When you hear the word PLEXI...

[Reckless Abandon]

Re: When you hear the word PLEXI...

AC/DC and early EVH, Kiss alive

 

[wahwah]

Re: When you hear the word PLEXI...

Yeah man, I think of the Koss too. Hendrix, Zep, Cream, EVH, AC/DC, all the classics. It just makes me think rock. Legendary stuff.

Yeah KR, that list says a lot...there's a lifetime's worth of inspiration there...

The thing about Kossoff is that what you're hearing is a Les Paul, a cable and a plexi. That's it. A lot of those other plexi users had fuzz, treble boosts, mods etc going on.

So true, and kind of amazing when you think about it...no boost for solos, he would just boost the energy he was delivering into the guitar and turn up the "emotion" control in his hands...and he was still a teenager....freaky good.

Paul Kossof has what I consider to be a classic, basic Plexi sound. Les Paul+Plexi+Koss's fingers=Rock Tone.

Yep, agreed... and it still sounds magical today nearly 40 years later, with all that has come since. Koss nailed it, and he was just a kid. Inspirational stuff.

Cheers fellow Koss fans, it's good to know you're out there.

............wahwah.

 

[Gr8Scott]

Re: When you hear the word PLEXI...

When you folks say AC/DC, you need to specify. Angus uses the JTM-45 mainly on lead and fills etc. Usually, if you're hearing Angus you're hearing a JTM-45. Hence the sweet singing nature of Angus's lead work. The grittier sounding Plexi is used in all rythem work. Usually, Malcom is the Plexi player and Angus is the JTM-45. The differences are slight, but are still audible. Occasionally on studio work Angus would use the plexi also, but it wasn't terribly common. He mainly used the plexi for riffing. Those rolling gravel type riffs primarily where you could hear the harmonic undertones throbbing under the mids.

Some call the JTM-45 a plexi too, but I like to make sure that they are seperated because they do sound different. The JTM-45 is lower gain and a bit sweeter/smoother sounding. The plexi is a tad rough and rude but has an underlying sweetness and smoothness that just satisfies the soul. Both are beautifully designed amps and equally worth having. The JTM-45 is like bottle of Dom Perignon, while the Plexi is more akin to a really good beer.

 

[Rushfan2112]

Re: When you hear the word PLEXI...

Boring.

 

[dystrust]

Re: When you hear the word PLEXI...

Boring.

I find it kind of ironic (considering your name) that you consider plexis boring when Alex Lifeson was using a wall of non-master Marshalls up until Farewell to Kings. His backline for the 2112 tour consisted of eight NM Marshalls driving eight 4x12s. I don't know if he actually used all of them, but in all the pics/vids I've seen all eight pilot lights were on.

I guess I'll have to add vintage Rush to my list of cool plexi tones (even thought it was technically a metal panel).

 

[Rushfan2112]

Re: When you hear the word PLEXI...

I find it kind of ironic (considering your name) that you consider plexis boring when Alex Lifeson was using a wall of non-master Marshalls up until Farewell to Kings. His backline for the 2112 tour consisted of eight NM Marshalls driving eight 4x12s. I don't know if he actually used all of them, but in all the pics/vids I've seen all eight pilot lights were on.

I guess I'll have to add vintage Rush to my list of cool plexi tones (even thought it was technically a metal panel).

I chose my name awhile ago when I was really into Rush. I still like them, and I guess when I think of Marshalls I do think of early Rush (and Hiwatts), but I don't really like Marshalls anymore.

 

[The Owl]

Re: When you hear the word PLEXI...

What recordings do you think of?

For me, it is definitely Spoonful by Cream and Voodoo Child by Hendrix - just the two that come up first.

"Crossroads" by Cream too!

Ditto on the Hendrix!

The whole "Believe It" album by The New Tony Williams Lifetime with Allan Holdsworth blasting his SG through a 100W plexi, what a TONE!

Return to Forever's "Hymn of the 7th Galaxy" with Bill Connors on Les Paul and 100W Plexi

 

[shawnr]

Re: When you hear the word PLEXI...

I think about the time I took my plexi and SRO cabinet to work--it was Super Bowl Sunday and everybody else was watching the game, so I set up the amp in the machinery shed (approx. 100' x 50' x 30', concrete floor, completely empty) busted out my beater Tele and let it rip for about an hour. Beautiful, wish I'd brought a tape recorder.

 

[dystrust]

Re: When you hear the word PLEXI...

I chose my name awhile ago when I was really into Rush. I still like them, and I guess when I think of Marshalls I do think of early Rush (and Hiwatts), but I don't really like Marshalls anymore.

To each his own. If everyone liked the same things, there wouldn't be so many cool amps out there.

 

[Lake Placid Blues]

Re: When you hear the word PLEXI...

I think of Cream, live Hendrix, and early EVH.

 

[Dave]

Re: When you hear the word PLEXI...

When you folks say AC/DC, you need to specify. Angus uses the JTM-45 mainly on lead and fills etc. Usually, if you're hearing Angus you're hearing a JTM-45. Hence the sweet singing nature of Angus's lead work. The grittier sounding Plexi is used in all rythem work. Usually, Malcom is the Plexi player and Angus is the JTM-45. The differences are slight, but are still audible. Occasionally on studio work Angus would use the plexi also, but it wasn't terribly common. He mainly used the plexi for riffing. Those rolling gravel type riffs primarily where you could hear the harmonic undertones throbbing under the mids.

Some call the JTM-45 a plexi too, but I like to make sure that they are seperated because they do sound different. The JTM-45 is lower gain and a bit sweeter/smoother sounding. The plexi is a tad rough and rude but has an underlying sweetness and smoothness that just satisfies the soul. Both are beautifully designed amps and equally worth having. The JTM-45 is like bottle of Dom Perignon, while the Plexi is more akin to a really good beer.

Interesting-I didn't know that both were used. I guess I'll hop in the Camaro and dime some FTATRWSY! Kinda cool to be able to hear both on one recording.

 

[Gr8Scott]

Re: When you hear the word PLEXI...

Interesting-I didn't know that both were used. I guess I'll hop in the Camaro and dime some FTATRWSY! Kinda cool to be able to hear both on one recording.

Yes indeed. The JTM-45 is a touch on the silky/velvety side. The Plexi is broken-in well-worn denim. Both are really really nice, but different enough to warrant the distinction.

 

[Dr.Mavashi]

Re: When you hear the word PLEXI...

So, any Scorpions fans ? was I right about Uli Roth using a plexi during his days with them?

 

[Dave]

Re: When you hear the word PLEXI...

http://www.mikesguitarsite.co.uk/gear/acdc/?page=Malcolm Young

Interesting link to some AC/DC stuff. I like the pic of Malcom's Gretsch Jet Firebird. Very nice!

 

[Sirion]

Re: When you hear the word PLEXI...

Anyone know if the Thin Lizzy guys used plexis back in the day? And, if not, what kind of Marshalls did they use?

 

[Jeffrec]

Re: When you hear the word PLEXI...

ZZ TOP (First album and large parts of all their other stuff...)
Cream
Jeff Beck (Truth and Beck-Ola for sure)

Excellent choices!

 

[devastone]

Re: When you hear the word PLEXI...

Alot of early Zep was a Supro Combo.

Malcolm and Angus both use old Marshalls, but as Scott said, alot of it is JTM-45s, and even their 100W amps are fitted with KT66s or 6L6s instead of EL34s.

EVH used 6CA7s in his Plexi, but that is one of my favorite tones.

Jimi used 6550s in his Marshalls (as does Zakk) to make them louder and cleaner.

 

[stratman1967]

Re: When you hear the word PLEXI...

Anyone know if the Thin Lizzy guys used plexis back in the day? And, if not, what kind of Marshalls did they use?

I just checked my copy of "Live and Dangerous" and although the pics are small, Brian Robertson's Marshalls look like later (post '75 pre JCM 800)aluminum panel non-master volume. Couldn't tell what Scott Gorham was using just saw cabs, no heads.

 

[Sirion]

Re: When you hear the word PLEXI...

No matter what it was, that is in my opinion the best MArshall tone ever recorded.

 

[Dave]

Re: When you hear the word PLEXI...

Malcolm and Angus both use old Marshalls, but as Scott said, alot of it is JTM-45s, and even their 100W amps are fitted with KT66s or 6L6s instead of EL34s.

EVH used 6CA7s in his Plexi, but that is one of my favorite tones.

Jimi used 6550s in his Marshalls (as does Zakk) to make them louder and cleaner.

Are all of those tubes interchangeable, or are their amp techs replacing sockets, rebiasing, etc.??