Why haven't Marshall updated the MS4/MS2's?

DrJazzTap

Watching Ola playing through the MS4 on a "will it chug" episode got me thinking. 
We all know Marshall should have made a half decent low wattage plexi years ago, which they've kind of done now (after friedman etc)

Similarly why haven't they updated the Ms2 & Ms4's? 

We all know the current ones sound terrible. Those small amps don't have to sound terrible, look at the blackstar fly and laney stuff. Surely that's an open goal for Marshall to redesign them?

 Instead of another overpriced Bluetooth speaker.

ICBM

Orange have updated the Micro Crush too, and although it's still not great through the internal speaker it's still better than it was - and genuinely good through an external cab.

I once fitted one of those Marshalls with a speaker jack, and it did sound quite good through a 4x12" .

Kalimna

ICBM said:

Orange have updated the Micro Crush too, and although it's still not great through the internal speaker it's still better than it was - and genuinely good through an external cab.

I once fitted one of those Marshalls with a speaker jack, and it did sound quite good through a 4x12" .

Well there's a thing. I have an MS2 and a 4x12. I also have a willingness to wield a soldering iron. I think that sounds like a fun project. Any tips?

gubble

I've hooked an MS2 up to a 4x12 too and it sounded great.

One of the best 'things hooked up nto a 4x12 that shouldn't be' experiences was the Fender Frontman 15 amp i turned into a compact head. It sounded brilliant. 

JayGee

gubble said:

I've hooked an MS2 up to a 4x12 too and it sounded great.

One of the best 'things hooked up nto a 4x12 that shouldn't be' experiences was the Fender Frontman 15 amp i turned into a compact head. It sounded brilliant. 

I know it’s unfashionable, but I’ve always found Fender Frontmans (Frontmen?) to be far better than you’d expect from their specification and the prices they go for. I’ve used Youngest Son’s Frontman 65 several times, and with a decent pedal or two on the front it gives a perfectly good account of itself in front of a paying crowd...

gubble

JayGee said:

I know it’s unfashionable, but I’ve always found Fender Frontmans (Frontmen?) to be far better than you’d expect from their specification and the prices they go for. I’ve used Youngest Son’s Frontman 65 several times, and with a decent pedal or two on the front it gives a perfectly good account of itself in front of a paying crowd...

The clean tones on Fender Solid State amps are wonderful in my book. The Princeton and Deluxe 112 from the 90's I'm huge fans of. Plus they look great too

Danny1969

The clean sound from the little Fender Champion 110 is crazy good sounding, and you can buy one for less than the price of a pedal sometimes. 
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Fender-Champion-110-Amplifier/203178173785?hash=item2f4e5ce559:g:jwYAAOSw49tfrSsS

Didn't Marshal have The Code as the good sounding small amp ? Never tried one myself 

ICBM

Kalimna said:

Well there's a thing. I have an MS2 and a 4x12. I also have a willingness to wield a soldering iron. I think that sounds like a fun project. Any tips?

Drill a hole in the back and fit a switching jack so it disconnects the internal speaker. The only thing to be careful of is not to have the jack conflict with the back of the speaker - especially on the MS-2, there's not a lot of room... the MS-4 is obviously bigger.

There is an easier way too, if you'd prefer not to drill it - find the pad resistor for the headphone output and replace (or just jumper) it with a plain wire - that turns the headphone jack into an external speaker output. The headphone sound is dire anyway, you won't miss it.

ThePrettyDamned

JayGee said:

gubble said:

I've hooked an MS2 up to a 4x12 too and it sounded great.

One of the best 'things hooked up nto a 4x12 that shouldn't be' experiences was the Fender Frontman 15 amp i turned into a compact head. It sounded brilliant. 

I know it’s unfashionable, but I’ve always found Fender Frontmans (Frontmen?) to be far better than you’d expect from their specification and the prices they go for. I’ve used Youngest Son’s Frontman 65 several times, and with a decent pedal or two on the front it gives a perfectly good account of itself in front of a paying crowd...

I really like the Fender frontman amps, they have nice drive tones too.