Members Bear62 Posted January 25, 2008 Members Share Posted January 25, 2008 I know that the Marshall AVT amps do not get a lot of love here and I understand why as they are a bit pricey for the quality and features. However, I got a Marshall AVT50 combo amp off Ebay for $150. I first replaced the stock tube with a Groove Tube ECC83 and then I replaced the stock speaker with an Eminence Governor. IMHO, this improved the tonal qualities of the amp A LOT. I am not saying it is as good as a JCM or DSL, but for practice and small gigs, it is a pretty decent amp. Also, it does not get any where near as muddy with the volume and gained turned up as it did before my mods. With that said, I would not be as happy if I had to pay the full price ($499) and then invest another $90 or so to make it sound decent. Anyone else have any similar positive experiences with the Marshall AVT series? Dennis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members almightycrunch Posted January 25, 2008 Members Share Posted January 25, 2008 Nope, basically no positive experiences with the AVT. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members RJofGreatness Posted January 25, 2008 Members Share Posted January 25, 2008 i still hate myself for being suckered by guitar center salespeople into buying a new Marshall Avt150 halfstack. i lost almost 700 bucks getting rid of it. overall, bad experience, nothing good besides impressive guitar noob friends. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members candh Posted January 25, 2008 Members Share Posted January 25, 2008 No love!! They are junk....BUT it does have an effects loop SO you can use it for a cheap dry/wet rig with a better amp supplying the dry tone. Try it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members johnwilliam23 Posted January 25, 2008 Members Share Posted January 25, 2008 Only way I got my avt100 to sound ok and be loud enough to jam in a band was to put a proco rat in front of it... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members nitrous2400 Posted January 25, 2008 Members Share Posted January 25, 2008 i have a avt150h its not terrible its good for a beginner amp but you need run alot through the fx loop to make it sound decent i use it when a friend comes over to write stuff so u have two amps goin at the same time ... and i sumtimes i di it with the emmulated out when im too lazy to mic stuff lol im pretty sure by next year its gonna be gettin sold tho lmao Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members TomCTC Posted January 25, 2008 Members Share Posted January 25, 2008 I wanted one when I was around 15. That's all I can say positively about them. I think I even still have an HC review of one that I typed up when I used to come here years and years and years ago. haha. The 4x12s especially suck teh balls, but I'm glad you like your little combo. $150 is a decent price. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members TomCTC Posted January 25, 2008 Members Share Posted January 25, 2008 Bahaha! Found it, cause I'm that bored and decided to Google. Product: Marshall VS2000 AVT150H HeadPrice Paid: $999 (Canadian)Submitted 09/30/2001 at 01:00pm by Tom VanDevenFeatures : 10A quad-super lead? This amp is truly a breakthrough for solid-state guitar amps that not only sound and feel good to the player, but are within a very affordable price range (unlike the Line 6/Mesa heads everyone is comparing this to). I'm sure you probably know what this amp has from reading the other reviews, and its truly a versatile combination of features that should please any style of guitaristSound Quality : 9At the moment, I'm playing a new Fender USA Stratocaster with 3 single coils. Everything about this guitar comes alive with this amp, from the shimmering sound of the AVT's clean channel that stayed tight at high volumes, the spank and clank of the Acoustic Simulator (works very well with the neck pickup), to old-school driving distortion through AVT's OD1, and the opposite, with full-out, scooped distortion fury that will make any nu-metaler scream with delight. THe disortion in particular is a fine-point of any amp, and AVT passes the test beutifully. It cleans up when the guitar volume is rolled off, which is a treat for any blues virtuoso. I play alot of Incubus, and songs off the new "Morning View" album can be perfectly captured through any one the AVT's 4 channels (and yes, Incubus does use the Mesa Rectifier Amps) Even the effects section, which boasts several reverbs, delays, chorus, flange, and many combinations of the two, is needless to say very versitile for amp-based effects, yet the quality of some of the effects is a little poor with the distortion channels. Needless to say, this amp is very toneful and will provide anyone, from blues greats to rockers, with enough of anything to keep them smiling.Reliability : 10Though only having this amp for about a month and a half, it has withstood almost a year in the music store showroom, and I wouldnt be surprised if it lasted me above and beyond when Marshall will make another Valvestate amp (which if its as good as this, I would probably buy too). And another smart thing about this amp is the solid-state way of not having to replace and replace tubes. Sure, it may have one ECC83 (12AX7) pre-amp valve, but the convenience of not having to re-tube and re-bias your amp is worth the price of admission by itself.Customer Support : No OpinionHaven't had to deal with Marshall about anything and probably never will have toOverall Rating : 10Overall, this amp answers any guitarist's dream of making the music that you hear in your head come out of the speakers. You want the clean country spank? Its got it. Howabout warm, jazzy overdrive? You'll find it here. But must not we forget the gut-wrenching distortion? Oh, theres plently to be found here. For a lower-priced amp with a truckload of features, the AVT150H cannot be touched. Wow, I have been coming here for 7 years. Yikes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members satannica Posted January 25, 2008 Members Share Posted January 25, 2008 Only positive I ever had about my AVT150 combo (which I had back in uni) was seeing the poor sucker who bought it off me drive his ass home! I put it up on yahoo sales for the same price I got it for and someone called that night asking me how I could do it so much cheaper than the RRP............ I did feel bad - for a minute. Then remembered the amount of sheer awesome gear I had let go for hundreds less than I bought it for. Some ya win, some ya lose Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Neilrocks25 Posted January 25, 2008 Members Share Posted January 25, 2008 Yeah I sold mine after 2 weeks. I was hoping it might be a little like my old 8080 combo. But no a fuzzy piece of {censored} it was Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Valtyr Posted January 25, 2008 Members Share Posted January 25, 2008 I had an AVT20, the stock speaker did that amp no favors. I connected it to a Crate bass cab with a 15 inch EV speaker and the amp sounded much smoother. Even with a different speaker, that amp wasn't versatile. I sold it within a year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members duncan Posted January 25, 2008 Members Share Posted January 25, 2008 i think the most popular mod is the "flip" mod. its where you sell it and buy a DSL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members jnmartin Posted January 25, 2008 Members Share Posted January 25, 2008 do they sound good enough for low volume bedroom rockin? or are the spiders or other modelling gizmos better for that cause i really need a new practice amp Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Erock503 Posted January 25, 2008 Members Share Posted January 25, 2008 I was hoping it might be a little like my old 8080 combo. But no a fuzzy piece of shit it was haha, that's exactly why I bought my AVT100, lol. What a major letdown. OP, no positives IME, although $150 is still a deal. I'm sure it can sound decent with the upgrades you've done. With the price you paid, you can still flip it and make your loot back, which is definitely a positive. Just hold on to the old parts you replaced in case you go that direction at some point. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members satannica Posted January 25, 2008 Members Share Posted January 25, 2008 There was a Hiwatt combo at our old rehearsal spot, fairly new looking. I dunno the model number, but it was a 1x12, i believe ss or at least hybrid. If I was buying a home practise combo, that would be it! If money is tight, go for the Kustom KBAs They are superb value for the money. There are FAR better offerings out there that the AVT. In fact, a guitar lead shoved up a cat arsehole makes a better sound than an AVT! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members SLfreak Posted January 25, 2008 Members Share Posted January 25, 2008 My AVT20 was mediocre at best compared to small, affordable tube combos in the same range (for example, Laney LC15 > AVT20). I put a fairly new JJ in the preamp tube, it didn't do much at all except remove a sliver of harshness, only detectable at mid-volume or higher (low volume still sucked). Plugging it in to my 4x12 improved it about a million times and I used it for a couple of jams that way before it started making continuous popping sounds. If I could get an AVT50 combo with footswitch for next to nothing I might do it but simple fact is there is a lot of room for improvement. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Jerseyboy62 Posted January 25, 2008 Members Share Posted January 25, 2008 Only way I got my avt100 to sound ok and be loud enough to jam in a band was to put a proco rat in front of it... I +1 with you here. I have the AVT 100 combo. Mine sounds smuch better with my pedals in front. I liked it at first, but I think it was GAS. The clean tone is just so flat. The one dirt channel is ok for the music I play, which is classic rock. I don't care for OD-2 because its more of a metal type channel, "good or bad" for metal? Probably not good- I just don't know or care. I so hate the "scoop" sound though It's WAAAY too much amp for me anyway. The low volume from OD 1 and clean at first was okay, but when I really tried to dial in sounds and tones, it just didn't cut it. It's just too flat overall. I do not feel suckered in any way since I bought it at GC used for about $325. I got the amp and a new footswitch which was not intially included, I talked the mgr down about $50-75 (they were asking 375 or 399 I forget) and then made him throw in the footswitch. For a HS or college age band who do basement jams, battle of the bands and such it really is okay I suppose. Its freakin loud! But I'm not a kid by any means and have not been for over 25 years. For me to play with guys in small venues, nyet. I wanted to love this amp but I just can't. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members MaximumMetal Posted January 25, 2008 Members Share Posted January 25, 2008 AVT's suck {censored}. I bought one because my buddy in middle school had a Marshall, so in turn I had to get a Marshall. I got the AVT275 combo, and back then the the higher the watts = the better amp, so a 275 watt amp kicked ass (I later realized it wasn't really 275 watts). I had that amp for probably 2 years and sold it for my 8100. I got it for about $450 and after trying to sell it for about 2 months (including one potential buyer who almost got away with scamming me) I got rid of it for $400. Recently (as in last week) I figured maybe my buddy's AVT150 stack might sound OK with a boost and needless to say it was still really, really {censored}ty. I used to like the effects for clean tones and now even the effects sound like crap to me. That amp is such a ripoff, and so many stupid kids end up buying it. Like my other friend, who had an Ibanez toneblaster stack (which he got to match his Ibanez RG) got the new AVTx stack or whatever the hell they call them now, and that amp sucks just as much, and he is retarded for buying at after how much I complained about them. But his source of tone comes from a Metal Master pedal, so that tells you how much he knows about good tone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Oops-A-Paisley Posted January 25, 2008 Members Share Posted January 25, 2008 clanky indistinct muffled sounding garbage, for maximum enjoyment burn it or throw it off a cliff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ***1776*** Posted January 25, 2008 Members Share Posted January 25, 2008 I think that there are different Marshall AVT's and people get them mixed up. I DONT LIKE the AVT150 head, very very sterile and thin sounding IMO :poke: The Valvestate 2000 series have alot warmer and better tone than the the non 2000 series. Also the amps that have effects in them dont sound as nice as the regular AVT 2000. IMO. I tried the 20's and 50 combos (again no effects, just simple EQ knobs) and they are decent lil amps that can give you a solid Marshall ratty type distortion. Im sure changing the stock speaker and 12AX7 would help alot. I have a AVT 20 and i plug into my Vox 2X12 with neo-dog speakers and it sounds very good! Good bang 4 the buck Marshall tones! Sounds 'ok' just a lil practice amp but ALOT BETTER when it runs through the upgraded 2X12 speakers! For $200-$300 bucks these are pretty good amps and ALOT better than the shitty MG series and other valvestates Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members paranormal5150 Posted January 25, 2008 Members Share Posted January 25, 2008 I thought the AVT was solid state and was the valvestate? where have I been? lol I've been thinking this whole time they were solid state. But dude just said he replaced the tube in it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members paranormal5150 Posted January 25, 2008 Members Share Posted January 25, 2008 I'm not sure which one i had... but when i was younger I had one. It was the biggest one in combo version. Remember it has like 4 channels, fx loop, built in fx, footswitch. It was a valvestate. I remember mowing yards and working my ass off for it. It cost me 900 bucks. For a combo that wasnt even tube. But being like 13 or 14 I knew no better. I sold it for 250 bucks when I was like 18. A lot of kids just dont know what to get and get them because it says marshall on them. Its good to see tube amps back in a big way because back then I remember solid state was really popular. Every local band here had solid states. Even the bigger ones. Now i dont see that anymore. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members jnmartin Posted January 25, 2008 Members Share Posted January 25, 2008 avt has one tube in it, just like the old vs series Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Jerseyboy62 Posted January 25, 2008 Members Share Posted January 25, 2008 FWIW, mine is a Valvestate 2000 series AVT100 Combo, with the DFX. Most of which are kinda lame. Some of the reverbs are ok, though. I think that there are different Marshall AVT's and people get them mixed up. I DONT LIKE the AVT150 head, very very sterile and thin sounding IMO :poke: The Valvestate 2000 series have alot warmer and better tone than the the non 2000 series. Also the amps that have effects in them dont sound as nice as the regular AVT 2000. IMO. I tried the 20's and 50 combos (again no effects, just simple EQ knobs) and they are decent lil amps that can give you a solid Marshall ratty type distortion. Im sure changing the stock speaker and 12AX7 would help alot. I have a AVT 20 and i plug into my Vox 2X12 with neo-dog speakers and it sounds very good! Good bang 4 the buck Marshall tones! Sounds 'ok' just a lil practice amp but ALOT BETTER when it runs through the upgraded 2X12 speakers! For $200-$300 bucks these are pretty good amps and ALOT better than the shitty MG series and other valvestates Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members paranormal5150 Posted January 25, 2008 Members Share Posted January 25, 2008 mine might have had a tube in it. If it was where you can't see it then I dont know. I never looked. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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