'80s Marshall Lead 20 - Anyone got experience with one?

[Dismalhead]

Hey all,

Just watched a used budget amp comparison shootout on YouTube. One of the best sounding was an '80s Marshall Lead 20, which I believe is a solid-state combo version of a JCM 800. Anyone got or had one? Interested to know if it's worth seeking one out.

I've got other +/- 20-wattish tube amps, so this is more to add a bit of that Marshall sound to the stable than to cover any gigging or practicing requirement.

Thanks!

 

[68goldtop]

Hi!

Hey all,

Just watched a used budget amp comparison shootout on YouTube. One of the best sounding was an '80s Marshall Lead 20, which I believe is a solid-state combo version of a JCM 800. Anyone got or had one? Interested to know if it's worth seeking one out...

Sorry, no experience with the 20-Watt Model, but I used to own the "Lead 12", and I played it A LOT over a couple of years.
Mainly at home/home-recording. I got a bit tired of it after a (long) while, but I got some good sounds out of it!
I´d like to try one again to see how I like it now

cheers - 68.

 

[marshman]

I also never had a Lead 20, but a friend had a Lead 12 which rocked. In fact, I have a Lead 12 stack I picked up at a pawn shop over the summer which needs it's pots cleaned, but does 80s mid-gain rock-n-roll tones very well.

I had a 5510, which was a 50-ish watt 1x12 from the same series that always sounded better than I gave it credit for. It seemed a little quiet (which I now would happily accept) and I noticed that the power output was rated as '50 watts into 4 ohms' but the speaker in it was 8 ohm, wondered if that mattered. I never got a chance to A/B it, but every time I tried out the 90's DSL401 as an upgrade I felt sure that the 5510 sounded every bit as good.

I recently scored a Bass 20 from CL and it needs a tune up. I was simply hoping to use it as a bass amp for the acoustic living room jams I go to but it makes a lot of extraneous noise...could be it just doesn't get along with piezos.

 

[Chud]

I've owned one since the early 90s and will probably never sell it. Bought it used in about 1993 I think. It's a fantastic amp, classic Marshall cleans and 80's JCM gain/distortion. Loud little sucker too. I've gigged and recorded with it numerous times. Every time I turn it on it puts a smile on my face.

 

[elihu]

 

[elihu]

I found a beat up one on evil bay a few years ago for $100.

I was the only bidder.

I had it cleaned up by a local tech and he showed me that the headphone jack was gunked up. Since it’s first in the circuit it adds a lot of noise downstream. It sounds fine now.

 

[Neptical]

Huge fan of the Marshall Lead series. Here's my 3210s and 3315.

 

[Jakedog]

Huge fan of the Marshall Lead series. Here's my 3210s and 3315.

LOVE the lead 100 MOSFET heads. There’s a real clean one for sale here locally right now. If I could justify another amp I’d have already bought it.

 

[ahiddentableau]

I've had a Lead 12 since forever. It was my first amp. A common problem is that the jacks and pots tend to go, but they aren't terribly difficult to replace.

 

[JustABluesGuy]

I’ve been kicking myself for long tim for passing on an inexpensive Lead 12 mini stack at a pawn shop.

 

[The Angle]

A Lead 12 came up on eBay recently, from a nearby seller. I dropped out when the price shot north of $150 and kept climbing. Nowadays it seems you're likely to pick up a Lead 20 for less $ than a Lead 12, thanks to all the praise heaped on the 12s the last few years.

 

[wildschwein]

I had the Lead 12 combo. It really did capture the Marshall sound in minature and sounded great outputted to a bigger amp. It was cool for practicing and recording and kept up at smaller/more intimate gigs. Even when I owned one in the early to mid '90s there was gossip in guitar mags at the time that Billy Gibbons used them for something so they have always been a bit hyped.

 

[Mike_LA]

.

 

[Mike_LA]

A nice amp to be sure BUT for the $ I would go for an AVT50.
Got my last one for under $200
2 Channels with independent EQ
50 watts
12" Marshall speaker
Real 12AX7 Preamp Valve
Real Spring Reverb
FX loop
Emulated out

 

[TheCheapGuitarist]

The solid state Marshalls from that era sound freakin' incredible. They somehow nailed the JCM800 tone without the tubes.

 

[Neptical]

The solid state Marshalls from that era sound freakin' incredible. They somehow nailed the JCM800 tone without the tubes.

A Boss SD-1 through my 3210s & 3315s gives me everything I look for in my tube amps. Phenomenal tones.

 

[BackwaterJunction]

Like others in this thread, I have a model from the same series - the Reverb 12. It's the Lead 12 others have described but with built in Spring Reverb.

It's always sounded good, but I recently swapped the stock speaker for a WGS Green Beret. Only took a couple of minutes and has made a world of difference - it sounds just like a Marshall should. I'm so pleased!

 

[blues]

I have the 30 watt 5010. Marshall got those solid state master lead series right.

Solid real plywood cabinet.

Get them now as the prices are on the rise.