Carl Martin Plexitone

midnite_man

midnite_man

New member
I'd like to get a few comments and/or opinions from users on the Carl Martin Plexitone effects pedal. I read a little about it here in the forum, but would like to know what you use it with and what kind of sound do you hear out of it with your respective gear?

Thanks!

....Bob
 
Re: Carl Martin Plexitone

I've never tried one myself, but have been told they were designed to work with British voiced amps like Marshalls and Hiwatts. I've read of people trying them thru Fenders with not so good results. The fellow who designed them (Rid) is a forum member here and hopefully he or someone with some first hand experience will chime in.
 
Re: Carl Martin Plexitone

Hmm, I just got to wondering how the Plexitone would sound thru my Peavey Classic 30? It's definatley a darker more mid-rangey amp then my DRRI. Any thoughts?
 
Re: Carl Martin Plexitone

Mike M. said:
Hmm, I just got to wondering how the Plexitone would sound thru my Peavey Classic 30? It's definatley a darker more mid-rangey amp then my DRRI. Any thoughts?
Click to expand...

Hard to say? I bought mine from Musician's Friend and they have a try and return policy if you don't like it...I Love mine though..


http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Guitar/Effects?sku=153122
 
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Re: Carl Martin Plexitone

Mike M. said:
Thanks, John. Maybe I'll take the big chance and try one. I have a DSL 50 and I love it, but I'd still like the find the right pedal for my DRRI and for my C30.
Click to expand...

If I wasn't so in need of and in love with mine,I'd send it to ya and let you listen and see what ya think? It's one of the most "Marshally" type pedal I've used and I prefer the "Crunch" side and the "boost" function on mine..

Another pedal that looks worth checking into,is the new ToneBone "Plexitube" that has a 12AX7 within...Looks like a Plexitone copy but with a Tube and more functions..
 
Re: Carl Martin Plexitone

Most "amp-like" pedal I've ever tried. Rid is a genious :bigthumb:

For gigging/stage volumes, It def works better with a british voiced amp (your Peavey should be decent enough I'd think). However for home practice, I think it works just fine with fender voiced stuff. I ran mine through my old Rivera Chubster and for late night at home, it killed through the tweed and blackface modes on the clean channel cos they are bassier and it sounded more like a "mini0stack" But with some volume, it did not sound right, not enough mids and too much low end. At higher volumes I used the Marshall type channel set clean and it worked great.

It's amazing how tube like (that warm fizzy top) and responsive/dynamic it is...the voicing is RIGHT ON for an old Plexi. And it's really easy to dial in...it sounds good pretty much however you set the controls..you cannot get a BAD sound out of it I don't think. The crunch and boost modes like John mentioned are the best tones in the box.

I sold mine cos ultimately I'm not a "plexi" Marshall guy at least for most of my playing..I prefer the sound of later crunchier Marshalls, but man what a sweet pedal. I have some clips of mine, but they don't really do the pedal justice cos my recording setup (and playing) is minimalistic.
 
Re: Carl Martin Plexitone

Thanks for the input, John and Jeff. I'm just about in the same boat as Mike M. with my DSL 50 and DRRI (quite a coincidence). I love my tubescreamers and will always use 'em, but it'd be nice at times to have something different to experiment with or to get a specific sound.
How about noise, John? Is this pedal quiet? I liked what I heard from the clips at M's-F, especially the crunch and plexitone selections. Here's the link to that webpage: http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Guitar/Effects?sku=153122
Do any of these clips sound like the real deal to you through your Marshall or Fender amps, John? Did you try any of the other CM distortion pedals before deciding on the Plexi?
Maybe I should just send the box with all my dist. pedals that haven't been unpacked since last August, when I moved into my house (MXR Dist.+, RAT, etc.), over your way and see if anything in that bunch could be tweaked for better tone?
I must admit from what I've read and heard that it sounds like the Plexi pretty much covers a nice spectrum of distortion that would mix well with modulation-type effects like echo and probably phase.

....Bob
 
Re: Carl Martin Plexitone

Mike M. said:
Thanks, John. Maybe I'll take the big chance and try one. I have a DSL 50 and I love it, but I'd still like the find the right pedal for my DRRI and for my C30.
Click to expand...
I'll just wait until Mike buys one and posts his reviews....lol
 
Re: Carl Martin Plexitone

midnite_man said:
I'll just wait until Mike buys one and posts his reviews....lol
Click to expand...

Bobby...I'm on my way out the door for a class needed for my job...Anyway...Also be sure to check out the Fulltone OCD pedal and listen to the clips at www.fulltone.com

This is another pedal that I've got my eyes on...Pricey like the Plexitone but listen to the tones of this one and you'll also see why I've got my eyes on it...
 
Re: Carl Martin Plexitone

Rid said:
Or get a MI audio crunchbox;)
I do not like any of Mike's dirt boxes...not dissing his stuff, but it is not my thing.
Click to expand...

My buddy Steve has an OCD and it's pretty cool....Alot of guys like this pedal....Not sure I'd need it though since I really feel the Plexitone covers everything I need in a British Marshall type tone....

Tell me more about the CM Vox style pedal? Better yet,those clips again RID?:D
 
Re: Carl Martin Plexitone

Yeah and alot of guys also like tubescreamers:D
I don't...hehe but it is not the same as thinking it is a bad pedal, it is not, but it is just not something I like:)
The new one is also a dualdrive, this time they are not different from each other, based on FET's instead of diodes, it is a warmer more polite pedal, plenty of that typical Voxy midrange thing, and can be set for more open or blanket over your speakers sound.
Works good with alot of different amps, and it can still make that big ole Hiwatt sing, it has also been roadtested by a everyday Vox player, and he was most pleased with it, I just made a refined version of it for the final product, his had two different settings, but one was very jangly and the other sounded more like Brian May, so went for something inbetween:)
Now it can both get that chime and the more fat od of an overdriven AC-30.
 
Re: Carl Martin Plexitone

STRATDELUXER97 said:
If I wasn't so in need of and in love with mine,I'd send it to ya and let you listen and see what ya think? It's one of the most "Marshally" type pedal I've used and I prefer the "Crunch" side and the "boost" function on mine..

Another pedal that looks worth checking into,is the new ToneBone "Plexitube" that has a 12AX7 within...Looks like a Plexitone copy but with a Tube and more functions..
Click to expand...


That's most generous of you John. But I understand not wanting to part with a favorite piece of gear for too long. I think I'm going to call some local music stores this weekend and see if they have any in stock.
 
Re: Carl Martin Plexitone

I'll look into the Fulltone pedals, John. I just came from the MI website and have listened to their Crunchbox soundclips there, as well as many other clips available there. That's a nice sound, RID; tight, clean, and very crunchy. Ed DeGenaro, who does the clips for this pedal, is a great guitar player, too. Sounds alot like Satriani. That Tube Zone pedal sounds really nice.
Maybe I can find someone around here locally that sells 'em and take one for a test drive. I would like to try some Carl Martin pedals as well. Are you a designer and builder for C.M., RID?
There's so many great pedals out there when you start getting into the high-dollar market, and I guess it still comes down to the old addage that you get what you pay for. A person can buy a lesser-priced pedal and have it modded, but he might end up spending as much on that total cost as he would on a higher-end pedal in the first place. Or not get the sound he was looking for at all.
Unless you're into building your own from scratch....and there are a ton of great resources out there to help people along down that road. I sure appreciate your thoughts on this guys. I guess this thread should've been entitled, "let's talk about overdrive/distortion pedals" ....lol
I'm just looking for a signature sound of my own when I kick in the effect of choice, and I want to keep the number of pedals on my board down to a minimum.
Plus, I think I have g.a.s. :fart:


....Bob
 
Re: Carl Martin Plexitone

I made the Plexi for CM, and I have worked there for more than 5 years now:)
Ed works for THD and is a monsterplayer:D
Ours differes most in the voltage used, and it has two different voices, one for more open older voice, and one more for a fatter saturated voice, plus a clean booster.
It has none of the slight flatness in the sound as some 9v pedals has, meaning that the 3d feel is there, I went for that feel, and that old plus more hotrodded Plexi sound, it is no mega highgainer, but it has plenty of omph in the lows, a clear sound where chords are well defined.
Personally I have plenty of pedals, as a few does not always match up with the different amps I use:)
So I have a rather large amount of pedals lying around, just waiting to do their thing.
Here is the Plexi with an DR201 Hiwatt top.
http://www.soundclick.com/bands/songInfo.cfm?bandID=139983&songID=1464787
 
Re: Carl Martin Plexitone

Rid said:
I made the Plexi for CM, and I have worked there for more than 5 years now:)
Ed works for THD and is a monsterplayer:D
Ours differes most in the voltage used, and it has two different voices, one for more open older voice, and one more for a fatter saturated voice, plus a clean booster.
It has none of the slight flatness in the sound as some 9v pedals has, meaning that the 3d feel is there, I went for that feel, and that old plus more hotrodded Plexi sound, it is no mega highgainer, but it has plenty of omph in the lows, a clear sound where chords are well defined.
Personally I have plenty of pedals, as a few does not always match up with the different amps I use:)
So I have a rather large amount of pedals lying around, just waiting to do their thing.
Here is the Plexi with an DR201 Hiwatt top.
http://www.soundclick.com/bands/songInfo.cfm?bandID=139983&songID=1464787
Click to expand...

That's a great track, man. I guess I would probably use the Plexi pedal exclusively with my Marshall DSL 50 amp. How does this pedal do with a Fender amp? Have any thoughts about the MI Tonezone?

....Bob
 
Re: Carl Martin Plexitone

Sorry about the Hijack......I just wanted to thank Rid for his telling folks to check out the M.I. Audio stuff......I took his advice and bought a crunchbox and for higher gain Marshally grind, it would be tough to beat and they are only 100 bones. :D
 
Re: Carl Martin Plexitone

One wonders how the crunchbox stacks up next to the SFX-03's highgain channel?... Can anyone do a comparison?
 
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