Marshall vs...Marshall?!

[Cranium]

Hey guys, today (actually more like 2 days ago) I found some sweet deals on some Marshall amps, I found the Marshall Valvestate 100 (yes yes I know people say they suck but I actually played one and it sounds like a true tube amp to me, seriously) anyway the Valvestate 100 is being sold for... *gasp* (hehe) $270! Oh my, that is cheap considering it is in very good condition and new it costs $600+ at MF.

The second one is a pretty old amp but the name is so cool and the price is so low I could not resist! Its a Marshall 1987 Master Lead Combo, its a SS not a hybrid like the Valvestate but I bet it sounds sweet, there is no exact specs on the site so I sent them an email but I read some review's and usually it comes with one 12" G12M in most review's (I think) and its $200! (man what a great day), anyway I just wanted to get your opinions guys on which one I should get, I myself am thinking to go the Master Lead Combo because of the nice speaker and its cheaper plus its not 100w, the valvestate might be too loud for home use considering it has a tube like behaviour so it sounds better cranked, ok I'll stop mumbling now, what do you guys think?

[TS808]

It had to be the early 90's I'm guessing and I had an 80-watt Valvestate that I bought with a Les Paul studio. The amp sounded great with the LP but thin with my strats. I really liked the two overdrive channels on that amp, and like I said, with a Les Paul, the amp sounded very good.

If it sounds good for that price, grab it for sure. Too often we get hung up on "because it's a hybrid, or because it's a (name a brand)"...if it gives you the tone you're looking for, that's what matters.

I've owned some solid states over the years that sounded alot better than some of the tube amps I've owned. A good example was a Roland Blues Cube 60 310.
If it sounds good, why not?

[oldguy]

Cranium, I've had good luck w/ the tube Marshalls, but I've never played straight into a ss or valvestate that sounded as good. BUT, I've had really good sounds come from valvestates, ss peavy's, fender's, and hybrid Marshalls by simply putting some good quality pedals in front of them. My pedal collection has kinda dwindled away since my tube amp collection has gone up, but good pedals can make a BIG difference, IMO. If the amp is a bargain, maybe you could afford a Fulltone and a Holy Grail?

[Spudman***]

I've jammed with guys that had those amps or a version of them and they sounded good.

I'd say try them turned up and turn your guitar down to see what that sounds like. Play for a while then gradually turn up the guitar incrementally and play until you are at max volume on the guitar. The reason I'm saying this is that it should give you a good feel of the touch dynamics of the amp by doing it. That is an important characteristic of an amp in my opinion.

I was actually surprised by how good those amps sounded. I didn't get to plug into either myself and the players using them are not that experienced to tell me what was good or not about the amp, but my ears noticed that their sound was definitely not sucky.

Go with which one sounds best and most importantly feels best. If you are planning to gig then getting an amp you like that will cut through and not get buried is a great deal under $300. Important also to consider is how long do you plan to keep it?

[Cranium]

Aright guys, I decided to go with the Master Lead combo for a few reasons...

1) The Valvestate at 100w is too much for me but this one is 30w (I think)
2) Its supposed to be the little brother of JCM800 but in solid-state version
3) Nice Celestion speaker in it
4) Its somewhat of a vintage amp (almost 20 years old) so its going to be my first piece of vintage gear and its lower priced then the Valvestate 100, besides if I’m going to get a Marshall that has tubes in it might as well save for a real tube Marshall.

[Tone2TheBone]

Cranium - Does it have the Master Lead designation in script on the face of the plate? Is it a gold faced combo from the 80s? Single 12 inch Celestion? If so it's a good little amp I used to have one. 30 watts as you described. If its the same amp it sounds very cool cranked all the way up. Has a nice distortion to it for being SS...reminded me of EVH's sound. Take pics and post it here I want to see if it is the same amp or not...I can't remember the model number.

[Cranium]

I will post some after I get some but the lazy bastards at the store haven't answered my emails! I might have to call them or maybe I will go there, its only about 3-4 hours driving...