Ever want to take your electric guitar somewhere but hate lugging around your amp? Well the Marshall Micro Stack MS-2 Mini amp packs all the punch and tone of a Marshall half stack in a 14cmx11cmx6cm package. It sports the classic Marshall look yet is small enough to fit into your guitar case. The MS-2 includes 1-watt of raw output power, a volume knob, a tone knob, and a headphone output port. There is a switch for moving between clean and overdrive modes, but for independent gain control you’ll have to move up to the MS-4 full stack. The unit is powered by a single 9-volt battery and comes with a fancy belt clip.

There are three different versions of the amp available. All have the same technical specifications; the difference is in the look. The MS-2 has the standard Marshall look of white on black with a gold faceplate. The MS-2R is the same but bares a blood-red color. For a classic look the MS-2C is decorated with a checkered fret cloth and gold Marshall logo.

To sum up the features:

• 14cmx11cmx6cm size
• 1-watt output power
• Single tone knob for full treble to bass focus
• Single volume knob
• Switch for clean and overdriven
• Headphone jack
• Powered by a 9-volt battery
• 3 color schemes to choose from

For more power and a full stack look you can go with the MS-4. This amp also provides a gain control knob.

If it’s Marshall it’s usually black. Not the new Limited Edition DSL100SL Stack though. In response to artist and consumer requests for different colored amps Marshall has released this limited edition stack. In fact, it’s so limited there will only be 200 half stacks and 50 cabinets available in the US. This is the first time a modern Marshall amp has not had the signature gold faceplate since the Silver Jubilee models in 1987 when Marshall celebrated its 25 year anniversary.

The special edition amp includes a modified version of Marshall’s 100-watt Dual Super Lead head (JCM1960ASL) and straight (JCM1960BSL) cabinets. The set is running for about $2,599 USD.

The Spider II 212 is a model amp that has 12 different sounds. I have owned one for almost 2 years now and its great practice and jam amp. The Spider II sports 12 different amp models that give you the sound of popular amps by Marshall, Fender, and others. They allow you to change the sound of the amp for playing all sorts of different styles from rock, to blues, to metal. The amp also has 7 different effects including 3 delays, 3 echoes, and a reverb. Also, there is a built in tuner. While it’s pretty good for basic adjustments, I still like to use my box tuner for tuning. Finally the amp has 2 12″ speakers that pump out a loud 120W of sound.

Musician’s Friend reviews the amp and says “The Spider II’s 12 amp models are double the number on the original Spider, and they’re a very useful selection. From soft jazz to pounding power chords, you just turn one knob to access the right amp for the feeling you’re after. Six bicolored LEDs around the knob let you know which of the 12 models you’ve selected.”

“When you switch to a new amp model, the tone controls and effects are automatically set to the optimum setting to sound most like the amp in question. If you adjust one of the EQ knobs, it jumps to the value on the dial. This is cool because each of the amp models is like its own channel, accessible with the turn of a knob. One of my favorite features about this amp is that no combination of amp model, tone settings, and effects settings will swamp the voice of the guitar. The tone knob on the guitar still rules and the character of different guitars shines through clearly.”