Marshall Origins

[deeaa]

I've probably posted about Origins before, but anyway. Thought I'd post a simple comparison.

The Origins are very good as is, but having a single preamp tube, overloading that tube makes things pretty fizzy, in a nasty Plexi style. Some may like it, but there's a mod by Headfirst that takes the loop tube and converts it into a 2nd preamp tube, like in 2203/4 (JCM800) amps, and that removes the fizziness and gives great depth to the way it overdrives.

I've done the exact same mod, it's the basic HF mod except using a different cathode follower resistor to not make it too dirty but more like the original 2203/4 amps.

The 20 and 50W versions have exact same preamps, but there's a fundamental difference to how they sound nevertheless, due to the way the power amp is used and balanced, or something. Anyway, the 20 sounds way more 'soft' and organic, even downright 1978x-esque, while the 50 has a much snappier attack and tighter sound more like JCM800 series.

IMO both are - modded I mean - right up there, some of the best Marshalls I've ever had.

Heres's two clips for comparison - the warmer 20 and then the tighter 50. Same cab and guitar/mic, I did these clearly apart so camera position changes, but it's the same cell phone anyway. Even with these I think the differences in tones are clear. The 20 is like ACDC Powerage/Jailbreak '74, especially Powerage songs you can play along and i's like 1:1, and the 50 goes into Highway to Hell if not even Back in Black territory with the tighter attack. Also very much like earlier Priest, it can totally copy the Stained Class sound.

https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxGkfwnFMfmz ... Ff2P54UVnC

https://youtube.com/clip/Ugkx-IEzpbvhJN ... JI0xjH03fK

[Tonray's Ghost]

Both sound great but that 50 oh my...

[backinit]

I would love to grab a 20 watt and do the mod. There is one not far from me.

[deeaa]

I would love to grab a 20 watt and do the mod. There is one not far from me.

I love it. Not very hard to do, if you have any experience soldering. It was well worth watching the videos though, both the 20 and 50, as the guide and the videos aren't that straightforward to follow. I wrote the whole thing out for myself first step by step.

Of course it's something that's potentially dangerous and should only be done if competent enough to do it safely. I'm not but I took the risk

I did it with the exact component values listed, except the cathode follower resistor. The guide says 2.7K if I remember correctly, but it makes the amp so hot, it was like Van Halen sound really with my guitars. It was quite cool too, but very much a one trick pony IMO, and also quite noisy.

So I used a 10K there instead and that tamed it down nicely so it still can provide also rather clean sounds ...easy enough to boost with OD anyway, but if it's too hot to start with...

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[glasshand]

Very interesting! I remember that one of my gripes about the Origin 20 was that it was very vintage, for better or worse - you didn't get much overdrive out of it unless you completely dimed both preamp and master volume. Sounds like this mod might change that.

[deeaa]

Very interesting! I remember that one of my gripes about the Origin 20 was that it was very vintage, for better or worse - you didn't get much overdrive out of it unless you completely dimed both preamp and master volume. Sounds like this mod might change that.

Yep, it completely changes things. I really really like it. I've owned like a dozen Marshalls, several JCM800, plexi, 2203, 2204, 1978x copy...and these are the best, raunchy classic rock tones I've found without any additional pedals or whatever. Nothing has done ACDC especially quite this well.

The biggest downside is the mod removes the loop, and there's clearly more noise so you could really use a loop for a noise gate.

Headfirst sells a zero loss loop circuit board and I installed that on the 20 to get the loop back, and I need to install one for the 50 too.

Other than that, also the mod reverses the boost function. So the foot pedal LED is red for normal and off for boost.

It also somewhat alters how the controls work, but that's no biggie. Just need to tweak a bit to find the sweet spots. That Tilt knob REALLY makes a difference. Sound is stellar nevertheless, and it's still also a great pedal platform, as long as you don't need very very clean sounds as it's always slightly "crumbly".

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[voodoorat]

I've never owned a Marshall but there's an Origins 20W head w/ 112 cab for sale nearby that I've been eyeing. I'm not much of a solderer--I can do guitar wiring and maybe fix a bad connection on an instrument cable but that's pretty inexact compared to anything required for like PCB. Would I be able to do this mod do you think assuming I'm not smart enough to value my life (trust me, I've messed around in amps enough already that I'm probably due for a zapping)? I haven't even gotten it yet and it's on the local FB marketplace so 50/50 chance it'll fall through for one reason or another anyway.

[deeaa]

I hate soldering...am not very good with it. But as far as that goes, it isn't hard really. Just solder off a component - it's important to have a solder vacuum or strips to get off the old solder - and swap for a new one. They're all rather big, just basic components. I found it easier than soldering guitar components just working slowly. The tough part is deciphering what to change, the videos aren't super clear about everything and need to double - check everything. It really helped to also watch the 50w version video as it's pretty much exactly the same.

Tube amps can store a lot of juice in the caps, and gotta be careful with those. You have to take out the whole main board of the amp, which is also easy though. Caps in an Origin aren't big. What I did is I hadn't had the amp on power for days, but hooked to a cab, and I switched it on and off a few times too. When I lifted the board I made sure not to touch anything but edges first and went thru the whole board for a good while with a meter but didn't find any traces of power even in the caps.

Would recommend using a bigger value cathode follower resistor indeed, then you can better use an OD for higher gain. With the 2.7k in the mod (if I remember right) it's more like EVH. I much prefer the 10k.

BTW I may not be able to come to AGF any more in the near future, Gmail accounts are banned so it only works through Tapatalk for now.

Once I have to reinstall Tapatalk I reckon it won't let me back in.

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[andrewsrea]

I tried a few origins, one which @golem had and they are not my cup of tea. Good amps mind you, but having worked on plexis and steel-fronts, the genuine sound includes punishing the speakers.

The second Headfirst mod sounded better, IMHO, than a stock Origin.

[deeaa]

I tried a few origins, one which [mention]golem[/mention] had and they are not my cup of tea. Good amps mind you, but having worked on plexis and steel-fronts, the genuine sound includes punishing the speakers.

The second Headfirst mod sounded better, IMHO, than a stock Origin.

Yeah, stock they tend to get really hairy when pushed, not in a good way. Good pedal platforms, but only after the mod they really started kicking proper.

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[deeaa]

Here's a bad cellphone clip of the 50

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[deeaa]

And the 20 with a little better angle for the sound.

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