Impressions of a year with the MT15.
Reliability
The first one I got had a faulty standby switch and lots of hum in the FX loop. Returned it and received a second one which so far has been reliable.
The FX loop hum issue
I’ve found that (like a single coil pickup) the potential for loop hum is just there with this amp, but I’ve always managed to make it go away. Just throwing a pedal on top of the MT15 or directly besides it and hooking it up means hum. In contrast, good cables with straight jacks moving horizontally away from the amp in a straight line seem to work best, i.e. by putting my pedals on a table or a beer crate about 2 feet behind the amp. When using patch cables with angled jacks or if the pedal has to sit on top of the amp or besides it, then to find the sweet spot I move around the pedal and both cables with the amp switched on. Carefully positioning the cables relative to the amp and its mains cord really makes a big difference and if necessary I use some tape or tie-wraps to secure them. At first it was a hassle but by now I can do it in a minute. It doesn’t bother me anymore, because I can quickly make the hum go away.
Clean sound and pedal platform
The amp’s clean sound was its main selling point for me. Sweet, chimey, articulate and punchy. The controls are really effective to bring out the best in a guitar and most of the time putting them all at noon will work fine. With hollow body guitars and archtops I may need to fiddle around a bit, but with most solid body instruments noon will do. The channel’s bass response changes when switching the amp to 7 Watt mode; it becomes less thumpy.
The clean-boost function is something that I rarely use. Haven’t been able to find a good use for it yet.
Love the way the amp takes pedals through the clean channel!
Dirty sound
At bedroom volumes the bass respons of the drive channel is flimsy compared to the robust lows of the clean channel, so for dirt I really prefer the 15 Watt setting. Turning up the master increases the bass response of the drive channel but also rearranges my internal organs so I guess it’s the age-old question of finding a compromise between tone and volume (but that’s what I grew up on). I prefer to use my favorite drive pedal into the clean channel, but when judged on its own the MT15’s drive channel is excellent. It cuts through without being harsh, responds well to dynamics and the guitar’s volume control and sounds great with a variety of guitars. Powerful, articulate, transparent and creamy is how I’d put it. Of course it’s a modern high-gain channel by design and should not be compared to (say) a plexi or a JCM800. I use an Ernie Ball volume pedal that doubles as a boost to navigate the gain and it’s a trip.
Volume taper
The clean channel can be easily dialed in at any volume. As has been widely noted, on the dirty channel the master is jumpy and the amp might melt your face if you’re not careful. Everyone who grew up on Marshalls will be used to this. The more gainy a channel is, the harder it becomes to make the master turn up gradually. I saw a vid where Tremonti explained that in fact this is the final point that’s holding up the MT100. Anyway, I can get the amp to sound good at the levels I require. A delicate touch will go a long way.
7 Watt / 15 Watt
The 7 Watt setting has its own mojo going and changes much more than just volume. I use it a lot with jazz boxes to clean up some low-end boominess. Very pleased that the amp has this option.
The bang and the buck
I don’t hear the MT15’s price point. What I hear is a really nice amp, regardless of price point. I can live with the master volume taper and I can get the loop to behave, although with a bit of fiddling around. Love what the clean channel does to my favorite drive pedal. Love the versatility and 7W/15W option. I was bummed that the first one I got was faulty but I really like the one I have now. I’d buy it again.
Reliability
The first one I got had a faulty standby switch and lots of hum in the FX loop. Returned it and received a second one which so far has been reliable.
The FX loop hum issue
I’ve found that (like a single coil pickup) the potential for loop hum is just there with this amp, but I’ve always managed to make it go away. Just throwing a pedal on top of the MT15 or directly besides it and hooking it up means hum. In contrast, good cables with straight jacks moving horizontally away from the amp in a straight line seem to work best, i.e. by putting my pedals on a table or a beer crate about 2 feet behind the amp. When using patch cables with angled jacks or if the pedal has to sit on top of the amp or besides it, then to find the sweet spot I move around the pedal and both cables with the amp switched on. Carefully positioning the cables relative to the amp and its mains cord really makes a big difference and if necessary I use some tape or tie-wraps to secure them. At first it was a hassle but by now I can do it in a minute. It doesn’t bother me anymore, because I can quickly make the hum go away.
Clean sound and pedal platform
The amp’s clean sound was its main selling point for me. Sweet, chimey, articulate and punchy. The controls are really effective to bring out the best in a guitar and most of the time putting them all at noon will work fine. With hollow body guitars and archtops I may need to fiddle around a bit, but with most solid body instruments noon will do. The channel’s bass response changes when switching the amp to 7 Watt mode; it becomes less thumpy.
The clean-boost function is something that I rarely use. Haven’t been able to find a good use for it yet.
Love the way the amp takes pedals through the clean channel!
Dirty sound
At bedroom volumes the bass respons of the drive channel is flimsy compared to the robust lows of the clean channel, so for dirt I really prefer the 15 Watt setting. Turning up the master increases the bass response of the drive channel but also rearranges my internal organs so I guess it’s the age-old question of finding a compromise between tone and volume (but that’s what I grew up on). I prefer to use my favorite drive pedal into the clean channel, but when judged on its own the MT15’s drive channel is excellent. It cuts through without being harsh, responds well to dynamics and the guitar’s volume control and sounds great with a variety of guitars. Powerful, articulate, transparent and creamy is how I’d put it. Of course it’s a modern high-gain channel by design and should not be compared to (say) a plexi or a JCM800. I use an Ernie Ball volume pedal that doubles as a boost to navigate the gain and it’s a trip.
Volume taper
The clean channel can be easily dialed in at any volume. As has been widely noted, on the dirty channel the master is jumpy and the amp might melt your face if you’re not careful. Everyone who grew up on Marshalls will be used to this. The more gainy a channel is, the harder it becomes to make the master turn up gradually. I saw a vid where Tremonti explained that in fact this is the final point that’s holding up the MT100. Anyway, I can get the amp to sound good at the levels I require. A delicate touch will go a long way.
7 Watt / 15 Watt
The 7 Watt setting has its own mojo going and changes much more than just volume. I use it a lot with jazz boxes to clean up some low-end boominess. Very pleased that the amp has this option.
The bang and the buck
I don’t hear the MT15’s price point. What I hear is a really nice amp, regardless of price point. I can live with the master volume taper and I can get the loop to behave, although with a bit of fiddling around. Love what the clean channel does to my favorite drive pedal. Love the versatility and 7W/15W option. I was bummed that the first one I got was faulty but I really like the one I have now. I’d buy it again.