I Have Metroplex Fever...

[Schaf]

It sounds artificial to my ears. I think a good JCM800 with a pedal sounds better.

Seriously? Have you seen Lance Keltner's demo? Sounds killer. And, I'm a big fan of 800 with pedals. That's been my amp for 10 years. To me, George's amp is one of the best sounding amps I've heard in a while. It has quite a bit of versatility. I'd probably get one if they weren't so expensive.

 

[journeyman73]

It sounds artificial to my ears. I think a good JCM800 with a pedal sounds better.

Seriously? Have you seen Lance Keltner's demo? Sounds killer.

i actually think the amp sounds way better than that demo - i generally like lance's stuff but didn't care for his MP demo that much.

 

[psychodave]

It sounds artificial to my ears. I think a good JCM800 with a pedal sounds better.

Seriously? Have you seen Lance Keltner's demo? Sounds killer. And, I'm a big fan of 800 with pedals. That's been my amp for 10 years. To me, George's amp is one of the best sounding amps I've heard in a while. It has quite a bit of versatility. I'd probably get one if they weren't so expensive.

I'm commenting on the official metro video linked in this thread. George must have felt it was an accurate clip of how it sounds since he uploaded it. I've never heard of Lance Keltner.

 

[bonedarrell]

I have one and love it!!! I use it with vintage early 70s cabs loaded with greenbacks and creambacks G12M-75s. Don't mess with V30s.

 

[LP Freak]

It sounds artificial to my ears. I think a good JCM800 with a pedal sounds better.

Seriously? Have you seen Lance Keltner's demo? Sounds killer. And, I'm a big fan of 800 with pedals. That's been my amp for 10 years. To me, George's amp is one of the best sounding amps I've heard in a while. It has quite a bit of versatility. I'd probably get one if they weren't so expensive.

I'm commenting on the official metro video linked in this thread. George must have felt it was an accurate clip of how it sounds since he uploaded it. I've never heard of Lance Keltner.

Man Dave, you gotta get out more.

 

[bbaug14]

I played one yesterday at George's shop with the latest switching. This amp is no joke. I don't understand the people who think it doesn't sound "vintage" enough. I played it side-by-side with George's original 68 and it was nearly identical in tone and feel. The 68 actually has a harsh glassiness in the upper register, that was a bit subdued in the MP. Perhaps it's the 40+ year old OT effect. George even said it couldn't be dialed out in that amp.

George does a frequency response test with trimmers on every amp to tweak if to match his reference identically. Pretty awesome if you ask me. They will all sound the same.

The 66 mode was my favorite. That makes the amp for me. Just perfect. I'd be happy with that mode alone.

A word of advice. If you think the MP new out of the box is going to be "identical" to your vintage Marshall or older 12000, it's not. OT, SOZO caps, etc. all need some time to work themselves in a bit. Also, try some NOS or ANOS tubes in the MP. I suspect that alone would change your mind.

 

[bbaug14]

OP you had better and sold them...

Not for long...a MC2 is in my very near future!

MCII is a very sweet amp. Had one for awhile. Very good for modern high gain, but it won't do vintage tones at all. The feel is stiff and immediate (not like a Splawn, but not like a Marshall) and the voice is more modern with a taste of Hiwatt. An awesome amp, but it's not really doing the Plexi thing that the MP does.

 

[fuzzyguitars]

so you dont have the wizard any longer?

u need to update your sig.

what amps do you still have

OP you had better and sold them...

Not for long...a MC2 is in my very near future!

MCII is a very sweet amp. Had one for awhile. Very good for modern high gain, but it won't do vintage tones at all. The feel is stiff and immediate (not like a Splawn, but not like a Marshall) and the voice is more modern with a taste of Hiwatt. An awesome amp, but it's not really doing the Plexi thing that the MP does.

 

[bbaug14]

Yes I do need to update my sig.

The MCII is gone. Loved loved loved that amp, but ultimately it didn't do the classic Marshall stuff I wanted well enough. I play almost all classic to 90s rock, so I moved it.

I play a Peters Triple now that is insanely good. It does more of the 800 type thing and the modded Marshall thing, but the clean can cop some good JTM type tones. I'm actually trying to move this amp now because I really don't need it.

I have a 50W Plexi I built myself with a lead/bass spec switch on it. This is my main amp. Mostly play bass spec with a Timmy, Klon, and 808 for different flavors. Does pretty much all I need.

 

[lespaul6]

I get a fantastic vintage marshall tone from channel 1 with the boost pulled.. I can also get nice vintage ac/dc tones from both channels with the proper settings... yeah, I'm good- no more tone chasing. Malcolm seems to have no problem with the vintage style tone with these things either.. after all, they were developed for those guys! I think you may be the only person Ive ever heard say that a modern classic does not sound like a vintage marshall? My bro has a real nice 73 and we can both sound identical cranked up.....its great.

 

[journeyman73]

I played one yesterday at George's shop with the latest switching. This amp is no joke. I don't understand the people who think it doesn't sound "vintage" enough. I played it side-by-side with George's original 68 and it was nearly identical in tone and feel. The 68 actually has a harsh glassiness in the upper register, that was a bit subdued in the MP. Perhaps it's the 40+ year old OT effect. George even said it couldn't be dialed out in that amp.

George does a frequency response test with trimmers on every amp to tweak if to match his reference identically. Pretty awesome if you ask me. They will all sound the same.

The 66 mode was my favorite. That makes the amp for me. Just perfect. I'd be happy with that mode alone.

A word of advice. If you think the MP new out of the box is going to be "identical" to your vintage Marshall or older 12000, it's not. OT, SOZO caps, etc. all need some time to work themselves in a bit. Also, try some NOS or ANOS tubes in the MP. I suspect that alone would change your mind.

id love a chance to play george's '68. if the MP in plexi mode is really, really close to his '68 could just be i wouldn't dig his '68 that much either - each vintage plexi is different, particularly with how much time has passed since they were produced.

i enjoyed my SL68 and my Germino HR100 more than the plexi mode on the MP. the bite and top end was different with the MP - and it had a lot more give than either of those amps.

on the modern side, i felt like the SS-100 could do what the MP did at higher at gain levels but also stay together better and lean a little more toward modern saturation if you wanted.

so, the problem for me was the MP was sort of stuck between vintage replica amps i felt gave me a vintage tone and feel i liked better...and the SS-100 (or the Helios that i had for a time) which did the modded/slightly modern plexi thing in a way that made the gain more useable to me...i actually didn't feel like the MP was useable over the full range of gain it had available. if you listen to George's gain on 10 boost on 10 clip, it just gets more sizzle and loses more integrity than what i like when going for those more modern plexi tones.

i am curious if a tweak here or there on the MP would address a lot of my particular likes/dislikes. thats one thing thats awesome about george - he will work it out for you!

 

[bbaug14]

I get a fantastic vintage marshall tone from channel 1 with the boost pulled.. I can also get nice vintage ac/dc tones from both channels with the proper settings... yeah, I'm good- no more tone chasing. Malcolm seems to have no problem with the vintage style tone with these things either.. after all, they were developed for those guys! I think you may be the only person Ive ever heard say that a modern classic does not sound like a vintage marshall? My bro has a real nice 73 and we can both sound identical cranked up.....its great.

Don't get me wrong here, the MCII didn't sound bad by any means, but to say the rhythm channel with boost (diode clipping) engaged sounds like a vintage Marshall... not to my ear. The feel also isn't the same. It's just a different animal.

I will say this, I believe the MCII and the MC have a different design for the rhythm channel but share the same lead channel. That could be where we differ on opinions. I've never played a MC.

 

[bbaug14]

I played one yesterday at George's shop with the latest switching. This amp is no joke. I don't understand the people who think it doesn't sound "vintage" enough. I played it side-by-side with George's original 68 and it was nearly identical in tone and feel. The 68 actually has a harsh glassiness in the upper register, that was a bit subdued in the MP. Perhaps it's the 40+ year old OT effect. George even said it couldn't be dialed out in that amp.

George does a frequency response test with trimmers on every amp to tweak if to match his reference identically. Pretty awesome if you ask me. They will all sound the same.

The 66 mode was my favorite. That makes the amp for me. Just perfect. I'd be happy with that mode alone.

A word of advice. If you think the MP new out of the box is going to be "identical" to your vintage Marshall or older 12000, it's not. OT, SOZO caps, etc. all need some time to work themselves in a bit. Also, try some NOS or ANOS tubes in the MP. I suspect that alone would change your mind.

id love a chance to play george's '68. if the MP in plexi mode is really, really close to his '68 could just be i wouldn't dig his '68 that much either - each vintage plexi is different, particularly with how much time has passed since they were produced.

i enjoyed my SL68 and my Germino HR100 more than the plexi mode on the MP. the bite and top end was different with the MP - and it had a lot more give than either of those amps.

on the modern side, i felt like the SS-100 could do what the MP did at higher at gain levels but also stay together better and lean a little more toward modern saturation if you wanted.

so, the problem for me was the MP was sort of stuck between vintage replica amps i felt gave me a vintage tone and feel i liked better...and the SS-100 (or the Helios that i had for a time) which did the modded/slightly modern plexi thing in a way that made the gain more useable to me...i actually didn't feel like the MP was useable over the full range of gain it had available. if you listen to George's gain on 10 boost on 10 clip, it just gets more sizzle and loses more integrity than what i like when going for those more modern plexi tones.

i am curious if a tweak here or there on the MP would address a lot of my particular likes/dislikes. thats one thing thats awesome about george - he will work it out for you!

Yeah, I'm sure George could make it do whatever you wanted.

The MP was made to sound identical to his 68, so I'm guessing you probably wouldn't be a fan of his 68 either. The SL68 and everything Greg makes are awesome. The LV55 made me want a Plexi. Just awesome. I don't think they are all that different in tone, just slightly. The MP is trying to sound like a 40+ year old amp, whereas the others are trying to sound like that same amp when it came off the line 40+ years ago. Different goal but still very much the same.

 

[journeyman73]

I played one yesterday at George's shop with the latest switching. This amp is no joke. I don't understand the people who think it doesn't sound "vintage" enough. I played it side-by-side with George's original 68 and it was nearly identical in tone and feel. The 68 actually has a harsh glassiness in the upper register, that was a bit subdued in the MP. Perhaps it's the 40+ year old OT effect. George even said it couldn't be dialed out in that amp.

George does a frequency response test with trimmers on every amp to tweak if to match his reference identically. Pretty awesome if you ask me. They will all sound the same.

The 66 mode was my favorite. That makes the amp for me. Just perfect. I'd be happy with that mode alone.

A word of advice. If you think the MP new out of the box is going to be "identical" to your vintage Marshall or older 12000, it's not. OT, SOZO caps, etc. all need some time to work themselves in a bit. Also, try some NOS or ANOS tubes in the MP. I suspect that alone would change your mind.

id love a chance to play george's '68. if the MP in plexi mode is really, really close to his '68 could just be i wouldn't dig his '68 that much either - each vintage plexi is different, particularly with how much time has passed since they were produced.

i enjoyed my SL68 and my Germino HR100 more than the plexi mode on the MP. the bite and top end was different with the MP - and it had a lot more give than either of those amps.

on the modern side, i felt like the SS-100 could do what the MP did at higher at gain levels but also stay together better and lean a little more toward modern saturation if you wanted.

so, the problem for me was the MP was sort of stuck between vintage replica amps i felt gave me a vintage tone and feel i liked better...and the SS-100 (or the Helios that i had for a time) which did the modded/slightly modern plexi thing in a way that made the gain more useable to me...i actually didn't feel like the MP was useable over the full range of gain it had available. if you listen to George's gain on 10 boost on 10 clip, it just gets more sizzle and loses more integrity than what i like when going for those more modern plexi tones.

i am curious if a tweak here or there on the MP would address a lot of my particular likes/dislikes. thats one thing thats awesome about george - he will work it out for you!

Yeah, I'm sure George could make it do whatever you wanted.

The MP was made to sound identical to his 68, so I'm guessing you probably wouldn't be a fan of his 68 either. The SL68 and everything Greg makes are awesome. The LV55 made me want a Plexi. Just awesome. I don't think they are all that different in tone, just slightly. The MP is trying to sound like a 40+ year old amp, whereas the others are trying to sound like that same amp when it came off the line 40+ years ago. Different goal but still very much the same.

interesting distinction, as the MP feel did sort of evoke a 'broken-in' type of vibe...as did the top end, actually. that could very well be the design choices that ended up being a little different than what i was expecting.

i agree with you on the tonal similarities - the biggest difference to me was feel...and then the sweeter top end i felt like the metropoulos inherently had.

I'm tempted to give it another go, with tweaks. i would still need to figure out though, how it fit in with my amps from a gain perspective (i.e. not just more gain slapped on a plexi, as i can get that with boost pedals and my other plexi type amps).....got to do some thinking

 

[Velvetgeorge]

Gentlemen, thanks as always just for giving the MP a listen and talking about it. I can't ask for more than that. And if the amp resonates with you, great! If not, that's fine too. I couldn't give the amp it's very distinct voicing and also have it appeal to everyone who ever wanted their ideas of a "plexi" tone. In that way I would expect some people to not dig it.

"Plexi" is such a broad, ubiquitous term that it kind of loses it's definition tonally. I'd be better describing my Metro-Plex plexi mode as 1968 Superlead serial number SL/12380. All the old ones sound different, and this one is a desert island amp. Unless you have played this amp through my '67 basketweave cab you can't possibly know if I nailed the tone and feel. THAT is precisely why I took it to Nashville last month and set it up next to the MP. So people could share my own tonal perspective.

I don't know how much more I could put up or shut up so to speak, here is the second best Superlead I have ever heard (behind EVH's #12301) on display for everyone to make their own opinion. The universal reaction to the '68 was that it was the best plexi they had played or heard. And still, about half of the people who went back and forth preferred the Metro-Plex.

If I have define the sound of the '68 mode on the MP, it would be:

SLEAZY. Dirty rock n roll plexi tone with tons of harmonics. Fairly loose bottom, depending on your technique. Lots of upper midrange activity going on, but with harsh, modern frequencies notched out.
Like all Superleads it will keep you honest. Try to hack your way through and it will expose you. But, hit it like a man and it will reward you.


Here's my latest clip, and probably the best one to showcase the difference between the modes. Rock on!

george

 

[Velvetgeorge]

interesting distinction, as the MP feel did sort of evoke a 'broken-in' type of vibe...as did the top end, actually. that could very well be the design choices that ended up being a little different than what i was expecting.

i agree with you on the tonal similarities - the biggest difference to me was feel...and then the sweeter top end i felt like the metropoulos inherently had.


Definitely a broken in, 45+ year old vibe going there. The '68 has the original filter caps and old Mullard tubes. The '67 era cab has G12M 20 watt speakers with original cones and are also very, very broken in.

It has the beautiful distinction that some vintage gear gets, the ability to be very bright, but not terribly harsh.

If your superlead perspective is more like early metal amps, which are very loud and very bright, inherently stiffer, this will not be your ideal superlead tone.


george

 

[Velvetgeorge]

.

Love this! Dress for the job you want, not the one you have! LOL

george

 

[bonedarrell]

Gentlemen, thanks as always just for giving the MP a listen and talking about it. I can't ask for more than that. And if the amp resonates with you, great! If not, that's fine too. I couldn't give the amp it's very distinct voicing and also have it appeal to everyone who ever wanted their ideas of a "plexi" tone. In that way I would expect some people to not dig it.

"Plexi" is such a broad, ubiquitous term that it kind of loses it's definition tonally. I'd be better describing my Metro-Plex plexi mode as 1968 Superlead serial number SL/12380. All the old ones sound different, and this one is a desert island amp. Unless you have played this amp through my '67 basketweave cab you can't possibly know if I nailed the tone and feel. THAT is precisely why I took it to Nashville last month and set it up next to the MP. So people could share my own tonal perspective.

I don't know how much more I could put up or shut up so to speak, here is the second best Superlead I have ever heard (behind EVH's #12301) on display for everyone to make their own opinion. The universal reaction to the '68 was that it was the best plexi they had played or heard. And still, about half of the people who went back and forth preferred the Metro-Plex.

If I have define the sound of the '68 mode on the MP, it would be:

SLEAZY. Dirty rock n roll plexi tone with tons of harmonics. Fairly loose bottom, depending on your technique. Lots of upper midrange activity going on, but with harsh, modern frequencies notched out.
Like all Superleads it will keep you honest. Try to hack your way through and it will expose you. But, hit it like a man and it will reward you.

george

This is EXACTLY what my MP does for me!!

 

[journeyman73]

Gentlemen, thanks as always just for giving the MP a listen and talking about it. I can't ask for more than that. And if the amp resonates with you, great! If not, that's fine too. I couldn't give the amp it's very distinct voicing and also have it appeal to everyone who ever wanted their ideas of a "plexi" tone. In that way I would expect some people to not dig it.

"Plexi" is such a broad, ubiquitous term that it kind of loses it's definition tonally. I'd be better describing my Metro-Plex plexi mode as 1968 Superlead serial number SL/12380. All the old ones sound different, and this one is a desert island amp. Unless you have played this amp through my '67 basketweave cab you can't possibly know if I nailed the tone and feel. THAT is precisely why I took it to Nashville last month and set it up next to the MP. So people could share my own tonal perspective.

I don't know how much more I could put up or shut up so to speak, here is the second best Superlead I have ever heard (behind EVH's #12301) on display for everyone to make their own opinion. The universal reaction to the '68 was that it was the best plexi they had played or heard. And still, about half of the people who went back and forth preferred the Metro-Plex.

If I have define the sound of the '68 mode on the MP, it would be:

SLEAZY. Dirty rock n roll plexi tone with tons of harmonics. Fairly loose bottom, depending on your technique. Lots of upper midrange activity going on, but with harsh, modern frequencies notched out.
Like all Superleads it will keep you honest. Try to hack your way through and it will expose you. But, hit it like a man and it will reward you.


Here's my latest clip, and probably the best one to showcase the difference between the modes. Rock on!

george

Thanks for chiming in, george.

It IS a great amp, even if not ultimately for everyone!

I think you take a very objective view - the originals vary so much by now that even very notable and accomplished builders like you can have different ideas on what plexi sound it is they want to hear....and of course have their amps deliver.

Its safe to say anyone that loves plexis (and gained out plexi tones) owes it to themself to try the MP in person.