Marshall 2150 Combo

All the features the others guys have already mentioned -- four inputs, 100 watts, one 12" speaker, master volume, etc. Mine is a '79 with a Marshall-label Rola Celestion speaker (they supposedly dropped the Powercel speaker in 1979), and I've got the Euro-spec EL-34s instead of the U.S.-spec 6550s. The '79 also has a plain black grillcloth with white piping instead of the basketweave look. I personally hate reverb, so am happy it's not there. Got all the dials you need to make some VERY sweet (and loud!) 60s and 70s Marshall sounds -- all in a portable (but heavy!) package that you can throw in the trunk of your car.

I love the sound of this amp. I've been a Fender guy for many, many years -- tweeds, brownfaces, blackfaces -- and I've really gotten used to that 6V6 tube sound. When I first plugged in, I wasn't very impressed. That's because I had the master volume down at about 2 or 3 at first. When I moved the master volume up the scale (and figured out how to jump the channels), I realized what all the previous reviewers have been raving about! When the master gets up to about 4.5 and beyond, you're talking pure, Marshall tone of the Gods territory -- there's nothing else like it! The sound really opens up the higher you go with the master. Strong, assertive leads with my Les Paul. Amazing tone. I put on Wheels of Fire and played along with it -- Clapton's exact tone was coming out of my amp! Fabulous! I always use an Ibanez TS-9 Tubescreamer to drive my Fenders when playing with my band -- not necessary here!

This one is mint -- looks like I just brought it home brand new from Guitar Center -- and is built like a tank. I wouldn't bother bringing a backup to a gig -- just some extra tubes and fuses.

No idea.

I'm a rocker -- been playing for about 30 years. I've had several Les Pauls, Teles, Strats, and more, and have had Fender tweeds, brownfaces, and blackfaces. This amp has got to be the absolute best bang for the buck Marshall going out there today. I would rate this an 11 overall if I could -- an amazing combination of tone and price! The sound is truly inspiring but, for some reason, people can't seem to give these amps away on eBay. I got my MINT example for only $600. I've seen others going for even less -- it just doesn't make sense. If this one were stolen, I would definitely get another. As other reviewers have mentioned, however, this thing weighs a ton. But, for a relatively small package -- not all that much bigger than my '65 Deluxe Reverb -- it's got all the guts and assertiveness of a MUCH larger amp/cabinet. This one's a keeper, along with my '67 blackface Princeton Reverb. It's also rare, so someday (10 years? 20 years?) it's gonna be worth a lot of $$$. Until then, I'm just gonna enjoy the great sounds it makes (and smile every time our drummer asks me to turn it down!).

Mine was made in 1978.("K" suffix on the serial #) 4 inputs, 2 channels for vol.I & II, non-switchable. Same control layout as a super lead, but with a nifty post inverter master volume. I've read it's the only 4 input Marshall to have this feature stock. Brilliant idea. 100 watts via 4 GE 6550 power tubes & 3 12ax7's. Rotary switchable impedance between 4 & 8 ohms. Rocker style power & standby switches. 2 speaker outputs. No effects loop, or any of that tone sucking garbage. This is a man's amp! I'd give it a 10 for features if they woulda made an attempt at reverb. I'ts a combo with plenty of room in the bottom of the cabinet, so why not put a long spring reverb tank in there? Wishful thinking. At least they definately got the amp part right! Someone also put casters on this thing. Not a bad idea, but you gotta be careful on thick carpeting not to position the casters as to make the amp prone to falling over.

I play mainly 70's style rock & blues covers & originals. Mainly thru Les Pauls & Strats. I mainly used my trusty 74 Les Paul Std. with humbuckers for this test. When i first plugged into this amp it sounded simply horrible. I couldn't understand why everyone raved about it so? Then i unplugged the 12" Celestion Powercell(Powersuck?) speaker & plugged the amp into my Marshall Celestion greenback 4-12 cab & the amp instantly came to life! I'm an old Marshall snob & this is simply one of the best Marshalls i've ever heard. You can dial in Keith Richards clean tones or full on Angus Young bombast! Not as clean as a Twin Reverb of course, but still very versatile. If you want the old school Marshall sound in a portable & controllable package(& who doesn't?)then this is the amp for you. I'm not even gonna bother changing it over to EL-34's. I don't wanna jinx how good this amp sounds. If you're gonna use the amp on it's own tho, you're going to have to replace the speaker. The Celestion Powercell speaker in my amp sounded like complete crap! Very tubby & tone-sucking, like the gain was mis-managed or something? I took a gamble & ordered a Carvin GT12-8 8 ohm 100 watt speaker to see if that would improve things. This speaker is supposed to be Carvin's equivalent to the Celestion Vintage 30, but with more power handling & a slightly wider frequency response. People tend to snicker at Carvin, but this speaker really revived this amp! It went from being a d-minus sounding combo, to getting straight A's! It now pretty much sounds exactly like it did when running thru my greenback 4-12 cab. Angus Young in a 1-12 box! This thing is as freakin' loud as a half stack!One important thing to know when replacing the original speaker in this amp is that you'll have to rotate the replacement speaker on the baffle board slightly (clockwise, about 2" is best)& drill new screw holes for the replacement speaker, cuz other Celestions, Carvins & the like won't match up with the Powercell bolt pattern. When i first went to install the Carvin speaker & the screw holes didn't quite match up, i thought i was screwed until it dawned on me to do this. (can't see the forest for the trees syndrome) Now i pretty much have one of the best sounding Marshalls on the planet.

I haven't owned this amp long enough to judge it's own particular reliability, but being an older Marshall, if you just keep them serviced & change the tubes, they last pretty much forever. I own many older Marshalls & none have ever given me any real problems on gigs. I'd probably gig this amp without a backup.

I've tried unsuccessfully to contact Marshall via e-mail & their new products always seem to be on backorder when i try to order thru a catalog, but on the other hand, i've read that Jim Marshall will take you to lunch if you show up on the factory doorstep? You gotta like that? I really have no opinion on their support. I'm happy to buy the old stuff & let my amp tech figure out whatever i can't?

I've been playing for 24 years. If this amp were stolen, i'd look for a guy complaining of a hernia & beat him senseless, cuz this amp aint light enough to whisk away without some effort? Still not quite as spleen splitting as a Twin Reverb tho. I would definately try to find another one. Get on ebay & get yours now! If you like old school crunch & balls, you won't be disappointed!

It was made in 1980

Set the amp for a Great Marshall crunch and boost it with an OD and it'll give you all the tone you need for rock and metal.

It has 2 channels with high and low impedence inputs. This is the same amp as the JMP Super Lead with the distinction of being the only two channel JMP with a Master Volume (Post Inverter).

It has all I need in a rock/metal amp. Not versatile enough to play "all" music.

It's powerfull enough to rock any house, even with one 12" speaker. It sounds even better sitting on a 4x12" cabinet.

I've only heard of a few of these amps. I'm supprised they didn't make more of them.

Les Paul Custom with humbuckers make it sing.

It's the only circuit that can make the sounds I want.

You can't hear the hum when I'm playing, so I keep playing.

Not as clean as a Twin Reverb, but great for Rock.

I've played all of the old Marshall amps from the 60s to present and this amp has the best distortion. The sound you hear from the 60s-70s metal on the radio. It Kicks A$$!

It never has broken on me. It sounded a lot better after I retubed it after about 4 years of Hard Rocking so I guess I can trust it without a backup.

I don't beat amps up, so it's been good to me so far. I can't Kick!

Never dealt with the company except a couple emails. I have no problem with them.

Ive been playing 28 years and own a couple Fender amps and a Marshall 4x12 cabinet.

I would buy one of these again if I could find one. It's a lot of punch in a small box.

This doesn't compare to anything I've ever played. It's an "Old School" Stack in a small package.

It has all I need in an amp.

It doesn't take up much room on the stage and will fit in the trunk of my car. I couldn't find anything with this much soul and volume on the market.

A frend told me it was made in the late 70s sometime because the SN has an "L" on the end. It has a sweet sound from low volume up t00 loud to handle. It has 2 channels with a low and high input for each channel. There is no channel switching or effects loops or any extra stuff. I had to put wheels on mine so I could move it. It's heavy! I play heavy metal and old hard rock for club gigs and parties. It sounds great on top of my marshall 4x12 cabinet. It had everything I need in an amp so I rate it a perfect 10.

Les Pauls and Strats sound great through it. It is noisy when I'm not playing but its gone when you start playing. It has a master volume so I can turn it down and still crank the pream up for great overdrive. I was told it has a different kind of master volume that is after the inverter??? or something like that. I think it sounds better that ANY other master volume amp I've ever heard!! I give this a 10 PLUS!!! I've owned a vintage 1959 Super Lead that was tuned by the same guy that sold me this one and THIS one sounds a Lot Better!

It came to me all tuned up and it's been working for me for over 2 years without a glitch except the inputs probably need to be cleaned because I have to wiggle the cable sometimes.

I don't know about customer support. I've never used them.

I've been playing for about 8 years now and I own a Les Paul Studio and a MIJ strat. I would buy one if I could find one. I'd rather own this than that 1959 Super Lead amp I used to have. I love that I can get about any metal or rock sound I need from this amp and don't need any effects pedals or tricks to get the Marshall sound. I tried a reissue Marshall lead 50 and lead 100 and a mesa recto. I liked this one the best for me. I havn't seen these for sale so they are probably pretty rare or nobody wants to sell theirs. I know I woundn't take less than a $1000.00 for mine!

1979 was the year mine was made. I looked inside and saw a sticker with signatures and a date. There isn't reverb, effects loops, or channel switching. I wish it was lighter, but my wheels make it much easier to move. It's Marshalls answer to Mesa Boogies of the late 70's early 80's. Boogies caught on faster than the Marshalls so they stopped making them. It has Everything I need in an amp as it is!

I play a Les Paul Deluxe and a Fender Strat. It helps me achieve the sonic tones and punch of a Marshall for my Rock songs. My amp was noisy until I had all the power caps replaced and the tech went through and replaced several other components that were out of spec. It's a Fab sounding amp. It sounds clean up until my hears hurt or can overdrive like my old plexi when I turn the master volume down. I don't usually like the sound of a "Master Volume" amp but this one is the Best I've heard. There are two versions of this amp. The ones made for America came with 6550 tubes and the ones like mine came with EL34s Stock. I've never heard the 6550 version. I've never even heard of this amp until this one fell in my lap! It's RARE!

I expected it to have some problems when I first received this amp, but since I had it serviced, it's be Wonderful!

"Marshall" has always been good to me with my other equipment. I have no issues with them. I rate them Tops.

I've played for 19 almost 20 years. I love my Marshalls and can not find any amp that sounds better for my rock and roll. Fenders have a great sound too, but thay aren't the same kind of amp. I love that it's pretty easy to dial up any sound at any sound level. I hate that it's so heavy. I compared it to a new Ampeg, Fender twin, Line6, and a Vox AC30. I liked the AC30 a lot, but it was too expencive and not really the sound I was after. The perfect amp line up would be a black faced twin, 2150 and the AC30! If you can find one, I'd try it out!

I think it was made in 1979 or 1980 sometime. A guy at the music store said it's a JMP 2150, but mine doesn't have a model name or number on it. It is versatile enough for Rock, Metal and Blues. It has 2 channels that don't switch. No Effects Loops, Headphone Jack or any modern gimicks. I wouldn't want anything else loaded in this amp. It's prefect the way it is. I play for clubs and parties mostly and it has enough power to run a 4x12 cab as well.

I play mostly Gibson humbucker guitars and a Fender Strat. It's perfect for my style of playing. It's a bit noisy with I turn it up all the way but all my amps have done that. It has a very big sound especially when I turn it up loud! It doesn't have a real clan sound but I like it like that. The distortion is MEAN!!

I can depend on it. I can't afford backups so This is IT. It broke down on me once when I was practicing. It started making a squeeling sound and I tapped it on the side and it got quiet again then one day it started doing it again and then went dead. I took it to the music store and they put new tubes in it and it has worked for tw0 years without a problem. I also blew a speaker when I was playing it all the way up. It had a Celestion 80 watt speaker in it and the paper cone ripped all the way around. I replaced it with a EVM 12L and it sounds Delicious now at any volume. It is MUCH louder with the new speaker in it!

I've never delt with Marshall. I found schematics on the web and would have an amp technician work on it if it needed it.

I have been playing for 18 years now. I own a Fender Deluxe Reverb wich is a real nice clean amp and can't be compared with the Marshall and an old Carvin x100 with 4x12 cab. This Marshall blows it away!! I love the sound it puts out and I hate that it's so heavy for a pretty small amp with one 12" speaker. You need to get wheels for it if you buy one and get some help if you have to carry it up and down stairs. I heard it was made for people who wanted a smaller Marshall to carry around on gigs instead of a full stack. It has the sound and the portability that I like!

1981 was the manufacture date on the sticker on the chassis.
I play mostly Metal and Rock. It's great for that!
It has two channels with no channel switching. There aren't any effects loops or headphone jack or reverb. I use pedals.
It's awsome the way it is! It doesn't have any tonesucking effects!
This amp is so loud, I can't turn it up past 5 on the preamp volume with the master volume on 11.
It has a volume on each channel and shares bass, middle, treble and presence. Both channel volumes are affected by the master volume.
I give it a 10 because it's exactly what a Marshall should be! Power up the wazoo! with even order harmonics that sounds like your running it through a harmonizer. That makes it have a HUGE sound especially through a Marshall 4x12 cabinet!!!

I play a Gibson Flying V and a Les Paul with PAF humbuckers. I get great chunky rythms and creamy leads.
It can get a bit noisy at high volumes, but that's what it was designed for!
It has a very brutal distortion! The master volume doesn't make it sound bad like other MV Marshalls! It doesn't loose its tonal charastics like Fender MV amps either! It's very usable for smaller bars and parties.

I havn't had any problems with the amp except tubes. I play it loud and maybe the vibration may cause them to go bad sooner than if it were a head sitting on a chair. I keep good tubes in it and it's never let me down. I play at loud volumes 3 or 4 nights a month.

I've never delt with Marshall.
I have a good repair man that knows this amp work on it, but it's never really needed anything except tubes and biasing.

I've played guitar for about 20 years.
I own a Fender Deluxe Reverb, Peavey Classic 50, Marshall 4x12"cabinet, Fender Strat with emg pickups, and a couple of acoustic guitars.
I also compared it with a Marshall JCM800 and a Mesa MarkIV. It was much smoother than the Marshall JCM and the Mesa was more versitile in tones and all, but didn't have the magic sound this amp has. It just feels comfortable when I play it and I can depend on a beautiful rich punch/crunch whatever I want! I chose this amp so I wouldn't have to carry a bunch a equipment around from place to place and it does a great job!
I was told it was made to cater to the club players of the late 70 and early 80s so they didn't have to carry a stack of speaker cabinets around with them. It is also handy in the studio with the master volume.
It would be nice to be able to switch between cleaner Rock to Metal sound with a footswitch, but I use a Metal Zone and a Rat for distortion. Oh, and you can clean up your sound by turning the guitar volume knob down some.

-Late 70's model
-Nice Clean sounds and Scalding Leads.
-Two Channels with 4 inputs, No Switching, No Headphone Jack.
-Channel Switching would be nice to have.
-I use the amp for practice, live and recording.
-It has a volume for each channel, treble, middle, bass, presence, master volume, standby and power switches. It came with EL-34 tubes from the factory which means it was built for Europe. I can switch from 110 to 220 AC... and 4 or 8 Ohm output.
-It had all you needed as far as features at the time it was built.

-I play a 60 Les Paul with P-90 pickups and a Eric Clapton Strat.
-It suits my hard rock and metal songs without having to carry big cabinets.
-It's a bit noisy compared to my Twin when the Master is turned up past 3/4, but is nice and quiet around 1/2 volume.
-I jump the channels together for a greater tonal pallet. (Very Nice!)
-With the Master Volume on 1/2 and the Channel Volumes all the way up, it grinds with the agression you expect from a Marshall... Very Brutal. With 100 watts, it can push 8x12" speakers with ease and sounds Great!

-I would depend on it... but only if it's serviced regularly. These Old Marshall Amps are raw and will self distruct trying to give you the sound you want. Take case of it and you'll have "the sound" for life. Keep good tubes in it. Don't skimp on cheapies.

-I havn't dealt with the company.

-Marshall techs are all over... search for a good one you can trust because a lot of them are butchers and tempt you to over modify.

-No warranty on this old amp.

-I've been playing electric guitar since about 1965. I have owned about every brand name of guitar and amp made... Marshall, Fender, Ampeg, West, Magnatone, Accoustic, Sunn, Laney, Dr. Z, Mesa, Rivera, Matchless, Carvin, Park, Randall, Earth, Peavey, Music Man, Gibson, Sovtek, Woodson, Silvertone, Alamo... etc...

-I would buy this one again. It was the wisest purchase I've made in a long time.

-I would like to switch between the clean channel and the overdrive channel since they each sound so good, but I won't mod a vintage amp to achieve that. I'll "A/B" this amp with my 65' Twin for the very best of both worlds.

-I compared it with several other products... JCM 800 Super Lead 1959 and a few newer Marshalls. They all had their strong points, but they couldn't achieve the sound capabilities of this one.

-I have done all the searching for tone that many of you are just starting. I found it to be a Very Expensive Trip for me. I bought a few of the boootique amps that promised to produce the sweetest Fender sounds on one channel and agressive Marshall crunch on the other. Although All of them had their own Magic... they were still just one trick ponies. I require more versatility than that... even if I have to carry two amps to a gig. My complaints are very minimal about this tool. It Serves me well.

This is a 1978 Marshall model 2150. Has 100W of all-tube power, 1x12" celestion powercell speaker, and four inputs (jumperable channels). Marshalls finest sounds in a small but heavy package.

Sounds unbelievably fat with a strat. Surprisingly, the clean sounds in this amp are great - lot of detail and girth. The high gain sounds are pure classic rock tone....zep, hendrix, it's all in there.

I have gigged with this amp regularly for years, and it has been solid as a rock. Inspection of the chassis reveals a well laid-out circuit and great workmanship. It has been running on a set of Svetlana 6550 output tubes for a long time now, and it sounds so damned good that I havent bothered to change them to new ones, or even to change over to EL34s.

never need support from marshall....no opinion.

This amp has been a god-send for me. I've tried Marshall amps for a number of years (800's, 900's, reissues), and I have never found one that really grabbed me like this one does. It's too bad that the 2150 is very rare and hard to find - I think they only made them for 3 years. This amp is unbelievable....I highly recommend it, and this is coming from someone who owns 15 amps currently (vintage fenders, vox's, matchless, Dr Z).

This is a relatively rare Marshall combo, produced from 1975 to 1978. It is a single watt 100 watt 1x12 and has top mount controls which are exactly like JMP heads from that period; four input, volume I and two volume II, master volume, bass, mid, treble, presence. It has a broad checkered grill with large style logo, again just like JMP heads and combos. Essentially a JMP in a small (but very heavy) package. I give it an 8 for features because no reverb and no channel switching. When I bought it used it had 5881 power tubes; as with other Marshalls of the period destined for the United States, 6550s were most likely stock. I had it re-biased and outfitted with Yugoslav EL-34s.

I play alternative/hard/pop rock...all originals. I use a Hamer Studio (mahogany two humbuckers Gibson wiring setup), Hamer Studio (custom, ditto) and an Ibanez Destroyer II (basswood with two humbuckers) into this amp. I use Input II and have the preamp dimed; I also drive the amp with an original Ibanez TS-9...gain at about 2 o'clock, tone at midway, and level up past midway (depending on how high I have the master volume cranked). I use this amp unmiked, and thus ususally turned way up on the master volume for solos. I use a Mesa Boogie .50 caliber head into a GK 2x12 with Celestions for rhtyhm work; the Boogie has a tighter more controllable/modern gain sound, reverb, and channel switching. But you have to have Marshall for that dirty crunch for solos. With the Tube Screamer the sound is vintage 1970s/early 1980s hard rock...VH to Maiden to old Rush to Dokken etc. The amp doesn't clean up real well but it's a Marshall....kind of like expecting my 1975 Camaro to get good fuel mileage. Neither are set up to do that's why I use a THX A/B switch with the Boogie!

Like all pre JCM-800 Marshalls I have had it has been a rock. It does get noisy but that is mainly a function of driving it with the Tube Screamer and having the master volume up so much. Be warned this thing weighs a ton...I am 6'6" 230 lbs and have a hard time lugging it around but it is much smaller than the JMP halfstack it replaced.

n/a

I have been playing for 12 years; see above for other gear. I have always been a Marshall man but simply got sick of lugging around the half stack just for solos. I can't afford a newer JCM2000 combo, don't like the JCM800 combos, and the JMP combos are only 2x12 (again too big to fit in the back seat of the Camaro) so this was perfect..the tone of my JMP stack in a 1x12. Again only made for three years, somewhat rare the amp was known as the "Rock and Roll Baby."