shaping your tone and creating the desired sound. This is the case where simplicity is all it takes to take your game to a whole new level.
First comes the Clean Volume, which sets the level of the pristine signal this amp receives. This is particularly important when you have two channels: you want them both to be equally manageable. Then we have Channel switch, which allows you to choose between clean and overdrive channels and split your signal easily. It is followed with overdrive Gain and Volume. The former strengthens your signal and saturates it with drive, while the latter sets the level of the distorted sound. This way you have full control over the overdrive you create. Last but definitely not least, we have a Contour knob. This bad boy offers fine tuning and allows you to adjust the bass and treble in relation to your mids. For a 10-watt practice amp, MG10CF does quite a decent job, don’t you agree?
Marshall MG10CF Sound
And we have come to the most important parameter – the sound. You know how sometimes you are mesmerized with features, controls, the price and your whole face is brightened with excited grin, then you listen to the sound and that beautiful grin turns into an awkward cringe? Yeah, that has happened to me a lot too.
But, this is not the case with MG10CF. The sound it produces is just as elaborate as everything else we have already talked about. It has enough volume to practice with your band or at home, but not too much to be disturbing. The overdrive channel is where this amp shines. It has just the right amount of distortion, which can even go crazy if you turn the gain all the way up.
If you like the pristine sounds more, the clean channel will deliver the clearest tones. MG10CF can easily be paired with effects pedals if you are a bit more adventurous. One way or another, the sounds this amp can create are as good as you would expect from Marshall and that speaks volumes.
Conclusion
To conclude everything said above, MG10CF will be at your service whenever you need it. It has enough girth, power and volume to satisfy your practicing cravings. Plus, it offers Marshall’s signature tones that are hard to compete with. This bad boy will definitely help you in perfecting your sound and make everything as easy as falling off the log. And you will not have to break the bank to afford this one. I will not praise this unit anymore and leave the rest of the judgment to you. Try it out and see for yourself what you can get out of MG10CF. Good luck!
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