Taming the Marshall SV20

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  • LoobsLoobs Frets: 3831
    Exactly.
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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 71950
    To be fair, if you’ve ever experienced a 100W Super Lead and 4x12” fully cranked in your house, the 20W one does really seem a lot more civilised. It may be loud, but it doesn’t have the same sheer explosive volume that seems like it’s about to shake the house apart. It’s actually difficult to play through one in a confined space, the transient attack is literally painful and it’s almost impossible to control feedback. By comparison, even in 20W mode the little one is just a bit antisocial. In 5W mode you’d get away with it in the daytime. (Leaving aside that the 5W mode sounds rubbish compared to the 20.)

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

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  • YorkieYorkie Frets: 1449
    edited June 2022
    I can use the Class 5 at home thanks to the power reduction thingy. The full-fat 5W mode is simply antisocial, dirty AND clean. The first version of this amp did not have a proper low power mode, yet it was advertised as something ’appropriate for home practice’, which is not true in my hands. 

    Jon
    Adopted northerner with Asperger syndrome. I sometimes struggle with empathy and sarcasm – please bear with me.   
    My trading feedback: https://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/210335/yorkie

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  • TTBZTTBZ Frets: 2873
    Keiko said:
    Sell it and get the Jubilee instead.
    Tbh the Jubilee isn't great at low volume either imo, it's perfect at band levels (about 6-7 on both volumes) but can be a bit thin/fizzy if you've got that master volume low. You can kind of get around it by keeping the master around 6 and use the lead channel volume to tame it a bit, but it's still not ideal. This also messes with the FX loop levels for some reason and I have to dial my delay level and lead boost level right back when running it like this. 

    I don't think you can get around needing a proper attenuator with these kind of amps tbh. 
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  • NickBNickB Frets: 232
    edited June 2022
    TTBZ said:
    Keiko said:
    Sell it and get the Jubilee instead.
    Tbh the Jubilee isn't great at low volume either imo, it's perfect at band levels (about 6-7 on both volumes) but can be a bit thin/fizzy if you've got that master volume low. You can kind of get around it by keeping the master around 6 and use the lead channel volume to tame it a bit, but it's still not ideal. This also messes with the FX loop levels for some reason and I have to dial my delay level and lead boost level right back when running it like this. 

    I don't think you can get around needing a proper attenuator with these kind of amps tbh. 
    I think you’re spot on with regards to an attenuator as being the best solution if you want pre and power amp distortion. 
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  • Used mine with a Suhr Reactive Load and it sounded immense. Great, great little amplifier.
    Read my guitar/gear blog at medium.com/redchairriffs

    View my feedback at www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/comment/1201922
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  • Dave_McDave_Mc Frets: 2324
    edited June 2022
    ICBM said:
    To be fair, if you’ve ever experienced a 100W Super Lead and 4x12” fully cranked in your house, the 20W one does really seem a lot more civilised. It may be loud, but it doesn’t have the same sheer explosive volume that seems like it’s about to shake the house apart. It’s actually difficult to play through one in a confined space, the transient attack is literally painful and it’s almost impossible to control feedback. By comparison, even in 20W mode the little one is just a bit antisocial. In 5W mode you’d get away with it in the daytime. (Leaving aside that the 5W mode sounds rubbish compared to the 20.)
    Yeah. I mean... I haven't tried a super lead but I have tried my 100 watt Engl fully cranked (with earplugs) with a Laney 4x12 with V30s in my house. I know what you mean about the "shake the house apart" thing- IIRC I knocked an ornament down in the next room.  I still say those lower wattage amps aren't really suitable for home use (if you want to crank them)- it's bad for your hearing if you do it any more frequently than once in a blue moon, regardless of whether the neighbours complain! And if you don't want to crank them they're not really any more useful than a higher wattage amp turned down.
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  • NelsonPNelsonP Frets: 3347
    My DSL20C can be played at home pretty quietly. It does sound a little weedy and thin though, but I think that can't easily be avoided.
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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 71950
    Dave_Mc said:

    I still say those lower wattage amps aren't really suitable for home use (if you want to crank them)- it's bad for your hearing if you do it any more frequently than once in a blue moon, regardless of whether the neighbours complain!
    I agree - it’s just that I don’t totally disagree with Marshall that these little amps are a smaller, more manageable package. They’re still too loud for the house really - especially if there’s anyone else home - but there’s no question that they’re a lot less unusable than a real Plexi... especially as at only 20W, you can use a single speaker rather than a 4x12”. (I know there are 100W+ single 12s :).)

    The bottom line is that if you really want to crank up a valve power amp of more than 1W through anything bigger than about a single 10” speaker, and you don’t live on your own in a castle or something, you need an attenuator.

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

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  • TTBZTTBZ Frets: 2873
    edited June 2022
    Used mine with a Suhr Reactive Load and it sounded immense. Great, great little amplifier.
    Imo this is the best way to use any amp at home. Even if you have a good master volume, I hate the sound of a quiet amp that's not pushing enough air to sound right, and hearing the unamplified strings over the top of it. I use a Digitech drop quite a bit so hearing the strings is even more annoying at those times. I'd rather have the amp in its "sweet spot" through a good IR and a bit of room reverb so it sounds like a really good studio recording of it, via monitors or headphones. 
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  • Dave_McDave_Mc Frets: 2324
    edited June 2022
    ICBM said:
    Dave_Mc said:

    I still say those lower wattage amps aren't really suitable for home use (if you want to crank them)- it's bad for your hearing if you do it any more frequently than once in a blue moon, regardless of whether the neighbours complain!
    I agree - it’s just that I don’t totally disagree with Marshall that these little amps are a smaller, more manageable package. They’re still too loud for the house really - especially if there’s anyone else home - but there’s no question that they’re a lot less unusable than a real Plexi... especially as at only 20W, you can use a single speaker rather than a 4x12”. (I know there are 100W+ single 12s .)

    The bottom line is that if you really want to crank up a valve power amp of more than 1W through anything bigger than about a single 10” speaker, and you don’t live on your own in a castle or something, you need an attenuator.
    Yep agreed (both paragraphs)

    You can see what I mean though about prospective purchasers (especially less experienced ones) possibly being misled into buying the wrong amp for home practice... I don't think it's as simple (as some others in the thread have suggested) as buyers just being idiots. They got the idea of "smaller valve amps for home use" from somewhere and, if you ask me, it's largely from the manufacturers and retailers. Who (unlike the prospective customers) have no excuse for not knowing better.
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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 71950
    Dave_Mc said:

    You can see what I mean though about prospective purchasers (especially less experienced ones) possibly being misled into buying the wrong amp for home practice... I don't think it's as simple (as some others in the thread have suggested) as buyers just being idiots. They got the idea of "smaller valve amps for home use" from somewhere and, if you ask me, it's largely from the manufacturers and retailers. Who (unlike the prospective customers) have no excuse for not knowing better.
    Yes, you're right about that.

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

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  • Dave_McDave_Mc Frets: 2324
    ICBM said:
    Dave_Mc said:

    You can see what I mean though about prospective purchasers (especially less experienced ones) possibly being misled into buying the wrong amp for home practice... I don't think it's as simple (as some others in the thread have suggested) as buyers just being idiots. They got the idea of "smaller valve amps for home use" from somewhere and, if you ask me, it's largely from the manufacturers and retailers. Who (unlike the prospective customers) have no excuse for not knowing better.
    Yes, you're right about that.
    :)
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  • NickBNickB Frets: 232
    Ok observations so far. 

    Volume box in the loop. No power amp distortion but pre amp distortion. The magic with these amps is a combination of both.

    Attenuator. I live in the edge of break up world. I have the channels jumped and the treble channel is either on or off and then too much gain winding it past the point where the bright cap isn't operating.

    I then tried a combination of both methods. Unsatisfactory.

    Conclusion. Change the bright cap in the treble channel. Any suggestions welcomed with regards to values please. 


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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 71950
    NickB said:

    Change the bright cap in the treble channel. Any suggestions welcomed with regards to values please. 
    500pF/470pF (Stock is most likely 4700pF.)

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

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  • LoobsLoobs Frets: 3831
    Thinking of getting one of these but can't decide between it or the jcm 800 version. Opinions?
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  • NickBNickB Frets: 232
    Loobs said:
    Thinking of getting one of these but can't decide between it or the jcm 800 version. Opinions?
    Depends on your requirement really I've always thought the JCM was more for the heavier styles player and the SV20 for early 70s rock
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  • TTBZTTBZ Frets: 2873
    edited June 2022
    Loobs said:
    Thinking of getting one of these but can't decide between it or the jcm 800 version. Opinions?

    I'd probably go for the JCM800 version just for being more controllable with the master volume. From what I remember testing them side by side through their matching cabs I thought they were really similar (ie both sound like a classic Marshall) - the JCM is a bit tighter and "harder" with the Plexi sounding and feeling a bit spongier and warmer, but ultimately not a whole lot in it. The Plexi one looks a lot nicer though so there's that. The JCM kind of looks a bit cheap to me, reminds me of the DSL20 head.
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  • paulnb57paulnb57 Frets: 3044
    Ive got the 20w SC 20 JCM 800 and its terrible at low volume, attenuator should arrive this week….
    Stranger from another planet welcome to our hole - Just strap on your guitar and we'll play some rock 'n' roll

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  • LoobsLoobs Frets: 3831
    edited June 2022
    It'll be for gigging, so I'm not worried about how it sounds quiet. Actually, sometimes it'll be unmiced, so it needs to be able to compete with a loud drummer. That said, loads of clean headroom isn't a must. Sounds wise, I don't need massive gain - think more Fugazi or AC/DC-style tones instead of Slayer. Overdriven but not saturated and with tons of definition and dynamics. I guess the Plexi with a boost will do the trick. 
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