(Ori 20) First ever Marshall, could you help please?

[Maggot Brain]

You need volume!

The biggest draw back (for some) of the Origin20 is it doesn't come alive until you start pushing the volume. It's designed to kind of mimic the old NMV Marshalls and it's 'Gain' control is fairly non functional until the power section starts breaking up, that's when you can tailor the amount or gain/thickness with the 'Gain' control but kinda figure your ACTUAL gain control is the Volume and more volume will bring the the amp alive.

In situations like this I'll use a drive pedal to substitute for the lack of volume and drive from the power amp etc. A reverb in the loop will also help it sound bigger and more "alive" at low volume.

I think getting a decent drive pedal (I use a Digitech Bad Monkey, TS9 or a Lovepedal JTM and they all worked great with the Origin20c). Once you get that figured out you'll be able to dial in the rest.

You may want to consider actually looking into a DSL if you are going to play at lower volumes more often. The Origin20 is a cool little Marshall but kinda fails at low volume stuff imo.

As others said, attenuator would help too.

Good luck.

 

[Ps. 37]

Most tubes and speakers are better than the stock ones Marshall gives you.

I agree. I swapped the tubes on my O50H to EH 6CA7's, and put an EH 12AY7 in V1. Later, I put EH 12AT7's in V2 and V3. Speakers are Greenbacks. Happy with tubes and speakers.

In general, most knobs at 2 except Tilt at 0, Master and Presence at 6, and Middle at 8 work well on the Low output for home. If you use Mid or High output, you can get louder but not grittier. To get some lovely breakup, you need to start cranking up the Gain to 6-8 range.

Agree again. Because I want to be in the Bassman/JTM45 ballpark, I like Tilt anywhere from 0 to 2, very rarely any higher.

It's called the 4-cable method and works fine with the Origin. It isn't easy to figure out the cabling first go, so do watch tutorials. However you can set FX loops with the Origin and the Helix.

I found the following links helpful to set up 4CM with Boss GT-100:

How to Use the Four Cable Method - Guitar Gear Finder

This guide will explain the four cable method, the pros and cons, how to do it for different rigs along with diagrams and simple explanations.

guitargearfinder.com

The 4 Cable Method (4CM) - What It Is and How To Use It Correctly

Properly connecting your pedals or multi effects processor to your amp can give you some of the best tones you’ve ever had. Find out how in this article!

rolandcorp.com.au

Take your time and listen with your ears is the best advice I can give.

Absolutely.

One of the best decisions you've made with your new amp is coming to this forum. Some of the most knowledgeable and helpful folks anywhere. I've learned a lot from all of them.

Enjoy your new amp in the best of health.