Which Plexi style pedal to build?

T

Toastman

Member
Hello everyone, I am currently running a MArshall ST20 as a pedal platfrom with Greer Amps Black mountain clone, which someone did the PCB diy, but the values somewhat dont match, So i want some another marshall style pedal to try. Something higher gain preferably - think of Slash/late acdc for example.

What should i go for?
I am debating between:

Lovepedal Jubilee (my top pick for now)
Keeley 1962X - not so much gain i suppose
Keeley El Rey Dorado
Black Mountain (round two :D)
Wampler Plexi-Drive

Thanks for reccomendations
 
Depends on your pedal building skills. I’m building the Golden Falk now but I love the sound and simplicity of the Black Mountain. It can rock. The Plexi-Drive couldn’t get heavy enough for me but it was authentic sounding.
 
bluedmc777 said:
Depends on your pedal building skills. I’m building the Golden Falk now but I love the sound and simplicity of the Black Mountain. It can rock. The Plexi-Drive couldn’t get heavy enough for me but it was authentic sounding.
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Yeaah, building skills are no problem. I just usually like pedals with less controls.
 
I recently build a Corroder and its still on the Auditorium platform. I lend it to a friend, who owns several Marshall amps. He checked it out and told me, he won‘t give it back. I had to say okay keep it, but i need the Auditorium back…:ROFLMAO:
 
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An SD-1 is the way to go if you already have a Marshall. I would not build an SD-1 because they are so cheap. However, you mentioned AC/DC as a tone reference. That would suggest that the Closed Circuit Booster Limiter that clones the wireless pre-amp that Angus Young is fond of a good choice for goosing your Marshall. But the preamp from SoloDallas is over $200, so the one I built using PPCB satisfied my curiosity about the circuit. It's a winner, IMO.
 
pfmorton said:
An SD-1 is the way to go if you already have a Marshall. I would not build an SD-1 because they are so cheap. However, you mentioned AC/DC as a tone reference. That would suggest that the Closed Circuit Booster Limiter that clones the wireless pre-amp that Angus Young is fond of a good choice for goosing your Marshall. But the preamp from SoloDallas is over $200, so the one I built using PPCB satisfied my curiosity about the circuit. It's a winner, IMO.
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Yeaah I already have this one. It's a great pedal. But it's more of a clean boost/compressor
 
At the risk of being that guy - I really don't like the SD-1. Maybe I'm not into the right kinda music for it but it just sounds like sterile fizz to me. And I play through a Marshall Plexi style amp. If you're shooting for a ACDC sound I doubt that's the way.

There are some pretty decent Marshall style ODs. The Plexi Drive is good but I made a couple of changes to mine - I used a 3n3 at C2 (I don't use the switch but trying different caps there is not a bad idea) and I use a smaller cap at C5. I used a C10K pot as a bass pot and it goes between a 220nF cap and a 22µF cap. But just socket C5 and try a 10µf or 22µf and see what works for you. Even stock it's probably a good choice for an ACDC sound.

I just built an Article 59 and was disappointed. I was expecting more! I would suggest the Golden Falk over it.
 
HamishR said:
At the risk of being that guy - I really don't like the SD-1. Maybe I'm not into the right kinda music for it but it just sounds like sterile fizz to me. And I play through a Marshall Plexi style amp. If you're shooting for a ACDC sound I doubt that's the way.

There are some pretty decent Marshall style ODs. The Plexi Drive is good but I made a couple of changes to mine - I used a 3n3 at C2 (I don't use the switch but trying different caps there is not a bad idea) and I use a smaller cap at C5. I used a C10K pot as a bass pot and it goes between a 220nF cap and a 22µF cap. But just socket C5 and try a 10µf or 22µf and see what works for you. Even stock it's probably a good choice for an ACDC sound.

I just built an Article 59 and was disappointed. I was expecting more! I would suggest the Golden Falk over it.
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I was a little let down with the Article 59 as well. I don’t dislike it but it sounded more authentic in the demos. It can be quite fatiguing on the ears as well. I’d have to say I prefer the plexidrive over it. The SL drive is one I could never get to sound right.
 
I guess the difficulty is that as soon as we say Marshall everyone is going to have a different idea of what that sound is! And these days there are a LOT of players who have likely never played the kind of Marshalls which are regarded as "the Marshall sound". I suspect it would be a minority of folks here who have actually played a Super Lead or even a 50W small box 1987 at the sort of volumes needed to get them singing. It is a very different sound from what you can get out of any modern Marshall. It's different from any master volume Marshall. I have certainly never gigged with one, and never gigged at the kind of volumes needed to get that sound.

But I have played a few, and a '68 small box lead is probably one of the best sounding amps I have played. It's not a versatile amp - although probably more versatile than a lot of modern Marshalls despite all the channel switching etc. For that sound and feel the Golden Falk probably gets the closest that I have tried. And even then it will depend on what you play it through. My modded Plexi Drive gets close but I think the Golden Falk/Plexi Breed has the edge.
 
Toastman said:
In the end I ordered the LovePedal Jubilee and Abider Overdrive (dumble style for change) so I will see how it compares :)
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Update:
I built the jubilee first. There was a lot of noise coming from the circuit especially at lower gain. I tried to fix it but, but unsuccessfully. I suppose it's something with the gain control.
And it honestly didn't sound that good at higher gain even when I changed the caps. Really dark and muffled. Low gain was quite good but unusable due to the noise.

The abider is amazing, lot of sweet spots and sounds quite Marshally. It's slightly more smoother and compressed. But it can get to the Van Galen/slash territory.
 
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