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Carl Martin PlexiTone Lo-gain: What's the Point?

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  • Carl Martin PlexiTone Lo-gain: What's the Point?

    So impulsively, I bought one of these things. They do Plexi up to AC/DC, but they're voiced for an amp already suited to do AC/DC. Over typical non-Bassman-style Fender-type cleans, they don't even approach the sound of a Plexi; not at all like other MIAB style boxes by the likes of Wampler and Catalinbread.

    The best I can come up with is something along the lines of getting your Plexi to break up at a lower volume.

    Maybe in front of a TS in order to fill it out? I haven't tried it.
    Last edited by gregory; 08-27-2017, 04:19 PM.

  • #2
    Re: Carl Martin PlexiTone Lo-gain: What's the Point?

    Hopefully no one will take offense when I say that I can see the PlexiTone as maybe sounding Marshall-ish with a non-BM Fender if the cleans are compromised with additional mids and also played at bedroom levels. Regardless, it is still nowhere near as good as other things I've tried.
    Last edited by gregory; 09-09-2017, 11:46 PM.

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    • #3
      Re: Carl Martin PlexiTone Lo-gain: What's the Point?

      Good to know
      Have you checked out Wampler yet? They have 2 pedals right up your alley. Pexi Drive and the Pinnacle Deluxe.
      I'm thinking of picking up one of these.

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      • #4
        Re: Carl Martin PlexiTone Lo-gain: What's the Point?

        I had the Pinnacle Deluxe for a few days. It had too much gain for what I wanted at the time so I took it back. I've since gotten a BE-OD which is more or less the same thing. I wouldn't mind getting my hands on another Pinnacle Deluxe just to see how different it is from the BE-OD. I'm also curious about the new additions in the V2 model.

        The Plexi Drive is definitely more my speed. While I like the extra tone sculpting options in the deluxe version and believe it will work over scooped Fender cleans better than the PlexiTone, I would rather it not have the built-in OD function. I'm more interested in the D&M Drive for that kind of thing.
        Last edited by gregory; 09-03-2017, 08:39 AM.

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        • #5
          Re: Carl Martin PlexiTone Lo-gain: What's the Point?

          FYI, Wamplers are 15% off through Labor Day.

          As a fanboy of Wampler and Keeley (and an owner of the D&M, Plexidrive Deluxe and Pinnacle V1), I can say that a few things...
          -The Boost on the Plexidrive Deluxe and Pinnacle Deluxe is tuned very well for each pedal.
          -The D&M drive side is much harder than the drive in the Plexidrive Deluxe, and doesn't sag at all. The tones are pretty different to me.
          -D&M is great as a distortion and boost pedal for a hot amp, the Plexidrive Deluxe and Pinnacle Deluxe are really good to change the tonality of a clean amp.
          Oh no.....


          Oh Yeah!

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          • #6
            Re: Carl Martin PlexiTone Lo-gain: What's the Point?

            15% off from where?

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            • #7
              Re: Carl Martin PlexiTone Lo-gain: What's the Point?

              Sweetwater and Wampler website.
              Oh no.....


              Oh Yeah!

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              • #8
                Re: Carl Martin PlexiTone Lo-gain: What's the Point?

                Originally posted by gregory View Post
                I had the Pinnacle Deluxe for a few days. It had too much gain for what I wanted at the time so I took it back. I've since gotten a BE-OD which is more or less the same thing. I wouldn't mind getting my hands on another Pinnacle Deluxe just to see how different it is from the BE-OD. I'm also curious about the new additions in the V2 model.

                The Plexi Drive is definitely more my speed. While I like the extra tone sculpting options in the deluxe version and believe it will work over scooped Fender cleans better than the PlexiTone, I would rather it not have the built-in OD function. I'm more interested in the D&M Drive for that kind of thing.
                Have you looked at the JHS Charlie Brown V4?
                sigpic
                Gibson LP Trad Pro II->Various pedals->MEsa Boogie MkV->Owensby/219 Guitar Works Vertical Slant 2x12 w/WGS ET-65 and Veteran 30.

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                • #9
                  Re: Carl Martin PlexiTone Lo-gain: What's the Point?

                  It looks like a great JTM45 in a box from what I can tell. The demos defintely sound more like a Marshall with F-style clean than what I could get with the PlexiTone Lo-gain.

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                  • #10
                    Re: Carl Martin PlexiTone Lo-gain: What's the Point?

                    Definitely sounds like this pedal is meant to add harmonic content and perhaps be stacked if you want more gain. I have one low gain OD and it sounds great when stacked. On its own it adds a bit of girth and harmonics. When you stack overdrives you do get a more complex character, but it is a bummer when you are expecting A and get B!

                    For cleaner tones, a low gain drive can sound great when stacked with a compressor as well.
                    Last edited by TwilightOdyssey; 09-10-2017, 05:41 AM.
                    Why don't you take your little Cobra Kais and get outta here?!
                    My collaborative PROGRESSIVE ROCK PROJECT, As Follows.

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                    • #11
                      Re: Carl Martin PlexiTone Lo-gain: What's the Point?

                      Originally posted by TwilightOdyssey View Post
                      it is a bummer when you are expecting A and get B
                      Indeed, especially when you rely on "expert" opinions from people who clearly don't know what they're talking about.

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                      • #12
                        Re: Carl Martin PlexiTone Lo-gain: What's the Point?

                        I believe it's meant to be a core-tone type pedal. Give you a basic tone that you can add to with dirt pedals. I've seen plenty of guys with MIAB pedals do that. They don't have a Marshall but want that tone so they get a MIAB pedal, leave it on all the time, and put dirt pedals in front of it.

                        I'm gonna go out on a limb and guess that this version of the pedal is meant to be more JTM45ish, which is going to be a good deal cleaner with more headroom than the 1987 and 1959 that followed it. I bet it would be great for getting Clapton Bluesbreaker type tones and give you more flexibility with pedal platforms.
                        Nope...

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                        • #13
                          Re: Carl Martin PlexiTone Lo-gain: What's the Point?

                          A core type pedal, that's what I expected it to be. It definitely isn't. Why? It is completely at the mercy of the tonestack of your preamp. If your intention is to transform your amp into a Marshall, buy one at your own risk.

                          As far as JTM45 goes, no, it doesn't have the mids and it doesn't squish. It is faster and somewhat tighter like a 1959. If you want JTM45 go for a JHS Charlie Brown.

                          I can see how this pedal could be useful in front of an OD or a compressor(?). If BM cleans or '60s Marshall cleans are your thing, then this pedal could be used to give you some coadjuvant dirt in front of that.
                          Last edited by gregory; 09-11-2017, 04:03 PM.

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                          • #14
                            Re: Carl Martin PlexiTone Lo-gain: What's the Point?

                            Originally posted by gregory View Post
                            A core type pedal, that's what I expected it to be. It definitely isn't. Why? It is completely at the mercy of the tonestack of your preamp. If your intention is to transform your amp into a Marshall, buy one at your own risk.

                            As far as JTM45 goes, no, it doesn't have the mids and it doesn't squish. It is tighter and faster like a 1959. If you want JTM45 go for a JHS Charlie Brown.

                            I can see how this pedal could be useful in front of an OD or a compressor. If BM cleans or '60s Marshall cleans are your thing, then this pedal could be used to give you some dirt in front of that.
                            But isn't any pedal at the mercy of your tonestack? Isn't that the nature of the beast?

                            IIRC, Wampler specifically says that his AIAB pedals are voiced towards the Fender spectrum, particularly the BF/SF Bassman, but he could mod pedals depending on what you have. I use my Pinnacle Deluxe with a Bugera 1960 Infinium (basically an MIC 1959RR, which is a modified late '70s JMP head) set pretty clean and I still get the brown goodness the Pinnacle was meant to put forth.

                            That's not to discount that it doesn't do what you want it to do. However, your post seems to state factually that it isn't a good pedal while the reality is that your opinion is that it doesn't do what you desire.

                            There's so much variation in production of old Marshalls that there's no telling what sound Carl Martin may have been aiming for with this pedal. I mean, the JTM45 tone stack varied a lot. The filtering changed a few times independently of the tone stack. They used Radio Spares transformers at first but used Drakes later on. The B+ on the tubes changed a couple times. For all we know this pedal was aiming for a JTM45/100, which is a whole different beast from the JTM45 but still much less gainy than the 1959, and even that model had variations. Hendrix had a few of them and changed the tone stack in some of them and didn't touch others because they were already the way he wanted.

                            So... Who knows? LOL
                            Nope...

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                            • #15
                              Re: Carl Martin PlexiTone Lo-gain: What's the Point?

                              Originally posted by GilmourD View Post
                              But isn't any pedal at the mercy of your tonestack? Isn't that the nature of the beast?
                              No. The pedals that are better suited to work with a variety of tone stacks tend to have active EQs. The PlexiTone Lo-gain has the typical passive tone control, nothing more and it is simply not enough.

                              Originally posted by GilmourD View Post
                              I mean, the JTM45 tone stack varied a lot. The filtering changed a few times independently of the tone stack. They used Radio Spares transformers at first but used Drakes later on. The B+ on the tubes changed a couple times. For all we know this pedal was aiming for a JTM45/100, which is a whole different beast from the JTM45 but still much less gainy than the 1959, and even that model had variations. Hendrix had a few of them and changed the tone stack in some of them and didn't touch others because they were already the way he wanted.
                              Compared to the fundamental differences between a Plexi and SF/BF Fender that lie at the very core of their designs, that is all window dressing. All the speculation in the world about what Carl Martin intended doesn't change that, though I'm pretty sure the designer has gone on record saying the PlexiTone isn't tailored for use with typical SF/BF style amps.

                              Originally posted by GilmourD View Post
                              However, your post seems to state factually that it isn't a good pedal while the reality is that your opinion is that it doesn't do what you desire.
                              If you want PlexiIAB in front of a SF/BF Fender you won't get it with this pedal.

                              Originally posted by GilmourD View Post
                              So... Who knows?
                              I do. If you had one you'd know too.
                              Last edited by gregory; 09-10-2017, 10:15 PM.

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