Help me with my Plexi Pedal purchase....

E

Echoes14

New member
So, I'm looking to change up my board a little. Currently for dirt, I use an OCD for my mild OD, and a Fulltone Secret Freq for higher gain. The two stack incredibly well (OCD into the Freq) for lead tones and even more gain, but I'm looking for a more Plexi-ish type pedal. I tried removing the Freq from my board, and using the OCD as higher gain, but really didn't like it for that purpose. For the record, I play an Agile 3500 LP (Duncan '59B and Jazz Neck) through a Vox AC-15C1, using the normal channel as a foundation for my board. The bars we play aren't big enough for me to be able to really crank the AC-15.

I don't want to start another "Best Plexi Pedal" thread, so I'm narrowing it down to what I have easily available to me here, and from what I've listened to in demos. One of the most important factors is whether it will stack well with my OCD (or if I even NEED it to). I plan on keeping the OCD on the board for low-gain stuff. Here are the top three contenders:

1. Ramble Effects Marvel Drive - The demos of this pedal blow me away. I love the idea of being able to blend the two "channels." I saw one post that said it stacks great with the OCD.

2. Tech 21 Hot-Rod Plexi - Seems like you can shape the tone a little more with this one, considering the Tone and Punch controls. I also like the "Hot" control for some extra gain, without having to boost it with the OCD.

Distant 3 and 4: Rothwell Hellbender (because someone is selling one here on the forum:) ) and Wampler Plexi-drive (non-deluxe version).

Opinions?
 
Re: Help me with my Plexi Pedal purchase....

Just listened to a demo on the new Wampler Plexi-drive deluxe this AM. Sounded very authentic to me.
If I were trying to achieve that tone, for <$40 delivered, you can get JOYO's clone (British Sound) of the Tech21 Plexi pedal. It's worth a trial @ that price IMO before laying out big $$$. It may, however, require a noise gate as hissing is sometimes an issue. If so, don't waste your money on the JOYO noise reduction pedal, as I've found them to be ineffective. The cheap Behr. NR300 ($25) works well.

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_s...ds=joyo+british+sound&sprefix=JOYO+Bri,mi,201
 
Re: Help me with my Plexi Pedal purchase....

I think the original Plexi-drive is a killer pedal, and the Deluxe is supposed to be that much better.


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Re: Help me with my Plexi Pedal purchase....

I just picked up a Deluxe, very cool pedal. I'm coming to find out that a Mids control make a gain pedal. That allows you to sculpt the pedal tone to match your natural amp tone. I've been using the Plexidrive Deluxe as a mild OD and tone shaper to get my Fender to be a little more "Marshally". I keep the gain pretty low, about where a cranked Plexi would actually be, gain-wise and roll back the volume a little for clean.

All that being said, I know this isn't quite what you are looking for, but the Fulldrive supposedly stacks well into the OCD. On my board I'm using a Fulldrive for light OD, Pinnacle for mid OD and stacked for heavy OD/Distortion. Maybe all three (Fulldrive, OCD, Secret Freq) would get you where you need to be?
 
Re: Help me with my Plexi Pedal purchase....

Much as I love the sound of an ac-15, i don't think any pedal is going to give you what you are after. I would not recommend spending a lot of money buying pedals and trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. Seeing as you don't like the OCD gained up, then try the tried and true abd simple formula of a tube screamer or super overdrive (maybe you can even borrow one?) straight into your amp. I that still doesn't do what you want, then you are asking too much of your amp, not your pedals.
 
Re: Help me with my Plexi Pedal purchase....

Thanks for the advice so far.

I have an SD-1. I used to use it for my low gain, but I'm not a fan anymore. I know the limitations of my amp, and know it's never gonna be a Marshall half-stack. With the Secret Freq, I can get a fairly "big" sound with my set-up. Just looking for something a little different in the tonal pallet. :)
 
Re: Help me with my Plexi Pedal purchase....

I'm pretty much down to the Tech 21 or the Marvel Drive. Like I said before, the only reason the Tech 21 is up there is its ability to adjust the bass response and roll the treble down, if needed.
 
Re: Help me with my Plexi Pedal purchase....

Decided to pick up this beauty.....I put it on the board this afternoon. Took it for a test spin at low volume (I live in a townhome), and it sounds great so far. Stacks nicely with my OCD (OCD at low gain, boosting the Marvel Drive). Can't wait to try it out at practice next week, so I can crank it a bit.

A bonus: Minnesota made! Never realized that until I did some research.

0902151540.jpg
 
Re: Help me with my Plexi Pedal purchase....

Cool, glad you got V2 with the Presence control. If love to hear a clip of each, then stacked.
 
Re: Help me with my Plexi Pedal purchase....

I have the Joyo British pedal
it does hiss a bit when the gain is up
but it totally sounds like a cooking Marshall
 
Re: Help me with my Plexi Pedal purchase....

I have a rothwell hellbender and love it. Although it's not Strictly marketed as a "plexi in a box" it does state that the tone circuit is modelled on a vintage Marshall circuit. it does sound like a Marshall, but then again I use it through a Marshall haha
 
Re: Help me with my Plexi Pedal purchase....

I just picked up a Carl Martin PlexiTone (the three-button version), and it's fantastic. I'm going to be rethinking much of what I thought I knew about guitar tone, because of this pedal.
 
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Re: Help me with my Plexi Pedal purchase....

I know a lot of new builders have come to the party, but the ZVex Box of Rock is still my favorite "plexi in a box." I upgraded to the Double Rock and use it any time I'm going to play one of my cleaner amps in a quieter setting.
 
Re: Help me with my Plexi Pedal purchase....

The Marvel Drive sounds wonderful! I feel like there's a bit of a learning curve to it, though...which is a good thing. The three "volume" knobs are very interactive, and so many tones can be milked from the pedal, it's hard to nail down ONE tone that I like above any other.

On top of that, I stuck a Soul Food in front of it before our gig Saturday night. I'd used the OCD at practice the week before, but didn't feel like it had the "oomph" I was looking for. So, on a whim, I had new pedal day at the bar! :) The Soul Food turned the Marvel Drive into a fire-breathing dragon! The only thing I didn't like was that the Soul Food seemed to suck a bit of the bottom end off. I'm sure I can remedy that with some more knob-tweaking.
 
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