Best Plexi 1987x Clone?

[noisenet]

Heya,
I'm wanting to add the tone of a 50 watt "plexi" to my rig, which as you all know, is a little bit price prohibitive. I've looked around and seen some amp makers building clones of these, and have wondered about their quality. I know the stuff Metro builds has to be spot on, so many players love his stuff. But even $2000 for a plexi clone is a bit out of my budget.

I've been looking at the one offered by Ceriatone,

http://www.ceriatone.com/productSubPages/marshallPlexi50Lead/marshallPlexi50Complete.htm

This amp actually comes in quite cheap ($636 assembled, including tubes), and all I'd have to do would be to buy a head cab to mount it in (I can't build one, I'm all thumbs). That sounds like a hell of a deal, if the amp sounds worth a doodle. Anyone ever played through one of these?

Or would I just be better off snagging a reissue on eBay and hoping for a close match?

I'll be mostly going for a Malmsteen-ish tone through this amp. You know, run a DOD 250 through it, crank the gain and shred away.

Whadda ya think?

Thanks!

 

[LooseCannon]

Re: Best Plexi 1987x Clone?

What's wrong with your JCM??

 

[Hot _Grits]

Re: Best Plexi 1987x Clone?

Well, if you're going for a Malmsteen thing, you'd be best served by an early 70s metal panel marshall circuit. Email Ceriatone and ask if they can do that for you...

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: Best Plexi 1987x Clone?

just get a reissue Marshall 1987, the reissue 50 watter sounds a lot like a late 60/early 70's metal front anyway

 

[KeyOfG]

Re: Best Plexi 1987x Clone?

I would just about say any offering from Metro Amp / Metropolous Amplifiers. Germino also seems to be a great "plexi clone" choice. Great construction, and choice parts made to be more of a 'dedication to' instead of 'a copy of.' I don't have either though I am interested, they appear flawless. I've been so happy with a Tone-Master for years that I don't feel a need to seek one out at the moment. So I really couldn't give you a first hand account, but it's nice to know what is available. You could get an early '70s metal face that's not stock and take advantage of the repro turret boards that Metro offers. I bet you'd get real close.

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: Best Plexi 1987x Clone?

I would just about say any offering from Metro Amp / Metropolous Amplifiers. Germino also seems to be a great "plexi clone" choice. Great construction, and choice parts made to be more of a 'dedication to' instead of 'a copy of.' I don't have either though I am interested, they appear flawless. I've been so happy with a Tone-Master for years that I don't feel a need to seek one out at the moment. So I really couldn't give you a first hand account, but it's nice to know what is available. You could get an early '70s metal face that's not stock and take advantage of the repro turret boards that Metro offers. I bet you'd get real close.

True, those Germino's are VERY nice amps but with a budget of less than 2k a Germino or Merto Amp, Blockhear, etc is out of reach...if a reissue Marshall is not of the question go for the Ceriatone...I recently tried out a Ceriatone built JTM-45 and was VERY impressed with it

 

[noisenet]

Re: Best Plexi 1987x Clone?

I'm definitely leaning towards the Ceriatone. I've heard a PPIMV he adds to it, and it's sweet. Comes VERY close to eliminating the need for a Hot Plate. Plus, the price is right, and I like doing business with someone like Nik. He's courteous, prompt and very helpful.

To Loose Cannon, there's absolutely nothing wrong with the 800, but the way I'm running my rig, it's set to sound a certain way, mostly for my rhythm crunch stuff (sometimes using the SD-1 for even more of a hefty metal crunch), and sometimes for leads, I want something more "plexi" sounding - can't really run back and twiddle the knobs for each solo section, though it'd be entertaining to watch me try it).

Maybe I'll go the Eric Johnson route, add a Mackie mixer to my rig, and route some effects through there ;-)

 

[shredaholic]

Re: Best Plexi 1987x Clone?

If you can't afford a Metroamp, get the Ceriatone and replace the capacitors with Sozo capacitors.

 

[fingerace]

Re: Best Plexi 1987x Clone?

Nik from Ceriatone is a great guy to work with. Email him and tell him all your ideas and expectations from the amp. He will suggest mods and options and he will build the amp that you really want.