If you’ve spent any time in the world of guitars you’ll have found it hard to miss the name Marshall. This British company has been producing great quality amplifiers and other audio products for nearly 60 years now. Today though, we’re going to be looking at the best combo amps in their range.
Our top choice is the Marshall Origin 50C (M-ORI50C-U) for its perfect balance between performance and reasonable price point. We think this amp would be ideal for almost anyone who’s looking to pick up their first serious amplifier.
Table of Contents
Marshall Combo Amps We Recommend
| Image | Marshall Combo Amps | Type | Number of channels | Speaker size | Weight |
 | Our Pick $899.99 at Amazon | Tube | 1 | 12" | 40 lbs |
 | $299.99 at Amazon | Solid state | 4 | 10" | 24 lbs |
 | $229.99 at Amazon | Solid state | 4 | 8" | 16.3 lbs |
 | $344.99 at Amazon | Digital | 1 | 10" | 13 lbs |
 | $1,949.99 at Amazon | Tube | 2 | 12" | 42 lbs |
Marshall Guitar Combo Amplifier (M-MG15GFX-U)
Type: Solid state
Number of channels: 4
Speaker size: 8″
Weight: 16.3 lbs
What’s good: Super portable size, Lots of options to create great sounds
Not so good: The small speaker might lack performance for some people
The Marshall M-MG15GFX-U is a compact lightweight combo amplifier designed with portability in mind. It’s priced reasonably and presents an excellent value proposition for anyone who’s just starting to get into guitar, or someone who only owns big heavy amps that they struggle to move around.
This amplifier features four channels with options to deliver crunchy, clean OD1, and OD2 sound. tri-band tone control allows you to tune the amplifier and sculpt the exact tone you’re looking for. There’s also a wide range of digital FX that includes a phaser, flanger, chorus, reverb, octave, and delay. When you combine all of these elements you can create some really interesting and unique sounds with this amp.
Because this little amp only weighs around 16lbs it’s incredibly portable. It’s perfect for taking on the road to smaller shows, busking, or just as a travel-friendly option for a budding musician.
When it comes to connectivity you’re looking at one 1/4″ jack input, one 3.5mm aux input, one 3.5mm jack headphone output, and a connector for a foot controller.
Durability wise, this has the same tried and true Marshall builds quality that you’d expect. It’s well made and should last a long time even under heavy use.
Marshall Combo Amp (M-MG30GFX-U)
Type: Solid state
Number of channels: 4
Speaker size: 10″
Weight: 24 lbs
What’s good: Great sounding speaker, Loads of FX to choose from
Not so good: It’s still small but the weight and size make portability a little tougher
The Marshall M-MG30GFX-U is the bigger brother of the M-MG15GFX-U we just looked at. It’s a similar 4-channel combo amp but it’s a bit bigger and packs in a larger 10″ speaker.
You get all the same goodies as the previous model. Those sweet four channels with crunch, clean, OD1, and OD2 options really benefit from the extra heft the improved speaker offers. The tri-band tone sculpting options are obviously incredibly important and we’re glad to see they’re also included. We think the digital FX options really shine with the 10″ speaker, and you’ll get all the flanger, reverb, delay, chorus, octave, and phaser sound effects.
Inputs and outputs wise you’re going to get one 1/4″ jack input, one 3.5mm aux input, one 3.5mm jack headphone output, and a connector for a foot controller.
Weight-wise we’re looking at an amp that’s a little heavier at 24 lbs, but still very portable in the right hands. The extra size and heft might be enough to put you off carrying it around by hand, but you can still take it to a lot of places in a car with ease.
Bigger doesn’t mean any less durable and the M-MG30GFX-U benefits from the same great quality as its little brother.
Marshall Code 25 Amplifier
Type: Digital
Number of channels: 1
Speaker size: 10″
Weight: 13 lbs
What’s good: Huge number of included presets, Remote control via smartphone Bluetooth connection
Not so good: Digital amps lack some of the characters of their analog brethren
Looking for an amp with a bit more technology to play with? The Code 25 amplifier could just be the choice for you. This miniature amp packs in a lot of punch for its size and price.
The main selling point of this amplifier is the huge number of effects available. It’s got 100 fully adjustable preset options right out of the box. There are models for 14 different preamps, 4 power amps, 8 loudspeakers, and 24 pro fx. When you combine that with the fact the Code 25 can use 5 of these effects in unison you’re looking at some serious creative freedom.
If you’re the kind of person who loves to own smart everything, you’re going to love the Code 25. This amplifier can either be controlled with a USB cable connected to your computer via the free Marshall Gateway software, or you can fire up their free smartphone app and connect to it with Bluetooth.
There are similar connectivity options to the previous amps on this list. The Code 25 offers one 1/4″ jack input, one 3.5mm aux input, one 3.5mm jack headphone output, a connector for a foot controller, and a Micro USB type-B port.
Marshall Origin 5C (M-ORI5C-U)
Type: Tube
Number of channels: 1
Speaker size: 8″
Weight: 20.7 lbs
What’s good: Lovely tube amp sound, Tilt option is a nice inclusion
Not so good: Maybe a little expensive
The M-ORI5C-U is a combo tube amp aimed at true analog fans who prefer a more classic sound from their guitar. It features an 8″ speaker and the ability to switch between low and high power for more control over the drive of your sound.
The tri-band EQ allows the user to get detailed tone sculpting results and there’s also a tilt control option to further fine-tune the audio that this retro-inspired amp produces.
Anyone buying a tube amp is doing it for a reason and will want to know exactly what they’re getting for their money. The M-ORI5C-U includes two ECC83 preamp valves and a single EL84 power amp valve. This produces a wonderfully warm tone that can’t really be replicated by digital means.
As far as connectivity goes you get a single 1/4″ instrument input, a single 1/4″ output, and a connector for a foot controller.
One nice thing about the M-ORI5C-U is the fact that Marshall has included the footswitch with this amplifier, instead of requiring you to go out and pick one up separately.
Marshall Combo Amp (M-DSL40CR-U)
Type: Tube
Number of channels: 2
Speaker size: 12″
Weight: 50 lbs
What’s good: Great connectivity options, Lovely rich tone
Not so good: It’s unapologetically big and heavy
Another entry into the tube amps section of our list, the M-DSL40CR-U offers a lot more features (and an increased price point) over the M-ORI5C-U.
One of the best things about this amplifier is the relatively large 12″ speaker. Combined with all the other features this amp has to offer it becomes a pretty great workhorse for a professional musician.
The tone produced by this amplifier is truly beautiful, and the flexibility with which you can shape it is incredible. You can even shift between two different sounds by utilizing the different gain channels, allowing even more creativity than usual.
Connectivity is the name of the game with the M-DSL40CR-U, it features a very impressive input-output selection. There’s a single 1/4″ instrument jack input, a single 3.5mm audio jack aux input, five 1/4″ jack speaker outputs, a single 1/4″ jack emulated output, MIDI in, and a connector for a foot controller.
You get twice the number of valves over the previous entry in this model. There are four ECC83 preamp valves and two EL34 power amp valves inside the M-DSL40CR-U.
You won’t be lugging this beast around without some help from your friends though, it weighs in at a fairly hefty 50 lbs.
Marshall Origin 50c (M-ORI50C-U)
Type: Tube
Number of channels: 1
Speaker size: 12″
Weight: 40 lbs
What’s good: 12″ speaker, Beautiful tube amp tone
Not so good: Not for people looking for a modern sound
The M-ORI50C-U is the bigger brother of the previously featured M-ORI5C-U. If the M-DSL40CR-U has more features than you need and you’d like to shed a few pounds off the weight this might be the larger tube amp for you.
You get a very decently sized 12″ internal speaker in this model, that produces a fantastic tone. It’s similar to the smaller unit in sound but we think the quality is a little better. Mostly, you’re just going to be enjoying the iconic Marshall sound from this amp.
Internally we’re looking at a pretty nice set of valves. You’re going to get three ECC83 preamp valves and two EL34 power amp valves when you pick up this amplifier.
Connectivity is improved over the smaller model. There’s a single 1/4″ jack input, three 1/4″ jack outputs, a 1/4″ jack DI output, and a connector for a foot controller.
While it is heavier than it’s little brother the M-ORI5C-U, it’s still only 40lbs. This means that you’ve got a little more leeway in moving it around if you’re a one-man-band.
Marshall 2525C Mini Silver Jubilee
Type: Tube
Number of channels: 2
Speaker size: 12″
Weight: 42 lbs
What’s good: A faithful recreation of the iconic Silver Jubilee, Authentic retro tones from the 1980s
Not so good: Will you still be in love with it when the nostalgia wears off?
If you’re a huge Marshall fanboy you could do a lot worse than picking up a 2525C Mini Silver Jubilee. It’s a miniaturized version of the iconic Silver Jubilee, which is arguably the most famous amp ever made by Marshall.
The 12″ speaker captures the beloved Marshall tone so faithfully you’d think you were back in 1987 when the original Silver Jubilee first launched. This is an unapologetically retro-sounding amplifier that really plays up the nostalgia factor. The secret sauce that makes this all work is the tube amps inside the unit, you get three ECC83 preamp valves and two EL34 power amp valves.
You can shift sound between the two different channels easily. This allows you to create some really great effects that aren’t possible with a single-channel amplifier.
As you’d expect on a flagship amp like this the connectivity is great. There’s a single 1/4″ jack instrument input, five 1/4 jack outputs, a single 1/4″ jack DI output, and a connector for a foot controller. Marshall has even been kind enough to include the footswitch in the box.
It’s no lightweight, but at 42 lbs it isn’t impossible to move either. Construction is as solid as can be, totally in line with the retro appearance.
Marshall JVM M-JVM210C-U
Type: Tube
Number of channels: 2
Speaker size: 12″
Weight: 76 lbs
What’s good: Marshall Versatility, tube-driven amp, exceptional control over tone, three independent gain stages for overdrive and clean channel, footswitch, professional-grade equipment.
Not so good: There are cheaper alternatives from other manufacturers with almost the same features.
The Marshall JVM is a must-have amp for a guitar player, whose music has a dual personality! What we mean by that is, if your taste ranges from the laid-back sound of clean melodies and crunch of the blues to the absolutely vicious earth-shattering angry bellow of Metal, then you are going to fall in love with the JVM 50.
This is a true blue tube amp and is a great platform for a learning guitarist to find his or her sound as they progress. The absolute range of tones this amp is capable of is remarkable. It is loaded with two 12 inch speakers and has 3-foot switchable modes per channel.
While you are practicing your licks on your guitar, this amp is also training you on the timing of tone changes with the footswitch. The amp has standard EQ knobs, a set each for the overdrive and Clean channel with three gain stages that you can dial in, with led lit switches. This one is an all-rounder.
