havoc41 wrote:Looking for guidance and thoughts, if you were looking at Marshall Plexi type amps what would you be going after... and why? Would you buy an actual Marshall, or go the boutique road?
I've also been on a bit of a Plexi chase and am in a similar situation of not being able to audition amps next to each other. I tend to be pretty OCD regarding guitars and amps, so have spent a lot of time over many months trying to learn what I can and thin the herd. I would suggest looking at both Metro Amps and Germino Amps. Both guys are well respected builders of vintage Plexi type amps and are looked upon as making some of the finest available. Quality is above an beyond current Marshall offerings. . Also amps are wired PTP which makes modification much easier. Both are also very nice guys and generous with their knowledge, so perhaps e-mail them with specific questions. I did this, and it helped greatly. Reinhardt amps are also another to take a look at. There are others as well, but with regards to other clone makers, just remember that you tend to get what you pay for. It's not just component choices, but it is often builder skill, lead dress, and knowledgeable tweaks to get them sounding correct.
If you like the big Plexi sound, but not the big Plexi volume levels, you're forced to compromise a bit. One compromise is to run the amp with an attenuator. This is a whole other can of worms. Before consulting teh interwebz on this one, I'd include this in your Q&A with George and Greg (Metropoulos and Germino).
A different compromise is to use a Master volume of some sorts. A post phase inverter master volume PPIMV will allow the phase inverter to overdrive but attenuate the signal before it hits the power tubes. This won't be the same as running the amps at their sweet spot, but many find this acceptable for when they can't play loud and choose not to attenuate.
Going hand in hand with any of these tactics, you may choose to use a pedal in front of the amp to add some overdrive or push the preamp section of the amp into overdrive. Although a pedal will add its own flavor, all amps react to pedals a bit uniquely and a Plexi is well regarded as a good amp to combine with pedals.
Another compromise is to get a lower wattage amp. These will not sound like the bigger Plexis. Period. However, they may sound great to your ears. Circuits are different. Power tube choice is different. Different amps completely, but have some relation to the bigger Plexis. Keep in mind that even a low wattage amp cranked to the point of overdrive the power tubes can be louder than many would expect. This may cause you to consider one of the other compromises listed above.
Also, a lot of folks use less efficient (quieter) speakers with these amps, which helps to take a little edge of the volume. Greenbacks, for example.
Be aware that Plexis are not high gain amps. Cranked, they are probably mid gain. Earlier models differ quite a bit from later models, with the later years having more gain and being more aggressive. Many bluesy cats prefer the late 60's amps and those wanting that 80's hard rock tone often either pair with a pedal, mod, or look towards later specimens.
Also, something that comes up is Lead or Bass spec (or PA or Trem, etc). The prefix Super, as in Super Lead, denotes a 100w amp. If it is just Lead (no Super), it is a 50w amp (I'm generalizing here). Beginning in late 60's, Lead Spec meant that the amp was voiced with a more prominent upper midrange and had more gain on tap. Bass spec was more of a neutral response EQ with a bit less gain. The earliest Lead spec amps weren't much different than Bass spec, only adding a treble bleed cap across the volume which made the amps brighter. JTM45/100's and other early amps, although not labeled as Bass spec, had this sort of preamp voicing.
A thing to do is to find recording of tones from artists that you like who were playing Marshalls and reference these when you talk with George or Greg (or another good builder) and they can probably tell you what they were using. Keep in mind that classic artists like Hendrix, Allmans, Cream era Clapton, all played LOUD live, so those will be examples of what the amp sounds like at deafening volumes.
Hope this helps!
-Matt
