Marshall ORI50H Origin 50-watt Tube Head Reviews

Takes pedals well, has effects loop and attenuates watts when 50 watts is too loud but you want overdriven sound. Tilt and gain add the crispy bite in the 1k+ frequencies. Great value. Does not have reverb. You will need to add a pedal for that.

First a big thank you to Paul for always taking care of my needs and getting me great deals. I live this amp head that works in my bedroom and plenty of power to go out gigging if I need to get above the band. Has all the great Marshall tones. My son has the orgin 20 but it just don't the power to do more than a garage or a small BBQ. The origin 50 will be what you will need. I use it on the mx 2x12 vertical cab.

Really great piece of equipment for a really classic crisp sound that I was looking for. I am really glad I made this purchase and highly recommend it to any body looking to experience that "one of a kind" Marshall sound . One more thing - The staff was very helpful and professional and was very helpful with any questions I had in regards to my purchase .

This head punches well above its price. Great tone, and LOUD AS ****!!!'

Beautiful cleans with loads of headroom, great organic crunchy tones, exactly what you want out of a Marshall.the power swicthing is so useful, especially if youre a giggng musician that plays a lot of different sized venues like i do. I know when i bring this thing into clubs with my 4x12 the sound guy has a heart attack, but i switch it to the low or middle power setting and everyone is happy! You could start a home demolition business with this amp on the high power setting, crank the master and gain, a few van halen riffs and collect your paycheck. tilt knob is really fun and brings the tone from hot butter to glass all over the freaking carpet, it's very effective at fine tuning your sound after the eq. This amp will force you to play with your sound more because it is such a simple thing. No reverb, no real channel switch, if you're planning on playing anything with varying tones, you'd better get used to experimenting with things like pedals, which is why this amp is so fun for me. It really challenges my thinking in a good way. I won't say "look no further!". This amp is definitely extremely versatile, but it does require a lot more attention and work to find what you want out of it. It is an amazing pedal platform, and I'm absolutely convinced there's not a sound you couldn't squeeze out of this little thing.

This is an awesome amp for the price! Power level controls make it great for gigs to bedroom jamming. Great Marshall tone without breaking the bank.

This amp is killer! I use an attenuator at home in order to max everything out, and it sounds great. It is also a great pedal platform. Keep in mind for the effects loop to work, you need to have the pedal (which is included) plugged into the amp. Can't go wrong here.

Awesome head great pedal platform. Not a high gain amp. Nice cleans, and gets close to Plexi sound. Quality built unit.

I have always been a Fender Amp man, but for this past Christmas I thought I would buy this head and combo for my Christmas present. I'm sold on this head. Clean, crisp and a truly overall fantastic Amp. It takes pedals and with the other features it has I'll tell every guitarist they need this Amp. My Fender Amps still have a purpose but This Marshall is now my number ONE Amp.
The best present I ever bought myself.

I love the tone and simplicity of this amp head. It does everything I want it to do either with my Fenders or my Gibson. I also got the matching 212 cab. Once it loosened up it is great. Thank you Shaka for all the help thru the years. He has helped me sort thru many issues!!! Bill

I could write paragraphs about this head, everyone else already has so I'll suffice to say, WOW, over the top in every way, the perfect choice for my studio !!!

This thing is loud! Have yet to experience the full potential, but the sweet and crunchy is right there. This is my first Marshall tube head, and my first el34 head. With just a distortion pedal in front it delivers plenty of mayhem. I have 3 different cabinets, with 3 different speaker configurations an all sound great! Highly recommend this head, if your looking to dabble into Marshall territory.

easy to mod into a real Plexi

to start with I am a snob when it comes to buying an amp made in asia ! but as it turns out all the reviews are true,this amp does everything marshall has to offer & more ! the mid setting is all i use and the full setting would be fine for a coloseum as it is really loud ! the tilt is handy for going between a strat & les paul that said im running a 1x12 open back cab with eminence red white & blues and if this matters the tubes are all jjs with a marshall stamp but thats just a name as most tubes come from the same factory ! this is a quiet amp with no hiss noise and handles all pedals very well !! good job marshall !!!

Last year i bought this amp from Sweetwater and it is sounding Awesome. My peers had noticed and for the price is a Jewel of an Amp. It has gone bout 150 bucks higher the price but i strongly recommend this amp

Great amp. Great sound. Buy it.

Very very very very loud!!! Even on the low setting. But man I love this thing...tube goodness pedals sound great you do need to crank the gain and I had to get a hot box to control the volume. Worth the money I did not want to keep draggin my old Marshall amps around and I thought I would need 2 of these but oh no....I run it through and old Marshall greenback cab and it cranks more than I need for any place I play. I even ran a full stack and it was still loud enough. NO switching but the boost is nice to use. Major adjustments in tone if you switch from a les paul to a strat but I just used some colored tape to mark it and when I change guitars I just change the settings it does get a pretty good strat sound close to a fender. Roll back the gain and the clean is so sweet just warm and fuzzy :) Rock on people this is the amp you don't have to spend $ plus to get the Marshall sound. I have used it on about 8 shows with it running for about 2 hours...no issues.

Had both heads in the 90s and missed them bad, especially the JMP Master Lead 50. This amp nails it with great crunch and balance as you dial it in. These will go up in $ but will never let it go. Thankful to have the opportunity to own this tone again!
Paired with the 412 cab - WOW!

I've now had the Origin 50 head and matching vertical 2x12 cab for several months. I'm in love with this amp! No matter what Guitar or pedal combinations I use, it never fails to satisfy and, dare I say, exceed my expectations. I've been playing for 30+ years, have over 40 guitars, 16 amps, and several multieffects units, and pedals in my collection. I've experimented with different guitars, effects, and cabinets with the Origin head and I have found that it delivers that amazing tone on all fronts. It's a VERY loud amp, even on the lowest attenuation setting (sounds best when it's cranked up above 50% on Master). Perfect for recording and performance! Each knob has a quite impressive range of shaping capability. The Marshall Origin goes from clean to mean and everything in between. If you find yourself wantin more gain, use a dirt pedal in front - it loves all flavors of boost, overdrive, distortion, and fuzz! I personally like to set it up to just beyond the edge of breakup, with some definite hairiness, and utilize several dirt pedals (Tube Screamer, Soul Food, Friedman BE-OD Deluxe, MXR Slash octave fuzz) for any flavor of cascading gain stages; likewise I can achieve the pushed cleans that I prefer by simply rolling back the volume pot on my Guitar. The Origin 50 is a phenomenal single channel master volume amp that offers amazing versatility way beyond it's budget conscious price point! I can't sing it's praises enough. The switchable effects loop performs flawlessly for added modulation, delay, and reverb or for bypassing the Marshall preamp while adding the EL34 power tube voicing to your favorite modeling gear. It sounds amazing when I plug my guitar into the Orange Terror Stamp and from stamp effects send to Origin return for an all tube Dark Terror voicing! If you want a versatile, all tube workhorse of an amp, the Origin simply can't be beat! If you need something for playing at low volumes, you should look at something else; but if loud and proud is your M.O., I can't recommend anything else over this amazing amp.

This is am amazing amp! The 3 power setting are cool and overall this amp has out performed. This is my first Marshall head, and I was thinking about spending some extra money, but for a first or second Marshall, save money and snag an Origin. Definitely a big fan of Marshall. Can't wait for up keep and tube swaps, the back looks very serviceable. I would definitely have a couple fewer heads if I had gotten and Origin sooner. I was thinking DSL or Origin, the extra channel don't mean much to me. I added a clean boost and there's your second channel. That's why I settled on an Origin. Good luck, hope this was helpful

Great head. Sounds great but you need an attenuator to really get the best tone out of 8.

I couldn't decide to go with this or the DSL 100 watt head but at $ lower and not needing 100 watts I went with the Origin 50 and it didn't disappoint. I paired it with a 2 x 12 cab with a pair of G12H-75 Creambacks. I initially wanted the G12M-65's but they were just sold out everywhere and cuz they're supposed to have more bottom end. I quite happy with the 75's after some major tweaking and just basically learning how to use the amp. Through the effects loop I run a rack mount TC Electronic G-minor reverb and delay unit and a dual channel DOD 430 eq (I only use one side). Direct I use a Crybaby wah, MXR Phase 90, Keely Compressor Plus, and two Keely modified Tube Screamers (In that order). What I really dig about this amp is that despite all the frosting I throw on it it still retains that classic Marshall snarl which is what really counts. The switchable effects loop is a definite plus. Excellent amp at an excellent price. Get one!

This amp is a steal at this price point.

Get one now

Got my Marshall Origin head hooked up with an Orange PPC112 cabinet because I needed a lightweight rig (I was using a heavy Orange combo). At first I was concerned about if the cabinet woukd handle the amp, and how it would sound. The amp sound blew me away! But more than that, the response (sustain, etc.) was great! It is an incredibly clear amp with minimal gain distortion, but with the boost in full activation, it is perfect for "classic rock" and blues. I play through guitars fitted with Lindy Fralin and original Bill Lawrence pickups. There was one thing I was unaware of though, it was using the effects loop. The footswitch needs to be plugged in for it to be used. No big deal for me, I use the front end for my effects anyway.All in all, this is one of the best amps I have used in years!

I am very pleased with this amp. I was able to dial in a great clean sound. It pairs with pedals really well. This is what we wanted from it. It sounds great coming out of my 2x12 cabinet.

Finally took the plunge and WOW! I've played though Plexi, JCMs and this is in that league for a fraction of the price. As far as quality control I see no problems whatsoever. I have the head and an OX so I don't really need the wattage variants, but I have tried them and hear no drop off in tone. My favorite thing is to put the volume on 7 and dime the gain. I put the "Tilt" on 8 (like a jumper'd Plexi) to brighten the mids, and 7 on all the EQ. Presence on 8 and off I go into 70s classic rock crunch and sustain. I love being able to cut off the effects loop. I cut it on and put a reverb and delay; I run a JHS Bonsai (on OD-1) OR an MXR Distortion + in front and get various 80s rock tones. I've owned several amps over my 45 years of playing and am thankful to be able to have this at this stage of life. I can replace and bias my own tubes and look forward to playing this for many years to come!

I wish Sweetwater would make a way to update your reviews (hint hint lol) This is my third review on this amp. First one I loved it! Second one I had serious fx loop issues and it sounded terrible using the fx loop with high gain. So I sent the amp back. A couple of weeks later I just happened to go to Sweetwater with a friend looking for a guitar.

While I was there they had an Origin sitting out among all the other amps to demo. So I had them get me some pedals and I ran the fx loop like I did at home with a high gain pedal in the front, FX in the loop. And it sounded amazing!!! So I re-purchased the amp. Got it home, plugged in the exact gear I plugged into the one I sent back, and it sounded absolutely fantastic!

So if anyone out there is experiencing the fx loop issue, well, you got a defective amp like I did the first time :(

Great sounding amp if you're looking for that classic Clapton woman tone, or any old blues sounds. All the great sounds of a Plexi without the hefty price tag

I LOVE this amp. One channel simplicity is for me. The clean is beautiful. The gain sounds great. Takes distortion and overdrive pedals very well. Plays at room volume on the 1 watt setting. Cranks with my drummer at the 5 watt setting. Haven't had to use the full 50 watts. No complaints at all. I WILL NEVER SELL THIS AMP.

This amp is exactly what most professional musicians are looking for. (1) It has headroom and lots of it, very clean crisp tones. (2) Virsitile: The different amp power settings are great for all applications from playing at home, jamming at a coffee shop, or playing out at a venue. (3) FX Loop: Anyone with a pedalboard will love this feature. (4) Boost Pedal: It comes with a built in boost so you don't have to have one in your pedal collection. (5) Price: Amp has amazing quality and sound for a fair price, it is lightweight, and has modern features while keeping nostalgic Hendrix-Era vibe. If you har to pick one amp, this is the amp!

I was quite skeptical as a metal player getting this amp. All the YT videos I saw didn't impress me high gain-wise but tone yes. I just need something lighter than my DSL100H as I'm having back issues lately and tired of carrying so much heavy equipment. I sometimes run an MXR GT-OD in the front of the DSL and sometimes a TightMetal pedal straight into the FX loop return and got some fantastic metal tones out of both those methods.

So right out of the box the Origin sounded absolutely amazing. Then I had to try to get the metal sound out of it. The GT-OD did almost nothing high gain-wise into the front of the amp. The TightMetal as usual sounded great right into the FX return (bypassing the preamp) but then I ran it into the front which that pedal was not really designed for. And man oh man!!! Best fricking metal sound I've had to date!

Then I ran into the problem with keeping the FX loop on as I never use clean channels and run a Boss MS-3 into the FX loop and just hit a button o n the MS-3 to bypass the preamp for clean sound. But discovered as soon as you unplug the foot switch pedal the FX loop shuts off. The whole point in down sizing was to carry less weight and I don't need anymore pedals to lug around. I saw one review about soldering a resister to something or other and as savvy as I am in that department I didn't want to go there with this brand new beautiful amp.

So I discovered a little trick. Just stick a 1/4" stereo TRS plug into the FS input. And if you get an angled one you'll even be able to put your cover on without having to take it in and out :))

Wow, this amp is amazing. I got it because I missed the sounds of my older JMP and JCM800 that I owned many years ago. This amp feel immediately familiar to those vintage tones, and put a boost on and it gets into some heavy territory with an attitude!
For the money paid, it feels like I stole it, I can't believe how good it sounds, I get lost in the tone. What is amazing is how differently it responds to different pickups and different overdrive pedals, each different one provides a very different feel, limitless opportunities for tones.
Get it now before Marshall realizes how good they are and starts selling them for more $

I am 74 and I bought my first Plexi in '71 when I moved to London UK to play for Tallis a West End Prog band.
It was a probably a '69. Back then it was just a used but desirable amp. I paid about $300 for it. This is my third. The only difference is a bit less low end that you will never hear in a band context.The Origin uses a Microfarad 1 on the first cathode. Change it to a 10 or even a bit higher and it will give you the model 1987
punchy lows. I haven't done it yet. Waiting for the warranty to run out. lol It won't hurt the amp but it is by warranty standards 'tampering' so it 'technically' voids your warranty. The only thing to keep in mind is it is f. ing loud. I use an attenuator ...a BUGERA PS-1 Power Soak ...cheap but well made. the original was made in germany but it is now MIC but nothing was changed.It is a totally passive device. All steel so do not drop it on your foot. lol

Just what you would expect it to sound like. Stripped down and simplified with only one channel of goodness but comes with a foot switch that activates the high gain or you can pull the gain knob out. I had questioned its quality because of its affordable price but had watched many reviews online and decided to order one and Sweetwater had this on my doorstep the next day! Looking at this as a so called budget amp, it doesn't have corner protectors on the cabinet and these may be made overseas but if you have always wanted that marshal sound, you won't be disappointed! I have hade mine for a number of weeks and discovered this head takes pedals really well and makes a great platform for your pedal board also.

Great for metal: with a pedal obviously. I have a Mesa Boogie Throttle Box and it boogies. It chugs. Tilt control works nicely: darker sounds from 1~5 and brighter from 5~10. It can get too bright: use the tone and volume knobs on your guitar too. I find I'd rather set it on 50 watts and very low master volume, instead of low watts & more volume: I feel the sound is clearer this way.

These 'Things are simply amazing! Not just for the money, but if you're Marshall snob like me, you Will question your sanity! I own original Plexs. A 1966, 67' and a 69'.And these little 'Bastards' will cut any gig! And fellow snobs will have to agree, after giving them a week or so to burn in, that you might want to Sell you cherished Plexi and pay some bills. Or even take a vacation! (Covid permitting)...I kid you not! And an Effects Loop, 3way power outputs and 3 ohm outputs! 'Up From The Skys,but at an unbelievable price point!
I've paid more in keeping my Plexi's
Working in Mustard caps alone then I paid for this one Tone Flawless Head!
Buy Now,..Or Die Dumb!
Sincerely...
Dan Astor

I had been searching for a long time for an amp that could give me the 70s 80s Rock and Metal tone because I'm in a band that does that. Went through Modelers which never could really drum up the Marshall sound. I have a friend who has the Kemper and although it's cool it still couldn't do it. I owned the DSL 100 which is also a good amp but not quite there. Then I got this little Jem. First off if you want the tones of Micheal Schenker, Angus Young, Van Halen etc... Then the only way to do it is either try and find Plexi and pay thousands' or buy this little Monster. It's not a High Gain amp but gets the Plexi like crunch breakup when cranked but better yet takes pedals extremely well which is what they were doing back then. I have a Boss Gt-1000 and I ditched trying to model anything although that unit does a great job at it, and run it strictly like a Stompbox right to the input of the Origin 50 and Viola, Classic Rock and 80s Metal Heaven! If your going to use the Effects Loop you have to use the Foot Switch or cheat and solder an 820 ohm Resister to the Ring post and the other end to the ground of a TRS jack and plug that into the Foot Switch jack. Then your EFX Loop will always be on. Another tip. If you use IRs run them from the Send jack instead of the DI jack. The DI has Cab simulation already on it and is very noisy. Hope that helps. Peace!

Nice crunch, good tone, eq is responsive, lots of low end if you want it. Really projects the mid's and high's without making your ears bleed. I love the switchable output really nice when you don't want to annoy the neighbors,and really cooks when you do lol! The affordable price is the icing on the cake

I had a Plexi in the 70's and a JCM800 in the 80's. Regrettably, I sold both and I could never find a newer production Marshall that matched those classic tones since so I turned to Fender and have been a Fender guy ever since. After years of searching and testing all the newer Marshall heads as they came on the market I was always left completely disappointed .......until now! The Origin 50 is so good I don't even know what to do with it (yet!). It's causing me to play in an entirely new way. Every note is crystal clear, clean or overdriven. You'll feel the sugarwalls as well as the bite! You are gonna discover a new sonic dimension that is quite disarming! The price is what really blows me away. It's an entirely new palate on which to paint your tone colors. If you're a Fender guy like me, you're gonna love the cleans on this amp but...it will disorient you....in the best way possible. Just don't go selling your 66' Blackface Super or 70's Silverface Bassman Head just yet.This is an amp to add to your collection! Rather,explore what this amp has to offer and realize you've just entered the Marshall zone!

I was looking for a backup tube amp with some oomph. The price was very reasonable. Shipping was free and it arrived in two days. I like the sound and punch it delivers. Glad I picked this gear up. Sweetwater has impressed me one more time.

I've always wanted a Plexi, but just couldn't justify the cost. After much researching I decided to get this and I couldn't be happier! With a bit of experimenting with settings I've found a large variety of usable tones, from chimey cleans to raunchy crunch. It's not really a high gain amp, but it does have a nice saturation that when hit with a boost and/or overdrive in front yields some pretty screaming lead tones. It's a great pedal platform amp...I've been really impressed with how well it reproduces my chorus, phaser and univibe sounds. One other thing I really like is that it can get very loud! While it does have the option to step down to around 10 watts on mid power and around 5 watts on low, the tone does change a little on lower wattage. I've been running it on full power through an attenuator and it sounds awesome! I highly recommend this amp for someone looking for that "plexi" sound on a limited budget!

Marshall Origin 50 Head...simple and retro. With an attenuator/load box, it is very handy. This review addresses the amp while using a load box. (This is due to 50 watts and half power being too loud. Low power is ok, however, half and full yield fuller tone, it seems.) Tube amps over 1 watt need attenuation to open up their range of tone and preserve hearing.
On its own, there is enough gain to cover classic rock (Kossoff) and early NWOBHM (Rock-a-Rolla). Oh my, southern rock and blues-Yessiree! This amp has a nice twang with teles and strats. Quite lovely cleans with both HB and SC.
As others have said, it does very well with pedals. The highs are glassy if you want, sharp glass. So there is plenty of tonal range to work with. Care must be taken to shape the tone. Don't max the gain. Find those sweet spots and utilize the headroom a bit to get a tasteful push as desired. I really enjoy running a Wampler Tumnus in the front end...anything from country to Sad Wings Of Destiny. The Plexi Drive and SL Drive really shine too. This amp has brought me a lot of enjoyment in the return to less gain and touch sensitive playing styles. The switchable loop is OK. The 1970's nature of the Origin sounds a bit more dynamic when played without the loop engaged. I play it with a 4x12 with K85 and Mesa (English) V30's. 50 watts will shake your trouser leg!
Be prepared to smell the toasty new components for the first 2 hours of use. The amp changes a bit in the first few days of use...sort of softens up, or so it seemed. That was a good thing.
The controls are effective. As of today, everything at around 6-7 is working great! (At both half and full)
To switch from single to humbucking takes a twist on the tilt and perhaps a tap of the boost. Remember the 1970's:
As it was back when--Use the knobs on the guitar.
The tilt is much like running a four-hole: Ten is maxed high treble, one is like running all normal channel.
The amp does not get in your way. It sounds "Marshall" in the 1970's sense. It is not a 2204 or 800, nor a jtm45. It is its own thing...that sounds sort of like a JMP50. The retro tones and methods of utilization it is designed for let your playing, and the tone of your individual instrument, come through. It responds to picking dynamics well. It is not an English Marshall, but, for 1/5t the price, is a nice, enjoyable amp that can sound pretty darn fine.
In summary: a fun retro amp, open for excellent pedal business, and good on its own, at a good value/price point.
By the way: Nick L. at Sweetwater is a fine sales representative!

This head has the power for stage and with the switch to bedroom volume. At any volume the bottom end is amazing. Classic Marshall tone. This head easily keeps up with all the more expensive Marshalls. Very happy with this!

Replaced my older Marshall AVT150 with this beauty. Three power settings make it easy to use in various settings, from basement at home to basement of a dank dark club. PLENTY of power and head room. Cranked my 4x12 cabinet without breaking a sweat. My dogs were howling and my ears were bleeding (ok, slight exaggeration, but you get the point; no animals were harmed in the use of this amp...). Crisp, clean sound at all volumes. Takes my pedal board well, got some serious crunch through a few of my distortion pedals. Simple and straight forward controls on the front: not too many, not too few. Perfect balance. Gonna use this one for a long time.

I purchased An Origin 50 head from Guitar Center, I don't normally deal with Guitar Center but my family always gets me a Guitar Center gift card for my birthday is Christmas and such because it's convenient. I spoke to Guitar Center customer service representative about an open box new amplifier that was discounted because I am on a budget. He said that he would check into it to see if he still has it and email me back. He never did and when I emailed him back he never answered my email. I called back Guitar Center customer service and they let me know that the open box was gone, I was frustrated and the representative said that if I wanted to pay a little more he can get me a brand new one. I was okay with that. The amplifier head showed up 3 weeks later and it was a used demonstration model with dust all over it. I called customer service for Guitar Center back and they told me that they don't have any new ones, and then I asked why was I promised a new one then, he said he don't know why. He also explained that I had 180 days to send it back if I don't want. So I played the amp for two months and fell in love with it. It does everything I wanted to, sounds like an old Plexi it's a monster and takes pedals fantastic. So loving the amp I wanted to send in the registration and look on the back for the registration number and noticed that the date of the amplifier was 2 years and 3 months old. I called customer service bag and they acted like a bunch of idiots. They said that there was nothing they can do about it. So I called my local Guitar Center and I told them about my dilemma they also said that there was nothing they can do about it and I said well then you have to at least send me some new tubes because it's over 2 years old and it was a demonstration model when it was supposed to be new. He said he'll see what he can do and call me back later in the day. He never called me back, I called him back the next day and he said I got your tubes on the counter just come in and get them. I asked him what tubes he had. He said two el34s I asked him what about the preamp tubes and he told me there's nothing he can do about that and if I didn't like it that I can return the amp and cancel the order. I told him I just want a brand new one like I was promised. And he assured me that they will be in on the following 15th. Considering I paid for this on Synchrony Bank Guitar Center card I would have to bring the old amp in ,in order to reorder the brand new one, so now I'm stuck without an amp. So the 15th comes and goes no email, no phone call so I decided to call and they said that they weren't in on the 15th and will be in on the 30th. 30th game again no call no email and I called back and they said will be in on the following 15th. Same thing happened again said the 30th and I told my friend what I was going through with this company call Guitar Center and he said to me, you idiot, why don't you just call Sweetwater. I called Sweetwater and talk to a gentleman named Ryan Thorpe at extension 1307 and he told me that they have them in stock and he can have it shipped the same day. I thought I was going to go see through the same thing but I canceled the Guitar Center order an ordered it through Sweetwater and to my surprise I had the amp in less than 3 days on my doorstep. So to all you people out there stay away from Guitar Center because they simply suck and probably are going out of business. I guess you live and you learn. If you want to make an order for anything that has to do with music you call up Ryan Thorpe and get it done right the first time, he is a master at what he does. Thank you Ryan

Wow. Its not too good to be true. Marshall this one is a keeper I'll be picking up a 50 as well.

I was very skeptical of this amp after reading all the reviews online.. Classic all tube Marshall tones at an affordable price?? Sounded too good to be true, but I wanted to see for myself so I snatched up a demo model from Sweetwater for a cool 450 bucks. When it arrived I had my 1979 Marshall JMP 50 with 4x12's ready to A/B the Origin against. After jamming with the JMP for a few minutes I unplugged and hooked up the Origin to the 4x12 cab. I matched the knobs to try and emulate the sound of the JMP and hit a few chords. My first impression was "Hmm, this doesn't sound the same..." But after a few seconds of tweaking the knobs I was able to dial in the sound of the JMP almost exactly. The only difference?.. I thought the Origin sounded better. No joke! Low notes are round and focused, high notes are crisp, but smooth. The controls have more range. I'm able to get more highs, mids, bass, and drive out of the Origin if I want it. The built in attenuation and FX Loop are the cherry on top. I have a Bad Cat Unleash that allows me to attenuate and add effects to the JMP. It's worth noting that this unit alone cost me as much as I paid for the Origin 50H (!!!). I added some reverb/delay in the FX Loop, used the medium power function, and cranked up the Master and Gain both to about 7 (Gain boost engaged)... Pure Rock 'n' Roll Heaven my friends. This amp sounded equally excellent with my LP Custom as well as a Fender Telecaster. About halfway up on the volume and you have the perfect rhythm tone with amazing bite and clarity. Turn up all the way and you have scorching lead tones. It's pretty rare that a piece of gear lives up to the hype and meets expectations.. and its virtually unheard of that it would EXCEED those expectations, but that's what the Marshall Origin 50H does for me. If you are thinking about trying one out, do yourself a favor.. you won't be disappointed! A big thanks to Brian Kerns at SW for always taking excellent care of me. I couldn't be happier! Kudos Marshall!

This follows a tradition of Marshall tube amps. With a Super clear & Hard driving head that sounds great at lower volumes but it really comes alive when you crank it up. The natural British sound that made so many musicians bring out the best sound for any type of music. I am an old rocker and I love playing good ole Rock & Roll. This amp delivers. PLUS it was affordable.

This is a great amp!! I was looking for a amp with a great clean sound that would take pedals..this is perfect!! It also has a good gain crunch! Metal is easy with pedals..plus, unless you are playing stadiums, you will need a attentuator, because for home use..this thing is way to loud!! With an attenuator you can run at high levels, push the amp with volumes that will not bust the windows out!! Bottom line, this is the best marshall head I have had so far. I tried the Haze, DSL, and this Origin takes the top spot!!

This is simply a great amp head regardless of your playing style or technique. It's both loud enough for gigs and quiet enough for teaching or practicing. It's a perfect amp for effect pedal use. It's a completely blank canvas that you are able to color and create your own sounds on as well as easily copy other artists sounds by use of effects pedals. The amp by itself has a very warm and rich sound. Perfect amp head without spending a fortune.

Yep, this is the one...you can finesse it, dress it and push it to it's limit(although that last part isn't advised)
All amps have a certain character, it's tonality is difficult to match. I love all my amps, the Laney Cub is unbelievable in tonal sweetness, something you wouldn't expect from a Laney. All said, I'm a Marshall man and you'd be troubled trying to change me at this point...lol Thank you Jim Marshall, Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton and of course Chuck and Nich there at Sweetwater!

It's simply perfect. Straight-forward simple harmonic heaven.

Exactly what I was wanting. Strum one power cord on this and you'll grin ear to ear. Side note: this head is incredibly loud. The low wattage suits my needs in the studio and I'm jamming at gigging levels. Get it!!!

Not the it ever left. The Origin 50 has some of the best tone my ears have ever heard. Paired up with a marshall cabinet and your ready for anything from rock to blues to country and Jazz. May not be a good metal amp but I don't play metal. Git you one.

I couldn't be anymore impressed with this amp. If you're looking for a high gain modeling amp with dozens of tones, it's not for you. If you're wanting a tube amp with just the basics, and happens to take pedals very well.... here it is. A great platform to make your own tone.
I coupled this with a Marshall MX212AR vertical cabinet and its awesome! The cleans are crystal and if you want a bit more growl, it's there. The effects loop works great and I've got my pedals split between it and straight in. Reverb, chorus, etc through the loop. Overdrive, EQ, compressor, etc straight in. Really easy to operate with the foot switch.
Glad it had a selectable power switch too. Even at 1 watt it can get loud. Set to 50 watts, it's shaking windows and walls.
If you spend a bit of time adjusting the EQ, tilt, gain, presence, and play with the volume, you'll be rewarded with a great sound. Leave your preconceived notions of how you clock your dials behind too. Don't worry about where it's pointing, just keep going one way or the other until you smile. Even with basic tone controls, between it and how you adjust the volume and tone on your guitar, you can most likely find a tone you're looking for.
Sweetwater has a customer for life, and so does Marshall. I'm not as seasoned as some reviewing so I couldn't get as detailed as them, but from a noobs point of view who just wants that responsive, dynamic, tube sound, it's perfect and in a great price range goes what you're getting.

Seldom has an amp moved me like this 50 watt half-stack! I have owned several Marshalls in my 50+ years of playing and they were all great tools for exceptional tone. Plugged straight in or through pedals, nothing difficult about getting great tone!
Being a blues/rock/country guitarist I have always loved 4-10 cabinets and in fact, I use Ampeg SVT cabs back in the seventies with my JTM45, JTM50 and JCM50. So, I was hesitant on the Origin 4-12 because I have a late 60's Peavy cab w/4-alnico 10's that sounds phenomenal but I wanted the half-stack look and boy am I glad I went for it!

Once I got time to sit down and figure this amp out its EXACTLY the amp I dreamed of owning. Was debating to purchase the every headbangers dream 100 watt head but being I have no band and do have neighbors I decided to go with the 50 watt. The toggle switch allowing 3 levels of power is convienant to not have amp powered up 100% when it's 2am and trying to spare neighbors. Look forward to many days and nights with my new friend.

If your looking for a mid size amp head that can be used around the house or for playing a gig, this is perfect, this amp will put out plenty of power for both uses, if you use one of these around your house you might have some unexpected guest come to your house to see what all the noise is about, if you know what I mean. This amp has basic controls and works very well, I also use the Boss ME80 with a Marshall 1212A vertical cabinet. I would have to say that if your in the market and getting ready to spend some money and invest in your first Marshall, this is a great way to get started , for me it was an awesome investment, I’m very pleased, and I can keep right on adding more to this amp in the future.i hope this review is helpful.

I have other Marshalls that are good at highly overdriven tones, and I wanted something in my collection that did 70's Marshall sounds without the price tag that goes along with a Plexi.

The Origin 50 simply blew me away, I've played older Marshalls before, and knew you had to crank everything to 10 to really hear the amp. The amp was everything I could have ever dreamed it would be, everything was cranked to 10, with just the gain boost pulled, and the master volume at 5. Even at 5 on the high output setting, the amp screamed. Dial it back to the low output, turn your volume up, and it's as smooth as butter. I don't think there is a better $... amplifier being made, no matter how many watts it is. If you want the highly overdriven metal tones you will need a pedal, but as is it does everything I want it to do. Couldn't be happier.

Pure magic. Plugged in my PRS Soapbar, and POW! Since 1962, when I first started, I have played through just about every amp made. This thing is an absolute tone monster, and it is hands down my all time favorite. I've read a couple of "reviews" on the web that offer geeky "look how smart I am" nit-picks. Don't you believe them. If you lust after sparkle and boatloads of overdrive goodness, this is your unit. I bought mine with the matching 4x12.

Shout out to Sweetwater's Aaron Hoff who steered me to this unit!

I am really happy with this amp, it"s everything you would expect from Marshall and more. The cleans are Cwispy and the when you crank the gain it will scream at you. A good friend of mine described it as beautiful chaos. Shout out to my sales engineer Mason Boisvert who went above and beyond to make things right and worked with me through a lot (sigh) so I could finally get this amp. Mason...you rock, I"ll be back to Sweetwater for sure because of your top notch customer service!

Loving my new Marshall Origin 50. This is my first tube amp and I'm so glad I got. Have only used the 1w and 10w power settings at home but plan to crank the 50w on the next gig. Thanks to Matt at Sweetwater, quick delivery and no issues.

The title says it all! This thing not only sounds amazing but looks amazing as well! Paired with a boss metal zone pedal you can achieve rock god status. Also shout out to Nicholas for always hooking it up!

So, I love my Egnater Tourmaster 4100, but the thing is a beast to lug around (it clocks in about 85lbs with the road case) and 90% of the time I only use one of the 4 channels. It"s a veritable swiss army knife with beautiful cleans and a great smooth distortion, but I needed something much simpler – small, single-channel and delivers the classic Marshall sound that I have been longing for since I sold my JCM800 to my buddy ten years ago.

I've owned this amp for about 5-6 months - would've been much longer but it was on back-order all the time right after release, and no wonder…because this thing is IT! This is the first amp where I was actually excited about its release since the Tourmaster head back in the mid-2000s. It"s lightweight (can"t be more than 20lbs), inexpensive but not cheap-feeling, and it delivers a crunchy warm tone that is distinct from all the other amp manufacturers. The power choke switch is an amazing addition and aside from serving from a basic volume control, it opens up a lot more doors on tone variety and you can get a very decent amount of distortion to boot. If you want to completely max out the on-board circuit, turn it on "Low" and dime the gain and master – boom, AC/DC tone. Switch to full power, gain on 6 and a reputable distortion pedal like OCD or Sweet Tea v3 and you have anything from a moderate crunch to straight-up thrash metal depending on your settings. The Tilt and Presence are very useful, and I use it mostly to dial in the room I happen to be playing in or while tracking/reamping. The gain boost is awesome in order to get your solos to soar over the rest of the band…it can be a little too extreme of a jump though, sometimes. The only other drawback is it cannot deliver a sparkling clean tone (the closest I can get is pre-gain on 3-4, master to taste, and full power), but the simple tube plexi/JCM heads never were renowned for that feature…I know the JCM was terrible with the cleans. That job is better suited for my Tourmaster clean channels or Fender Twin Reverbs, and that"s not what I"m using the Origin for at all. These drawbacks are super trivial to me and don"t detract from a perfect 5-star rating. Crossing my fingers that this lasts a lifetime!

Bottom line - this is a pleasure to have in my recording and gigging arsenal without emptying the wallet. I no longer have to beg my friend to buy my JCM800 back!

This is an awesome tube head with great tone. It compliments my 1960A cabinet perfectly. Marshall quality!

In 1974 I bought my first 50 watt Marshall head..... I loved it and have owned many Marshall amps since.... I was looking for something with the same sound and feel as my 74 head... The Origin is very close to what the 74 offered.... Gear cleans and a great overdrive also... If you need more overdrive a pedal works well.. I have my old DOD 250 pedal and that's all I need..... I've played this everyday for a week now and I really like everything about it.. Thanks Marshall for bringing back the sound of the early 70's Marshall's....

There was a certain allure to get a budget friendly 'vintage' style Marshall amp, without being overly complex, and despite it's true origin of construction. I really wanted the Origin 20H, but after a past bad experience (with 20 watts) not having the strength I needed in a full rock band situation with a Fried**** head, I went for the 50. Having experience with the DSL series and quite happy with the heavy saturation you can get on those, I knew what I was getting into prior to this purchase, which was more of a vintage, low gain, no frills amp. Well, it does just that, and so far I've been pleased with the range of tone you can coax out of it by experimenting with all of the settings and especially if you own a variety of guitars. It takes you back to real roots of guitar. It gives you some great crunch with a LP and a more mild version with a single coil strat when the gain is maxed. I'm using it through 2 cabs (1x12 buxom betty & Carvin 212) both loaded with 65w Celestion creambacks. If you like the ac/dc type tone, this is it, but much more. It also excels in ultra clean and chimey tones. The lowest watt setting is just about tolerable at home (boarder line), then moving through the power structure, it's a bit of an un-caged lion that gives you all the power you could ask for in almost any situation. I find myself always turning up little by little... Sorry hon! Throw a good delay like a DM-2 or verb like a Polara in the loop, and it really adds to the allure of this amp, and especially with foot-switchable on/off. Too soon to give any input on reliability, but so far is a great looking and sounding vintage type Marshall. An OD with a real preamp tube (even the ultra cheapo vt999 with a tube swap) sounds pretty darn good too (gain mid way). Giving it a 5 for simplicity, price and vintage Marshall tone.

I've tried almost every Marshall model made, including many vintage. The Origin 50 gives me the tone I prefer. The clean tone is nicer than a JTM45. This amp is very plexi sounding and doesn't have a lot of distortion when cranked. With various OD pedals I can get any gain/distortion and sustain I want. I've never been happier with my TONE.

Putting it simply as i can, if you are looking for The real "Marshall sound", this is it. I sort of bought this on a whim, and I think it will become my new, "go to" amp. I have been playing a Dr Z RXES for some time, and i use my amps as pedal platforms, as I play a wide variety of music, With this amp, I get the real Marshall sound and tone, as well as being able to run clean to use pedals. I am 60 years old and have been playing for 50 of those years. I have owned, and still do own a number of Marshall amps, as well as two DrZs, and a few others. This amp does it. Before you look at a clone or a higher priced unit, check this one out.

I had been waiting for months for the Origin 50 head. British valve majesty is a soft spot for me. I have Vox and Orange represented, but I"ve always wanted an old school Marshall. The modern Marshall"s are very cool, but not my cup of tea. As soon as I plugged into my Origin, I felt magic. Old school tone aplenty. Not a high gain metal machine, but the classic crunch majesty. With my germanium fuzz pedals, it"s setting the Wayback Machine to the single channel Plexi days of yore. Love it: giving my silverface Fenders competition for attention.

After extensively messing around with both Origin heads and combos, I highly recommend the heads. If you get the 20 watt head, plug into a 1x12 cab, the 50 watt head, a 2x12 cab, you won't be disappointed! With the 50 watt head, which is the one i got, they really knocked it out of the park on this amp head. The cleans are fantastic and once you spend some time dialing the amp in, the gain settings are vintage 60s/70s plexi, a very strong showing from Marshall!

Marshall Origin 50 Head

1st - received Amp from SWater w/ no problems
2nd - un-boxed and plugged straight into it - using it w/ a Marshall 1936 cab w/ Cele-Creamback's
3rd - put everything on 10 and proceeded to play w/zero effects, totally warm and pure Marshall tones, easy cleanup w/ guitar volume and tone adjustments.
4th - tested standard pedals - OD/Dist/Delay/Reverb etc... - takes pedals well either through the loop or through the front.

Attenuation capabilities, a plus at low volumes - but you'll want to crank it up - it's a Marshall!

Just perfect for single channel, plug and play old school Marshall vibes - thanks to SWater and Dave Snow - top notch all around - highly recommended.

This is my first new Marshall amp in years. I'm nearly 55, have been playing guitar since I was 12, and have had many Marshallls, including a '71 Superlead, a 1979 JMP 2204 50 watter purchased new with saved money in High School, a David Bray modded JTM45 and too many others to list.
The sound of this falls very close between that of the JMP 2204 and the Superlead. Tonight I gave it a work out....no pedals. Switched to its low output setting, Master cranked, gain about 3/4 , pulled out with boost engaged. All other tone settings at 12 o'clock. With my Jimmy Page Les Paul I had Zeppelin 1&2 and AC/DC tones in spades. I was playing thru a well broken in 2x12 cabinet loaded with G12H30 and a G12M-65.
Years ago I to sell my much loved JTM45...went thru a divorce and nearly lost everything. I never thought I would find another Marshall I could afford that would recreate all of the classic tones I love.....I found it !
Over the next few days will be trying it out with my pedals, as well as other guitars. But tonight....can not put down Les Paul with amp!! This has been worth the wait!! ( I ordered the day the NAMM video of this amp was realeased) I want to give a HUGE shout out to Ben for his great customer service, calling on me and giving the pre order status, and giving me his honest input on which Origin model would best fit my needs.

This amp totally rocks! Great vintage sound in great vintage looks. For me this amp totally nails The Led Zeppelin/Jimmy page tone I have been seeking. The secret here is to use it on the low Output setting which is approximately half a watt. That allows you to crank the masterand get that power tube distortion along with generous amounts of preamp gain.it is plenty loud in there is plenty of power to drive my 4 x 12 cab

Plenty of watts and enough headroom to make all but the strictest gain junkies happy.

The variable output is a great touch.

Built well (regardless of country) and is gig ready out of the box. I run my pedals on the front end and the head takes them wonderfully.

It lacks a 5 star rating for one flaw, the efx loop is garbage. Noise makes it useless. If you use the loop avoid this head.

It's a Marshall that's got exactly what I was expecting.
It performs like the old tube heads of the 70s.

It's plenty loud through my 4x12. The wattage adjustment is a great idea. In practice and recording I've yet to need more than minimal output. Playing with my trio (full kit and 800watt 4x10) I do require it at it's full potential. It lacks high end clarity at the top of it's range. I was forced into purchasing another 50watt 1x12 to compensate. This and the completely useless efx loop are the reason I gave the amp 4.5 stars. It handles petals through the front like a champ. Mine has a particular fondness of low end gain pedals.
In truth I've got the rig I wished I had as a kid.

After 35+ years of playing, I picked the Origin 50 to be my first Marshall. A few features intrigued me:

1) the Price
2) Single channel amp with enough grit, but able to clean up as well
3) adjustable power settings
4) the "tilt" knob
5) the built in Gain boost
and
6) a switchable effects loop

I could have picked so many other Marshall amps, and was actually on the verge of ordering a DSL20 head when I stumbled upon the Origin line of amps. I watched every youtube video, I read every review, and decided, after much debate, that this was the amp I was going to pick up next. So I ordered it, and waited for the back orders to arrive.
After waiting roughly 5 weeks, the amp came in. I chose the head because I own several different cabs, and the combo, in every youtube video, sounded thin and brittle. I am currently running it through sometimes 1, sometimes 2, Orange single 12 cabs, one with a V30, the other with a G12T75. I have also played this through an EVH 2x12 and a Bogner 2X12 that I own, and I am so glad I went with the head.
After owning the Origin 50 for just over a month now, the amp has surely grown on me. When I first plugged in, and I am sure this was everyone's thought when they plugged in at full power was...WOW, WHAT HEADROOM...! This thing is LOUD at full power. At mid power, there is a noticeable cut in volume, but still a good amount of headroom. At low power, still not quite your bedroom amp, but still lower volume. I was just irritated i was not getting the "grit" that you hear on the youtube videos. Until I saw the video with the decibel meter behind them...that explained it all. This amp is only happy when cranked!
With the gain pegged, the amp really does not start to break up until you get the master pass 12 o'clock. At full power, it is just way too loud for your bedroom. At mid power, it's still pretty loud. At low power, its still a hefty volume level, but this is where you can comfortably hear that nice breakup without going deaf!
Nice Marshall tone, and very responsive 3 band EQ, with a mid-control that really brings the amp to the front of the band.
And then the "tilt" knob. The idea behind this knob is nicely designed, and you really get the "bass" to "treble" effect of the old Marshall's. But it really took some dialing in to find a usable tone. When going from left to right, dialing in the EQ is super crucial to a good tone. Too much bass when tilt is dialed to the left, and the amp is flubby and so unpleasant. Too much treble when tilt is to the right, and amp is brittle and chalkboard irritating.
Also, as you turn down the gain and turn up the master, the tone becomes heavy on treble, so another adjustment to the EQ to get it to sound decent. Many tonal variations as adjustments are made to gain and master volume, along with changes to the tilt and EQ. It took me a while, but I found a "spot" where I am happy with the tone at all power levels.
The amp takes pedals very well. I am currently running a Friedman BE-OD, followed by an Xotic RC Booster V2 in front of the amp and some modulation effects in the loop. The Friedman is a monster! In practice, the amp really sits out front of the mix, and cuts through a 50 watt Mesa Boogie, a 1000 watt bass amp with 2 15's and a hard hitting drummer. My 50 watt EVH could perform just the same, but the EL34's in this amp is what makes all the difference. I will eventually upgrade tubes later, but am pretty pleased about the stock tone from these power tubes.
Overall, an affordable Marshall, lots of power on board, and great features. At full power, don't expect that gritty tone you may have heard on youtube without pegging the dials and upsetting a lot of neighbors!
If you plan on running pedals, this amp sounds great with them. dial the gain back, and you get a nice, clean platform for your pedals, in front and in the loop.
I wish I could afford a JVM, or any other monster Marshall amp, but after putting the Origin 50 through its paces, I am really starting to enjoy my first ever Marshall amplifier! And a HUGE MAHALO to my customer rep Donald for the discount on shipping to Hawaii, and for the great customer service that Sweetwater has provided me with every transaction made! Aloha!

Ive had my 50 watt Origin head for a little over a month and used it for a few gigs and rehearsals. I have been playing for over 50 years yeah im an old SOB but still play everyday. I own or have owned everything from Fender Twins, Mesa Boogies Fender Devilles a 1980 Marshall Super Lead and more recently a 100 watt DSL with vintage 4/12 cab which I traded for the Origin. I must say I am totally loving this amp. At 1 watt I played a backyard party and this thing screams. It sounds really sweet with no effects for Dead stuff and hot country stuff. Kick on a OCD and wow. I would recommen the head over the combo as it reacts very diferntly to cabs. I used it thru a 1x12 with Eminence Private JACK 50 watt speaker and it sounds great also sound great thru my deville 4/10 cab with Eminence speakers a lot cleaner but soooo sweet. I hope the quality is as good as English made Marshalls as its made in Vietnam so fingers crossed it holds up.

I've been wanting one of these for a long time. Not disappointed at all. Classic Marshall sound. The controls take a bit to get used to, which is the only complaint, however minor, that I have.

Just remember that this is a 1-channel amp, so if you want a little crunch to your sound, you're going to have to crank it up quite a bit! It can get very loud even on the "low" setting. If you want to keep the volume "civil" I would recommend hooking up an attenuator (JHS makes a great one for a fairly cheap price). The sound is a little on the bright side, but just play around with the controls and you'll get a great tone out of it. This amp is also a great platform for pedals, so if you want more gain an overdrive will be definitely be a good investment (I'm using the wampler plexi-drive and it seems to pair with it nicely). At the end of the day it's a pretty good little amp for the price, just do a little research to understand what you're getting.

It's a good sounding amp at it's price but beware mine after 2 years stops working it won't even turn on

I couldn't update my last review of 5 stars so have to write another one in hopes to save someone else from making the mistake I did. I loved this amp so much I even bought a $60 cover for it. The mistake I made was that I never even thought of trying out the fx loop out at first and was just making sure it could produce the tone and that I could ge the high gain out of it using my pedals which I did with flying colors.

I've never had issue with any fx loops in the past out of all the amps I've owned. But the fx loop in the Marshall Origin is different in that the effects sound distorted. I've tried everything. They actually sound better running into the front. So if that's not an indication of a poorly built fx loop I don't know what is. It's a beautiful looking and sounding amp. But if you're an FX loop guy like I am, I highly doubt you'll be able to tolerate this amp unfortunately.

Other than that it's worth every penny if you don't use FX loops or much effects and sounds amazing.

Loved the sound and the price, but I would NOT buy this amp! I bought one three years ago and it fried. I thought it was just the tubes since one was blown, but the blown tube may have caused the problem or the blown tube may be the result of the problem...but it is not THE problem. I replaced the tubes, they all light up, but no luck. Didn't have time to fart around with it and needed the same sound, so I bought another identical head... now the SAME problem! And trying to find a warranty repair shop near me was futile, so it's either spend too much money to ship them somewhere or travel hours to drop them off and pick them up - it would end up costing more than the amp did originally. I'm buying a new EVH or Bugera today.