Looking for amp recommendations - Plexi with more gain

[ebagjones]

Hello! Doing some shopping. My amps I have have a bit too much gain and compression, and I’m missing my bass plexi head, but I’d like something with a little more gain than that. Still want the raw open plexi tone. I don’t really know what’s out there but here are some I’m interested in. Also need an FX Loop on it.

Here’s some I’ve been checking out.

Ceriatone Yeti
Granger M50
ENGL Retro 50
Bogner Goldfinger SL 45
3rd Power Citizen Gain

Let me what you all like.
Thanks!

[shupe13]

Re: Looking for amp recommendations - Plexi with more gain

I think you're looking for a Marshall.

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[Mincer]

Re: Looking for amp recommendations - Plexi with more gain

Also check out the Mini Dirty Shirley.

[PFDarkside]

Re: Looking for amp recommendations - Plexi with more gain

Need a master volume?

I’ve always been interested in Metropoulos amps for that type of tone.

[Cynical]

Re: Looking for amp recommendations - Plexi with more gain

Are you jumpering your Plexi? If not, look into that; it adds gain.

Otherwise, 2203 reissue (the recent reissues add an effects loop).

[devastone]

Re: Looking for amp recommendations - Plexi with more gain

Marshall Origin series?

[ItsaBass]

Re: Looking for amp recommendations - Plexi with more gain

JMP

[LLL]

Re: Looking for amp recommendations - Plexi with more gain

Yeah, a plexi with a .68uF on V2.

[NegativeEase]

Re: Looking for amp recommendations - Plexi with more gain

Do what every person does who wants real Plexi tone with more drive.... put a Ratt, DS1, TS, KLon, or Distortion + style OD in front of it.

Literally most every great Plexi recording done that way.

[ebagjones]

Re: Looking for amp recommendations - Plexi with more gain

Sounds like the consensus is should just go plexi. I used to boost the front end of my bass plexi with a Tube Driver and got some great tones, despite my indifference to Eric Johnson. I was just curious if there was anything similar with just a tad more gain but what worked before can work again I’m sure.

[Lake Placid Blues]

Re: Looking for amp recommendations - Plexi with more gain

The main difference, once the master on the 2203 is turned up, between a four input Marshall and a 2203/4 is that V1 is cascaded on the 2203/4. = more gain.

Another amp that has the basic plexi topology but has more gain is the Vintage Modern, provided circumstances allow you to turn the post PI master volume to above 12:00.

[PFDarkside]

Re: Looking for amp recommendations - Plexi with more gain

The main difference, once the master on the 2203 is turned up, between a four input Marshall and a 2203/4 is that V1 is cascaded on the 2203/4. = more gain.

Another amp that has the basic plexi topology but has more gain is the Vintage Modern, provided circumstances allow you to turn the post PI master volume to above 12:00.

Is this the “one wire” mod effectively?

[Lake Placid Blues]

Re: Looking for amp recommendations - Plexi with more gain

Is this the “one wire” mod effectively?

I don't know. I wasn't sure exactly what the one wire mod was so I googled it. That made it clear as mud and different people have different ideas about it. I think in most cases it is hard wiring a four input Marshall so Ch 1 cascades into Ch2. Ch 1 volume becomes a gain knob and the Ch2 volume control becomes a master volume. This puts the master before the tone stack instead of after, and several people complained that it's real noisy and produces less gain than a stock 800 or a cranked plexi. Others noted that the modded amp may osculate if you turn the gain knob up too much.

The 2203/4 cascades V1A into V1B in a properly engineered and stable circuit, and puts the master volume in a better place in the circuit.

The Vintage Modern is interesting because it keeps the normal and bright channels of a four hole Marshall but has them internally, and permanently, jumpered. By jumpered I mean they are as if you ran the two channels of a 4 holer in parallel by plugging a patch cable into the lower left and to the upper right, while plugging the guitar cable into the upper left. The blend is adjusted by the Detail and Body knobs. In low dynamic range it has about the same gain as a stock plexi. In high dynamic range and additional preamp tube comes into play. But unlike most high gain circuits the extra tube's trides are not cascaded into each other after the first triode is cascaded into from V1. Instead, each of the two parallel channels from V1 cascades into just one side of the extra tube. HDR is like an 800 but still with jumped channels like you can do with a plexi. You can also get more distortion from the phase inverter tube because it has a PPIMV.

I recently saw a youtube of a conversation between former Marshall engineer Santiago Alvarez and Dave Friedman. Somebody asked Santiago what he thought of the Vintage Modern (it was not his design). He said it's a very good amp if you know how to dial it in and can play it loud enough. He said it was easy to make it sound bad by playing it low volume or by not using the Detail and Body knobs very well. But a VM could be the plexi with a tad more gain solution for OP if he can play it loud enough.

[Ayrton]

Re: Looking for amp recommendations - Plexi with more gain

Plexi with more gain is a Friedman

[Exojam]

Re: Looking for amp recommendations - Plexi with more gain

If you have a large bank account than maybe a Friedman. He just copied Marshall who copy this person who copied that person etc.

Or just build a Friedman, the schematic’s are out there if you look.