# Marshall class 5 vs sv20



## Scott25 (Jan 4, 2021)

Hey there, looking for some thoughts on this. Looking to purchase a plexi type amp. Mosty for at home, but will be used in a jam setting as well. I have an attenuator that I will use with it. Anyone played both? I have had a class 5, but have never played a sv20. I guess I am more so looking at a comparison in 5watt mode on the sv20 compared to the Class 5. Let me.know what you think!

Scott


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## terminalvertigo (Jun 12, 2010)

I bought a SV20 from L&M

I ended up returning it, but only because I grabbed a '73 lead and bass 20 the week after, and they live in the same space somewhat.

It's a great amp, though I found the one channel was noisy a bit, read online swapping V1 is a solve to that.

I liked it! 



No exp with the Class 5.


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## Scott25 (Jan 4, 2021)

That's an awesome amp! Did you have the head or the combo version of the Sv20?


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## Smylight (Jun 28, 2016)

Don't know anything about the other amp, but I've been using a Class 5 into a JCM900 bottom (4X12, stereo 300w) in band/jam settings and it's plenty loud enough to annoy a powerful drummer, provided you don't need clean sounds because it won't clean up having no headroom at that level. I keep it at 6-7 if that helps. This is very classic dimed Marshall tone and if I only played Cream/Hendrix power stuff it'd fit the bill quite nicely.

By itself the little 10" is really insufficient though.


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## terminalvertigo (Jun 12, 2010)

Scott25 said:


> That's an awesome amp! Did you have the head or the combo version of the Sv20?


Me?
I had the blue levant combo with a 10"


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## colchar (May 22, 2010)

There is simply no comparison between a Class 5 and the SV20. 

The SV20 destroys the Class 5.


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## Okay Player (May 24, 2020)

colchar said:


> There is simply no comparison between a Class 5 and the SV20.
> 
> The SV20 destroys the Class 5.


In what way?


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## colchar (May 22, 2010)

Okay Player said:


> In what way?



In every way - tone, feel, etc.

I am not knocking the Class 5 as I've owned three, and would maybe buy a head version again if I found one for a good price, but the SV20 is a smaller version of the Plexi and it does that job _extremely_ well. I really regret not buying one when they were available, but at the time I was on a non-Marshall amp kick (that hs since ended as I've bought a JVM).

Over on the Marshall forum someone compared the SV20 to a real Plexi and, if I remember correctly, the only major difference was that the real thing had more bottom end. Nobody would say that when comparing a Class 5 to an original Plexi.


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## Okay Player (May 24, 2020)

colchar said:


> In every way - tone, feel, etc.
> 
> I am not knocking the Class 5 as I've owned three, and would maybe buy a head version again if I found one for a good price, but the SV20 is a smaller version of the Plexi and it does that job _extremely_ well. I really regret not buying one when they were available, but at the time I was on a non-Marshall amp kick (that hs since ended as I've bought a JVM).
> 
> Over on the Marshall forum someone compared the SV20 to a real Plexi and, if I remember correctly, the only major difference was that the real thing had more bottom end. Nobody would say that when comparing a Class 5 to an original Plexi.


Thanks for that. I often flirt with the idea of getting a little Marshall, so it's nice to know some of the differences.


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## Scott25 (Jan 4, 2021)

Thanks for the input guys. Think I will wait and look for the SV20 and pass on the class 5 for now. Long and Mcquade is backordered until the end of December....


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## aC2rs (Jul 9, 2007)

Scott25 said:


> Think I will wait and look for the SV20 and pass on the class 5 for now.


IMO an excellent choice.

I had a Class 5 for a while and it was a very nice amp, but, It was_ way_ too loud by the time I got my tone from it.


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## Tigger25 (Jun 10, 2021)

New to the community. I've had a Class 5 combo for a long time. The 10 inch speaker is actually surprisingly good...I've mic'd it up many times for recordings. Indeed the amp sounds more convincing in the room with bigger cabs...my brother has a Randall closed back cab with a greenback that made it much more of a "rock" amp. Haven't heard the SV20 but the price difference compared to a used Class 5...I still consider the Class 5 a useful tool.


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## Mr Boggie (Dec 4, 2012)

C5 is a cool amp but I’d personally suggest the sv20. 

I had a c5 and enjoyed it through a 4/12. But it eventually got sold.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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