# Marshall SV20 or Friedman Dirty Shirley Mini



## Cardamonfrost (Dec 12, 2018)

Hey all, I have been considering a new amp for a while now. I am going for a Marshall type sound, but don't need much more than basement volume.

Currently I have both 65 and 68 reissue Princeton's that I usually run with an always on Catalinbread DLS. I am happy with both those amps, but will likely sell the 65 to help finance the new one. Fwiw, I also have a couple old Gibson amps, some of the old Pine amps and a Valve JR. My main guitar is an R8.

For those that have experience, I'm curious what your thoughts are. My Princeton's are loud enough for what I do, I like on board reverb, but I'm not sure that I can get a Marshall (or clone) with verb.

Everyone seems to say the DSM and sometimes the PT are superior to Marshall's in every way, but I see a lot more Friedman's in the classifieds than the Marshall's.

They both come in combo and head versions, I kinda think I would rather have the combo, and someday get a 1x12 ext cab (or possibly build my own when my shop comes back online).

I will listen to all advice! I am likely going to post a WTB in a couple weeks and see what pops up.

Thanks
C


----------



## RBlakeney (Mar 12, 2017)

I would throw a vote in for a tone king royalist. 
extremely useable anywhere with the on-board attenuator.


----------



## Cardamonfrost (Dec 12, 2018)

Great suggestion. I have never heard of the Royalist, but I know the Imperial has quite a following here. I did a quick Google on the Royalist, and it does appear to have all of the features as the other 2 do. 12th Fret had one a couple years ago for 2500, which isn't cheap, but I will look around to see if I can find one.
C


----------



## RBlakeney (Mar 12, 2017)

Cardamonfrost said:


> Great suggestion. I have never heard of the Royalist, but I know the Imperial has quite a following here. I did a quick Google on the Royalist, and it does appear to have all of the features as the other 2 do. 12th Fret had one a couple years ago for 2500, which isn't cheap, but I will look around to see if I can find one.
> C


I’m not sure about combos but the 15 watt heads are definitely. A bit cheaper if you have. A cab to use.


----------



## Grab n Go (May 1, 2013)

I haven't tried the Dirty Shirley Mini, buy I've played through a PT a few times at a jam. It's a fantastic amp. Incredible touch response and I really like how it's voiced.


----------



## Cardamonfrost (Dec 12, 2018)

I think the PT is more of a jcm800 voicing than a SLP (which is what the SV20 is voiced after). 

Of course, I say these things not really knowing a F'ing thing about it...I've never owned either, or a Marshall for that matter. Isn't the internet grand? Lol.

I don't think I would say no to a PT, it seems to check the boxes as well. There is one in Canada on reverb for a decent price, but I would rather buy from a forum member if I can to limit the chances of getting hooped.
C


----------



## evenon (Nov 13, 2006)

Cardamonfrost said:


> I am going for a Marshall type sound, but don't need much more than basement volume.


I have owned both, great amps. At basement volume, I think the Mini Dirty Shirley is more usable. The Friedman has more gain and with the voicing switch can do more things than the Studio Vintage. 

The Studio Vintage is really really great at what it does. It is less compressed than the Mini Dirty Shirley, has a "harmonic swirl" that the Friedman does not. Also has that Plexi upper mid thing that cuts through if you are playing with a band. I find the Mini Dirty Shirley gets a little lost with a band.

The Pink Taco in the lowest gain setting I would say is more in the ballpark of the Studio Vintage than the Mini Dirty Shirley. I had a regular Pink Taco and a Wildwood one. The Pink Taco has more of the upper mids that the Studio Vintage has, there are some Greg Koch clips kicking around where plays a bunch of Zeppelin riffs.

The Studio Vintage is very loud, even on 5 watts, jump the channels, starts to break up around 4 on the volumes, by 6 its fully into "every record from the 70s" tone, it's also very loud and totally playable with a band even on 5 watts. Our bass player gave me the evil eye when I showed up with it.

The Studio Vintage does not have the bottom end of a 50 Watt or 100 Watt Marshall, and not near the "throw" of volume, but certainly captures "that tone".


----------



## Cardamonfrost (Dec 12, 2018)

@evenon thank you! I think I saw your ad a while back when you had a couple of the mini heads for sale. At the time I was strongly thinking combo, and I wasn't sure about shipping. In retrospect, I should have bought the DSM/cab and the Sv20.

Thank you for your insight. It is making me think that a PT may be the best place to start. Was there a difference between the WW and regular one? And as you have already owned everything I am interested in, what is your amp now?

Thanks
C


----------



## evenon (Nov 13, 2006)

The Wildwood PT is no more, they have something else now. I bought mine while at the store in Denver, cool place.

I had an original PT without the three way switch and had the Wildwood PT, which had the voicing switch, depth/fat and saturation. I found the Wildwood one sounded a little more open, and was more flexible with the extra voicing. 

Amps now... a Friedman BE-50 Deluxe, Komet Aero and a 2002 Bad Cat Hot Cat, that I bought new and had 18 years now !!

If you can justify the cost, the BE-50 is the best of the Friedman's I have owned. The master volume is that good, I think it is a better practice amp the 20 watt Friedman's. I actually practice with my BE-50 and a Friedman 4x12, best "bedroom" volume setup I have ever had. The BE-50 doesn't quite do the plexi thing, but close on the lowest gain setting and the voice switch all the way to the right. The variable negative feedback control, fixes all the "Friedman's are compressed" stuff. 

The Friedman Smallbox is more of the plexi thing, and has a great master, there is some videos of that compared to the Studio Vintage, sounds alot like it at a usable volume, and stage volume.


----------



## Jaime (Mar 29, 2020)

I bought the WW PT from @evenon and can vouch for his detailed description. I also owned the DSM and the mini JCM800 from that Marshall series. I don't think you can go wrong with any of them, but the Friedman's are a cut above, _especially_ at lower volumes. The master volumes on either are some of the best I've used.


----------



## Cardamonfrost (Dec 12, 2018)

Jaime said:


> I bought the WW PT from @evenon and can vouch for his detailed description. I also owned the DSM and the mini JCM800 from that Marshall series. I don't think you can go wrong with any of them, but the Friedman's are a cut above, _especially_ at lower volumes. The master volumes on either are some of the best I've used.


Thanks Jamie, I am actually leaning towards the PT at this point. Just waiting on my local shop to get any of them in stock so I can see what they are actually like. And then decide if I can live without reverb.
C


----------



## Westhaver (Jul 26, 2015)

I have the Dirty Shirley Mini and have played through the Pink Taco. I can certainly agree with the above that the master volume works really well. In standard form the DSM seems more versatile to me but the PT was really good at what it does. It sounds like the WW version might add some versatility to the PT.

I am a huge fan of the Dirty Shirley Mini but in fairness have not played through any of the Marshall Studio series to compare.


----------



## Jaime (Mar 29, 2020)

Cardamonfrost said:


> Thanks Jamie, I am actually leaning towards the PT at this point. Just waiting on my local shop to get any of them in stock so I can see what they are actually like. And then decide if I can live without reverb.
> C


The fx loop on both Friedman options is also one of the better if not the best loop I've used, so you'd be fine to just stick a reverb pedal in there. When I was playing in headphones I'd use the reverb options within the UA Ox, when I was playing through a cab I don't think I ever noticed, but YMMV.

I would say that the DSM is probably the better amp between the two, however. The PT is incredible at what it does for sure, especially in the higher gain areas, but the DSM is definitely more versatile and arguably more enjoyable to play at lower volumes just because of all the heft it can have since it puts out more low end. I like dicking around with pedals a lot these days and the DSM took them better than the PT as well.


----------



## Cardamonfrost (Dec 12, 2018)

Thank you Jamie. That's great info.


----------



## madhermit (Dec 31, 2017)

RBlakeney said:


> I’m not sure about combos but the 15 watt heads are definitely. A bit cheaper if you have. A cab to use.


This reads like William Shatner typed it with all them there typo periods!


----------



## Budda (May 29, 2007)

Reverb? Just buy a reverb pedal.


----------



## RBlakeney (Mar 12, 2017)

madhermit said:


> This reads like William Shatner typed it with all them there typo periods!


I. Don’t know. What you mean.


----------



## Cardamonfrost (Dec 12, 2018)

...


----------

