The Official Marshall Studio Classic Thread Sc20

[CroTone]

Ty, loving it alot so far, running straight in, ps1 to 4x10. Joyo 10 band eq in the loop, still all set at middle.
Running mv at 6 pre amp around 3 and presence around 3 into high input. Very very nice tones.
I've only had 2 muck arounds for an hour or so each. Kicks my ass 50 ways from sideways.
Tried low input briefly, kept mv same, put the pre amp up to 6ish, sounded good but had to back to high gain because the Lil voices told me too!
Still lots of mucking around to do, but it's hard because all the amp wants to do is play the chorus to bullet with butterfly wings, and who am I to deny it?

Sounds like you are having a lot of fun! That's what these cool little studio amps are supposed to provide us! Enjoy!

 

[GregM]

Sounds like you are having a lot of fun! That's what these cool little studio amps are supposed to provide us! Enjoy!

I'm still in the honeymoon phase, but what a honeymoon! Gunna give her a good working over everywhich way ( including loose)!

 

[KelvinS1965]

I'm still in the honeymoon phase, but what a honeymoon! Gunna give her a good working over everywhich way ( including loose)!

I'm still in the honeymoon phase too; I've had mine two months and taken it to a number of 'live' level rehersals and played a gig with it too.

The only thing I'm finding it that I don't really need the big pedal board I put together during lock down: I just need a clean boost in the loop for solo boost and ONE pedal for instead saturated tones. Not that I can't get it from the amp, but it's easier to use the pedal rather than start fiddling with the gain and master volume between songs (we don't have a sound man, so have to set a static mix).

 

[GregM]

Couldn't agree more, the only pedal I've had is eq in effects loop, I tried it briefly with a distortion pedal today, usually have distortion on 3 maxx, and cranked it up to 5 and couldn't find it, the amp sounded pretty much the same.
I was mucking around with Rumble by Link Wray, and damn me, neck pup on a mim tele and I was in distortion heaven.
I'm an at home hacker so I have no problem adjusting between songs ( thou often I don't, just to try the song differently)
Today was the exception, almost totally cranked the master with pre amp on half, presence between 2 and 3. Usually I run 6 or 7 master 3 to 4 preamp, prescence 2 to 3.

 

[ken361]

Actually. I’ve just been reading bits and pieces over lunch today. I noticed that some of the stock photos (including on the Marshall website) show the back of the combo with a small opening and mesh over it. Mine doesn’t have that, or has a large perforated metal plate instead.

Was this a deliberate update or some sort of change they made?

mines the second pic its easy to change tubes the amp slays at 7 on the master!

 

[KelvinS1965]

Yup...just back from a 3 hours rehearsal: 14 song set and only needed my OCD for 'Smooth' by Santana, plus the loop/clean boost for a couple of other bits. Quite a varied set too, with 'Disco Inferno' and 'Can't get enough' as well (it's a 60th birthday party).

Sure I could make it all really complicated and mess about with a pedal for every song, but between the SC20 distortion and using the guitar volume/tone/pickup it's close enough. I'm not one to bother with pedals like Chorus and delay though, since in this band you'd never hear the relatively subtle differences.

Going to try the same set up with my main band: Completely different set list, but still pretty varied. Absolute worst case is that I switch to my Mini Jubilee and use the footswitch for dirt, but I like how easy it is to just grab the SC20C for rehearsals.

 

[ken361]

Yup...just back from a 3 hours rehearsal: 14 song set and only needed my OCD for 'Smooth' by Santana, plus the loop/clean boost for a couple of other bits. Quite a varied set too, with 'Disco Inferno' and 'Can't get enough' as well (it's a 60th birthday party).

Sure I could make it all really complicated and mess about with a pedal for every song, but between the SC20 distortion and using the guitar volume/tone/pickup it's close enough. I'm not one to bother with pedals like Chorus and delay though, since in this band you'd never hear the relatively subtle differences.

Going to try the same set up with my main band: Completely different set list, but still pretty varied. Absolute worst case is that I switch to my Mini Jubilee and use the footswitch for dirt, but I like how easy it is to just grab the SC20C for rehearsals.

you pumping 20 watts?

 

[KelvinS1965]

you pumping 20 watts?

Actually no...just the 5 watt mode: I'm mic'd into the PA so we can control the mix better. Only issue I'm having is hearing myself, but I'm going to use wireless and just go out into the crowd for the couple of songs I solo on.

 

[AndyP]

Thanks @KelvinS1965

I got mine from Peach Guitars. Flawless service to be honest. Really impressed.

The amp is brilliant. I spent an hour or two with it last night and managed to get a chance to try out the controls a bit more and see what’s what. Took me a wee while to get it where I wanted but it sounds phenomenal. The controls are very sensitive I’m finding, a tiny change is very noticeable.

I tried a couple of pedals as well to see what happened and it really roared. It is damn loud, but it’s manageable for my level of playing at home. It’s inspiring me to want to focus on my playing and improve too.

 

['2204']

Just checking in to say that I am really enjoying my SC20! I`m having more opportunities here at home w/ cranking it>>>which means the MV is on a loud '1'--but it`s still cool & alot of FUN esp. w/ the added distortion pedal which is always 'on'!!!
I also have the 50w 2204 combo so I play thru it too [also w/ the MV on a cranked '1']--I can get both amps to sound similar w/ EQ adjustments, because, as with all the EQs maxed/dimed, the 2204 is brighter than the SC20. I have noticed that by cranking up the Pre-Amp Volume on both amps, there is less treble [as it bypasses the bright cap I think] so that`s also a helpful adjustment for me w/ both amps.
And the 'icing on the cake' is my distortion pedal which is always 'on'--low gain w/ a slight volume boost--is the final & best ingredient to my Marshall tones nirvana! I tried the SD-1 & the DigiTech 'Bad Monkey', & though they both do make the amp sound better, the distortion pedal makes both amps sound even better to me--hot-rodded intensity! It`s the 'secret sauce' that does the trick every time!
I may do another recording--this time comparing the SC20 w/ my 50w '2204' combo w/ everything 'dialed in' so that both amps sound pretty much the same. Would that be worth doing?

 

[marshallmellowed]

Just checking in to say that I am really enjoying my SC20! I`m having more opportunities here at home w/ cranking it>>>which means the MV is on a loud '1'--but it`s still cool & alot of FUN esp. w/ the added distortion pedal which is always 'on'!!!
I also have the 50w 2204 combo so I play thru it too [also w/ the MV on a cranked '1']--I can get both amps to sound similar w/ EQ adjustments, because, as with all the EQs maxed/dimed, the 2204 is brighter than the SC20. I have noticed that by cranking up the Pre-Amp Volume on both amps, there is less treble [as it bypasses the bright cap I think] so that`s also a helpful adjustment for me w/ both amps.
And the 'icing on the cake' is my distortion pedal which is always 'on'--low gain w/ a slight volume boost--is the final & best ingredient to my Marshall tones nirvana! I tried the SD-1 & the DigiTech 'Bad Monkey', & though they both do make the amp sound better, the distortion pedal makes both amps sound even better to me--hot-rodded intensity! It`s the 'secret sauce' that does the trick every time!
I may do another recording--this time comparing the SC20 w/ my 50w '2204' combo w/ everything 'dialed in' so that both amps sound pretty much the same. Would that be worth doing?

Most nuances don't come through very well in "comparison" recordings. If you were to do it, I would definitely play them both through the same speaker and cab. Just my thoughts

 

[Gaz Baker]

@wntbtw
A recording is always worth while.
If nothing else, just to see a fellow 800 enthusiast enjoying their gear!

 

['2204']

Most nuances don't come through very well in "comparison" recordings. If you were to do it, I would definitely play them both through the same speaker and cab. Just my thoughts

Yes--same speaker in both cabs--WGS version of the 'Classic Lead 80'

 

['2204']

@wntbtw
A recording is always worth while.
If nothing else, just to see a fellow 800 enthusiast enjoying their gear!

Thanks! Getting ready to crank it up in a few minutes! Maybe I`ll do a comparison recording between the 'Bad Monkey' & my distortion pedal. Going to see what happens when they`re on at the same time here in a few minutes as I like a 'untamed' Marshall--look out!

 

['2204']

Well that was 'a bust'--haha! I only have about an hour to crank it up a little while my wife is at the gym [which goes by too fast] & it seems like I spend the first 5 or 10 minutes trying desperately to get a tone I like--ugh! So I went ahead & committed 'the unpardonable sin' of disconnecting everything, removing all of the 'ingredients', including running thru the High Input & just ran the distortion pedal alone thru the Low Input [which eliminates the extra 'gain stage'], dialed in the proper amp volume & EQ & the tones sounded really great & really simple ['keep it simple stupid']! My wife even said it sounded like a 'rock band' when she returned which was great! Of course either amp would sound great w/ the MV cranked up thru the High Input at the proper volume, but I don`t want to 'announce' to the neighborhood that I have a great sounding guitar & amp, plus I have to protect my hearing. So this morning`s compromise was good enough for me--just keeping things simple & rocking out!

 

[AndyP]

Hi folks. This is just a question out of interest, but I saw a comment on an eBay advert about it and it made me curious…

If you want to use an attenuator or load box type device with the SC Combo, do you need to change the output cable that runs to the inbuilt speaker? The ad I saw said they’d modified the amp as the stock cable is too short. This led me to wonder how you hook up an attenuator to the combo. Has anyone done this and was it worthwhile?

Longer term, I’m thinking I’d like a Captor X… maybe.

I’m loving the amp and so far I don’t think I need an attenuator so it’s really just research for the sake of it.

Cheers!

Andy

 

[junk notes]

so far I don’t think I need an attenuator

Yes, no rush. Many get an attenuator for their SV while the SC has a master volume. No rules opening up your options.

 

[marshallmellowed]

Hi folks. This is just a question out of interest, but I saw a comment on an eBay advert about it and it made me curious…

If you want to use an attenuator or load box type device with the SC Combo, do you need to change the output cable that runs to the inbuilt speaker? The ad I saw said they’d modified the amp as the stock cable is too short. This led me to wonder how you hook up an attenuator to the combo. Has anyone done this and was it worthwhile?

Longer term, I’m thinking I’d like a Captor X… maybe.

I’m loving the amp and so far I don’t think I need an attenuator so it’s really just research for the sake of it.

Cheers!

Andy

You could just get a 1/4" coupler and a short "speaker" cable to extend the length of the stock cable, no need to mod the amp with a longer cable. Just make sure to use a "speaker" cable, not an instrument cable.

 

[scozz]

What Marshallmellowed said! ^

 

[AndyP]

Thanks guys. That’s the kind of thing that I was wondering about. Makes sense to me to do that if I do eventually get a Captor X.

Cheers!

Andy