Talk me out of buying a Marshall SV20H

spirit7

Every single review and impression online of this amp that I’ve seen has been hugely positive.  I really don’t need one - I have 2 ‘83 JCM 800s (one modded) and my plexi needs are dealt with perfectly by the BE100 DLX ch. 1.  And yet...

GAS!

davros

Do it, do it, do it...

spirit7

I would but there aren’t any!

monquixote

I think if I had a BE I wouldn't bother. 

riffpowers

What do you want to do with it ?
the reason I ask is when I tried one I thought it was great but it’s still a loud amp. I bought the Sc20h.

spirit7

I’d use it with an Ox or PS2 so no issue with the volume. I’m just on a major Marshall fix at the moment (almost bought a 2061x earlier this year...).

riffpowers

spirit7 said:

I’d use it with an Ox or PS2 so no issue with the volume. I’m just on a major Marshall fix at the moment (almost bought a 2061x earlier this year...).

In that case go for it!! I was going to say that I don't think there's much point in getting one if you can't get it at least halfway up.

Slash'N'burn

SV20H is my main amp, go for it - you won’t regret it!
They do turn up on eBay fairly often, and the used prices tend to be pretty fair. 

fretmeister

Get the SC20H instead. It’s far more controllable.
The SV is still mentally loud when overdriven.

spirit7

I already have 2 JCM 800s!  Vol won’t be an issue with an attenuator, plus I’d use it for mid-gain at most. 

riffpowers

fretmeister said:

Get the SC20H instead. It’s far more controllable.
The SV is still mentally loud when overdriven.

I found the same!

digitalkettle

riffpowers said:

spirit7 said:

I’d use it with an Ox or PS2 so no issue with the volume. I’m just on a major Marshall fix at the moment (almost bought a 2061x earlier this year...).

In that case go for it!! I was going to say that I don't think there's much point in getting one if you can't get it at least halfway up.

This! Also, the PS2 lets you have a useable effects loop.

davros

I use it with just a Jet City Jettenuator and the amp on the 5W setting. Kills a bit of the high end but still has that sound.

I wouldn't buy it unless you have an attenuator, if you expect to use it at home.

merlin

If you buy a Marshall SV20H then I'll come round to your house and punch you in the tits. 

That ought to stop you from buying one. 

  

Bod

merlin said:

If you buy a Marshall SV20H then I'll come round to your house and punch you in the tits. 

That ought to stop you from buying one. 

  

Or just be a bonus?  Depends what you're into I guess.

spirit7

You naughty boy Merlin!

fretmeister

davros said:

I use it with just a Jet City Jettenuator and the amp on the 5W setting. Kills a bit of the high end but still has that sound.

I wouldn't buy it unless you have an attenuator, if you expect to use it at home.

The Weber Mini Mass has a treble response control that is really useful for keeping the high end.

yocky

I got a bit emotional when I cranked mine up for the first time. And a bit deafer. And a little bit annoyed at the time I'd wasted trying other kit. 

If you're in South London you're welcome to come and have a go on the patio. 

Winny_Pooh

You effectively have three Marshalls, seems pointless to me. Get something different like an AC30 or buy your lady something nice.

ICBM

I think it’s going to be fine for this - they sound great with a guitar straight in or a moderate overdrive in front. I tried one with a Les Paul and got a perfect classic-rock Plexi tone at tolerable volume. Loud, but not ridiculously so. (Not compared to a real 100W or even 50W non-MV Marshall, anyway .)

Where they fall down is with heavy distortion and fuzz pedals at band volume - they get very overcompressed and mushy, and develop a sort of ‘one-note’ overtone where everything comes out with a dominant frequency which sits right in the vocal range.

I also didn’t think the 5W setting was anywhere near as good as the 20W, it sounded quite strangled.

I’ve never directly A/B’d one with a 2061x, but I’ve owned three original 2061s so I’m fairly familiar with them. I would say the 2061 sounds less exactly like a full-size Marshall, but I think slightly more dynamic and natural-sounding somehow.

The SV20 does sound miles better than the Origin 20 though, I really wasn’t impressed with that.

Slash'N'burn

ICBM said:

Where they fall down is with heavy distortion and fuzz pedals at band volume - they get very overcompressed and mushy, and develop a sort of ‘one-note’ overtone where everything comes out with a dominant frequency which sits right in the vocal range.

I also didn’t think the 5W setting was anywhere near as good as the 20W, it sounded quite strangled.

I’ve heard a couple of owners say the same thing, yet other owners say they are great with multiple distortion pedals - wonder if some have a fault? 

I’ve run multiple fuzz and distortion into mine, but the loudness was probably at 4-5 (slight breakup with the pedals off) I’ve not tried it with the amp all the way up.

The 5w setting sounds more like a 5w cut  (i.e 15w) to me - and with an attenuator it sounds best on the 20w setting, more heavily attenuated,  I just don’t use the 5w at all.