Would you vintage stock Marshall or something like a Metroplex?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Mikeyboyeee
  • Start date Start date
Mikeyboyeee said:
Seriously considering a Dvl-1.
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He increased the filtering and switched to WIMA caps in the DVL-1

Only the metroplex models have the vintage sounding sozo/sinergy caps and lower filtering for more plexi/hotrodded Marshall type of tone. The difference is minimal until you get to band volumes - the differences would be very transparent then.

The DVL-1 is on the same playing field as a Splawn IMO.
 
glpg80 said:
He increased the filtering and switched to WIMA caps in the DVL-1

Only the metroplex models have the vintage sounding sozo/sinergy caps and lower filtering for more plexi/hotrodded Marshall type of tone. The difference is minimal until you get to band volumes - the differences would be very transparent then.
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Even Reinhold Bogner ditched the WIMAS and went with a more organic/vintage sounding cap in the 20th Anniversary Ecstasy.
 
If you're a bedroom or recording guy, an original.

If you're planning on gigging or touring it, a metro.

Pretty simple imo ?
 
M
panhead said:
78 79 80 were the best MV marshalls
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My Monomyths have the MV more than covered.
For me, if vintage, I'm looking 50w 4 holer.

Gonna lay low and see what becomes avail in coming weeks.

Decided the 800 is going. May move a guitar too to free up some funds.

Maybe not get anything ? who knows.
 
panhead said:
78 79 80 were the best MV marshalls
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I’ve had a ‘76, a ‘77, a ‘79 and I now have an 80 JMP all 100’s…
Yes, you’re right, in my opinion, PH,

The ‘76 and ‘77 were weak compared to the ‘79/‘80… the 1980 slightly outdid the ‘79 so the ‘79 went bye bye and the 1980 is the one I’ve kept.
 
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glpg80 said:
He increased the filtering and switched to WIMA caps in the DVL-1

Only the metroplex models have the vintage sounding sozo/sinergy caps and lower filtering for more plexi/hotrodded Marshall type of tone. The difference is minimal until you get to band volumes - the differences would be very transparent then.

The DVL-1 is on the same playing field as a Splawn IMO.
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I have thought about picking up another Metropoulos but this is what worries me about his current builds - I just don’t know if I would like the DVL as much as I did the Metroplex…

Wonder why he changed??

I guess there is always Germino, for the pure vintage tone? But no mods in any way
 
journeyman73 said:
I have thought about picking up another Metropoulos but this is what worries me about his current builds - I just don’t know if I would like the DVL as much as I did the Metroplex…

Wonder why he changed??

I guess there is always Germino, for the pure vintage tone? But no mods in any way
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It’s why I looked all over for a metroplex when I did. I use it more in the mod modes than anything else. I tell you what, in the 50W mode it does the chewy Van Halen thing to a T.
 
SQUAREHEAD said:
I’ve had a ‘76, a ‘77, a ‘79 and I now have an 80 JMP all 100’s…
Yes, you’re right, in my opinion, PH,

The ‘76 and ‘77 were weak compared to the ‘79/‘80… the 1980 slightly outdid the ‘79 so the ‘79 went bye bye and the 1980 is the one I’ve kept.
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76 77 not cascaded yet
 
I've owned my 79 Marshall 2203 since 1983. It was a monster back then with an MXR distortion+ and or Boss SD-1.....my other guitarist in the band bought a new 83 Marshall 2204 because he liked my 79 so much. After he got it we had band practice and he didn't like his 2204 much, it just wasn't aggressive, and crunchy as the 79 as it should have been. Now 83 was supposed to be a great year for JCM800 amps so I have to fall back on my Monday and Friday lemon Marshall theory.:dunno:

I actually own this 83 JMC800 Marshall today as I bought it off him to mod it because I don't feel bad whatsoever at gutting the thing. :p

I fully agree the 78, 79 and 80 seemed to be great years for Marshall at least for MV JMPS......:2thumbsup:
 
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I’d go metroplex. As cool as the Marshall is, they’re higher maintenance with less features. For 3k-ish the metro is good to go out of the box with a loop. A Marshall for the same price likely needs a variac($100), new caps($100), and some sort of attenuator($250-900). If you have the gear and then it’s a coin toss.
 
If you are really wanting a plexi tone, feel and response then the Metroplex should be high up on your list with an actual 68 plexi or maybe a 69 metal panel comes close but they have the higher filtering on the screens and preamp which seems to affect feel somewhat. Unless you can find a 68, 69 or a 70 I wouldn't look into later Marshall Superleads if you are wanting a true plexi.

What are real plexi's now pricewise???? $5000.00 - $10,000.00? Don't get me wrong I love my 68 plexi but if you don't want to have to attenuate/ variac to get it usable at reasonable volume levels then the Metroplex gets alot more attractive IMHO.:2thumbsup:

All that being said my 69 NOS built clone with Heyboer/metro iron sounded almost as good and feel as my 68 Ed spec Plexi with Heyboer Iron and I would put them up to many NOS amps, but both of them have NOS parts in them, like Iskras resitors and NOS Electrolytic caps and Mustard caps.

What is cool about the Metroplex you get the 65/66/68 and modded 68 tones. I have to variac/ attenuate my 68 plexi Ed build amp to get what I love out of it. In those clips you hear Georges 68 being attenuated by the Fryette PS2 versus the master volume in the Metroplex. I hear the Metroplex has a killer Master Volume.

The only other amp/mod I can endorse in a RT modded Marshall or a Marshall build amp by Michael Audette. My 72 Marshall has the Split cathode RT mod in it and it does sound very good and with the stock 4 input jack setup you still have a 2 gain stage Marshall using the regular bright or normal input jacks and the cascade channel when you plug into the far right upper and lower input jacks. It appears Audette has pulled his YT channel I can't seem to find it to post some clips of his latest builds, here's the best I can do. These are Little B's videos if you want to contact him.


Here's a stock 69 Marshall for comparison....

Here's is a Stock 71 Marshall also to compare
 
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SQUAREHEAD said:
I think we should do a poll and everybody guess how many Marshalls you have owned over the years ?
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Well, the *asterisk would be that a lot of them were returned in 30 days ie a GC buy long before the ginormous price increases. 60 or more total with half of that from GC. The dumbest return was a 1969 metal SL..kept popping fuses so I just returned it. In my defense this was before I knew much about tubes + biasing. Damn thing probably just had a bad 34. It was 999 too.
 
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