I was surprised too. I tried both through the same cabinet and the difference was huge. But I also didn't try to get the same sound out of both. In the end I bought the SV20H.
I love the sag from the plexi. I used to play through 800’s when I was younger and loved them but it really seems like you get more actual tube tone out of a plexi. Can’t wait to get one
THIS IS THE WAY DEMOS SHOULD BE DONE (THANKS LOADS)!!! In this demo, both of these terrific amps sound so similar that (very most probably) it might be practically impossible to tell the difference in a live gig situation. You could tell the difference if it was your amp with you playing but (in the audience?) it would be splitting very fine hairs. And, the 5 watt option is nice, but it's still too loud/powerful for playing use in any kind of bedroom/apartment situations without a pedal or an attenuator. The larger transformers in higher powered amps do add more tonal "chunk" but, after 18 watts, there's only more power to cut through the crowd and fill the room, yet there's little actual volume increase (power and volume not being the same thing). Marshall should have started producing these 20 watt amps in the late 70s or early 80s. They would have sold loads of them and still sold loads of their 50 and 100 watt (plus) models as well. AGAIN, THIS IS HOW TH-cam COMPARISONS SHOULD BE DONE! THANKS MUCHO! ⚡👍🥴👍⚡
Both sound good...I like the Vintage a little bit more, sounds like an old classic... The 800 has more bass and a little more treble... sounds more modern
Great demo. For those deciding, the touch sensitivity of the plexi vs the 800 is huge. The plexiglass is very responsive and is like an extension of you. Play light and it opens up, spank the strings and it starts to bark. Non-MV Marshalls do this best.
The Classic looks to be a better amp in a lot of ways. More gain, way more versatile/usable tone stack, easier controls. But that Vintage just sounds better imo
@@craigpoole2602 Well the SV20 has a 5 Watt setting, which is still quite loud. I'm going for a Chinese handwired clone of a 1987x with PPIMV and FX loop. It's half the price to replace power tubes and it breaks up earlier so for a high gain PLexi fan the 1987x seems like a superior choice. Same price as an SV20h. But I like the handwired ones, I actually stand a chance in repairing that myself without having to go to one of three amp techs in the entire country....
If there is someone in youtube that can make a proper demo of the Marshall Studio Vintage vs The Origin 20 is you man, please do it, please do it, is such a needed comparison video !!!
Both are incredible amps, and they both sound really similar! To me the studio vintage looks waaaay better, and the volume problem can really be solved with a good attentuator.
Nice comparison. Both amps sounds great. The Vintage has more chime than the Classic which is especially noticeable when played clean. The Classic may be more versatile because it has a master volume.
The SV is more balanced, cutting through a mix like nobody's business while leaving plenty of room for low frequencies. SC sounds fuller and can shell out more gain making it great for heavy tones, but sounds more compressed. I think the SV wins for tones and the SC for practicality.
@@EliseoCaporale yes, I made my own passive attenuator with a 2 selectable brightness options. You lose just a bit of low end and high end if you do a comparison but it let's you break up the power tube and yeah to me it's the holy grail of sounds. I own about 10 guitars, nothing crazy but I have a 2019 Gibson Les Paul Standard 60s, an original TS9 (black label s/n starts with 0) the Marshall studio JCM800 running a Marshall mode four MF280 with V30s. I love this combo. I am in a house on 1/2 acre and my guitar room has minor sound proofing, so I can tun it at a decent volume regardless. But this amp is so much louder the my Peavy 6505MH. My Orange OR15 is louder than the Peavy at that's 7/15W
Being a high gain guy, I’d prefer the Studio Classic. The Vintage is still intriguing with the inputs it has. I’d like to actually experiment with patching pedals and other things between those inputs. I’d have to mind the impedance, of course, but I’d love to hear the results.
The Plexi is more open and more "classic rock" sounding than the JCM, but as far as I'm aware that's all in the fact it doesn't have a master volume, which sadly limits home use. I have the SC20 and it's amazing! I found that rolling the treble back a little bit, boosting the mids and gets you that little bit closer to the plexi tones. not quite the same, but great to my ears.
excellent comparison video Toby! I went to try out a mini jubilee today thinking that it was the amp for me, only to be disappointed...luck for me, the shop had an SC20 and the guy grabbed it for me and said I might like it. he was right, the SC 20 (combo) killed the 2525c for sound to my ears - and you could read the knobs. :) my next amp, I'm sure!
Very nice demo. Well done. Nobody seems to mention just how noisy the bright input is. I need to try getting clean tones with mine but I can't imagine them not being buzzy.
Because JCM800 was always big while Plexi came in all sorts of sizes, the 18 W which basically was an SV20h, or the 1987x 50 W Plexi, which is a little smaller than the 100 W. So Plexis have always come in different sizes with panels staying about the same the proportions changed. I think only with the solid state MG series in the 90s they began making modern style Marshalls with smaller heads, though some of those also had smaller panels since an SS amp is pretty flexible you can pretty much size it what you want while a tube amp has a minimum size.
stanislavmigra had a Bluesbreaker that I bought new in 98 I think... it never left my bedroom and I don’t think it ever got past 3. I sold it a couple years ago and now wish I wouldn’t have. Even though I’ll never use it, it was something I bought new and looked so gorgeous and it’s just too cool to let go. But I did anyway. Oh well. I think I’m going to get one of these STV20’s or whatever they’re called. I Just recently discovered them.
Great demo. To me, these two models sound so similar, you might as well just pick the one that you like the look of best. There were only a couple of examples where I noticed a discernible sonic difference. There is a bigger sonic difference in the other two models in the 20 watt lineup (the Jubilee 20 and the DSL20).
Very similar sounds but I would be more tempted by the 800 just for the Master Volume/Gain controls being able to be dimed in at low volume. Then again there is the 5Watt mode. One of the best demos tho, really appreciated.
My take - Across all the different tones, the Plexi is a bit beefier, thicker sounding. The 800 does the crystal clean thing better than the Plexi. The Plexi cleans always have bit more girth to them. The 800 does a reasonable facsimile of the Plexi sound. The reverse is not true. If you need more flexibility and/or a master volume = 800. If you need that classic rock and roll tone above all else, and you can deal with volume = Plexi.
Great comparison. The Vintage sounds warmer with a sweet midrange bite while the Classic is definitely brighter. The vintage wins hands down in the clean tone department. But in the end I would be happy with either.
I’ve had the Plexi 20w for sometime now and just got the 800 20w today. The Plexi works great with an attenuator so you can crank her with out going deaf. ( Yes these are both plenty loud. Yes you can use them in a band setting both rehearsal and gigs.) It’s really great the 800 has the master volume it also has more gain. In person when playing these I feel like there is more difference to them than the video is able to capture. Don’t get me wrong great amp shootout video very well done. But I watched it this morning before my 800 arrived and I thought, why am I getting the 800 these amps sound so close to each other. But after spending about an hour with the 800 they are two different animals. You can’t go wrong with either but at this point I’m leaning towards the 800 because no attenuation is needed and because of the gain structure. Great job on these small flame throwers Marshall!!!!
Just wondering which attenuator u use with the plexi and whether u noticed any drop in tone? Considering getting one of these amps too, and will need to reduce volume. I’m looking for strat on edge of breakup sound… chimey etc
@@nicholasgeorge82 I’m using a SG and a LP so different animal than what you have. But I have a Dr Z Air Brake and feel like it’s pretty transparent. Bought it pre owned so it was a reasonable price too. The other guitar player in our band has a 50w JCM800 and I hooked that into my cabinet last week thinking maybe I need that instead of My 20w model. Nope, my 20 is just fine especially for the price difference and portability.
studio vintage is more what Im used to, but I also love an Origin! Nice new flavor from Marshall. (using an origin 50 lately, even more than my 2 vintage plexis)
I'm debating right now between the SV20h and the Origin 20. Of course there's a huge difference in price, but it's interesting that you find yourself using your Origin even more - just because it's louder?
Nice. They do not sound much different to each other. Thought the plexi sounded a bit nicer, more clarity, and mids, JCM800 had a bit too much top end fuzz distorted, but sounded great clean! Both amps did!
This is a FANTASTIC demo video! Really struggling to determine if the SC20H can give me the tones I'm looking for gigging and it sounds killer! I've had the SV20H which is wonderful but want to try something new.
Nice demo and channel. Both are nice but the Vintage just sounds richer, more complex. The JCM800 is a bit more compressed and cuts through better if that's what you want. It's the obvious choice for 80s metal and cool in its own right, but if I can only have one, I'll take the SV20H. I bet with a bit of compression and a nice boost it can cover most of the JCM800's territory. I bet for many guys it will also be driven by feel-good factors like which era of music speaks more to them, 1970s or 1980s, or what their favorite artist used. That's fine too.
So exactly like a full-sized Plexi: the EQ doesn't do all that much on these circuits, the amp just has a certain tone by default and to my ears the EQ only slightly affects the playing feel 😉
The JCM 800 is more responsive to dial changes i noticed...both very similar sounding but the vintage has a slightly sweeter tone.. slightly less aggressive mids and highs
Perfect comparision! The plexi sounds more open, and the 800 more compressed.
Best amp demos on TH-cam man.
sillyak agreed.
facts facts
they sound at lot more similar than I imagined they would!
That’s because of the limitations of modern recording equipment.
Seriously
@@2204JCM Like using the same cabinet for both, instead of greenbacks for the Vintage, and 1275s for the Classic?
@@2204JCM I don't think so...
I was surprised too. I tried both through the same cabinet and the difference was huge. But I also didn't try to get the same sound out of both. In the end I bought the SV20H.
@@jazztom86 By any chance did you test the Marshall DSL20HR? For $500 buck I'm wondering if the extra $800 for SV20H is worth it.
Damn, must be cool having 3 arms.
I think the one in the video is right foot.
Really !
Hand shakes must be awkward.
Awesome test!! you can tell right away what the nuances are! Congrats!
Totally agree!
I love the sag from the plexi. I used to play through 800’s when I was younger and loved them but it really seems like you get more actual tube tone out of a plexi. Can’t wait to get one
That first tone on the plexi with the Strat is literally the best guitar tone I’ve ever heard
THIS IS THE WAY DEMOS SHOULD BE DONE (THANKS LOADS)!!! In this demo, both of these terrific amps sound so similar that (very most probably) it might be practically impossible to tell the difference in a live gig situation. You could tell the difference if it was your amp with you playing but (in the audience?) it would be splitting very fine hairs. And, the 5 watt option is nice, but it's still too loud/powerful for playing use in any kind of bedroom/apartment situations without a pedal or an attenuator. The larger transformers in higher powered amps do add more tonal "chunk" but, after 18 watts, there's only more power to cut through the crowd and fill the room, yet there's little actual volume increase (power and volume not being the same thing). Marshall should have started producing these 20 watt amps in the late 70s or early 80s. They would have sold loads of them and still sold loads of their 50 and 100 watt (plus) models as well. AGAIN, THIS IS HOW TH-cam COMPARISONS SHOULD BE DONE! THANKS MUCHO!
⚡👍🥴👍⚡
My vote goes to the "Vintage".
Both sound good...I like the Vintage a little bit more, sounds like an old classic... The 800 has more bass and a little more treble... sounds more modern
Totally!!! My thoughts as well!
Turn the treble off on the JCM and i it will sounds like a Plexi !
The Classic has an emptiness in the midrange compared to the Vintage. Not a bad thing...I'm just sayin'.
Great demo. For those deciding, the touch sensitivity of the plexi vs the 800 is huge. The plexiglass is very responsive and is like an extension of you. Play light and it opens up, spank the strings and it starts to bark. Non-MV Marshalls do this best.
The Classic looks to be a better amp in a lot of ways. More gain, way more versatile/usable tone stack, easier controls. But that Vintage just sounds better imo
Yeah it's got that Marshall mid honk the other seems to be missing. Both are nice...but I'm a non-master volume guy to the core.
@@craigpoole2602 Well the SV20 has a 5 Watt setting, which is still quite loud. I'm going for a Chinese handwired clone of a 1987x with PPIMV and FX loop. It's half the price to replace power tubes and it breaks up earlier so for a high gain PLexi fan the 1987x seems like a superior choice. Same price as an SV20h. But I like the handwired ones, I actually stand a chance in repairing that myself without having to go to one of three amp techs in the entire country....
If there is someone in youtube that can make a proper demo of the Marshall Studio Vintage vs The Origin 20 is you man, please do it, please do it, is such a needed comparison video !!!
dont waste your money on the origin..its quite average
Elmo did ond
@@joshmuz9018 Thanks for the info Josh, I know Elmo channel he does pretty good videos Im gonna check it out
Cheers !!!
That's what a first-class demo should look like to help other people!!! Thank you very much!
I’m surprised. I even liked the JCM800 more for cleans. Both sound good though. Very nice demo
The clean sounds with the Tele are superb! your video convinced me to order a combo SV20 for christmas...thanks!
I always appreciate the New Found Glory parts of your demos
Wonderful job. You've shown the trends of both amps. Really hard to say which one we want!! Both!
I’m surprised to find that I prefer the studio vintage! It sounds warmer to my ears
Now this is a gear demo. Skip the bs and let's hear it. Well done. Thanks.
Ordered vintage today. Really appreciate this video.
Excellent clean demo with the tele. Definitely hear the chimey Marshall cleans people love.
Both are incredible amps, and they both sound really similar! To me the studio vintage looks waaaay better, and the volume problem can really be solved with a good attentuator.
yes but a good attenuator is very costly, mine cost £930
@@user-jz8fv8du8p What attenuator do you have?
Haven‘t heard that Silverstein intro on the clean bit in the middle for ages. Thanks for the reminder:)
Nice comparison. Both amps sounds great. The Vintage has more chime than the Classic which is especially noticeable when played clean. The Classic may be more versatile because it has a master volume.
Gotta love the Silverstein riff to test the clean tone!
I have the SV20, and I love it with my les Paul and PRS CE22, but now I need a telecaster because it sounded so good in this video!
This is the standard for amp demos. Excellent work on this.
For "My Heroin" alone i had to like it, despite the fact that both sounded awesome. Very good video, ordered a SC20 and boy am i excited :D
this is my fav comparison vid for these amps so far.
THE DRUUUUGS BEGIN TO PEEAAK!!! 🤘🏽🤘🏽🤘🏽
I was so happy to hear Silverstein!!!!
The SV is more balanced, cutting through a mix like nobody's business while leaving plenty of room for low frequencies. SC sounds fuller and can shell out more gain making it great for heavy tones, but sounds more compressed.
I think the SV wins for tones and the SC for practicality.
Thank you.Best review I've seen on this amp. Or any other amp. Ever.No jibber-jabber and you ran through a variety of guitars and sounds.
The vintage sounds better but they both sound great. It really is all about what and how you play.
Thank you for keeping the descriptions up throughout
The plexy sound is so great i love this head.❤
I had the studio classic and It was SO bright. Great demo!
bright cap mod!
Mxr eq in the effects loop
The best demo's of these amps I've found. 👏👏 Thank you.
Can't choose, the vintage for the clean, thr classic for dirty sound, both sound amazing!
Great demo, wish everyone would take note. I have the JCM I love it, put a TS-9 in front and hold on!!!
OGPokey151 do you use an attenuator to crank it?? I bet that would be the holy grail of 80s tone!
@@EliseoCaporale yes, I made my own passive attenuator with a 2 selectable brightness options. You lose just a bit of low end and high end if you do a comparison but it let's you break up the power tube and yeah to me it's the holy grail of sounds. I own about 10 guitars, nothing crazy but I have a 2019 Gibson Les Paul Standard 60s, an original TS9 (black label s/n starts with 0) the Marshall studio JCM800 running a Marshall mode four MF280 with V30s. I love this combo. I am in a house on 1/2 acre and my guitar room has minor sound proofing, so I can tun it at a decent volume regardless. But this amp is so much louder the my Peavy 6505MH. My Orange OR15 is louder than the Peavy at that's 7/15W
Now I really want a Studio Vintage!
Being a high gain guy, I’d prefer the Studio Classic. The Vintage is still intriguing with the inputs it has. I’d like to actually experiment with patching pedals and other things between those inputs. I’d have to mind the impedance, of course, but I’d love to hear the results.
I liked the Silverstein for the clean demo
Silverstein riff was on point
Gotta love the new found glory bit. Awesome demo again as per usual dude
Still the best user name I’ve seen on TH-cam 👍
Toby's Guitar Gear Demos I’ve now peaked in life lol
The best easy to gauge amp comparison on the Internet. Nice work.
I have to say I prefer the classic. The 800 sounds compressed.
The Plexi is more open and more "classic rock" sounding than the JCM, but as far as I'm aware that's all in the fact it doesn't have a master volume, which sadly limits home use.
I have the SC20 and it's amazing! I found that rolling the treble back a little bit, boosting the mids and gets you that little bit closer to the plexi tones. not quite the same, but great to my ears.
excellent comparison video Toby! I went to try out a mini jubilee today thinking that it was the amp for me, only to be disappointed...luck for me, the shop had an SC20 and the guy grabbed it for me and said I might like it. he was right, the SC 20 (combo) killed the 2525c for sound to my ears - and you could read the knobs. :)
my next amp, I'm sure!
i’m in love with that mini plexiii....🤩😻
The Plexi sounds much warmer and vintage, the JCM sounds extremely wild and metal! May I have both? 😁
Very nice demo. Well done. Nobody seems to mention just how noisy the bright input is. I need to try getting clean tones with mine but I can't imagine them not being buzzy.
Mkll sounds more clear and full sounding to me nice work
Both great sounding amps but is it just me that thinks the 800 looks wrong as a mini head whereas the plexi is perfectly scaled down in size?
Agreed - proportions of side panels (as viewed from front) vs the rest of the front panel are not to scale on the 800.
I didn’t notice that until you pointed it out. But then, definitely.
I agree
Appearance wise the plexi is definitely the best
Because JCM800 was always big while Plexi came in all sorts of sizes, the 18 W which basically was an SV20h, or the 1987x 50 W Plexi, which is a little smaller than the 100 W. So Plexis have always come in different sizes with panels staying about the same the proportions changed. I think only with the solid state MG series in the 90s they began making modern style Marshalls with smaller heads, though some of those also had smaller panels since an SS amp is pretty flexible you can pretty much size it what you want while a tube amp has a minimum size.
THAT'S How comparation should do !!! BRAVO !!! I prefer brown and punchier sound of SV 20 head.Both amps are great anyway.
Another well made Demo, you rock!
To me, where they don't sound real close, the Vintage seems more clear and less fizzy.
I think this is the only gear channel on TH-cam that I genuinely enjoy watching. Great sounds, great playing and no talking!
Thanks, really appreciate it 👍
This is a great comparison demo. Own a SC20H and thinking of getting the SV20H.
I wish all VS videos were like this
Personally, being a plexi fan, ❤️ Love the Vintage 4 input.
Came for amp demo - stayed for Silverstein riff :)
Very well done. Please make the same for all amps!! Ever!! Please!! Only suggestion would be to add an ‘everything on 10’ comparison. Really nice job!
No plexi or 800 demo is complete without an "all knobs on 10" sample.
Done that week ago with JT45, my ears are still ringing ... but boy oh boy, is that experience worth it ...
stanislavmigra had a Bluesbreaker that I bought new in 98 I think... it never left my bedroom and I don’t think it ever got past 3.
I sold it a couple years ago and now wish I wouldn’t have. Even though I’ll never use it, it was something I bought new and looked so gorgeous and it’s just too cool to let go. But I did anyway. Oh well. I think I’m going to get one of these STV20’s or whatever they’re called. I
Just recently discovered them.
Great demo. To me, these two models sound so similar, you might as well just pick the one that you like the look of best. There were only a couple of examples where I noticed a discernible sonic difference. There is a bigger sonic difference in the other two models in the 20 watt lineup (the Jubilee 20 and the DSL20).
Very similar sounds but I would be more tempted by the 800 just for the Master Volume/Gain controls being able to be dimed in at low volume. Then again there is the 5Watt mode. One of the best demos tho, really appreciated.
Great demo! Really put both amps thru their paces. Very well done and nice playing.
New Tool riffs. Cool
My take - Across all the different tones, the Plexi is a bit beefier, thicker sounding. The 800 does the crystal clean thing better than the Plexi. The Plexi cleans always have bit more girth to them. The 800 does a reasonable facsimile of the Plexi sound. The reverse is not true. If you need more flexibility and/or a master volume = 800. If you need that classic rock and roll tone above all else, and you can deal with volume = Plexi.
Greaet comparison video - you worked out the differences perfectly! Thanks!
Also the needle on my record player has been wearing thin. Haha! Great demo!
Great comparison. The Vintage sounds warmer with a sweet midrange bite while the Classic is definitely brighter. The vintage wins hands down in the clean tone department. But in the end I would be happy with either.
JCM 800 sounds thinner ,i prefer the other one. Great video by the way👌
I’ve had the Plexi 20w for sometime now and just got the 800 20w today. The Plexi works great with an attenuator so you can crank her with out going deaf. ( Yes these are both plenty loud. Yes you can use them in a band setting both rehearsal and gigs.) It’s really great the 800 has the master volume it also has more gain. In person when playing these I feel like there is more difference to them than the video is able to capture. Don’t get me wrong great amp shootout video very well done. But I watched it this morning before my 800 arrived and I thought, why am I getting the 800 these amps sound so close to each other. But after spending about an hour with the 800 they are two different animals. You can’t go wrong with either but at this point I’m leaning towards the 800 because no attenuation is needed and because of the gain structure. Great job on these small flame throwers Marshall!!!!
Just wondering which attenuator u use with the plexi and whether u noticed any drop in tone?
Considering getting one of these amps too, and will need to reduce volume.
I’m looking for strat on edge of breakup sound… chimey etc
@@nicholasgeorge82 I’m using a SG and a LP so different animal than what you have. But I have a Dr Z Air Brake and feel like it’s pretty transparent. Bought it pre owned so it was a reasonable price too. The other guitar player in our band has a 50w JCM800 and I hooked that into my cabinet last week thinking maybe I need that instead of My 20w model. Nope, my 20 is just fine especially for the price difference and portability.
Awesome, thanks mate 👍
Plexi is just the GOAT.
Very good sound demo! Thank you very much.
studio vintage is more what Im used to, but I also love an Origin! Nice new flavor from Marshall. (using an origin 50 lately, even more than my 2 vintage plexis)
I'm debating right now between the SV20h and the Origin 20. Of course there's a huge difference in price, but it's interesting that you find yourself using your Origin even more - just because it's louder?
Nice. They do not sound much different to each other. Thought the plexi sounded a bit nicer, more clarity, and mids, JCM800 had a bit too much top end fuzz distorted, but sounded great clean! Both amps did!
Shopping both now. Great help great comments too. 💥
Duuuude Hit or Miss hahaha. Great demo. Really liked both of them.
Thanks man, I really enjoy all of your demos.
This is a FANTASTIC demo video! Really struggling to determine if the SC20H can give me the tones I'm looking for gigging and it sounds killer! I've had the SV20H which is wonderful but want to try something new.
Nice demo and channel.
Both are nice but the Vintage just sounds richer, more complex. The JCM800 is a bit more compressed and cuts through better if that's what you want. It's the obvious choice for 80s metal and cool in its own right, but if I can only have one, I'll take the SV20H. I bet with a bit of compression and a nice boost it can cover most of the JCM800's territory. I bet for many guys it will also be driven by feel-good factors like which era of music speaks more to them, 1970s or 1980s, or what their favorite artist used. That's fine too.
They sound very similar to me. Much more so than I would have thought.
both sounds had killer legendary tone
yoooooou smillllllleeee, in yourrr sleeeeeeep! brings me back
great comparison video, Thanks!
I like the stuff played for the cleans
Great vid once again mate!!! I would love to be able to justify buying both of them...or at least one...lol...both sound fantastic
I recently purchased a 1985 JCM 800 2204. I'll hafta keep an eye out for a used studio vintage. 20 watts would be practical.
Great demo! Very similar sounds. Prefer the mids in the Vintage.
Jeez they sound so close to each other
basically the same amp but the 800 has an extra gain stage and a master volume.
stoked to hear Silverstein
Great demo, thanks for sharing!
Very interesting... is it just me or the EQ on the SV is almost unnoticeable...?
So exactly like a full-sized Plexi: the EQ doesn't do all that much on these circuits, the amp just has a certain tone by default and to my ears the EQ only slightly affects the playing feel 😉
The JCM 800 is more responsive to dial changes i noticed...both very similar sounding but the vintage has a slightly sweeter tone.. slightly less aggressive mids and highs
Congrats man,thanks for great video !!!
Studio vintage for the win
both pretty impressive
This demo is perfect, thanks.
best comparison on youtube. thanks, now i dont have to sacrifice tone for a master volume