M O D E F O U R
MF350
OWNERS MANUAL
ENGLISH
From Jim Marshall
I would like to personally thank you for selecting one of my new MF350, 350 Watt, MODE FOUR amplifier heads.
The very first Marshall amplifier, the JTM45, was built in 1962 as a direct result of my listening to the requests of the guitarists who frequented my music shop at that time. Forty years later, we are still listening to the thoughts and wishes of guitar players from all walks of life. The amplifier you have just acquired is, once again, the direct result of us paying attention to feedback from guitarists, coupled with the latest innovations in amplifier technology from my Research and Development team. By continually building on our heritage of classic guitar tones and always keeping our ears and minds open, we are able to bring you the next generation of Marshall amplifier.
The MODE FOUR is completely designed, engineered and manufactured in the UK and like all of our products, the most rigorous quality control procedures are followed to ensure that it meets the standard of build and reliability you have come to expect from Marshall Amplification.
I would like to wish you every success with your new amplifier and welcome you to the ever-growing Marshall family.
1
ENGLISH
!WARNING! - Important safety instructions
WARNING: THIS APPARATUS MUST BE EARTHED!
APLEASE read this instruction manual carefully before switching on.
BALWAYS use the supplied mains lead, if a replacement is required please contact your authorised Marshall Dealer.
CNEVER attempt to bypass the fuses or fit ones of the incorrect value.
DDO NOT attempt to remove the amplifier chassis, there are no user serviceable parts.
ERefer all servicing to qualified service personnel including replacement of fuses and valves. Servicing is required when the apparatus has been damaged in any way, such as when the power supply cord or plug is damaged, liquid has been spilled or objects have fallen into the apparatus, the apparatus has been exposed to rain or moisture, does not operate normally or has been dropped.
FNEVER use an amplifier in damp or wet conditions. No objects filled with liquids should be placed on the apparatus. When cleaning, only use a dry cloth.
GALWAYS unplug this apparatus during lightning storms or if unused for long periods of time.
HPROTECT the power cord from being walked on or pinched particularly at plugs, convenience receptacles and at the point where they exit from the apparatus.
IDO NOT switch the amplifier on without a loudspeaker connected.
JENSURE that any extension cabinets used are of the correct impedance.
EUROPE ONLY 
- Note: This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the requirements of the EMC directive (Environments E1, E2 and E3 EN 55103-1/2) and the Low Voltage directive in the E.U.
EUROPE ONLY - Note: The Peak Inrush current for the MF350 is 30 amps.
Note: This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to part 15 of the FCC rules.
These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation. This equipment generates, uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures:
Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.
Increase the separation between the equipment and the receiver.
Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is connected.
Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.
CAUTION: Any changes or modifications not expressly approved by the party responsible for compliance may void the users authority to operate the equipment.
Note: It is recommended that all audio cables used to connect the MF350, with the exception of the heavy duty speaker lead, are of a high quality screened type. These should not exceed 10 metres in length.
Always use a non-screened Marshall approved heavy duty speaker lead (CABL-00031) with the MF350 head and extension cabinets.
WARNING: Do not obstruct ventilation grilles and always ensure free movement of air around the amplifier!
USA ONLY - DO NOT defeat the purpose of the polarised or grounding type plug. A polarised plug 
has two blades with one wider than the other. A grounding type plug has two blades and a third
grounding prong. The wide blade or the third prong are provided for your safety. When the provided plug does not fit into your outlet, consult an electrician for replacement of the obsolete outlet.
FOLLOW ALL INSTRUCTIONS AND HEED ALL WARNINGS
KEEP THESE INSTRUCTIONS !
M O D E F O U R
Over the years a great many amplifiers have claimed to offer both classic and modern tones but, in truth, have fallen well short of the mark. While designing the MODE FOUR we quickly realised that in order to truly produce both modern and classic performances within the same amplifier, we would have to go a lot further than simply switching a few pre-amp components when changing channels. Instead we needed to switch the whole amplifier......
Two in One
As a result of this simple but undeniable truth, the MODE FOUR boasts a true ‘Two Amplifiers in
One’ design. AMP 1 (Classic) takes you from clean through to front-ended 2203 crunch, while AMP 2 (Modern) takes you into modern, high/extreme gain. To make this possible, not only do AMP 1 and AMP 2 have totally separate valve (a.k.a. tube) pre-amplifier circuits, but the MODE
FOUR also completely reconfigures its power amplifier section depending on the AMP type selected.
Four Modes
To further add to the flexibility of the MODE FOUR’s revolutionary design, each of the two amplifier types it features, boasts two, footswitchable gain stages. AMP 1 offers CLEAN and
CRUNCH modes while AMP 2 has OD1 and OD2.
AMP 1
As already mentioned, AMP 1 is effectively the ‘Classic’ side of the MODE FOUR. Whenever
AMP 1 is selected, the power amplifier reconfigures to recreate the unmistakable sound and feel of our world renowned, 100 Watt Super Lead Plexi. By using this as a sonic foundation, AMP 1 has the characteristic Marshall openness and roar that have made amps like the aforementioned Plexi, the 2203 and the Silver Jubilee 2555, timeless classics.
While AMP 1’s CLEAN Mode produces incredibly dynamic, three-dimensional clean and bluesy crunch sounds, its CRUNCH Mode unleashes the un-bridled aggression and bite of the JCM800 2203, but with levels of gain never imagined in 1981, when this much-lauded model was first launched.
AMP 2
In terms of sheer gain, AMP 2 takes over from where AMP 1 leaves off, with OD2 Mode offering more gain than any other Marshall before. This said, thanks to the MODE FOUR’s radical design, the player retains maximum control while searching for their ultimate high-gain signature sound.
The Power to Deliver
Whenever AMP 2 is selected, the MODE FOUR’s power section reconfigures itself so it can create the deep, dark-sounding, loose low-end that has proved itself to be so popular with many modern players who either detune regular six-strings, or use 7-string or detuned Baritone guitars.
Due to the unique design and the incredibly high headroom that the MODE FOUR’s 350 Watt power stage possesses, AMP 2’s impressively wide bottom-end not only has the sound and feel of an all-valve amp, it also doesn’t lose definition at high stage volumes – a problem that many other similar sounding, all-valve systems suffer from.
ENGLISH
2 |
3 |
ENGLISH
Fully Loaded For Professional Use
From the very start, the MODE FOUR was created with the professional guitarist in mind. To this end it boasts a host of carefully thought out features that have been designed to give you, the player, the ultimate in professional flexibility and control. These include:
■Two independent, footswitchable amplifiers – AMP 1 and AMP 2.
■Each amp type offers two footswitchable modes, giving you four in total: CLEAN, CRUNCH, OD1 & OD2.
■Each AMP has separate controls for GAIN, VOLUME, BASS, MIDDLE and TREBLE.
■Each AMP has a front panel SCOOP switch.
■AMP 2 has a three-way TONE MATRIX control.
■Footswitchable, built-in Digital Reverb with separate REVERB controls for AMP 1 and AMP 2.
■A Parallel / Series FX Loop with individual FX LEVEL controls for AMP 1 and AMP 2.
■A footswitchable SOLO LEVEL control.
■Master controls for RESONANCE, PRESENCE and VOLUME.
■The power stage is fan cooled to ensure reliable and efficient operation.
■A TUNER OUT jack with a front panel TUNER MUTE switch for ‘silent’ tuning between songs.
■XLR and 1/4" jack EMULATED LINE OUTPUTS.
■LOAD PROTECTION CIRCUITRY.
■6-way LED footcontroller supplied that controls CLEAN, CRUNCH, OD1, OD2, SOLO and REVERB.
MODE FOUR Front Panel Features - see panel page 70
1. INPUT Jack
Use a good quality guitar cable (i.e. one that’s screened) to plug your guitar in here. The quality of your guitar cable is particularly important in a very high gain amplifier design such as the MODE FOUR. Any fault in the cable could lead to unwanted hum, noise, or highpitched feedback.
In common with most high gain designs and in order to avoid unwanted noise, the MODE FOUR is automatically muted when there is nothing inserted into the INPUT Jack. This means that if no guitar is plugged in, the amp will be very quiet regardless of the settings.
TONE TIP: For using a separate pre-amp with the power amp section of the MODE FOUR, see Frequently Asked Questions (page 12)
TONE TIP: Microphonic (i.e. loose) guitar pickups can lead to unwanted low-end feedback at high gain settings. If your guitar suffers from this, we would suggest you visit a qualified guitar service technician to remedy the problem so you can get the optimum performance from your MODE FOUR at all Gain settings.
AMP 1 CONTROLS
2. CLEAN Mode Select Switch
Push this switch to select the CLEAN Mode of
AMP 1. When this mode is selected via the front
panel or the supplied 6-way footcontroller, the red LED within this switch will be illuminated.
3. CRUNCH Mode Select Switch
Push this switch to select the CRUNCH Mode of AMP 1. When this mode is selected via the front panel or the supplied 6-way footcontroller, the LED within this switch will light up.
4. GAIN Control
When AMP 1 is in CLEAN Mode, this control will take you from shimmering, bell-like, clean tones at low settings, to edgy, valve generated bluesy distortions at higher settings.
When CRUNCH Mode is selected you enter the hallowed world of a front-ended JCM800, which will give you classic Marshall metal and alternative rock tones. Low GAIN settings will yield the truly dynamic, touch sensitive, overdriven valve roar that made the JCM800 2203 a hard rock legend. Higher levels of GAIN give you dense, saturated tone with endless sustain and a slamming, low-end thump without losing any of that all-important note definition, even when playing complex chords.
AMP 1 GAIN CONTROL SWEET SPOT: The CLEAN and CRUNCH Modes of the MODE
FOUR offer a huge degree of flexibility in terms of gain.
As the GAIN Control is shared between the CLEAN and CRUNCH Modes some change in
MODE FOUR Front Panel Features - see panel page 70
level may be experienced when switching between these modes, especially at extreme settings.
The diagram below shows the 'Sweet Spot' area of the AMP 1 GAIN Control where the levels of CLEAN and CRUNCH are well balanced.
GAIN CONTROL 'SWEET SPOT'
(CLEAN & CRUNCH balanced)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
CRUNCH mode |
|
|
|
|
CLEAN mode |
louder than |
|
|
|
|
louder than |
CLEAN |
0 |
|
10 |
CRUNCH |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously, when using GAIN settings on either side of this ‘sweet spot’, if you switch between AMP 1’s CLEAN and CRUNCH modes, you’re going to have to compensate for the resulting level differences with your guitar’s volume control &/or pickup selection.
TONE TIP: At low CRUNCH settings, ballsy crunch can be transformed into wonderfully rich clean tones by merely reducing the guitar volume control.
5. BASS Control
This controls the amount of low frequencies
(bottom end) in your tone. Adjusting this control in conjunction with the RESONANCE control (12) will drastically affect the size and tightness of your low end. The more BASS and RESONANCE you dial in, the fatter your bottom end will become.
6. VOLUME Control
This control determines how loud or quiet AMP 1 is. This control should be used in conjunction with AMP 2’s VOLUME control (19) to set the relative levels of the two amps. Once this is done you can use the MASTER volume control (16) to set the overall output level of the amplifier.
7. MIDDLE Control
This controls the all-important mid-range of your sound. Higher settings will make your guitar sound fatter and fuller. Conversely, lower settings will reduce the mids in your sound, giving you a more aggressive, ‘scooped’ sound.
8. SCOOP Switch
This control has been specifically fine-tuned to give the most crushing mid ‘scoop’ sound imaginable. By reconfiguring the entire post-EQ voicing of AMP 1, the tone becomes extremely aggressive – tight, punchy and focused with the highs and lows accentuated and the mids ‘scooped’ out.
9. REVERB Control
This controls the level of the MODE FOUR’s specially designed, built-in, digital Reverb for AMP 1.
10. TREBLE Control
This control determines the amount of highend and makes your guitar’s tone brighter and more cutting as it is turned up. Adjusting the
TREBLE Control will allow you to fine-tune upper-end ‘shimmer’ on your CLEAN sounds and aggressive bite on your CRUNCH – especially when used in conjunction with the PRESENCE Control (13).
TONE TIP: AMP 1’s tone network is highly interactive and altering one control can change the shape of the sound in relation to the other tone controls. Experimentation is the best way to achieve your desired sounds.
11. FX LEVEL Control
When you’re using an external effects device in the MODE FOUR’s Parallel to Series FX loop, this control adjusts the amount of the chosen effect that will be mixed in with AMP 1’s dry (uneffected) signal. Please refer to the FX
Loop section on page 8 for further details.
ENGLISH
4 |
5 |
Loading...