Marshall Class5 Guitar Amplifier Head (5 Watts)
Perfect for small venues, this guitar amplifier head from Marshall creates great sound for any genre.
Overall User Ratings (based on 12 ratings)
Submitted June 19, 2011 by a customer from hotmail.com
"Marshall class 5 simply amazing"
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Sound
I ordered this amp based off of all the good reviews on the of the combo. Let me just say the tone of this amp is amazing. I always have mine dimed on all the controls, this gives me that classic tone Marshall is know for. I also have a Marshall Plexi and today I played this class 5 head right after my Plexi and I was amazed at how good it sounded. I'd recommend this head to everyone it's great. Fair warning this amp is loud especially through a 4x12 cab. It's a great amp if you have the chance to play it please do you won't regret it.
Features
The simplicity in this amp is what makes it so great. It comes with a small speaker cable. The amp only has 4 knobs but that's all ya need to get that "sound".
Ease of Use
Put everything on ten and experience dare I say the "Plexi" sound.
The Wow Factor
Looks like a baby Plexi who wouldn't want it!!
Musical Background:
mmorris_22@hotmail.com
Musical Style:
Blues/Country/Rock
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Submitted November 9, 2011 by a customer from gmail.com
"Wow! Great amp!"
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can't wait to get another one for stereo fun -
They need to make some other colors like the combos!
Marshall, please follow up with a mini JCM 800 version.
It would be great if their were low watt versions of other models too.
Collect 'em all - Trade with your friends!
Sound
The sound is stellar!
Cleans make my Strat sound like I've really never heard it before. Very expressive and responsive - mmm tube power.
You'll want to play with all possible settings amp wise and a pedal or two in front the amp for O/D - Distortion...
This type of amp needs to get loud for any noticeable distortion to happen.
And it does. Don't be fooled by the 5 watt output.
One of the best sounds is somewhere between clean and crunch.
There's a sweet spot and this is where you feel the tube response to your attack on the strings.
Fun fun fun
Sustain for days and a great full sound.
(sure would like to hear it through a 4x12)
Features
class A tube circuit is the mother of all features...
seems solid - made in UK -
nice job on the gold piping - makes me want to put some on my 2x12 cab to match
16ohm or 8ohm switch - comes with speaker cable -
headphone out
Ease of Use
less is more - try all possible tone settings you can and you will find what you're
looking for -
Go straight into the head and WFO on all dials and you will hear the tonal qualities of your favorite guitarists through the years -
Many of the sounds on great recordings wait inside for you to find.
Quality
LOUD -
solid construction -
great tone!
Value
Bang for buck is off the charts for this amp!
It will be interesting to see if Marshall expands this line.
How much more for reverb or another channel?
Manufacturer Support
n/a
never had to deal with Marshall for any problems
The Wow Factor
It fits perfect on a Marshall MC212 cab that's on its side.
(I checked the measurements before ordering - makes a great quarter stack)
I have a pair of vintage 30's in it and the 5 tube watts really bring the cabinet to life.
Musical Background:
rockin' hard since '77
Musical Style:
rock, alternative, political punk
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Submitted October 3, 2012 by Lee Griffin in Brevard, NC
"Hell Yeah!!!"
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Love this amp,and the other Korg stuff like the Vox AC-4 head. The Marshall is a bit louder and bigger sounding, but the Vox is a little smoother and compressed. I hate pedals, so these little amps allow me to get a rockin' tone without pissing off the soundman. They are still pretty loud, even though I just play them thru an open-back cab with a single Celestion G12-H. I also run a Princeton Reverb to do the heavy lifting (bottom end,clean headroom) and just add more or less Marshall when I want a great lead tone.And it weighs nothing,too. About the same weight as my '63 Reverb tank. If you're tired of wasting money like I did on a bunch of expensive pedals that claim they make your amp sound just like a Marshall, now you can just buy the real thing for the same money!
Musical Background:
Nearly 40 years of playing full-time, professionally.I work for a damn living!
Musical Style:
Country and Western troubador.
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Submitted October 13, 2011 by a customer from gmail.com
"BEST AFFORDABLE AMP HEAD"
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QUITE A WHILE
Sound
Excellent clean sound- comes pretty close to Led Zeppelin's stairway to heaven. Distinct tube sound all the way . It produces a creamy crunched and distorted sound not glassy and harsh but clear even when volume is high. Harmonics everywhere when volume is high.
When you add Pedals,boy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! you're in heaven.You can dial alot of sound and with marshall creamy tone. Takes pedal without problem.
MC 5 is great for classic rock, blues, jazz, modern rock, and heavy metal.With Modern heavy metal you might need to use a pedal.
Features
includes instrument and speaker cable.
Ease of Use
Easiest to use. Pretty much you can dial any sound you want. It's so amazing that classic rock and blues come alive with this speaker.
Quality
Made in England with extended 5 yrs warranty.
Value
Absolutely! Just the sound I'm looking for. Definitely compatible with all Pedals.
The Wow Factor
10
Musical Background:
2 yrs
Musical Style:
heavy metal, classic rock, and blues
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Submitted March 15, 2014 by Jim C in Hampton bays, NY
"Class 5 Head"
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This is simple no frills single channel 5 watt head. Marshall took the less is more approach on this amp and were successful in their effort.
Sound
I paired the head with a Egnater 112x cab which has a Celestion G12H-30 speaker and plugged in my 2013 Les Paul traditional. What you get are nice cleans at low volumes and that great Marshall breakup at higher volumes. Just find the breakup you like with the amp volume and roll off your guitar volume to get your clean tone.
It seems to take pedals well. I ran my Mesa Throttle Box through it and the results exceeded my expectations.
Features
Again less is more. Volume control, 3 band EQ, 16 and 8 ohm output, and a headphone output.. No need for a clean and dirt channel. You guitar volume can take care of that.
Ease of Use
It doesn't get much easier. It has old school characteristics of a Plexi and a Bluesbreaker. Plug and play!
Quality
This amp is made in England next to the big boys and not in Asia as one would expect. Seems solid and has a classic Marshall look. It fits perfectly on top of a 1x12 cab
Value
For being made in England and for how it sounds I think it is a great value
Manufacturer Support
Easy warranty registration online
The Wow Factor
Great sound and looks
Musical Background:
Hobbyist
Musical Style:
Rock, Blues, Metal
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Submitted April 11, 2014 by Jim C in Hampton bays, NY
"Marshall clas five"
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The classic Bluesbreaker/Plexi sound in a 5 watt head. The higher the volume the more distortion. Set the head volume to the distortion you like. Roll off the volume on your guitar to clean the sound up if you need to.
Musical Background:
Hobbyist
Musical Style:
Rock, Metal,
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Submitted August 16, 2012 by Matt Smiley in Springfield, MO
"Amazing Head"
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I have been buying products from zzounds for years and I have never wrote a review. I have to tell you I have been playing for years and never quite got the tone I was looking for. I have it now. With this head I cannot get a bad sound out of it. I am talking running massive distortion with my pedals in front of it and it sounds amazing. Clean it sounds amazing also. I play an eight string esp and literally would spend so much time with my other amp trying to get that sound i was looking for. I came close but now it just indescribable how good it sounds to me. I run it through a 4x12 cab and it gets pretty loud. This is a great investment especially for recording and I am pretty sure you could gig with it.
Musical Background:
I play drums, guitar, and bass. Jam at home,record and rock out with my buddies.
Musical Style:
Metal, but I also like to play clean laid back songs as well. But metal is my passion.
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Submitted January 12, 2012 by a customer from yahoo.com
"Marshall plexi tone at a fraction of the volume and price."
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I am satisfied with this amp. I got what I expected when I bought it. Solid tone, solid build, decently priced.
What would really make this amp better are the following simple, and low cost options.
1.) A second input would be nice. The ability to chain two of these amps together for a little bump in volume would be really big.
Notice in my review I keep saying "you could" or "you might" (be able to) jam with your band or play a club with this this amp.
The ability to chain a couple of these heads together for a few more db of vol. would totally make that possible.
2.) A standby switch would be hugely helpful and cheap to add too.
Sound
Sounds quite fine. Having been a fender amp user all my life I had always wanted to explore the Marshal sounds of Hendrix and Cream, etc.
This amp does that quite well at a fraction of the power and volume of a 50 or 100 watt plexi.
Don't be fooled by the 5 watt rating though, this is a loud little amp!
You could probably practice with you band with this head if you feed it into a 4x12 cab like I do.
You might even be able to pull off a whole gig with the aforementioned setup if the sound guy is going to mic your amp and run it thru the P.A. system. (which almost all clubs do these days)
Features
All tube signal path. Simple controls.
Wide range of tone control (mid, bass, treble) but quite frankly I turn all the tones on almost any amp to 10 anyway (while controlling tone from the guitar's controls)
Ease of Use
Just crank it and go.
I think we all agree that the signature tone of a marshal plexi is best obtained when all the amp's controls are turned up the max settings.
A simple switch on the back lets you select between signal out to a 8 or 16 ohm cab or a pair of headphones. (very nice for practicing at night)
Quality
When I removed the back metal panel to examine the tubes and interior layout, I noticed some of the tolex pulling off the back of the cab due to it being stuck to the metal panel I was removing.
This wasn't a big deal since I was able to put the tolex back in place and held by the replaced back metal panel.
But.. if you're a perfectionist, this will undoubtedly annoy you.
Everything else seems solid enough. It's a small club gig worthy amp. Just don't throw it off the stage and you'll be fine.
Value
I think this is a solid value for anyone wanting that vintage marshall tone without paying the big bucks for a 50 or 100 watt plexi.
For instance I have a Fender Pro Jr. all tube, low wattage, combo amp and this Marshall is as good in it's own unique marshall tone way.
Manufacturer Support
N.A.
The Wow Factor
The fact that the amp can be cranked without drowning out my entire band is what makes this amp so attractive to me.
Sure, I could get along fine without it.
Musical Background:
over 20 years of professional drum, bass and guitar playing.
Musical Style:
Rock, Outlaw Country, Blues.
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