Ryan's Gig Guide - March 2019

Sticking a Plexi on full is kind of like smacking a bear in the head, it is going to rip your face off. Throughout the years, artists have used the sound of Plexi's to sculpt albums and perfor- mances that will forever be in- grained in history as legendary. It is clear there is still demand for the sonic complexities encapsulated within this beast. Sadly, due to its behemoth power you are unlikely to see an old school Plexi at your local venue. Back in its heyday, guitar amplifiers were designed to fit a different purpose. P.A was lacking and the guitar amp was the direct connec- tion between the player and the audience. P.A has evolved and is now capable of handling anything you can funnel into it. The amps role has become more of a neat little tone box than a ruddy great big face melting sound machine. Turn up to your local venue with a 100W amp that has no mas- ter volume and the sound en- gineer will most likely have a few choice words he will want to share with you.The SV20H looks to reduce the level of volume needed to achieve a great sound. Taking the power down to 20Wmeans you can crank this amp into the lush and lavish world of harmonic saturation without sending the front row of your audience into oblivion. It is still loud, but unlike its big brother, it is not going to give you a concussion. If you want to bring down the vol- ume even more, Marshall have added a low switch which will take your amp down to 5w. This level of control is exact- ly what is demanded by the modern player. The ability to take your amp from home lev- els to stage levels makes it a versatile tool. The size reduc- tion will also be welcomed by many. Not all of us are bless- ed with having our own crew and the days of lugging spine crushingly heavy gear are in the past.We are in the era of small boxes, big sounds and we love it! There is something distinc- tively sexy about the look of a Marshall on a stage.The feeling of excitement you get when you walk into a venue and the stage is decorated in iconic brands can be overwhelming. It gives an aura of heritage that is understood by everyone. You do not have to be a gear enthusiast to know you are standing in front of something special. It is like spotting a Sas- quatch on your way to Tesco. It does not take an expert to know you are in the presence of something extraordinary; either that or perhaps your mates brownies were not what you first thought and you probably shouldn’t have had three of them. The over- all aesthetic of the Plexi is an important feature. After all, its name came from the distinc- tive Plexiglass panel that was used on Marshalls of that time. There have been several Plexi fronted amps in the Marshall range but arguably the most iconic is the 100W Super Lead 1959SLP. The 1959SLP has a habit of showing up at some of the most important times in rock history. Created for Pete Townsend and adopted by Jimi Hendrix, its roots are steeped in legendary prowess. It makes REVIEW: Marshall SV20H Studio Series By Adam Roberts Local stockists... www.ryansgigguide.com 34 rgg Mar 2019