Anyone else experiencing muddy sounds...

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Especially on low strings, low notes.

Worse on neck pickups.

JTM45 especially bad.

Or is it just that my guitars have hotter pickups? Then again, some of my neck pickups aren't that hot and even switched to single-coil, it gets muddy and boomy.

The settings don't really help. Tried changes on all settings... EQ, cabs, preamps, amps, presence, resonance, you name it.

Or is it because I play at room volumes? Still need to try a headphone to see if it's speaker or emulator...

asked 29 Jun 2017 at 02:51 PM

Yes, i have this same issue. I am using EMG 81 & 85 on a Jackson SLATX MG36. And no matter what i change, the sound is muddy and boomy. The distortion is to overbearing for me so i have to resort to using an external pedal for the notes to come through clear. I spent an hour yesterday trying to dial in sound with little success. Its better but not what id like. But you can't expect to much from a amp that cost $250 and a modeling amp to boot. My suggestion is to use a pedal or try to dial in the best sound you can get and go with it. I don't think upping the volume is going to change the sound to much. If anything it will make it worse. Maybe with later updates this will change. Idk. Good luck :)
Or you can try to find some YouTube videos on dialing in the best sounds for your application . - 30 Jun 2017 at 11:27 PM

Just an update. I managed to find the right balance to make it not so bad. But i am also playing heavy metal, so it may be different for you. Continue to tinker with the tones and levels. Eventually you will find what works. And again check Youtube. I'm sure you can find something to help you. It just takes time i guess to get it right. lol. - 01 Jul 2017 at 03:04 AM

I find that it can be real muddy and messy with metal. Where these amps shine is with crunchy presets.
Also when making patches, the last thing I normally do is cycle through the cab sims and find the one that sounds best with what I made so far. Some cabs are muddy, some are middy or distant sounding.
And sometimes if you back off the resonance you can get rid of bass/mud. - 04 Jul 2017 at 12:02 PM

Answers: 4

There are a couple threads around here with similar complaints. I notice it specifically with the DSL Overdrive and the 50s British amps. Especially when playing an E or F#.

answered 04 Jul 2017 at 09:12 PM

Of the ones with this problem, who is on a CARPET? I placed my amp on a hard surface and it improved dramatically. Not completely, but much better.

Although my other Marshall amps are fine on carpet, my Code 50 gets seriously muffled.

answered 10 Jul 2017 at 04:13 PM

I don't have mine on the carpet. Its actually sitting on top of another amp i have that does sit on the floor. Its non-functioning, so i use it as a prop of sorts. But i have used it on the floor too and notice no difference in the sound quality. Only time i notice the sound changing is when i change my position to the amp. You might consider placing the amp in a corner or against a wall off the carpet. Help direct your sound better this way. Also try to place the speaker up so its basically pointed to your face either by angling it up or putting it on a shelf or something. Doing this will also help you in dialing in your sound. You can hear everything better. - 13 Jul 2017 at 05:29 AM

I have the same issue...

Clean sounds are great, they are bright and sound good! Any distortion and it sounds horrible. I dont get it. Ive tried to dial it in i dont know how many times, ive tried different guitars and cables and little to no change. Please help Marshall, Any and all input would be greatly appreciated!

edited 16 Jul 2019 at 12:47 PM

answered 13 Jul 2019 at 11:20 PM

Hi Brent,

Have you tried the update to see if this helps.

Marshall Support - 16 Jul 2019 at 08:51 AM

I did the update 2 days ago and i do notice improvement! Thanks alot! - 16 Jul 2019 at 12:58 PM

my amp was functioning fine, but all of a sudden sounds very very muddy on neck pickups, I thought it was just my emg loaded les paul, but then I plugged in my gibson with burstbucker pros, and the same thing... it was really clear and crisp on all my overdriven settings the next day all overdriven tones sound awful on all of my guitars

Can anyone advise me what I should do?

answered 30 Apr 2020 at 06:29 PM

Snarky answer: Sell it while you can. I did. Musicians Friend wouldn’t even publish my review.
So many better options out there since this came out.

Slightly more constructive: do you have the backup of the presets online? Reset amp to factory settings and load them again. Or just try reloading on a different slot without factory reset. Even my Axe FX sometimes acts up and I have to just turn it off and on again.
Does it do it on both the amp stored as well as the app stored preset?
- 30 Apr 2020 at 07:57 PM

cheers man, not looking to sell it as I'm living abroad for a few years and just have it for the apartment. have many better options at home.
Its weird as it sounded great last week... I was even recording on it and it sounded really good, I play metal too, and had great tones for Zakk and dime. but I plugged it in on Wednesday and it sounded like it was playing through swamp mud... only on the neck and middle position on all of my guitars... so strange something about them frequencies just sends it west...

I did a full reset and nothing happened, and changed the leads, guitars, settings always the same.. just puzzled - 30 Apr 2020 at 08:03 PM