Metropoulos Metroplex

[lll]

I've been wanting one of these for a while.

Why?

 

[lll]

Watched a ton of vids on this thing. I think the Marshall JVM sounds better. I got recordings of my old JVM that blow this thing away. The Boost mode sounds like a bassy fuzz box.

OK let's hear your old recordings because I think the Metroplex sounds amazing, so if your old JVM blows it away, that would be extremely badass.

That would be, in my opinion. Anyway, having just sold 4 amps (Ceriatone Plexi 50, Hi-Tone JP-50, Vintage Modern 100 watt and Jubilee RI 100 watt) I'm in the market for a Marshall or clone or something like this Metroplex. IMO, only Lance's demos sound decent. Haven't heard anything else that sounds good to me, and IMO that FET Boost mode reeks.

This was my old JVM I got as part of a RT group buy w/ Steve VHT getting everybody a break on the price. 10 years ago or so. I sold the amp after a year but I still have a few demos. This is a demo of a few modes w/ a Dimarzio loaded Yngwie Strat, warts and all. Also a Deep Purple tune w/ the same gear, JVM and Yngwie Strat.

Great tone and playing... different shades.

 

[glip22]

On the metroplex forum George openly discusses the the Master Volume design being a Pre-PI but didn't go into extreme details.

Here's the quote from the forum...

by VelvetGeorge » Mon Dec 08, 2014 9:02 am

I tried everything under the Sun to make the PPI MV's work in this amp, but the typical MV was better. So I'm using Mil spec pots and some tweaks to make it sound great at any volume.

The FET circuit got some tweaks and I think will have treble and bass trimmers on the PC board. I put those on the pre production amp and they worked well.

george

Here's the link.
http://forum.metropoulos.net/viewtopic. ... 89#p441971

Thanks Bro I know you have/had many amps. Have you tried any of the newer Wizards yet? I think the Metro hits the mids much closer to an old Marshall from what I can hear. I have a couple of old Marshals but need the boost pedals to get there. If the Metro can get there in gain without the pedal I am interested.

 

[LP Freak]

I've been wanting one of these for a while.

Why?

Don’t expect a reply anytime soon.

 

[braintheory]

On the metroplex forum George openly discusses the the Master Volume design being a Pre-PI but didn't go into extreme details.

Here's the quote from the forum...

by VelvetGeorge » Mon Dec 08, 2014 9:02 am

I tried everything under the Sun to make the PPI MV's work in this amp, but the typical MV was better. So I'm using Mil spec pots and some tweaks to make it sound great at any volume.

The FET circuit got some tweaks and I think will have treble and bass trimmers on the PC board. I put those on the pre production amp and they worked well.

george

Here's the link.
http://forum.metropoulos.net/viewtopic. ... 89#p441971

Thanks Bro I know you have/had many amps. Have you tried any of the newer Wizards yet? I think the Metro hits the mids much closer to an old Marshall from what I can hear. I have a couple of old Marshals but need the boost pedals to get there. If the Metro can get there in gain without the pedal I am interested.

I've had a 2016 metroplex and still have a 2016 Wizard mtl. The metroplex does have mids closer to the old marshalls, but I still much prefer older marshalls I had modded by gower and Cameron if that's what you're looking for and I found their master volumes (especially the Gower's) to be at least as good if not better at maintaining their tone at lower volumes. The metroplex is still a very good amp don't get me wrong, but it won't sound as raw, organic or ballsy next to a good older Marshall (modded or not). Other than the wizards lacking those marshall mids, I liked it much more than the metroplex. It has a bigger, more defined sound and I think a bit more organic in both sound and feel

 

[harddriver]

Thanks Bro I know you have/had many amps. Have you tried any of the newer Wizards yet? I think the Metro hits the mids much closer to an old Marshall from what I can hear. I have a couple of old Marshals but need the boost pedals to get there. If the Metro can get there in gain without the pedal I am interested.

I have had my share of amps but I have not played a Wizard. They sound great in the clips and have that Plexi clank as well as the Metroplex. I have a 68 Metro kit plexi I built but to get it where I like it involves a variac, attenuator, there is no loop unless you have a Fryette Power station so it becomes a somewhat elaborate setup.

I think George set out to cover all the bases of great Plexi tone into modded territory but with all the modern conveniences like an effects loop, built in boost, built in variac so the amp really has everything you would do to a real plexi to make it bedroom or gig friendly. You really need to play a cranked, variaced plexi to understand the feel they have, uncompressed gain and see if that is the tone/feel you like. The Bogner Helios also sounds good but it has that Bogner compression that you may or may not like. I would probably be happy with a Metroplex but I have those bases covered, I would love to play one to compare as well. The only other amp setup that comes close to a higher gain plexi, clank and tone would be the RT mod guy but that uses a PPIMV and there is no loop, no boost, no built in variac plus some of the limitations of the PPIMV that we discussed earlier. Alot of choices these days...

 

[lespaul6]

Never heard of a Wizard lacking marshall mids until recently... curious

 

[Racerxrated]

Never heard of a Wizard lacking marshall mids until recently... curious

That was the only reason I sold the MTL I had. It was a killer machine, but the mids were just different than what I like out of most Marshalls. I haven't played an MCII though, I hear the mids are more in line with a Marshall than the MTL.

I would like another someday though. At the time, couldn't justify tying that much into one amp unless it's absolutely perfect for me.

 

[lespaul6]

Never heard of a Wizard lacking marshall mids until recently... curious

That was the only reason I sold the MTL I had. It was a killer machine, but the mids were just different than what I like out of most Marshalls. I haven't played an MCII though, I hear the mids are more in line with a Marshall than the MTL.

I would like another someday though. At the time, couldn't justify tying that much into one amp unless it's absolutely perfect for me.

Yea I have not played a mtl so not sure... when compared to my 73 superlead and my brothers 69 plexi I can make them sound scary close... more lows by a little with the C transformer but only if you crank the preamp gain. The A transformers have less low end, almost same as my jubilee so more "perceived" mids if that makes sense.
It is a lot of money... I feel the same way about my murphy 59 reissue so I just made it my daily player and sold off my other guitars lol

 

[braintheory]

Never heard of a Wizard lacking marshall mids until recently... curious

That was the only reason I sold the MTL I had. It was a killer machine, but the mids were just different than what I like out of most Marshalls. I haven't played an MCII though, I hear the mids are more in line with a Marshall than the MTL.

I would like another someday though. At the time, couldn't justify tying that much into one amp unless it's absolutely perfect for me.

Yea I have not played a mtl so not sure... when compared to my 73 superlead and my brothers 69 plexi I can make them sound scary close... more lows by a little with the C transformer but only if you crank the preamp gain. The A transformers have less low end, almost same as my jubilee so more "perceived" mids if that makes sense.
It is a lot of money... I feel the same way about my murphy 59 reissue so I just made it my daily player and sold off my other guitars lol

I was thinking about the whole "Marshall mids" thing lately and remembered when I AB'ed my friends 68 and 72 marshall super leads and we both preferred the 72 because it was more growly and had more aggressive mids or what I thought of as being "Marshall mids", while the 68 actually reminded me right away of the Wizards (especially the 96 mc I used to own) with its smoother mids. I also recently got a 78 superlead modded by Cameron that's 3 channels (Aldrich/Jose/plexi) and I'm also hearing those smoother mids, especially on the plexi channel (not as much on the others), so I think maybe the wizards do actually have Marshall mids, but not of the more aggressive variety that me and some of the others on here prefer and have labelled as being "Marshall mids". Maybe the Wizards were voiced after the less growly/hairy sounding Marshalls.

I still absolutely love my mtl. It's a keeper and one of my favorite amps for sure, but wish it had a little more complete growl like in what I consider to be a "good Marshall". I wonder why some vintage marshalls like my friend's 68 seem to lack growl compared to most others I've tried. I agree about the wizards having more bottom end. I also find they have a certain solidity or definition to the notes that I haven't heard matched in other amps, which is one of my favorites things about it

 

[lespaul6]

Do you know what the plate voltage is on your friends 68 marshall? Ive heard that they can vary and the higher voltage models sound better to me.. more alive and fast.

 

[braintheory]

Do you know what the plate voltage is on your friends 68 marshall? Ive heard that they can vary and the higher voltage models sound better to me.. more alive and fast.

Not sure. I could ask, but I don't think he'll know either. I believe my 78 Marshall slp with the Cameron mod is a lower plate voltage though

 

[valvestorm]

Might not be relevant to the setups you guys would be using, but this link leads to some MetroPlex clips that are done in an old school style with nothing in the loop, and an old EchoPlex in front. This particular one has some really tasty solo material if you wait for the 1:20 mark, things really start swinging at 1:35.

 

[sivad]

Ive had one for a few months now and its got everything in a amplifier I will ever want or need with plenty of tone and gain. Ive had a few older Marshall's and liked them but foolishly sold or traded them off thinking it will be easy to get another one to replace it with but that never really happened until now. Ive mostly used it in the 50 watt 68 mode and really like that sound for most everything. Even tho I got it thinking I would use it for the 100 watts. I do use a boost pedal in front of the amp for most solo work but not all of the time. Being a Van Halen fan I have wanted a 68 clone but I don't really play any VH on the amp as I am doing mostly original rock music with it. If you can find a used one like I did I recommend it highly.