New piece of gear: a Cornell Plexi combo

[FPA_687]

I've just received a new amp I have bought and I have been playing with it this weekend, so I wanted to share with you my first impressions.

The amp is this one:

It's a Cornell Plexi 18/20 combo in 1x12" format. It's sort of a replica from a Marshall 1974 model from the sixties, only with some enhanced features.

It's powered by two EL84 tubes, in push-pull class A.
Has got two modes: 18 and 20. At aprox. 18 watts, it works with a rectifier tube. In 20 mode, it works with solid state rectifier. It can also be put at a lower 5 watts power. See switches here:

It has got two channels: ch.1 Treble and ch.2 Normal. Just Volume and Tone controls on each:

Channel 1:

Channel 2:

Four inputs, the classic way, as you can see from the pics.

Finally, it's got a single Celestion Vintage 30 speaker, here you can see it along with the valves:

To be continued...

PS EDIT: in case of issues with the above links, try with this to see the pics:

Plexi combo pics

 

[FPA_687]

Re: New piece of gear: a Cornell Plexi combo

Well, I am not an expert nor any kind of authority in terms of amplifiers or gear in general. So I will just write here what are my impressions regarding the amp, what I see, what I feel and what I hear.

This is my first all-tube amp, so you can imagine. I have tried some but never owned one. Anyway, it's not a bad jump, to be the first.

Although I am not an expert, I think I know fearly well what I like and what I was looking for: a good classic Marshall type of tone, to play blues and blues rock, UK sixties style. Quite clichéd.

Well, I am quite sure the amp does this precisely, and HOW!!!

At first I tried it with a Fender Stratocaster of mine. And I got scared cause the amp is loud!! I put the volume to just 2, and it was too loud and still clean! I thought, jeez, I am not gonna be able to use it!

After this I tried with the Heritage Les Paul type. Casually, I then realised that maybe, cranking up the volume, it gets to a point where the amp doesn´t get louder, it just breaks up the valves.

So I did this, slightly lowering at the same time the volume control from the guitar, to keep things bearable. I cranked, beeing plugged to channel 1, to almost full volume.

And, BINGO! suddenly I got a deep, grainy, fat, vibrating tone that was just amazing, hardly believable. Every single ashtray and objet in the room seemed to shake. WHAT a TONE!!

Then I cleaned further with the guitar's volume control. It got cleaner and at lower volume, but still full of insane dynamics and harmonics. Whenever I plucked the strings a little bit harder I got a violent slap of tone on my face.

I have to try again with the Strat cranking up the volume, but the match with the Heritage was so beautiful that I kept with it the full weekend.

The first thing I thought was "man, this is serious, no bad jokes here, no games, this serious classic pure deep tone!. This a completely different experience". It's a pity that one gets used to it very quickly.

I tried also with a distorsion pedal and it was good, but after hearing the simply pushed up tone, I don´t want any distorsion from pedals, at least for the next few years? The same applies even for a reverb. No need. Just pure tone.

It has been purposedly built with the minimum of controls in search of pure tone, and I believe they have got it. Just plug and play, the way I like it.

Well, those are my first impressions from having the amp.

I begun like this :11:

and finished like that: :dance:

I am done with gear, believe me. ( at least till tomorrow, he, he).

 

[xerxes]

Re: New piece of gear: a Cornell Plexi combo

cool man! any place where we can hear clips?

glad to hear u found your tone

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: New piece of gear: a Cornell Plexi combo

Cool amp. I've seen a couple used, but never heard one. I know what you mean about the volume! Amps seem SO much louder at home than they do in a rehearsal space or stage. I'm a big fan of the British sounding amps with both strats and pauls. Maybe eventually you can find an overdrive that complements it perfectly, so you can find your tone at lower volumes. Also, the EH Holy Grail Reverb is great for adding some verb without messing up the amp's tone.

 

[Stringmachine]

Re: New piece of gear: a Cornell Plexi combo

Congrats on your new amp! I dont believe for a minute that you are done with gear, though. :laugh2:

 

[FPA_687]

Re: New piece of gear: a Cornell Plexi combo

cool man! any place where we can hear clips?

glad to hear u found your tone

Thanks. AFAIK there aren't clips on the web. I will try to mic it and put some clips as soon as I can.

Edit to add: the cranked-up tone reminds me a lot to a demo clip I have from a guitar magazine, a demo with a ES-335 through a Bluesbraker amp. Same deepness of tone and that collateral vibration. Beautiful.

Fernando.

 

[FPA_687]

Re: New piece of gear: a Cornell Plexi combo

Congrats on your new amp! I dont believe for a minute that you are done with gear, though. :laugh2:

Something tells me you're right!
:laugh2: :laugh2:

 

[FPA_687]

Re: New piece of gear: a Cornell Plexi combo

Cool amp. I've seen a couple used, but never heard one. I know what you mean about the volume! Amps seem SO much louder at home than they do in a rehearsal space or stage. I'm a big fan of the British sounding amps with both strats and pauls. Maybe eventually you can find an overdrive that complements it perfectly, so you can find your tone at lower volumes. Also, the EH Holy Grail Reverb is great for adding some verb without messing up the amp's tone.

Thank you, Gearjoneser. I am from right now into the search, but not in a hurry, of a good quality overdrive pedal for that purpose.

I also take notice of the EH Holy Grail Reverb.

I appreciate your advice as well as any recommendation regarding a good candidate for an overdrive. ( I am gonna make some little research on the forum for this matter).

Fernando.