Marshall Studio Vintage 20w Plexi Valve Head:
The Marshall SV20H Studio Vintage is a mini head version of one of the most popular guitar amps in history, and arguably the one that put Marshall on the map, the 1959 SLP Plexi. Now available in a portable 'Studio Vintage' format, the all-valve SV20H pays homage to the legendary Plexi formula with its single-channel design, four High/Low sensitivity inputs and classic styling.
There's a reason why so many famous guitarists love the crunchy sound of an EL34-driven Plexi, and when you plug into one and crank it - you'll hear why! They're clear and crisp with plenty of punchy mid-range, meaning that you can effortlessly cut through any band mix with oodles of sustain. Your fiery riffs and solos will be singing for days! So goes the Marshall blurb...
Personal Comment:
While on my amplifier search I felt I had all I needed in the Bad Cat Black Cat combo (See page review), and for the most part that was true. However, as I was rebuilding my small recording studio it seemed to make sense to have a small amp rack where I could have a choice of tones that would be needed for my music projects.
In days gone bye, Marshall was no stranger to me as I owned various heads, cabinets and combos over a dozen years and that was the sound I needed back in the 70s. I decided to take a chance on this new design from Marshall and I was not disappointed. While the head features a power attenuator switch, I prefer to use a Tone King Power attenuator (more expensive than the amplifier) when I want to really push the valves. I also use an Isolation Cabinet by Grossman helping to do a similar job. While the amp does not get used a lot it certainly has its place in my amp rack and as with most things, it all depends on the project I'm working on and having a number of amplifier types gives me choices.
You can also see here the Marshall vintage 1x12 cabinet which has a Celestion G12 speaker fitted. While I was not sure about this speaker at the outset, and it's not really one I use much, it is probably a reasonable match for the amplifier. You can also see a number of speaker-shoot-outs I have done on the recording page. If you want to know more about this amplifier drop me an email.
