When you talk about the realm of the guitar, nothing probably beats a stack in terms of flexibility of configuration. With the amp head being the primary source of sound, various timbres can be achieved by varying the cabinet configurations as well as various mic'ing schemes. However, the number of components plus the size of each component is not so friendly to travel with or carry around, unless you're Yngwie J. Malmsteen, who hauls his wall of Marshall Stacks in trucks and planes and whatever his money can afford. Dreaming of that big sound in a compact package is a dream setup for both guitarists and sound designers, and it is now a dream come true being that you'll have that amazing classic Marshall sound with the Marshal MG15FXMS Microstack.

The MG15FXMS says what it is, a microstack. It has three basic components: a 15-watt compact head and two matching speaker cabinets. This microstack preserves the best features of the MG4 series with its three-band EQ section and four programmable channels (Clean, Crunch, Overdrive 1, and Overdrive 2), giving you an amazing tonal palette. In terms of tonal colors, the MG15FXMS doesn't stop there as you also have a built-in digital reverb and a full complement of digital effects such as Chorus, Flanger, Phaser, and Delay. The delay time can be adjusted via the Tap button on the front panel, and the effects are programmable to each channel.

The panel layout for the gain, EQ, and master volume knobs follows the classic Marshall model for ease of use. Push-button channel switching allows for smooth transition between channels. The two speaker cabinets each have a full-range 10" speaker. One cabinet has a straight configuration while the other one is angled to allow both monitoring as well as give more options for mic'ing up the amp.

You can virtually eliminate the need for a stompbox if you also get the optional STOMPWARE footswitch for seamless transition from sound to sound as well as tap tempo control and display for the built-in tuner The STOMPWARE footswitch can be connected using the traditional guitar cable so there's no longer any need for special or hard-to-find cables.

The MG15FXMS also has a variety of inputs and outputs for various purposes. The line output allows you to connect an MP3 player, CD player, or any other audio source for you to jam along with. The combination line out/headphone out features speaker cabinet emulation to ensure you still have that Marshall sound whether practicing privately or recording directly plugged.

This small and compact performance and recording solution for guitarists has a price tag of $510 USD (MSRP) and will be available in October 2009.