NAD - MGL Ampworks Limited Edition MGL50

tallcoolone

tallcoolone

Well-known member
Ok, I’ve had this amp for a month now, gigged a local outdoor festival with it and have been comparing it to the amps in my sig pretty much an hour a day so I’ve got a pretty good feel for it at this point. With the big ole’ Heyboer transformers it is a heavy 50w small box amp—I believe Mark said these were the same trannys as the 100w. I believe Mark described this and the new 100w models as ‘limited’ b/c they come with NOS Siemens power tubes, hand selected preamp tubes and NOS mustard caps but I’m sure he can clarify if you reach out. Hand wired turret board construction.

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I already have an earlier MGL50 that I’ve been loving so I went in knowing I was going to get an amp with real ‘punch’, unlike a lot of other M type amps that add gain but neuter the amp in the process. If you’ve ever had a late 70s early 80s Marshall you know what I mean by punch. 2 channels—you can go from a little more than traditional 2204 type levels on both channels or choose a higher gain on ch2. Both clean up perfectly with the volume knob on your guitar and with the dual master volumes the amp can be set up as a traditional 2 channel amp. A switch on the back activates diode clipping and while heavier than I would ever use—is pretty damn fun to play lol. The footswitch is silent and click/pop free.

Out of the amps in my sig I would have to say the higher gain channel most resembles my 2204 w/JEL mods. Not over the top gainy, but addictively ‘grind-y’ in the upper midrange—been loving it through H75 Creambacks, it just snarls. I love ODs and EQs on the floor but this amp just doesn’t need em. Plugged straight in It is incredibly easy and satisfying to play—harmonics all over the place when you dig in and dynamic when you lay off a bit. You know that cool non buzzy sustain you get with a cranked old Marshall? Metro zero loss loop works great for reverb and delay.

Bottom line this amp does an authentic Marshall thumpandkerrang unlike any other non Marshall I’ve played. Usually I drop the $2-3k+ on a booteek ‘perfected Marshall’ only to find out it’s a ‘polite Marshall’…the MGL can bite like the real deal and with the surprisingly responsive tmbp controls you can tame it if that’s what you want. Master is great—no issues getting a satisfying tone later at night

Kinda pissed I set up my phone with the new Shure speaker at the last gig but due to user error I got no sound..I’ll add clips with we play again but I did want to toss some flowers here at one of the best amps I’ve ever owned. I’m lucky enough to live in beautiful New Hampshire so I’m able to drop in to Mark’s shop—the guy loves Gibsons and Marshalls more than anyone else I know and I can’t recommend him enough
 
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I have the Morris 69/70 and I absolutely love the tone and the master volume is the best I've used. How's the MGL 50 compared to the 69/70 Morris?
 
Im also curious on if the more vintage channel can do edge of break up / clean-ish or if it’s zero to hero with more saturation from there.
 
I have the Morris 69/70 and I absolutely love the tone and the master volume is the best I've used. How's the MGL 50 compared to the 69/70 Morris?
Just played em side by side and the MGL is more open up top and the Morris is honky-er def. I had TMBP all at noon --pretty distinctive low midrange in the Morris amps, the MGL's mids are on the other spectrum. I'm keeping both haha
 
Man you've got most of the amps I'd love to eventually get, any favorites? Also was thinking of getting the 50 but I'm worried I would miss not getting the 100, any thoughts?

Congrats!
 
Man you've got most of the amps I'd love to eventually get, any favorites? Also was thinking of getting the 50 but I'm worried I would miss not getting the 100, any thoughts?

Congrats!
Well the Plex I just got from @jharpersj in a trade is back up for sale locally—great amp but the others sound and feel more inspiring to me. The modded 2204 and the MGL50HG would prob be next b/c the new MGL really has that covered—but the modded amp is unique/wicked cool and the early MGL is purple/wicked cool so they are both staying for now. The MGL is new so that’s all I’ve been playing but I could be happy with the stock 2204, the new MGL and the Bogner. The Bogner really surprised me— @Crunchity told me I’d like the XTC years ago and when I finally scored one I was pissed I didn’t grab one before.

The 50w MGLs use the same transformers as the 100w and I do think that makes a difference. I don’t regret not getting the 100 at all.
 
Well the Plex I just got from @jharpersj in a trade is back up for sale locally—great amp but the others sound and feel more inspiring to me. The modded 2204 and the MGL50HG would prob be next b/c the new MGL really has that covered—but the modded amp is unique/wicked cool and the early MGL is purple/wicked cool so they are both staying for now. The MGL is new so that’s all I’ve been playing but I could be happy with the stock 2204, the new MGL and the Bogner. The Bogner really surprised me— @Crunchity told me I’d like the XTC years ago and when I finally scored one I was pissed I didn’t grab one before.

The 50w MGLs use the same transformers as the 100w and I do think that makes a difference. I don’t regret not getting the 100 at all.
That's good to hear, was looking at the 50 and that's my only tiny concern as I've already got a 50 watter
 
Just played em side by side and the MGL is more open up top and the Morris is honky-er def. I had TMBP all at noon --pretty distinctive low midrange in the Morris amps, the MGL's mids are on the other spectrum. I'm keeping both haha
How would you compare the dynamics and the master volume between the MGL and Morris? Which has better punch when comparing low and stage volumes? Thanks for info!
 
How would you compare the dynamics and the master volume between the MGL and Morris? Which has better punch when comparing low and stage volumes? Thanks for info!
The Morris doesn’t do low/mid gain as well as the vintage side of the MGL but I don’t want to bash the Morris, I really like that amp. Like I said before, it has a real unique tone and is fun as hell to play.
 
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