Can't dial in my Origin 20 to save my life all of a sudden

[Goober23]

Seems no matter what I do I can't get a solid tone!
I'm SURE it's me but bumr

 

[fitz288]

Seems no matter what I do I can't get a solid tone!
I'm SURE it's me but bumr

Please explain. (Settings, speaker(s), guitar, cables, pedals, loop, boost, etc.)
There might be something funky going on like a tube acting up or a dirty jack contact.
Crazy things like temperature, humidity & barometric pressure can also change your tone.
Hard to diagnose "all of a sudden ... can't get a solid tone".
Might be you, but let's look at stuff we can fix...

 

[Moony]

Did it sound great before?
Or was the tone not that pleasing right from the start?

 

[Goober23]

No problem with the amp at all. My guess is that I can't dial it in no matter what cab or Impulse I try.
I have a greenback loaded 2x12, A MArshall 1912 1x12 (kind of spendy for a 1x12).
I've got a Jet City ISO box with a greenback in it and an SM-57+an E-609.
So far the best tone is into my Two notes capture with A Redwirez 4x12 GM-25 impulses but not anything to write home about.
I'm starting to think I haven't the skill or inspiration to enjoy it..... If I find videos on the web I'm quite impressed with the tones I hear.

 

[Moony]

If you think the amp is ok I guess it's just not the right amp for you.
Have you considered buying a DSL instead?
Maybe that works better for you.

 

[Goober23]

I have a DSL 40c (great amp). I also have a '78 JMP 2203, A 1959 SLP, A JVM 50h, a JCM 60, a 1987 JCM 800 100 watt.
Among other Marshall amps. There's no way this amp is not a great Marshall! I just can't dial this bitch in to my satisfaction and I'm convinced I'm the problem. This thing is too perfect in form factor and design I guess I just need to find which of my guitars jell with it best I suppose. I'm going to love this amp in the long run I'm sure of it.

 

[pedecamp]

I have a DSL 40c (great amp). I also have a '78 JMP 2203, A 1959 SLP, A JVM 50h, a JCM 60, a 1987 JCM 800 100 watt.
Among other Marshall amps. There's no way this amp is not a great Marshall! I just can't dial this bitch in to my satisfaction and I'm convinced I'm the problem. This thing is too perfect in form factor and design I guess I just need to find which of my guitars jell with it best I suppose. I'm going to love this amp in the long run I'm sure of it.

Best tone I got out of it, 1 watt mode, volume dimed, gain at 7. Sounds good, put an OD pedal in front for heavier tones.

 

[JohnH]

Seems to me that if your life is being threatened because of your amp tone, then you need a different sound guy!

 

[jeffb]

Tubes
Speakers
Volume

Don't have all three of those right, the Origin is disappointing.

 

[Len]

No problem with the amp at all. My guess is that I can't dial it in no matter what cab or Impulse I try.
I have a greenback loaded 2x12, A MArshall 1912 1x12 (kind of spendy for a 1x12).
I've got a Jet City ISO box with a greenback in it and an SM-57+an E-609.
So far the best tone is into my Two notes capture with A Redwirez 4x12 GM-25 impulses but not anything to write home about.
I'm starting to think I haven't the skill or inspiration to enjoy it..... If I find videos on the web I'm quite impressed with the tones I hear.

Impulse? Does it sound ok in the room, without connection to a computer?

 

[rolijen]

For the Origin to come alive, you have to set the Master at least halfway up, or higher. Thick, meaty tones ensue. Low Master settings sound thin, and weak. My experience with both the Origin 50 and 20 heads.

 

[RCM 800]

I didnt like the factory boost, it makes it flubby. Not sure if thats what your using but its a start if you are. Ive had good results clean boosting with and EQ and/or OD Pedals (TS9 mostly). As said above master needs to be up.

 

[Goober23]

I tend to run the master at 8 on the dial as in near full up.
I'll try to post a clip in the next day or two and see what you here think should be changed. I'll include my settings, speaker and mic and guitar used too. Thanks!

 

[Biff Maloy]

I had a 20H. I didn't prefer high output pickups into it. I mostly plugged straight in but an Echoplex type preamp or Klon type boosted it well.

I ended up liking 20 watt Celestions in a 2x12.

I never made much of an attempt to take the amp outside what it did though. Master about 7.5 and preamp around 6.5.

 

[C-Grin]

New pre amp tubes and a 12ay7 in V-1 then crank the gain and volume. Green back (ish) speaker and you should be sounding glorious.

 

[Tatzmann]

I also have a '78 JMP 2203, A 1959 SLP, a 1987 JCM 800 100 watt.

Those are your ticket. Dont waste any more
money for lower grade stuff. Unless youre
getting it for free or dirty cheap...but then a
waste of time still.

Sell it, wait for a good deal on a jtm45.
Its not that much bigger but plain and simple
a better amp which sounds good at any setting
and is a logical onpar addition to your amps i listed above.

 

[Biff Maloy]

Tatzman makes a great point. That's some heavy competition you have to judge against a budget amp.

I've gone full circle. Big power back in my younger days, lower wattage recent years and now back to the real stuff.

I had every 20 watt Marshall makes minus the SC. Dumped them all for a Germino Lead 55LV. All those amps are fine but I don't regret getting rid of them. I will never go back down in wattage again.

 

[solarburnDSL50]

I have a DSL 40c (great amp). I also have a '78 JMP 2203, A 1959 SLP, A JVM 50h, a JCM 60, a 1987 JCM 800 100 watt.
Among other Marshall amps. There's no way this amp is not a great Marshall! I just can't dial this bitch in to my satisfaction and I'm convinced I'm the problem. This thing is too perfect in form factor and design I guess I just need to find which of my guitars jell with it best I suppose. I'm going to love this amp in the long run I'm sure of it.

Have you goosed it with any OD pedals? Clean boost? May want to add some punch with one. I play straight in as well as goose my 50 ORI.

The AY7 in V1 clears up the saturation a bit. Makes it more articulate like a plexi.

I have a 68' Plexi and a 78' 2203 JMP. Fucking great amps. I really like my ORI 50H on top of my EVH 5153 412. It's a vintage rock machine that offers a different enough voicing from my other Marshallz yet remains classic in Marshall tone/feel.

I do like to boost mine for added punch/thump. I don't boost for added gain. Just a bit more push.

Happy dialing. I spent a year dialing in a DSL50 before I got it there. Longest love/hate relationship I've had with an amp. Learned a great deal in tuning an amp to perform better. It was a master class in tuning(tubes/speakers/pick ups/guitar/pedals etc) A whole year tuning it. Now I can tune any amp easily and if I can't get it there in a reasonable amount of time? It goes. My gear chain is solid. Some amps just won't deliver my kinda goods. And it's "my kinda goods" I'm after. My tones aren't for everyone.

I like to rock.

 

[Trelwheen]

Seems no matter what I do I can't get a solid tone!
I'm SURE it's me but bumr

How long have you had the Origin 20?

Maybe your ears are telling you it's time to step up the ladder and score an SC20, SV20, or maybe even a 1959 or 2203!

 

[Timo V]

Have you goosed it with any OD pedals? Clean boost? May want to add some punch with one. I play straight in as well as goose my 50 ORI.

The AY7 in V1 clears up the saturation a bit. Makes it more articulate like a plexi.

I have a 68' Plexi and a 78' 2203 JMP. Fucking great amps. I really like my ORI 50H on top of my EVH 5153 412. It's a vintage rock machine that offers a different enough voicing from my other Marshallz yet remains classic in Marshall tone/feel.

I do like to boost mine for added punch/thump. I don't boost for added gain. Just a bit more push.

Happy dialing. I spent a year dialing in a DSL50 before I got it there. Longest love/hate relationship I've had with an amp. Learned a great deal in tuning an amp to perform better. It was a master class in tuning(tubes/speakers/pick ups/guitar/pedals etc) A whole year tuning it. Now I can tune any amp easily and if I can't get it there in a reasonable amount of time? It goes. My gear chain is solid. Some amps just won't deliver my kinda goods. And it's "my kinda goods" I'm after. My tones aren't for everyone.

I like to rock.

Hear, hear! SolarburnDSL50, you are on the target!

I think Origins are skillfully tuned to be a BLEND of vintage Marshalls, it takes patience to make them sound like some certain Marshall models, but you can get close. But, If one is handy with soldering iron, they can be turned into anything vintage Marshally you want. I converted my ORI50H into model 1987 (without cathode follower of course) and it sounds so close it's hard to tell the difference.

And then there's a case of misguided expectations: vintage is vintage is vintage. Play it loud, or don't play it at all. Great part of vintage Marshall sound is a product of power stage, and if power tubes are not distorting there's no magic.

And man, that video was a nice piece of ROCK!