Musikmesse 2011: Marshall showcases new Class 5 head alongside updated combo

Musikmesse 2011: Marshall's original Class 5 combo is one of the company's biggest success stories in recent years, and 2011 sees not only an updated combo but a brand new C5H head and C110 cabinet.

The big news for those of you who lamented the original model's lack of a master volume is that the five-watt C5-01 valve combo comes equipped with a low power mode perfect for bedroom practice and quiet home recording.

Marshall's official release explains: "The rear panel offers both 16-ohm and headphone outputs, with the latter doubling as the C5-01's new low power mode. Selecting this option without headphones connected routes the low power signal (about 50mW) directly to the amp's internal loudspeaker."

The C5H head is built to rock in louder studio settings and miked up at gigs, so it doesn't feature the low power mode. It does, however, make a seriously cool mini half-stack atop that C110 cabinet, which contains a single 10-inch Celestion G10F-15 driver.

To hear the new head and combo in action, check out Marshall's Chris George putting the amp through its paces in the following video demo:

Visit Marshall for more information and detailed specifications.

Chris Vinnicombe worked with us here on the MusicRadar team from the site's initial launch way back in 2007, and also contributed to Guitarist magazine as Features Editor until 2014, as well as Total Guitar magazine, amongst others. These days he can be found at Gibson Guitars, where he is editor-in-chief.