Marshall Origin 20: hands-on demo

One of this year’s most exciting amp announcements was the unveiling of Marshall’s new Origin series, an all-new, five-strong range of lower-gain heads and combos that aim to capture the company’s early EL34 magic while retaining headroom for pedal users.

MR’s dynamic demoing duo Simon Arblaster and Michael Astley-Brown got their hands on the 20H, possibly the series’ most sought-after configuration, which packs power scaling, a DI out and a nifty tilt control in place of old-school Marshall input jumping.

Best of all is the price, which clocks in at a tidy $549/£459.

Here, Si and Mike put the amp through its paces, demonstrating the clean and dirty tones on offer, as well as how the Origin handles drive pedals.

MORE INFO: NAMM 2018 first look video: New Marshall Origin amps aim to bottle company's '60s roots

Gear used

  • PRS S2 Singlecut
  • Marshall 4x12 cab
  • TC Electronic Hall Of Fame 2 Reverb
  • Seymour Duncan Forza
  • Boss JB-2 Angry Driver
Simon Arblaster
Video Producer & Reviews Editor

I take care of the reviews on MusicRadar and Future Music magazine, though can sometimes be spotted in front of a camera talking little sense in the presence of real musicians. For the past 30 years, I have been unable to decide on which instrument to master, so haven't bothered. Currently, a lover of all things high-gain in the guitar stakes and never one to resist churning out sub-standard funky breaks, the likes of which you'll never hear.

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