Marshall MG vs Orange Crush Amp: Full Comparison

The Marshall MG and Orange Crush series of amplifiers are geared towards entry-level guitarists, or those looking to upgrade from their first amp and get something a bit bigger with more features. In this article I’ll compare all the amps available in the MG and Crush series to help you figure out which amp is best for you.

Contents

  • Orange Crush Range Overview
  • Marshall MG Range Overview
  • Tone Comparison
  • Controls, Features and Effects
  • Price Comparison
  • Orange Crush 12 vs Marshall MG 10
  • Orange Crush 20RT vs Marshall MG15GFX
  • Orange Crush 35RT vs Marshall MG30GFX

Orange Crush Range

There are four amps in the Orange Crush range:

  • Crush 12
  • Crush 20
  • Crush 20RT
  • Crush 35RT

The Crush 12 and Crush 20 have the same controls, but the Crush 20 has a higher power rating, slightly larger speaker and is foot pedal compatible (unlike the Crush 12).

The Crush 20 and Crush 20RT have the same power rating and speaker size. The difference between them is that the Crush 20RT also has a built-in reverb effect and a tuner.

The Crush 35RT is the highest powered amp in the range and has a larger 1×10 speaker compared to the Crush 20RT and is the only amp that has a built-in FX loop.

 Crush
12
Crush
20
Crush
20RT
Crush
35RT
Wattage12W20W20W35W
Channels2222
Controls Gain
Bass
Mids
Treb
Gain
Bass
Mids
Treb
Gain
Bass
Mids
Treb
Gain
Bass
Mids
Treb
EffectsNoneNoneReverb Reverb
Speaker1 x 6”1 x 8”1 x 8”1 x 10”
FX LoopNoNoNoYes
TunerNoNoYesYes
Foot Pedal CompatibleNoYesYesYes
Price$110$150$200$300

Marshall MG Range

There are 6 Marshall MG amps:

  • MG10
  • MG15
  • MG15R
  • MG15GFX
  • MG30GFX
  • MG50GFX

The amps with “GFX” at the end of the name have 2 extra channels and 6 effects. The MG15R has a reverb effect and 2 channels and the MG10 and MG15 don’t have any effects and have 2 channels.

 MG10MG15MG15RMG15GFXMG30GFXMG50GFX
Wattage10W15W15W15W30W50W
Channels222444
ControlsVol
Gain
Contour
Vol
Gain
Bass
Mids
Treb
Vol
Gain
Bass
Mids
Treb
Vol
Gain
Bass
Mids
Treb
Vol
Gain
Bass
Mids
Treb
Vol
Gain
Bass
Mids
Treb
EffectsNoneNoneReverbReverb
Phaser
Flanger
Delay
Chorus
Octave
Reverb
Phaser
Flanger
Delay
Chorus
Octave
Reverb
Phaser
Flanger
Delay x 4
Chorus
Octave
Speaker1 x 6.5”1 x 8”1 x 8”1 x 8”1 x 10” 1 x 12″
FX LoopNoNoNoNoNoYes
TunerNoNoNoYesYesYes
Foot Pedal CompatibleNoNoNoYesYesYes
Price$140$170$200$230$300$500

Tone Comparison

The Orange Crush has less mid-range compared to the Marshall MG so doesn’t sound as full, however it has more top end clarity and brightness. When maxing out the gain, the Marshall MG sounds quite artificial and fuzzy.

Personally I think the Orange Crush sounds superior, particularly when using the distorted channel. Tone is all a personal preference though and you should choose the amp you prefer the sound of.

Check out this YouTube video to hear a comparison of an Orange Crush and Marshall MG.

Controls, Features and Effects

All Orange Crush amps have a 3-band EQ (bass, mids and treble), and all Marshall MG amps except for the MG10 have a 3-band EQ as well.

All Orange Crush amps have two channels, as do the Marshall MG10, MG15 and MG15R. The Marshall MG15GFX, MG30GFX and MG50GFX have four channels (clean, crunch, OD1 and OD2).

If you’re looking for built-in effects then you’ll want to go with the MG15GFX, MG30GFX or MG50GFX which have reverb, phaser, flanger, delay, chorus and octave. If you’re just happy with reverb, then you can also look at the Orange Crush 20RT and 35RT, and also the Marshall MG15R.

The only amps without any effects are the Orange Crush 12 and 20, and the Marshall MG10 and MG15.

All Marshall MG and Orange Crush amps have a built-in headphone jack and MP3 input so you can play without annoying your housemates/ neighbours, and jam to your own tracks from your MP3 compatible device.

Here’s a table outlining the other features available.

AmpFootswitch CompatibleTunerFX Loop
MG10NoNoNo
MG15NoNoNo
MG15RNoNoNo
Crush 12NoNoNo
Crush 20YesNoNo
MG15GFXYesYesNo
MG30GFXYesYesNo
Crush 20RTYesYesNo
MG50GFXYesYesYes
Crush 35RTYesYesYes

Price Comparison

The prices shown below are correct as of the time of writing but are subject to change.

AmpAverage Price
Orange Crush 12$110
Marshall MG10$140
Orange Crush 20$150
Marshall MG15$170
Orange Crush 20RT$200
Marshall MG15R$200
Marshall MG15GFX$230
Orange Crush 35RT$300
Marshall MG50GFX$500

Orange Crush 12 vs Marshall MG10

Personally I think the Orange Crush 12 is the best option here and one of the best entry-level amps on the market. It has a 3-band EQ (bass, mids and treble) controls unlike the MG10 so it’s much easier to dial in a good tone with the Crush 12. The Crush 12 is also around $30 cheaper than the MG10.

 MG10Crush 12
Wattage10W12W
Channels22
ControlsVol
Gain
Contour
Vol
Gain
Bass
Mids
Treb
EffectsNoneNone
Speaker1 x 6.5”1 x 6”
FX LoopNoNo
TunerNoNo
Foot Pedal CompatibleNoNo
Price$140$110

Orange Crush 20RT vs Marshall MG15GFX

If you’re looking for more built-in effects then go for the MG15GFX over the Crush 20RT which only has reverb. The MG15GFX has reverb, phaser, flanger, delay, chorus and octave which is really useful if you don’t want to buy pedals. The MG15GFX also has 2 extra channels.

However, if you prefer the tone of the Crush then you can always use effects pedals and save yourself $30 on the price of the amp.

Both amps have the same sized speaker, a built-in tuner, 3-band EQ and are footswitch compatible. Unfortunately, neither amp has an FX loop built-in.

 MG15GFXCrush 20RT
Wattage15W20W
Channels42
ControlsGain
Bass
Mids
Treb
Gain
Bass
Mids
Treb
Effects61
Speaker1 x 8”1 x 8”
FX LoopNoNo
TunerYesYes
Foot Pedal CompatibleYesYes
Price$230$200

Orange Crush 35RT vs Marshall MG30GFX

The MG30GFX has 5 more effects and 2 more channels compared to the Crush 35RT. However, the Crush is the only amp with a built-in FX loop so it’s ideal if you want to run effects pedals through it instead of using built-in amp effects.

You choice should really come down to which you prefer the tone of, and if you would rather use effects pedals, or built-in amp effects.

Both these amps are the same price, have the same sized speaker, have a built-in tuner and are footswitch compatible.

 MG30GFXCrush
35RT
Wattage30W35W
Channels42
ControlsGain
Bass
Mids
Treb
Gain
Bass
Mids
Treb
Effects6 1
Speaker1 X 10”1 x 10”
FX LoopNoYes
TunerYesYes
Foot Pedal CompatibleYesYes
Price$300$300

Here are more comparisons you might find useful:
Fender Champion vs Marshall MG
Fender Champion vs Orange Crush

Heather

Hey, I'm Heather. I started playing an electric guitar when I was given a Squier Strat for my birthday around 15 years ago. I now own an acoustic guitar and several electric guitars including my personal favourite, a PRS SE Custom 24.

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