Marshall Valvestate VS30R

[Brian Krashpad]

I can has for $120, w/new footswitch.

http://images.craigslist.org/3ne3m83o9ZZZZZZZZZ9310b234383baf511fe.jpg

I believe these are 30W, 2-channel, w/reverb, 1x10. Hybrid w/1 (pre-amp?) tube, maybe? I'm not looking to actually play out with it or even use it for recording or anything, just stick it in the corner of my bedroom at Casa Krashpad for noodling. Aside from a funky little cigarbox half-watt amp I pair with an equally funky 2x8 Fender cab (gutted combo), I don't have any little lightweight amps. If I get the Marshall, my son can use the cigarbox setup for his practising.

Anyone with any experience with these? Weigh in, por favor.

Gracias en advancia.

PS-- I just made up "en advancia" so if it's not real Espanol, lemme slide OK?

[Robert]

Might be okay for noodling. I tried these many years ago and I really hated them back then, but that doesn't really mean anything. Some people get good tones out of them so they can't be completely bad.

[Brian Krashpad]

Might be okay for noodling. I tried these many years ago and I really hated them back then, but that doesn't really mean anything. Some people get good tones out of them so they can't be completely bad.

I previously owned a 100W VS head that I picked up just for practices, I didn't particularly like the distortion channel sound but could get a usable tone by not turning the gain up much. The clean was pretty good. I only sold it to raise funds for something else and because I wasn't really using it.

[Blaze]

I had one of these while touring in France ,oh my god what a crap ...bad memories ...

[oldguy]

It sounds like you want it, Krashpad.........so I wouldn't try and talk you out of it, as I realize how much the economy depends on money circulating right now.;)
I do think you'd like a similar Vox or Fender better if you compared them side by side. The Valvetronix and Super Champ XD both sound better, IMO.
The 120 is about average for the Marshall, not a super bargain.
If it were me, I'd spend more and get more.............

[Brian Krashpad]

I had one of these while touring in France ,oh my god what a crap ...bad memories ...

You were trying to tour with a 30W solid state? :confused:

I'm just using as a bedroom practice amp.

[Blaze]

You were trying to tour with a 30W solid state? :confused:

I'm just using as a bedroom practice amp.

It was a one night stage amp rental at a weird outdoor festival ,the amp was a 100 watts but had no soul at all ...Rest of the tour i played on a Fender Super Twin,way better..

[markb]

I had a VS100 from the same series. Not a nice amp at all when you wound it up even through a closed back cabinet. The cleans were thin and clanky and the ODs were just fizzy with no real body. I didn't like the reverb much either. I have to say I'm not really a Marshall kind of guy though.

[TS808]

I had a Valvestate 80 watt some years back. It sounded best with humbuckers but pretty thin with single coils. It had two overdrive channels and I liked both actually for noodling around.

It was a fun amp and sounded pretty decent with the Les Paul I had. With my strats it was pretty thin though.

[SuperSwede]

The old Valvstate amps sound much better than the never VS amps imho...

[markb]

The old Valvstate amps sound much better than the never VS amps imho...

Yeah, I forgot to say that I bought that VS100 after playing an VS8080 from the first generation that I really liked. I thought that the second generation amps would be as good or better. Wrong!!

[Blaze]

Let s say that Marshalls are best in tube amp .

I had a 100watt Peavy Classic Chorus Stereo Solid state ,the best i ever tried..

[TS808]

The old Valvstate amps sound much better than the never VS amps imho...

The one I had I think was called the 8080??

[SuperSwede]

The one I had I think was called the 8080??

Yup thats one of the first Valvestates... you can read about them here http://www.marshallamps.com/heritage/valvestate_i/valvestate_i_01.asp

My absolute favorite solid state Marshall is the Lead 100 Mosfet which sounds absolutely killer... it doesnt have to use tubes to sound good to my ears..

http://www.gomusicstl.com/images/ma_mosfet.jpg

[sumitomo]

Those Lead 100 are cheap on e-bay!Sumi:D

[tunghaichuan]

Those Lead 100 are cheap on e-bay!Sumi:D

Those do sound pretty good for what they are. I've heard that they've had reliability issues, though.

I've always wanted to pick one up cheap and build a Marshall tube circuit into it. It would be a cool stealth amp.

tung

[SuperSwede]

Theres something magic about Mosfets... I played the Fulldrive 2 Mosfet the other day and what a sweet sounding pedal!

[Duff49]

Brian,

I have a Valvestate VS30R mint contition, made in '96 I believe. Celestion speaker. Made in England. That's right, made in England.

I sold it to a kid in my son's band who's father was too cheap to buy him a gigging amp. He had the 5 or 10 watt mini Ibanez beginners pack amp and the kid is really good. I sold it to him for 75 dollars.

He just bought a B52 half stack and offered it back to me for the original price I sold it to him for. I paid him the same day before he sold it to someone else, he needed money.

I am really glad to have it back and missed it after selling it. It is mint and sounds great but I might put a new speaker in it because this one might be partly worn out. I'll have it checked first.

I'd say grab it quick. I see junk ones for twice the price and I got an exceptional deal on this mint one. Don't think everyone is going to get it for the 85 I paid. I talked the guy down and my wife knew him well and he knew I wanted a better amp.

It is cool.

I just bought a brand new Marshall bedroom amp, MG15CDR, awesome little amp. I would have liked to get the thirty watt version. It has a spring reverb and a closed back. The VS30R is open back.

I'd say go for it. I love mine and got a small newer type one.

If it is in mint condition like mine you will be doing good.

It is LOUD too. Really good sounding.


Hope this positive review helps. No BS man, I like this little ss amp and really like my new one as well, but the thirty watt valvestate is an awesome little amp, for what it's worth.

Duffy
Winfield, Pa.

[Brian Krashpad]

Thanks for the feedback guys. Looks like a moot point as the seller is flaking on me, haven't heard from him since last Friday.

I have a line on a 2x10 Crate GX-40C for $80.00 on Craigslist, which is a little bigger amp than I wanted but for the price is hard to beat. Plus it has a bunch of onboard effects. Though I don't usually use effects other than overdrive/distortion with my bands, I might use some in church for variety's sake.