Class 5 combo or Origin 5c

[fitz]

The Origins have a pair of EL34s in them (both the 20 and the 50).

O5C is one EL84.

 

[DirtySteve]

The Origins have a pair of EL34s in them (both the 20 and the 50).

Yes, but he asked about the Origin 5 and that one uses el84s.

​

 

[Frodebro]

Yes, but he asked about the Origin 5 and that one uses el84s.

​

Yeah, that’s why I specified the 20 and 50 in that post.

There’s a reason why the Origin 5 isn’t offered anymore- it doesn’t really have anything to offer. People think “Oh, five watts! Perfect for home levels!” But it’s not. Five watts is going to easily blow past 100dB.

 

[Alter]

Yeah, for a Fender champ 5 watts make sense, since you may use the amp in cleaner/quieter settings. But for a Marshall, you 'll probably have rock drums etc, so you can easily work with a 20 watt amp without worrying about being too loud.

 

[Frodebro]

Yeah, for a Fender champ 5 watts make sense, since you may use the amp in cleaner/quieter settings. But for a Marshall, you 'll probably have rock drums etc, so you can easily work with a 20 watt amp without worrying about being too loud.

That’s pretty much it. For clean amps or high-gain (preamp distortion) applications, you can easily run a big amp at low volume levels without sacrificing too much. But if you’re looking to drive the back end a bit harder than that, you kinda need to match your wattage to your target decibel level. And five watts doesn’t really fit into any normal situation.

 

[Wildeman]

Hell, maybe I just need another DSL1H, I used to have fun with it on low power, it was still pretty loud on regular. I was just thinking there was another, slightly better little Marshall. Maybe I just need a power soak for my Haze.
Part of my plan has to do with physical size too, my wife ain't gonna stand for a bunch of heads and cabs staying out in the living room, she tolerates (not likes) a small combo though, my AC4-12" has been out there for months, it sounds like a Vox though, not a Marshall.

 

[jcm800gridlock]

I’ve owned a 2012 Class 5 combo and also a 2012 Class 5 head. I liked the .1 watt mode but it did still require an OD pedal for low volume gain. Wish that I kept the combo.

I also owned an Origin 50. I was amazed how well the various power settings worked. Even the lowest 5 watt setting the OR50C sounded great.

I think that the Origin 20 would be the ticket. I believe that it has a 12” speaker, is EL34 powered, has a boost, and has a 1 watt power setting. You may still need to use an OD pedal for higher gain.

 

[Georgiatec]

I’ve owned a 2012 Class 5 combo and also a 2012 Class 5 head. I liked the .1 watt mode but it did still require an OD pedal for low volume gain. Wish that I kept the combo.

I also owned an Origin 50. I was amazed how well the various power settings worked. Even the lowest 5 watt setting the OR50C sounded great.

I think that the Origin 20 would be the ticket. I believe that it has a 12” speaker, is EL34 powered, has a boost, and has a 1 watt power setting. You may still need to use an OD pedal for higher gain.

10" V-Type, but yeah I agree with you. Only buy a Ori5c if it's dirt cheap and you are going to mod it for a 10" speaker. Here's a couple of Ori 5c clips.
With the standard 8" speaker 1st. Amp on full power and pretty cranked. Then with boost switch in after 45 secs or so, then with an OD pedal added in the last third of the clip.


This one is audio only. Just a little jam track I recorded with the Ori 5c after I transplanted a 10' T1927 Celestion from 1971 in there.

 

[crossroadsnyc]

Man, I should've started the thread with what I have.... I have one of those too.....and a Pignose......and a Vox Pathfinder, and a AC4-12"
I really should just save up for a tweed Champ.

I have a suggestion ... do you have a SL5?

 

[Cossack]

I have a suggestion ... do you have a SL5?

You beat me to it! I was about to recommend one. They sound great at low volume, and they just get better as you turn them up (of course!). Power scale from 5 back to 1 watt.

For more money you could also do the SC20. Low power setting at 5 watts. Sounds amazing. Less preamp gain than the SL5.

Or the Mini Jubilee.

 

[crossroadsnyc]

You beat me to it! I was about to recommend one. They sound great at low volume and, they just get better as you turn them up (of course!). Power scale from 5 back to 1 watt.

For more money you could also do the SC20. Low power at 5 watts. Sounds amazing. Less preamp gain than the SL5.

Or the Mini Jubilee.

I've had mine for just about a year now, and it's arguably the best at home / low volume amp I've ever owned. Even sounds incredible at whisper volumes for when you need to keep the volume extra low late at night. I've had a fair amount of experience w/Marshall amps over the years, and imo, the SL5 is right up there with the very best of them. Absolutely incredible what they managed to pull off.

 

[crossroadsnyc]

I've had mine for just about a year now, and it's arguably the best at home / low volume amp I've ever owned. Even sounds incredible at whisper volumes for when you need to keep the volume extra low late at night. I've had a fair amount of experience w/Marshall amps over the years, and imo, the SL5 is right up there with the very best of them. Absolutely incredible what they managed to pull off.

Oh, and to further relate to your post, I traded away my SC20H for it ... the SC20 is a fantastic amp, but while it might not be as loud, the SL5 sounds WAY better to me. Not even close.

 

[Wildeman]

Oh, and to further relate to your post, I traded away my SC20H for it ... the SC20 is a fantastic amp, but while it might not be as loud, the SL5 sounds WAY better to me. Not even close.

I do not have one. I've seen some JVM1 combos around that look interesting too.

 

[crossroadsnyc]

I do not have one.

Not sure what kinda tones you are into, but since I didn't see it suggested, I figured I'd throw it out there as another option to consider. They don't get talked about much for some reason, so easy to overlook!

 

[Cossack]

Oh, and to further relate to your post, I traded away my SC20H for it ... the SC20 is a fantastic amp, but while it might not be as loud, the SL5 sounds WAY better to me. Not even close.

Interesting. The SL5 was my first Marshall. I had a few in between, so I never got to A/B the SL5 and SC20. I'd be curious to do that now. I've thought a few times casually about getting another SL5, but haven't seen one at a price I was willing to pay for a while.

But since getting the SC20 I can't picture ever getting rid of it; it would probably be the amp I would keep if I had to have only one amp.

 

[Wildeman]

Not sure what kinda tones you are into, but since I didn't see it suggested, I figured I'd throw it out there as another option to consider. They don't get talked about much for some reason, so easy to overlook!

I just watched a couple demo's, looks like a ripper.

 

[Matthews Guitars]

I've had two Class 5s and they were both very dark sounding amps. If they're typical then you'll want to use pedals if you like a brighter tone with more clarity.

 

[Dave_11]

I have an Origin 5 and with the 8" speaker it sounds pretty boxy. I put a 10" speaker in it and it still sounds boxy. I plugged it into my Ori20 with a 10" greenback and that sounds better, but again boxy. The Lead 12 with a 10" greenback has a ton more bottom end and sounds much bigger. I don't care for the cranked tone of the Ori5 itself, but it is a decent little amp for pedals. It found it pairs really well with a treble booster type pedal, SD-1, and others.

I just completed a John H attenuator build over the weekend, and want to amend my "boxy" comments. With the volume turned up past the half-way mark, it looses the boxy sound and actually sounds really good. I typically play at low volumes and just never turned it up. I still don't care for the native overdrive when cranked, but with an SD-1 volume boost and the volume set a little past half-way, this amp sounds really nice. Other pedals pushed it well, but the SD-1 was the best. And while the treble booster sounded good at lower volumes, it was by far the worst sounding with the volume past half-way. For the record, my Ori5 has a 10" VT-Junior speaker in it.

 

[Sollophonic]

I have an Origin 5. I put a 10" speaker in it (detailed in another thread) and I also run it into a 12" speaker cabinet for gigs.

Yes, gigs. These amps are not bedroom/apartment amps unless you like a clean tone. They are loud, certainly loud enough for pub gigs, which is where mine comes into its own. Gives me that just breaking up rhythm sound I need.

The Origin 5 is also a very bright amp, not dark at all from my experience. It has a low wattage setting, but even that is loud. I use it on that setting for rehearsals and I play in a six piece band with two horns.

I use the footswitch on mine live, the loop circuit gives the sound a bit of a lift even without a pedal connected.

 

[Spcv]

Yeah, I got stuff like that already. I'm looking for, like a DSL1 but better, with a low power option. Some C5s have a low power mode right?

Something like this, I guess?