Marshall Studio Vintage SV20H

First of all i have to say a big thanks to Thomann employs for the fast delivery the safe package and the perfect Greek customer service,I was a little skeptical for something so expensive and fragile...... but the anxiety was just a waste of time.
The building quality of the head is perfect, outside/inside everything is very carefully made ! Just a beauty !
The tone character is exactly like the big Marshall , sweet "Marshall" cleans and the absolute crunch with unlimited clarity even at full blast ..........but the wattage difference between the original and that model changes the overall fullness feeling.... and the KICK to your back from the moving air .
If you play on small/medium gigs the MKII studio is perfect , the big one needs attenuator (I don't like attenuators). But don't be fooled this amp is LOUD , on << 5w >> shakes the wall of 5th floor and I living at 2nd.
Takes pedals like a dream... tried with wah , fuzz ,drives, booster....
I don't like effects loop in general but i have to admire the way that takes a big delays and reverb on full volume.
The 5w mode is pretty good ,less bass , less open sound ,more compression but very enjoyable for home or small party
I have nothing to complaining about. I am very impressed with that 20 watt amp after all that toys from Marshall the latest years.sound/tone ,features ,power, ... everything perfect! now the only that remains is to show how good this amp is on the road .

I shall start this review by thanking the Thomann teams. Always the best packaging, the fastest shipping, the best prices, the best communication. They've set the bar so high and have kept maintaining it at the top for years and years.

As for the amplifier. What can you say ? It's what it's meant to be : a plexi in a 20W package. Simply, the greatest rock'n'roll machine in the history.

And I really don't understand some reviews telling that it's only good for "Home use". This thing will tear off your wallpaper as soon as you go past 1-2 on the volume. Even on the 5 watt mod. And it's really greatly built and sturdy. Really, as long as you're not playing Madison Square Garden, this head will cover all your needs on a stage.

As for its features, It has the tone, the looks, and the controls of its bigger brother. With some nice modern additions. Like the 5W-20W switch and the effect loop. Tone wise, Van Halen, ACDC, Randy Rhoads, Mick Mars ... you name it, you have these tones covered of course. But not only ! You'll also be able to get beautiful blues, jazz clean tones from this head.

If I had to find a bad side to this product, it's the fact that it's non-master volume. But that's really not a "default", as it's part of the "plexi package". It's rather a downside to big tones greatness. And that doesn't even concern me, cause I use it at home with a loadbox and IRs ... but if you were to buy this amp and didn't have something to attenuate it, don't expect to make the amp naturally crunch without causing trouble with your neighbours.

In conclusion, for me this is a complete "home run" for Marshall. They've finally delivered their most legendary head in a less bulky format. People are saying that these heads don't have enough "headroom" or some other magical aspects. But in reality, you won't hear the difference. And nowadays, who really needs a wall of cabinets and 100watts or more heads ? So don't hesitate, go get this head if you don't have it yet !

After long research, I purchased this amp recently to replace my DSL1H. I am not a pro player, but I have been looking for a good tone. In the first days, I couldn't understand right away the amps sound and so on because I guess this kind of amp needs a few days to give good sound. Probably tubes need to get hot to get good sound. After 2-3 days sound quality changed to my ears.. truly amazing tone! I tested with Strat, SG, and Gretsch they all have different characters but sound really good. Compared with dsl1 ofc this amp is a beast. DSL1 is also good, but it doesn't sound like SV20 :)

I use this amp with Bugera PS1 because it is really loud for home use especially if you are living in an apartment. All good so far, and I get really good tones. I do not have money to spend on attenuators, PS1 is quite affordable and many people are using it, and they are happy with it. Also, I am really happy with it. I prefer using this amp without pedals, and no pedals are needed for me :) only time-based effects.

Very versatile amp, and there are tons of reviews around. In the beginning, I was planning to get maybe a Fender amp. Fender amps are also nice, but I think I made the right choice by getting a Marshall SV20 :) I am in love with this amp

Cheers

Der in UK gefertigte SV20H ist eine Sound-technische und optische Stilikone, der seinesgleichen sucht. Er fängt den Plexi Sound und Style bis hin zur Plexiglass-Frontplatte in jeder Beziehung optimal ein. In Verwendung mit dem Marshall Studio Vintage SV212 Cabinet entfaltet er meiner Meinung nach sein volles Potential!

Dabei ist er bereits auf LOW absolut kein "Leisetreter", er kann zwar auch moderate Lautstärken und brillante Clean Sounds, aber wenn man ihn läßt, fetzt er richtig los und ist damit auch bühnentauglich.

Wer mit einer kleineren Ausgabe des Plexi liebäugelt liegt hier "schwarz-goldrichtig" :-). Gewissermassen originalgetreu minimalistisch und dabei genial bis hin zum Effektloop und natürlich ist auch das Patchen der Inputs möglich - und absolut empfehlenswert!!!

LOVE IT ;-)

I have been looking for this TONE for ever. I finally got my dream amp!
I knew it was out for a while, but I finally decided to buy it.
Best decision I ever made. I use this amp with pedals in front. You can play it in the apartment/house with volume on 1-2, 20W mode set clean and some pedals in front, on the Normal (bass) channel (70db in the room)

You get all the tones, all the juice and all the best things out of this.
If you love the 80s or instrumental guitar like Timmons, Satriani, Vai, etc...THIS IS IT!!! Look no further - it is made in the UK, hand-built and I recommend the matching cabinet - the combination is super sweet and sounds smooth and juicy.

Put the mids on 10, treble on 10, bass on 4, and presence on 7 while in the Normal (Bass) channel with a drive pedal in front and you get the best tone! BUY IT!
You will not regret it!