Opinions on Marshall Lead 100 Mosfet

[Agent_Embryo]

I can get a Marshall Lead 100 Mosfet head for a small amount of money. Why do I want it? Because it'd be great not to drag a combo everywhere me and my band go to play. Usually we end up bringing my 2x12" equipped Marshall Valvestate 8240 combo. It's good and all, but it takes alot of space, and it weighs like a cement mixer(or a Fender Twin Reverb head ;) ). So I figure I'd buy this amp to use for our second guitarist (unless she wants to get an amp of her own anytime soon...heh I wish. She's the one using my combo when we do gigs).

So what are you're opinions on this amp? Will it do for a rock n' roll workhorse? I can get it for like $170. Is it reliable? The head I'm buying is used and in need of fixing right now(will be done before I buy it) and I'm buying it from a guitar dealer I know very well. Should I invest in this or just tell our guitarist to get her own amp? Hehehe. I do want it anyway tho...

/AE

[EricV]

Hmmm... I might be talking about a different amp, and it sure is MY opinion, but I don´t think the Mosfet would be a good choice. It sure depends on what sound you need, and I am sure you´ll check out its sound before you purchase it, but...

I remember some reviews of the Mosfets from the mid-80s. They were some kind of "grandfather" of the Valvestate amps, if I remember right, being some of the first amps using the hybrid-technology.

Anyway, in the early 90s I had a student whom I taught at the rehearsal room of his band. In there, there was a Marshall amp that looked like a JCM 800, but it actually was a Mosfet.
I didn´t like the sound of it at all. It sounded very harsh, lacked character etc.
It might have been a different version of the Mosfet ( don´t know too much about the model, and I don´t wanna give you a wrong advice ), but it sounded far away from a tube amp, and also far away even from a Valvestate model.
So I dunno whether that´s a good choice. Take your guitar and maybe the pedals / FX you or the other guitarist in the band are using, and check out it´s sound at a volume similar to rehearsal room volume ( if possible ), then decide for yourself
Eric

NP: Garsed / Helmerich- Quid Pro Quo

[Agent_Embryo]

Good advice, thanks. :) The main reason I want it is to have the halfstack amp setup. Bringing a head is alot easier than bringing a combo. The other reason was the price. Difficult finding a head cheaper than that. :)

I'm gonna try it out and see if it suits us.

If anyone wants to check out our band (Offensive bandname, we've been meaning to change but haven't thought of one that sets itself in your memory like our current. You'll see what I mean. :) ) you can go to Our Homepage (http://www.ecompute.org/agente/mrsw/news.htm) and have a look around.