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firegate
Active member
I freaking loved my SL68 when I had it, but man these prices are getting out of hand. It's basically just a 100W plexi with a few extra bells and whistles, $3500??
cobrahead1030
Well-known member
I really don't need this at all, and still feel like I should start saving for it.
LPMojoGL
Well-known member
Humbucker Music briefly had the OG sl67/68s marked down $300, last week I think. For like a day. Wonder if they're going to mark them back down.
CarlF
Well-known member
Humbucker is still selling the older versions of both.
Nitrobattery
Well-known member
I don't really need the new SL68, but I'll likely get one. Super cool.
Kapo_Polenton
Well-known member
I concur. For us in Canada it is going to be something like a 4500$ amplifier. That's nuts. You can get a Ceriatone prebuilt, swap the transformer if it means that much to you and essentially tweak 3-4 parts of the amp based on Dave's deep dive with Pete Thorn and you are there. the variac feature is pretty cool though but I'd sooner by a cheap variac and bias a clone and then get that sound as needed. Also a fun fact, I am learning that I like the 2204 MV circuit better with a few " plexi" tweaks like running lower NFR value. I suspect this is what Angus Young has done when converting his NMV to MV. The trick is just running them loud. If I have 4k to spend, I'm buying a real Superlead local when it comes up for 2500$. I've seen them that low before on local classifieds. Moving a 4k amp is not that easy when it is time to sell.
SpiderWars
Well-known member
As soon as I saw these coming out my first thought was that he added the big 4700-5000pF bright cap and put it on a switch. I’ve hinted several times to both John Suhr and Pete Thorn on TGP that the big ass bright cap is a crucial part of the Super Lead. Shortly thereafter Pete had the big ass bright cap. My take is that no bright cap is better than 500pF which some people try (I think Suhr did it too) but that is the worst of both worlds. You get all the harsh but none of the good stuff the big ass bright cap brings.
Marshall knew exactly what they were doing when they put that cap in. These were ‘high gain’ amps of the day and were never designed to be played at anything other than ear piercing volumes. But now we have a ton of load boxes to choose from so we can play them as intended (cranked) and not go deaf.
Marshall knew exactly what they were doing when they put that cap in. These were ‘high gain’ amps of the day and were never designed to be played at anything other than ear piercing volumes. But now we have a ton of load boxes to choose from so we can play them as intended (cranked) and not go deaf.
napalmdeath
Well-known member
I've found something to that. I discussed having David Bray build me an amp a few years ago, and he pretty much doesn't recommend it in a Plexi type circuit for various reasons that went over my head.
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harddriver
Well-known member
That's why slaving and reamping a plexi tends to work better for time based effects mostly.
I also think slaving a 2203 circuit also sounds equally as good fully slaved and the time based effects placed between the slaved amp and the power amplifiers but YMMV and depends on how big of a rig you want or need.
I also think slaving a 2203 circuit also sounds equally as good fully slaved and the time based effects placed between the slaved amp and the power amplifiers but YMMV and depends on how big of a rig you want or need.
burger
Well-known member
It’s because in a plexi you’re distorting the phase inverter, which is always post loop. So your time based fx will be distorted.
Plus it fucks with driving the PI into clipping, fx loops are the enemy of a great plexi. John Suhr knows this and that’s why you’ll never see him add one to his SL amps.
griff10672
Well-known member
well shit ...... I guess that explains why my Headfirst Loop in my 2204 sounds amazing and when I installed one in my Granger Custom 50 Plexi I thought I was doing something wrong ...... I got it sounding good ...... but not as good as my 2204
LPMojoGL
Well-known member
Right, but they're not "on sale" like they were last week. It didn't last long.
I wonder if Suhr thought to blow them out with the newer vs coming, and then changed his mind.
SoooRad
Well-known member
Absolutely. I am running a Laney GH50L with the master on 7, and it is the sound I want out of a Plexi, just for much less money.
ESPECIALLY here in Canada. Big Friedman for 5K? Get fucked
Kapo_Polenton
Well-known member
Those GH50L are no joke. Laney makes some solid stuff. I can't imagine my wife's face if I came home with a 5k amp lol. She simply cannot comprehend how this could be any different and way better than anything else I already have.
napalmdeath
Well-known member
I'd rock a Laney GH50L any day. I've owned 3 or 4.
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firegate
Active member
Yeah the Variac is pretty cool, although I found myself not using it all that much when playing the amp live. It cuts through much better in a live mix at full voltage.
stratjacket
Well-known member
Sounds cool, I’d love to have a Plexi type amp to play sometimes. Hard to pay that much for something to have on the side. Would love to have one though
Kapo_Polenton
Well-known member
MArshall needs to step up and reissue the little 1 watt bastard with built in variac effect. If all you want to do is get that recorded tone.. there it is! It should be a race to the 1 watt plexi as a nice alternative for the home studio guys who want that sound.
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harddriver
Well-known member
Soldano pretty much did this with the HR25 running the 5881/6l6's at a lower DC voltage on the plates which is pretty much the end results of turning a variac down and Metropolous did this as well with the lower voltage taps which ran the plate voltage at around 400 DC volts on his plexi's and plexi kits. I'm not sure how the Metroplex does it but in the end running a variac and lowering the heater voltage seems to have some effects to the tone as well as getting earlier power amp clipping even though technically it shouldn't make any difference but in my experience it does by comparison of just running the amp on a lower transformer taps versus running it full voltage then variacing it down.....mind you it really only applies to VH stuff mostly but I found it does make a difference when you A/B them.
Having a 3 watt 2203 Jose amp running a single ended EL34 it runs out of ass pretty quick and while it sound great it has a hard time competing with my 50 and 100 watters turned down or variaced/attenuated(reasonably).
I did like what Mike Soldano did with the HR25 running full size tubes at lowered plate voltage though.
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Racerxrated
Well-known member
Getting rid of the bright cap in any vintage Marshall neuters the amp. To my ears anyway. If it's too bright, there's always, ya know, the eq controls.
Recently traded for a 72 50w bass circuit...put a 4K bright cap in...roars like a lead amp now.