Marshall Origin Series Amplifiers

[mbell75]

While I "liked" your post, I really don't like what you're saying but do appreciate your Columbo skills. It's what stopped me from pre-ordering one.
Like you, I'll wait and see whats inside first.
Before anyone says to me, "who gives a shit, pedals are the same thing", the only dirt, distortion, od or whatever kind of pedal you want to call it that I use is a Catalinbread Sabbra Cadabra. It's a single purpose pedal and I only use it with one amp for one tone.
I totally rely on "tube" distortion with all my amps.

Yea, I mean it would be great to think that Marshall got super generous all the sudden and just deiced to make an entire line of affordable amps and eat the costs because they are that cool. $650 for a 50 watt head? Thats what Orange, EVH and most the rest of the competition is charging for 15 watt heads. Even The Egnater 30 is more expensive lol. The low price and light weight tells me something is up.

 

[johan.b]

So we now learned that the circuit is one of Santiago's...we like his circuits, right?... and Marshall now owns the vietnamese factory, so they are not paying someone else to build them. .less cost, lower price in the end. ..we like that. ..don't we?
They look great. Somewhat new look but with clear heritage..
They seem to sound great. Crispy clean to hot plexi style. I would like to hear some Les Paul clips too
Power output range people been asking for the last few years.
I can understand p holding their entusiasm until trying one for the selves....But Why the negative suspicions? Jim is gone. .they can't operate in his shadow forever. Get Over it. .but they are not in some tone-suck-conspiracy either. .as far as I've seen, they've answered our call. .
..and as for freidman's...If you can aford bugatti, go for it. ..The rest of us pick the car we like most at the cost we can handle
J

 

[MaskingApathy]

I'm really digging these amps too. Planning on picking up a 50w head.

Also great to meet @santiall and @PU239 yesterday! Had a blast checking out the new amps with you guys. I'm looking forward to the new product lines that they introduce this year and next.

 

[Georgiatec]

Yes that's right the 5-watt is an el84 you can't get an el34 down to 5 Watts

You need to check out the SL-5. I would have preferred a cathode bias single EL34, but have nothing against EL84s....they sound great in my 2061x and Class 5....plus the original smaller DSL amps used them to good effect, once they sorted the overheating issue out.

 

[Georgiatec]

I am very glad to see Marshall's new Origin series. I think it has the Plexi vibe at a great price point with all the modern features that a guitarist is looking for.

I believe Marshall hit a home run here and it is going to be very successful. Should compete very well with it's competitors in this price range.

My good friend is seriously thinking about adding a new Origin 20 Watt combo to his collection. He wanted something that will get him close to Plexi tone at a manageable volume, with a loop. He is stoked. He never wanted a 50 or 100 Watt head and cab, but he wants a Marshall to add to his VOX and Fender collection. And at this price, it works.

However, I was a little disappointed about one thing....here is what I was hoping for and I am still trusting Marshall will do something in this arena soon.

Looking for that 20 Watt or 40 Watt head and/or combo that has a lot of the same features that the Origin has, but at a price point that competes directly with Friedman, Suhr and others. Hand-Wired, everything top of the line, including a nice, beefy output transformer, choke, etc. Power scaling, transparent loop and in the vane of Plexi/JMP/800 tone.

Call it the JCM 700 series - high quality, lower powered amps with modern features that takes us back to the "70's" with Plexi/JMP type tones.

I believe there is a market for Marshall to develop high quality products to compete directly with and overtake the BE-100, Dirty Shirley, Smallpox and Runt. There is no reason others are eating their lunch in this area.

The Origin is a great first step. Will get people into wanting to have that Marshall amp, and later desire a more expensive product when it becomes available.

You just described the Astoria. I think the only thing that let that amp down was execution. The concept was spot on, although maybe with too many variants, and the build quality wasn't the best....I have a Dual combo, so I am speaking from experience.
The Origin series will be valve amps for the masses. There is no doubt they will be made to a budget, but I will definitely be trying them when they hit the shops....supposedly in a couple of weeks here in Blighty

 

[plexilespaul]

the organic sounds really good,no buzzy overdrive from these... really chimey and clear.
well done marshall. I may buy one

 

[Jakeboy]

I have too many amps already....for recording, my JMP1h is all I need and the Marshall setting on my Mesa TA15 covers the 800 tones quite well.....but I feel I must have the 20 watt Origin. Something will have to go...

 

[Georgiatec]

They said the same thing for the CODE. And then it got pushed.

and pushed

..and pushed....

....and.....

Delivery dates have changed @ Gear4Music to end of April early May. Looks like you were right

 

[el_bastardo]

Lol. I don't understand the "preorder" thing. Why? Just wait till places actually have them. All you're doing is setting yourself up for disappointment.

 

[Ufoscorpion]

Yep , would have pre ordered one myself but had a fealing this was how it was gonna pan out . I like to get my gear the day after I order it . I will wait until stores actually have them in stock , not a problem .

 

[Classicplayer]

Lol. I don't understand the "preorder" thing. Why? Just wait till places actually have them. All you're doing is setting yourself up for disappointment.

Right! That's why I went Orange this past autumn. Besides that, if you pre-order and have to wait (sometimes months) you stand the chance of finding something better in during that waiting period; not that it's colossal effort to cancel.


Classicplayer

 

[el_bastardo]

Yep , would have pre ordered one myself but had a fealing this was how it was gonna pan out . I like to get my gear the day after I order it . I will wait until stores actually have them in stock , not a problem .

Right! That's why I went Orange this past autumn. Besides that, if you pre-order and have to wait (sometimes months) you stand the chance of finding something better in during that waiting period; not that it's colossal effort to cancel.


Classicplayer

Yeah I guess it's just people wanting to be FIRST to have something maybe? Like those crazies that stand in line outside the Apple store for 5 days to have the new iPhone? I don't know. I can't relate to that mindset. Preorder just seems like a bad idea to me.

 

[Joska]

Looks badass and sounds like old school Marshall with a little modern touch IMO. Far more interested in that then the DSL. That 50 watt head is listed at 560 pounds. If it retails in the US for $800, I'm buying one immediately.

I `m hooked at 20 watter, haves 2 el 34, power scaling and unlimited mods potentials. Price is just great, must be good that is not maded in uk too! Thereover quality sucks all the way.

 

[Joska]

You have a point. Marshall is doing it again...creating too many lines.

It makes me wonder if they are taking what they learned from Steve D ( the Vintage modern, the astoria, and the class 5) and just repacking it all.

I suspect it will be another haze. No one will be raving over these. Friedman's beat them to it (and sounds better). They don't sound bad but don't sound great either. Maybe they just need the right speakers and guitarist.

The tilt seems suspiciously like the ISF on blackstar amps. Would be ironic if they took that back from Blackstar.[/QUO. It sound as presence control to my ears?

 

[Crunchifyable]

It sounds like a high pass filter, or maybe they really are blending between high treble and normal channels of a dual triode.

It's a neat feature that I want to copy and experiment with maybe.

But I would almost imagine this is a highly modified 2203 circuit rather than a plexi. Would just have to see the schematic whenever it gets leaked.

 

[SlyStrat]

The 50w Origin head weighs 6 pounds less than my Marshall JTM45 RI.
I ordered one and it will be interesting to see where the weight went.
And to see how close it sounds to my 45.
I owned a 1974X and 2061X. Great tone but not enough punch at band level volumes.
That's why I went with the 50w.
Preorder? Why not? I send it back if I don't like it.

 

[dptone5]

You just described the Astoria. I think the only thing that let that amp down was execution. The concept was spot on, although maybe with too many variants, and the build quality wasn't the best....I have a Dual combo, so I am speaking from experience.
The Origin series will be valve amps for the masses. There is no doubt they will be made to a budget, but I will definitely be trying them when they hit the shops....supposedly in a couple of weeks here in Blighty

I agree my friend. The Astoria was so close for me. Was basically hoping for an EL34 amp instead of the KT66 platform. Also, the look of the Astoria just didn't do it for me. Doesn't look like Marshall.

 

[Kinkless Tetrode]

The Astoria takes EL34s. Just plug in and play.

 

[Fender]

A guy on TGP who's played it said it gets into 800 territory and even a bit more with a RAT.

well the few samples heard with/without the gain boost makes me think a lot of plexi-like without gain boost and 800-like with the gain boost... a lot like channel 2 A/B mode on the old 30th anniversary series

 

[Georgiatec]

The Astoria takes EL34s. Just plug in and play.

It sure does.....and IMHO sounds better for it.