The Official Marshall Studio Vintage Thread Sv20h

[WellBurnTheSky]

I do have an attenuator and a dedicated amp room. But I'd also be using it with my band, playing small bar gigs and what not. Does it do early VH and AC/DC tones well. Those are the sounds in my head that I've been dreaming about for years. I've tried many amps, and currently have a DSL40 and an EVH 5150 III 50 watt. Although great amps, they both have more of a modern, saturated voicing. I've also had some folks saying to look at the Dirty Shirley Mini. But that seems similar to my DSL, from the videos I've seen.

I gigged for close to a decade with DSL100s and loved it, but for those tones the SV is much better. By a mile. It's also much more dynamic (less compressed, punchier), and takes pedals better than pretty much anything, so with a boost you can get it into modern metal territory easily.
Before the pandemic I was doing 50-60 gigs a year (ranging from small-ish bars to 2-3.000 outdoors stages), doing mostly classic rock including some VH, and using a volume box in the FX loop I've ben able to control the volume without a problem on the SV.
Seriously for what you're looking for I can't think of a better amp. Best amp I've ever owned and one of the best I've ever played.

 

[unkhunter]

What’s what with the preamp tube layout? Which is v1? What does each position do as far as its purpose to the amp? As in v1 does this in the circuit, v2 does that, and v3 is just over here

TCB

with this.
Thank you.

 

[marshallmellowed]

What’s what with the preamp tube layout? Which is v1? What does each position do as far as its purpose to the amp? As in v1 does this in the circuit, v2 does that, and v3 is just over here

TCB

with this.
Thank you.

V1 - Closest to input jack (Gain)
V2 - Center position (Gain)
V3 - Furthest from input jack (Phase Inverter)

 

[unkhunter]

Thank you!

 

[paul-e-mann]

I gigged for close to a decade with DSL100s and loved it, but for those tones the SV is much better. By a mile. It's also much more dynamic (less compressed, punchier), and takes pedals better than pretty much anything, so with a boost you can get it into modern metal territory easily.
Before the pandemic I was doing 50-60 gigs a year (ranging from small-ish bars to 2-3.000 outdoors stages), doing mostly classic rock including some VH, and using a volume box in the FX loop I've ben able to control the volume without a problem on the SV.
Seriously for what you're looking for I can't think of a better amp. Best amp I've ever owned and one of the best I've ever played.

What speakers and cab are you using with it?

 

[WellBurnTheSky]

What speakers and cab are you using with it?

I have a '80 1960B with newer UK-made G12M25s on top and mid-80s G12T75 on the bottom, a Palmer 2x12 with the other half of the G12T75 quad, but I wasn't 100% happy with them (sounded great with the DSL though), so I got an EVH212 with G12H30 Anniversaries...love it, couldn't be happier.

 

[ledvedder]

I gigged for close to a decade with DSL100s and loved it, but for those tones the SV is much better. By a mile. It's also much more dynamic (less compressed, punchier), and takes pedals better than pretty much anything, so with a boost you can get it into modern metal territory easily.
Before the pandemic I was doing 50-60 gigs a year (ranging from small-ish bars to 2-3.000 outdoors stages), doing mostly classic rock including some VH, and using a volume box in the FX loop I've ben able to control the volume without a problem on the SV.
Seriously for what you're looking for I can't think of a better amp. Best amp I've ever owned and one of the best I've ever played.

Do you still get a good overdrive tone when using the volume box in the loop? I thought these relied heavily on power amp distortion?

 

[WellBurnTheSky]

Do you still get a good overdrive tone when using the volume box in the loop? I thought these relied heavily on power amp distortion?

Short answer: yes. Think AC/DC levels of crunch with the amp on its own.

Long answer: yes, easily. As in, enough to be able to pull tapping/legato runs without struggling, when using a boost. But keep in mind I only use it for gigging, so I set the amp loud enough to compete with a rock drummer, ie nowhere near bedroom volume.
Also, yes, some of the saturation and compression comes from the power amp, but the preamp is quite saturated on its own. Which I verified by running the SV preamp into the DSL100 power amp (when running stereo on larger stages, I split signal into stereo via my delay pedal -Eventide TimeFactor, now Boss DD-500- which is in the FX loop after the volume box) and the DSL side is only slightly cleaner than the SV side. Emphasis on "slightly". Contrary to what lots of people think, most of the saturation and compression on these amps originates in the preamp section. For sure, the power amp adds some, but nowhere near as much as most people think.
So even a mild overdrive such as the OCD with gain at noon-ish is more than enough to push the amp into 80s metal territory, even with vintage-style pickups (my Les Paul has Slash sig Duncans, so basically PAF-type output). If anything, it's less saturated and more dynamic than the DSL (that I'm using on Lead1 with a TS-9 in front), but also fuller and punchier by a mile. Also translates what the guitar sounds like better than any amp I've owned (so switching guitars really makes a difference in tone).
Again, I've very EVH/Randy Rhoads/Norum/80s Gary Moore influenced, and have zero issues getting those tones from the SV with the OCD, at stage (but not ear-shattering loud) volume, along with infinite sustain/controlled feedback. And pretty much every gig (that is, before the pandemic hit and we all got grounded) I have guys commenting on how good I sound, with a few of them having a hard time believing this actually is a new amp as it has THAT classic Marshall tone we all love.
In closing, I'll add that choosing the right cab and speakers for you goes a long way to making it work for you. For me, it's the EVH 212 with G12H30 Anni's, ymmv. Makes a much bigger difference than any of the dozens of pedals I've tested (they make a difference, but nowhere near as much as different speakers do).
So yeah, it does that tone better than anything I've played...which isn't too surprising, as a Plexi and some kind of boost IS what lot of our heroes used back in the day.

 

[ledvedder]

Short answer: yes. Think AC/DC levels of crunch with the amp on its own.

Long answer: yes, easily. As in, enough to be able to pull tapping/legato runs without struggling, when using a boost. But keep in mind I only use it for gigging, so I set the amp loud enough to compete with a rock drummer, ie nowhere near bedroom volume.
Also, yes, some of the saturation and compression comes from the power amp, but the preamp is quite saturated on its own. Which I verified by running the SV preamp into the DSL100 power amp (when running stereo on larger stages, I split signal into stereo via my delay pedal -Eventide TimeFactor, now Boss DD-500- which is in the FX loop after the volume box) and the DSL side is only slightly cleaner than the SV side. Emphasis on "slightly". Contrary to what lots of people think, most of the saturation and compression on these amps originates in the preamp section. For sure, the power amp adds some, but nowhere near as much as most people think.
So even a mild overdrive such as the OCD with gain at noon-ish is more than enough to push the amp into 80s metal territory, even with vintage-style pickups (my Les Paul has Slash sig Duncans, so basically PAF-type output). If anything, it's less saturated and more dynamic than the DSL (that I'm using on Lead1 with a TS-9 in front), but also fuller and punchier by a mile. Also translates what the guitar sounds like better than any amp I've owned (so switching guitars really makes a difference in tone).
Again, I've very EVH/Randy Rhoads/Norum/80s Gary Moore influenced, and have zero issues getting those tones from the SV with the OCD, at stage (but not ear-shattering loud) volume, along with infinite sustain/controlled feedback. And pretty much every gig (that is, before the pandemic hit and we all got grounded) I have guys commenting on how good I sound, with a few of them having a hard time believing this actually is a new amp as it has THAT classic Marshall tone we all love.
In closing, I'll add that choosing the right cab and speakers for you goes a long way to making it work for you. For me, it's the EVH 212 with G12H30 Anni's, ymmv. Makes a much bigger difference than any of the dozens of pedals I've tested (they make a difference, but nowhere near as much as different speakers do).
So yeah, it does that tone better than anything I've played...which isn't too surprising, as a Plexi and some kind of boost IS what lot of our heroes used back in the day.

Thanks for that explanation. Man, I'm so close to pulling the trigger on one of these! At this point, it's between this amp, or one of the 20 watt Friedman offerings. It sucks that I can't try any of them before buying. I just rely on people's opinions on the forums. I'm currently test driving a Bluguitar Amp1 Mercury Edition, based on a lot of recommendations. I'm still fiddling with it, so I'm not sure if I'll keep it or send it back. I've found, after 30 years of playing, that I usually know right away if I'm going to like an amp or not. Most times, when I have to spend days trying to dial in, I ultimately realize that the particular amp just isn't for me.

I use an HXFX, so any boost option is pretty much available to me.

I play through either an EVH 112 cab, or a 212 semi-open back cab with a Hellatone 30 and a WGS Veteran 30. I also have some spare speakers that I could swap if needed (Greenback and a WGS ET-65).

 

[WellBurnTheSky]

Glad to be of help ! (I also saw your thread on RT btw)
Between the SV and the Friedman offerings, from the limited experience I have with hearing and playing the Friedmans), I'd say that it depends on a few factors. First of all, I feel Friedmans are a bit squishier, more compressed and darker, which makes them more polished and slightly "easier to play", while the Marshall is rawer and more agressive. I prefer rawer, more in-your-face, so I went for the Marshall. Overall, I ended up realizing the way Marshalls sound and react to your playing are what I like, but that's obviously something personal.
Also, the Friedmans have a very good master volume, so if you want something that's more modern in features and easier to tame, they're a great choice (it took me a while to find a way to get a volume boost for leads that worked with my setup, but I settled for a Source Audio Programmable EQ and am 100% happy with it...chances are, the Friedmans will be more forgiving in that regard).
3rd, here in France (and pretty much all of Europe) Marshalls are WAY cheaper than anything Friedman, but I gathered it's kinda the other way around in the US, so there's that. A SV20H goes for 850-ish here these days, so it's amazing value for what it's offering (a PT20 is twice the price here). At the price it's going for in the USA, I get that things aren't quite as simple. But it still is a great amp, and the perfect gateway to these tones. And there's still something kinda magical to an amp that looks and sounds like that, with THAT logo in front.

And I get it when you say you need to actually play the amp to know if it works for you. Tbh I got the SV before any store had it (3 months after its initial release), so it was kind of a leap of faith purchasing it sight unseen, only hoping it would work for me. It ended up being the best purchase I ever made, but it could have gone the other way (though I researched it quite a lot beforehand, watching carefully any video and review under the sun)... So yeah.
And with the selection of cabs and speakers you own, you should easily find a combination that works for you and the tones you're after.

Hope that helps.

 

[Graham G]

I have a '80 1960B with newer UK-made G12M25s on top and mid-80s G12T75 on the bottom, a Palmer 2x12 with the other half of the G12T75 quad, but I wasn't 100% happy with them (sounded great with the DSL though), so I got an EVH212 with G12H30 Anniversaries...love it, couldn't be happier.

I'm still agonising about one of these,can I ask if you've tried a Marshall 2x12" Vtype vertical cab with the SV.
Thanks.

 

[WellBurnTheSky]

I'm still agonising about one of these,can I ask if you've tried a Marshall 2x12" Vtype vertical cab with the SV.
Thanks.

No I haven't. I thought of getting one, but since I already had an horizontal cab with the Palmer, I decided against getting a vertical one. Seems to be a perfect match for the SV though.

 

[ledvedder]

Is this a good representation of the maximum gain that this gets?

And yes, the pricing is different here in the US. The Marshall retails for $1300, and the Freidmans for $1500.

 

[WellBurnTheSky]

Yes that's pretty much exactly what I'm getting from mine (though a tad less gain when dimming it down via the volume box, and a bit different tone because of the different speakers and cab obviously). Which to me is about the perfect basis to add a boost on top. More saturation than that on the amp and it gets mushy and unresponsive.

 

[junk notes]

Is this a good representation of the maximum gain that this gets?

And yes, the pricing is different here in the US. The Marshall retails for $1300, and the Freidmans for $1500.

Yes! & waiting on those Black Friday prices!!!

 

[Georgiatec]

Is this a good representation of the maximum gain that this gets?

And yes, the pricing is different here in the US. The Marshall retails for $1300, and the Freidmans for $1500.

It will do that infinity sustain thing with a Les Paul with vol 1 on full and vol 2 around 1/2 way up....with an OD set to full volume and zero gain in front.

 

[Del Rei]

Oh... I really want one of this... LOL

 

[TXOldRedRocker]

I finally found the 2x12 speaker combination I've been looking for with my SV20H. I play mostly 60's & 70's classic rock, with some blues. Anywhere from Frampton and Cream to Zeppelin to ZZ Top and Joan Jett. I've been rolling some speakers, and I am really ecstatic with the combination of a Creamback 65 and a Vintage 30. I've only had the SV20H for 6 or 7 months. I've had other Marshall amps, as well as Fender's, Blackstar and such. But I went searching for true plexi. Just a guy, a guitar and an amp. Couldn't find the tones I wanted without pedals. Well damn! Not anymore. Jumped inputs with guitar into High Sensitive High Treble. My favorite settings: High Treble volume at 8, Normal volume at 7, Presence control at 7, and a Weber attenuator. (Though volumes have reached 127db because I'm having so much fun.) From there I can EQ on the amp all I want, as well as guitar volume and tone.

Of course, I tried a my Tube Screamer, SD-1, DS-1, Solodallas Shaffer, compressor, an octave down, etc., testing this new setup. Not a bad tone to be found. Yippee Ki Yay MF!

 

[Tiboy]

I believe the Suhr 212 cab for the PT15 has a cream back and vintage 30. Maybe there’s something to that combination? Glad you found your sound.

 

[giam23]

Ok so my snakeskin sv20h and cab are finally arriving, ordered them january 30th, and i have one question for you guys, and its kind of a stupid one but definitely matters.

Haveany of you found the perfect patch cable for jumping these? Like one that is the perfect length with low profile connectors. I can always make a cable but like squareplugs on an angle would look wierd and the regular right angles are too big???