Best Plexi toanz for under $500 used?

BenPerkins

BenPerkins

New member
Any recommendations for a low watt amp (30w or lower) that can get ballpark Plexi tones? This is for playing at home.

Was considering a Class 5 but wanted to see if there’s anything out there that uses EL34s.

Thank you.


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Look for the lower wattage JCM TSL combos, played on the clean channel. Best Marshall "clean to crunch" tone since the Plexi, IMO. I regret selling my 122 (though I never used the red channel, and didn't use the Crunch channel that often).
 
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Maybe a Picovalve if you can find one used?
Not sure how plexi it sounds, I've never played a real one. The Picovalve does have the ability to run an EL34, it's got a pre-gain and master volumes and a 2/5 wattage switch. I think that the wattage switch changes it from triode to pentode in the power tube.

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Demanic said:
Um, op said 30watts or lower.
Not that that doesn't look like a decent amp for the money.

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Click to expand...

Well the they both use a triode switch that cuts the power to 60 watts on ten

I would suppose that 30 watts could be easily achieved with, I dunno, maybe the volume knob? But I'm just guessing

yeah I totally missed the 30 watt thing
my bad
 
BenPerkins said:
Question... how does that compare to the Dirty Little Secret? I have access to one that I can borrow. Thanks


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Click to expand...

Never tried the DLS. The demos sound great, though. I'd suppose that is another way to get to Plexi-land.
 
ehdwuld said:
Well the they both use a triode switch that cuts the power to 60 watts on ten

I would suppose that 30 watts could be easily achieved with, I dunno, maybe the volume knob? But I'm just guessing

yeah I totally missed the 30 watt thing
my bad
Click to expand...
No biggie. 60 watts is still quite loud. Even 20 watts can be too loud in a small room.

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^^ Yeah, my amps 20 watts are "too loud for the livingroom, but too weak for a full band" XD

I enjoy it still. Doesn't sound much like a Plexi, unfortunately...
 
How about a VOX AC15? Not a Marshall but all tube and when cranked a very cool British tone. There's 77 of them on Reverb.com right now starting at about $480.
 
Lewguitar said:
How about a VOX AC15? Not a Marshall but all tube and when cranked a very cool British tone. There's 77 of them on Reverb.com right now starting at about $480.
Click to expand...
Not a huge Vox guy, but that's a great price.

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The problem with 'authentic plexi tone' is that outside a pedal setup its night on impossible to get save for a cranked amp.
There is the Marshall Studio Vintage of course......not sure what those are going for where the OP is. But that actually is a plexi styled setup and the clips sound awesome. SPL in the room could be absurdly high to get there though.
 
For home use, I would say a used Eleven Rack (or an Atomic Ampli-fire Box) and a Headrush 108 should get you close to $500 and with a very good Plexi tone.
Might be hard to have a Plexi tone at "home playing" with a tube amp. The reason I proposed a modeler as I can get a very good one with my Eleven Rack at about TV level playing (using an EV ZLX12P).
Maybe check out what you can get out of a Katana 50w at 0.5w on the Brown channel.
 
I have an old Vox Valvetronix modeler and it’s “UK 70s” setting does the plexi thing extremely well, and has a master volume, since it’s a modeler.

I’ll find or make a clip and attach it

Edit: here we go: https://youtu.be/7JrAOAJZDTM

This was before video cameras or electric lights were invented, so please forgive the video. I start with the clean tones then get in to the crunch tones.

This is the AD15VT with 15W through a little 8” speaker at apartment volume.
 
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BenPerkins said:
Any recommendations for a low watt amp (30w or lower) that can get ballpark Plexi tones? This is for playing at home.

Was considering a Class 5 but wanted to see if there’s anything out there that uses EL34s.

Thank you.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
Click to expand...

I paid $415.00 USD for my Marshall 2266 Vintage Modern.
It says 50watt every where, but all the technicians that i have spoken too, either in person or over the inter net says this KT66 driven amp (just like the KT66 driven JTM45) is much, much closer to 30-35 watts than to the 'proclaimed / advertised' 50 watts.

I had my Vintage Modren's master volume on max yesterday, and it is deff NOT as (((loud))) as my 50 Watt Orange Thunderverb, through the same cab.
I do not think you will get a more realistic plexi tone, south of $500.00 USD, unless you can find a used (good luck) *Albion / Wharfedale TCT50, 40, 35, or 30 model.

* some Marshall technicians left the Co. and started their own amp business.
Think of it as a ''super Marshall'' . . . all the good stuff that the engineers wanted to add to a Marshall, but the top wigs/suits at the Co. said ''NO'' for.
 
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SirJackdeFuzz II said:
I paid $415.00 USD for my Marshall 2266 Vintage Modern.
It says 50watt every where, but all the technicians that i have spoken too, either in person or over the inter net says this KT66 driven amp (just like the KT66 driven JTM45) is much, much closer to 30-35 watts than to the 'proclaimed / advertised' 50 watts.

I had my Vintage Modren's master volume on max yesterday, and it is deff NOT as (((loud))) as my 50 Watt Orange Thunderverb, through the same cab.
I do not think you will get a more realistic plexi tone, south of $500.00 USD, unless you can find a used (good luck) *Albion / Wharfedale TCT50, 40, 35, or 30 model.

* some Marshall technicians left the Co. and started their own amp business.
Think of it as a ''super Marshall'' . . . all the good stuff that the engineers wanted to add to a Marshall, but the top wigs/suits at the Co. said ''NO'' for.
Click to expand...

Damn. Wish I had seen this earlier. After test driving the DLS, I went ahead and pulled the trigger on a Class 5 head for $300 shipped. Then ordered new tubes (NOS Mullard 12AT7, Genalex gold pin 12AX7, and Genalex EL84) based on internet research, and also after watching this video:

https://youtu.be/k2G7_Gz3oNw

I will be running it through an Orange PPC112 with a Greenback. Also have a H&K TM110 with a Creamback that I can try (travel rig).
 
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