NAD : SS Marshall

Flanging_Fred

I always had slight pangs of regret after selling a Marshall reverb 12 to @ICBM a fair while ago. Well I've rectified that with this, its slightly bigger brother, the Lead 20. The pots are predictably scratchy and in good need of some servisol but otherwise it's sweet. Unsurprisingly it sounds a bit meatier than the reverb 12. Lots of fun.

http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb102/flanging_fred/Music/my amps/IMG_20160605_164018_zpssa8b79mo.jpg

gubble

A cracking amp that !

Marshall - take note build more of these !

ICBM

Great amp. I think they sound a *lot* meatier than the Lead 12 - it's not just the much better speaker (G10L-35 vs G10D-25), the bigger cabinet makes a lot of difference too, having tried the same speaker in both. The extra power is simply achieved by increasing the voltages with a bigger PT, the actual circuit is the same otherwise.

The build quality is fantastic too - apart from the pots, which always go scratchy but usually respond to cleaning with WD40 if switch cleaner fails - basically identical to a JCM800 valve amp, with a fully-welded steel box chassis and ply cabinet (only the back panels are MDF) and over-spec components throughout.

There's no way Marshall would consider these economical to make now - supposedly they weren't even at the time, but Jim wanted an entry-level series that was worthy of his name. @MarshallAmplification please take note...

Flanging_Fred

Yep it feels very solid indeed. I haven't had a lot of time to play with it yet but I've been fiddling about with one of those old Woolworths Audition guitars and that funny old single coil sounds really raunchy through it. It really made me smile.

ThePrettyDamned

Never seen a lead 20!

Ive used a mosfet lead 100 though and even at low volume it sounds tremendous - it's responsive and does a wonderful jtm45 style clean that'd just harder and more present (not necessarily a bad thing for some people) but the crunch is where it's at, where it sounds exactly like a jcm800. Pretty responsive, too. I love my bandit for what it is, but the Marshall absolutely sounded better.

ICBM

ThePrettyDamned said:

Never seen a lead 20!

Ive used a mosfet lead 100 though and even at low volume it sounds tremendous - it's responsive and does a wonderful jtm45 style clean that'd just harder and more present (not necessarily a bad thing for some people) but the crunch is where it's at, where it sounds exactly like a jcm800. Pretty responsive, too. I love my bandit for what it is, but the Marshall absolutely sounded better.

The Lead 20 is rare - most people bought the Lead 12, or a more complex amp - but I could sell you one if you like… although it's not in anywhere near as good condition as this one. (Actually belongs to the shop rather than me personally.)

I also have a Mosfet Lead 100 (1x12" combo version), although it's out on loan at the moment - I should get it back really. I could never decide whether I preferred it or the Peavey Special - the Peavey sounds better clean, the Marshall better dirty. Or I could keep both and have a portable two-amp rig for less than £200...

Flanging_Fred

A quick squirt with some servisol and bobs your uncle, all the crackles have gone. Yay! What cool little amp. And the EQ controls actually do something useful which is not often the case with Marshalls.

I'll have to see how it goes with a few pedals in front of it now.

Bygone_Tones

Im watching a lead 30 combo right now on ebay. My only reservation is the puny G12L speakers inside, but I guess they must work with that amp.

ICBM

Bygone_Tones said:

Im watching a lead 30 combo right now on ebay. My only reservation is the puny G12L speakers inside, but I guess they must work with that amp.

I've never seen one of those - they're very rare. (Edit: found some inside pics - circuit question answered .) Whether the speakers "work" with it is a moot point… they were probably whatever Marshall could get that were extremely cheap.

It's unfortunate that one has an extra hole drilled in the front.

Trivia: the BBC's props department appears to own one, it was used in one of the French & Saunders rock band piss-takes.

Limehouse_Blues

Awesome amp. Remember my Dad taking me to Musical Exchanges in 1991 to get an amp. I walked out with a lead 20 and played it for 10 years. Wish I had never sold it. In this era of obsessing over usable tube tone at home it's so obvious that quality solid state is part of the answer.