SavageRiffer
Banned
New member
Oh my, my, my... Bigtone Studio Plex MK II is soooooo freaking good... and for guys on this forum, I think it's going to blow you away, but more on that in a bit... I'm no fanboi, nor do I have any kind of affiliation whatsoever, so what I'm about to report is straight-up first impression. I have no idea what customer service is like, but they're a European company based in Spain. Cliff from Destroy All Guitars has been saying good things about Bigtone, and that dude is trusted resource to anyone who has ever bought an amp from him.
Before getting one, I listened to the videos a hundred times and sought the advice of an expert amp builder. I was told that the Bigtone stuff is top-notch, with thick circuit boards, top-quality components, and badass wiring and circuit design. There are two versions of this amp: 22w 6V6 and 50w EL34 models. The one I'm speaking of is the 50w EL34.
First off, this amp reminds me a lot of a Diezel Paul. It has massive low end and amazing punch. It makes whatever you pick thrust right from the fretboard and through the amp. It has definition, sustain, and incredible tone. This is not simply some kind of plexi style amp. This really is a different beast. I mean, this is very much like a Diezel to me. If Peter Diezel built a 2 channel modded Marshall, this might be it.
However, to put it in the modded Marshall category is a touchy subject because, first of all, it does amazing plexi style clean, crunch, and gain. However, the gain structure isn't fizzy or buzzy. It has a lot of depth. It's a bit thicker than a plexi, but there are a couple of switches which are superbly designed. There's a little toggle that's normal in middle position, bright on one side, and thicker on the other position. This switch is no hype either because it really does a lot more than just shift the EQ. I can't really articulate it yet, but it works extremely well. That alone speaks volumes for the amp design.
The second thing is that the gain can be spot-on plexi, but there is so much more to it that to describe it as a modded Marshall would be to lump it in with all the other boutique clones. I mean seriously, I have a Helios which was like a breath of fresh air in the world of boutique modded Marshalls, but I must admit the Studio Plexi MKII actually brings a bit more to the table.
First of all, the cleans are one of the best EL34 cleans I have ever heard. Not only does it sound immaculate, it feels so right. In fact, it has bounce, jangle, but not too loose feeling. It's not chewy or spongy either. It's hard to describe at this point, but it just feels so, so good to play whether you're playing clean, rhythm, or lead. Look, I'm just trying to hype this amp up because I get zero benefit from doing that. However, I'll tell you that this amp is genius in design. It so brilliantly handles clean, crunch, rhythm, and lead that it's like it magically morphs into the perfect clean or crunch or rhythm or lead amp on demand. Like I said, it's something hard to describe, but it's a feel thing and a tone thing. Whatever it is, it just works.
There is a high-gain mode switch, and with that on, it's almost as gainy as a Friedman Smallbox. However, it has a boost which takes it a bit past the Smallbox in amount of gain, but still needing just a little extra push from an overdrive to achieve the brootz. It LOVES pedals with a passion, and I haven't even tried the FX loop yet, but my Timeline, Mobius, wah, and overdrives all run through the input so well it's amazing.
As I mentioned, it has a marvelous feel. Many amps make me turn up the distortion to get a liquid lead feel that tracks my pick attack with instant response, but the Studio Plex has a lot in common with the Helios in that it has a brilliant feel and response no matter how low the gain or volume is. I mentioned the Friedman Smallbox, Helios, and Diezel Paul. This amp perhaps shares more tonally with the BE-100, but a low end and punch reminiscent of a Diezel Paul, and the liveliness and Marshallness of the Helios. LOL, that's probably kind of a stupid description, but I think you would understand after playing one. As far as feel and response, it's kind of a marriage between a Smallbox and Helios. It's not squashy, nor is it chewy, but that punchy flutter you get from fast-picked notes comes out with relative ease.
It's a pretty warm tone, but not dark. I think it's very open sounding, but at the same time there's like some kind of light layer of mystical compression which is so pleasing. Man, Bigtone demos sem to bill this amp as a proverbial boutique 2-channel plexi/modded Marshall, but it's sooooo good at doing metal. It can definitely grind with just a little juice from a boost pedal. It's tight in a way that you never have to worry about flub, but not necessarily tight in feel either. I give up trying to detail that for you, so I'm just going to leave it at that.
Bigtone is very, very impressive. Spain just got put on the map as far as I'm concerned. Though Spain has always churned out some of the worlds most amazing guitarists, now they are among the world elite amp makers. Whether you play jazz or metal or anything in between, you've definitely got to give the Studio Plex high consideration. I don't have the recording skills so I hope some of you on the forum or maybe Rezamatix can do a studio quality demo to show the heavier side of this amp.
Ah, forgot to mention one last thing. The master volume is outstanding, as good as Friedman and Bogner, and taper of all the controls is perfect. You can really dial it in at any volume with outstanding sound. My Helios is magnificent, but at the lowest range of the volume controls, it has a more abrupt taper. This, of course, is in line with the brilliance of it's design as I previously mentioned.
I swear I'm not just saying this man. Go out and buy one. There are so many good amps on the market right now, but I really think Bigtone is a cut above the rest. Their amps are seriously freaking good.
Before getting one, I listened to the videos a hundred times and sought the advice of an expert amp builder. I was told that the Bigtone stuff is top-notch, with thick circuit boards, top-quality components, and badass wiring and circuit design. There are two versions of this amp: 22w 6V6 and 50w EL34 models. The one I'm speaking of is the 50w EL34.
First off, this amp reminds me a lot of a Diezel Paul. It has massive low end and amazing punch. It makes whatever you pick thrust right from the fretboard and through the amp. It has definition, sustain, and incredible tone. This is not simply some kind of plexi style amp. This really is a different beast. I mean, this is very much like a Diezel to me. If Peter Diezel built a 2 channel modded Marshall, this might be it.
However, to put it in the modded Marshall category is a touchy subject because, first of all, it does amazing plexi style clean, crunch, and gain. However, the gain structure isn't fizzy or buzzy. It has a lot of depth. It's a bit thicker than a plexi, but there are a couple of switches which are superbly designed. There's a little toggle that's normal in middle position, bright on one side, and thicker on the other position. This switch is no hype either because it really does a lot more than just shift the EQ. I can't really articulate it yet, but it works extremely well. That alone speaks volumes for the amp design.
The second thing is that the gain can be spot-on plexi, but there is so much more to it that to describe it as a modded Marshall would be to lump it in with all the other boutique clones. I mean seriously, I have a Helios which was like a breath of fresh air in the world of boutique modded Marshalls, but I must admit the Studio Plexi MKII actually brings a bit more to the table.
First of all, the cleans are one of the best EL34 cleans I have ever heard. Not only does it sound immaculate, it feels so right. In fact, it has bounce, jangle, but not too loose feeling. It's not chewy or spongy either. It's hard to describe at this point, but it just feels so, so good to play whether you're playing clean, rhythm, or lead. Look, I'm just trying to hype this amp up because I get zero benefit from doing that. However, I'll tell you that this amp is genius in design. It so brilliantly handles clean, crunch, rhythm, and lead that it's like it magically morphs into the perfect clean or crunch or rhythm or lead amp on demand. Like I said, it's something hard to describe, but it's a feel thing and a tone thing. Whatever it is, it just works.
There is a high-gain mode switch, and with that on, it's almost as gainy as a Friedman Smallbox. However, it has a boost which takes it a bit past the Smallbox in amount of gain, but still needing just a little extra push from an overdrive to achieve the brootz. It LOVES pedals with a passion, and I haven't even tried the FX loop yet, but my Timeline, Mobius, wah, and overdrives all run through the input so well it's amazing.
As I mentioned, it has a marvelous feel. Many amps make me turn up the distortion to get a liquid lead feel that tracks my pick attack with instant response, but the Studio Plex has a lot in common with the Helios in that it has a brilliant feel and response no matter how low the gain or volume is. I mentioned the Friedman Smallbox, Helios, and Diezel Paul. This amp perhaps shares more tonally with the BE-100, but a low end and punch reminiscent of a Diezel Paul, and the liveliness and Marshallness of the Helios. LOL, that's probably kind of a stupid description, but I think you would understand after playing one. As far as feel and response, it's kind of a marriage between a Smallbox and Helios. It's not squashy, nor is it chewy, but that punchy flutter you get from fast-picked notes comes out with relative ease.
It's a pretty warm tone, but not dark. I think it's very open sounding, but at the same time there's like some kind of light layer of mystical compression which is so pleasing. Man, Bigtone demos sem to bill this amp as a proverbial boutique 2-channel plexi/modded Marshall, but it's sooooo good at doing metal. It can definitely grind with just a little juice from a boost pedal. It's tight in a way that you never have to worry about flub, but not necessarily tight in feel either. I give up trying to detail that for you, so I'm just going to leave it at that.
Bigtone is very, very impressive. Spain just got put on the map as far as I'm concerned. Though Spain has always churned out some of the worlds most amazing guitarists, now they are among the world elite amp makers. Whether you play jazz or metal or anything in between, you've definitely got to give the Studio Plex high consideration. I don't have the recording skills so I hope some of you on the forum or maybe Rezamatix can do a studio quality demo to show the heavier side of this amp.
Ah, forgot to mention one last thing. The master volume is outstanding, as good as Friedman and Bogner, and taper of all the controls is perfect. You can really dial it in at any volume with outstanding sound. My Helios is magnificent, but at the lowest range of the volume controls, it has a more abrupt taper. This, of course, is in line with the brilliance of it's design as I previously mentioned.
I swear I'm not just saying this man. Go out and buy one. There are so many good amps on the market right now, but I really think Bigtone is a cut above the rest. Their amps are seriously freaking good.
I hope you enjoy our amps!