Six years ago my beloved SWR Redhead died - up in smoke, not possible to fix, my other amps locked in in rehearshall rooms in a 100 km circle..... Either I could get me an amp, or I was f*cked.
I was, because we had a prestige gig in my hometown, and as the SWR blew up on Thursday, I had to get me a new amp until Saturday. Because I always have been a big combo-fan, but changed my mind totally the last few years, I looked around in the local stores, but there was no "good" combo at all. Some practising-amps, some beginner amps, nothing with an helpful amount of power.
So I found a Marshall MB 4410 in the last store, checked it out - and digged it! The amp is not compareable with the SWR Redhead, because it colours the sound in a heavy rocking, warm way.
You find two pre-channels, one solid state, one with a ECC83-Tube in the circuit and a blend-channel which mixes both pres.
The solid state section has a bass control semi-parametric mids an a knob for the high end. The comporessor is not the real deal, I don't use it. The tube-section comes with bass, 3-way-mid - selector and a 15 dB cut or boost-knob, and a high control. And a mixing-channel, where you can mix up the sound of the two pres, with its own volume knob. The mix-channel only has a panorama and a volume pot . Its enough to dial in every sound you like.
The solid-state pre is able to create fine clear, warm and punchy sounds, the tube pre is able to have lots of grid. Although there is a "drive".knob, there is no need to use it. The poweramp fires the combos 410'' cab @ 4 Ohms with 300 Watt. Adding another 4 @ cab will give you the full 450 Watt. The amp is 2-Ohm - stable. I use a Peavey TVX 410 for extension, the cab comes fine together with the Marshall cab.
Mostly I mix up both pre's, giving me a beautiful warm and clear sound with a good ammount of grid I can control with my picking. I am used to own and play much "better" amps GenzBenz GBE 1200, Markbass LM II or an Ampeg SVP Pro plus a poweramp. But the MB 4410 is a keeper. It stays in one of my three rehearshallrooms and does its job.
I thought about buying another MB 410''-cab, but I like the sound mixing up the 410''-combo with either a Peavey TVX 410 or a SWT Workingpro 212''.
Next one is a VBA 400. Short price-overview, prices in Germany:
Ampeg SVT Heritage CL = € 2.500,-- / SVT VR = € 2.160,-- / SVT CL = € 1.850,--
Marshall VBA 400 = € 1.800,-- / MB 450 head = € 399,--, a MBC 410''-cab is another € 399,--. My combo MB 4410 = € 740,--
The Marshall VBA is a rock-solid all valve-amp, and it is in the same league as all those others all-valve-amps are. They are different animals as, lets say, the Ampeg.line. But they are fine amps.
The budget-line Marshall MB is fine, versatile and a good bang for the buck. Versatile sound-shaping options, roadworthy and cheap. If a beginner is looking for an amp and all the others throw in Hartke LH 500 or HA 3500, maybe some lightweight amps, I am the man that waves the flag for the Marshall MBE-Series.
The much smaller MB 60 is a fine amp for rehearshall and small bar gigs. It blows my old GallienKrueger 200 MB out of the water, having the same pre section as the big brother MB 450h. I checked out some Fender Precision basses over the little cutie, stunning because of the massive sound it produces with one 12'' speaker.
