Plexi vs SLO

[Digital Jams]

I agree about DLR and Eat em........That album destroyed 5150

"Shy Boy"!!!!! Enough said!!!!!

Big Trouble

 

[yngzaklynch]

I agree about DLR and Eat em........That album destroyed 5150

"Shy Boy"!!!!! Enough said!!!!!

Big Trouble

Ladies Night in Buffalo

 

[Rayneman]

...those ghastly Hughes and Ketners

I have no opinion whatsoever on H&K amps, but props for the use of "ghastly" as an adjective. That is a much under-appreciated and underused word!

 

[skoora]

I love the SLO's but they just have something missing. Deep down this HAS TO BE TRUE or they would be the number one hands down amp of all time. They just don't have that one something that makes them complete. Kinda like they are missing something in the body of the tone category for me. Play them for a bit of time but then....... they gotta go. And I don't seem to find even a decent majority of guys that keep them LONG TERM, like guys do the plexi's. This to me says PLEXI all the way...pedal or no pedal for that extra whatever. The Slo just will not get that plexi coverage. Just my own opinion. But you don't take a knife to a gun fight either.

I agree wholeheartedly...The SLO has a midrange that is so focused in the high mids that it's fatiguing...it could use some body to it...Granted this is what makes it cut like a butcher's knife through hot butter, but I had to sell mine...the depth mod helps somewhat with this (low mids and bass), but I didn't like what it did to the bass. FX loop requires some work to use pedals with. All in all - close, but I couldn't justify it...it also seems to be more of lead player's amp than a rhythm player's...if the midrange had some more body, it would be a killer amp. I'd rather play a Plexi or modern modded take of one...

+1 on the fatiguing issue. I remember in 2000 or 2001 seeing an AC/DC tribute where they both used SLO's as the lead guitar player was working at Soldano at the time and they didn't have that rich "Kerang" on the top end that Plexi's would get and after 5 songs or so it really wore me down. Must be some wEIRD mIDS?

I will admit to having a hell of a lot of fum playing an SLO in person but there's something going in the upper mids/ treble of that amp that's missing some sweetness. Would I still like to have an SLO, absolutely. If I gottsa choose it's easy...PLEXI.

 

[joolzriff]

Plexi by 100 miles for me. Need proof? Van Halen's first four albums vs. the 5150 album with Sammy and the SLO.

OK then, thread closed?

that has something to do w/ the engineering and mics.room placement and mix down my friend!!!!
i have van halen demos here from 77 ..78 and EDs marshall sounds nothing like it does on VH1 ect ect,infact quite crappy and cardboard sounding...ted Templeton was the man behind that sound on the records

 

[killertone]

Chiming in late here, but they are 2 very different amps. In the Pantheon of tone though, the Plexi wins hands down. Plus I can't stand SLOs!

 

[64DUECE]

I love the SLO's but they just have something missing. Deep down this HAS TO BE TRUE or they would be the number one hands down amp of all time. They just don't have that one something that makes them complete. Kinda like they are missing something in the body of the tone category for me. Play them for a bit of time but then....... they gotta go. And I don't seem to find even a decent majority of guys that keep them LONG TERM, like guys do the plexi's. This to me says PLEXI all the way...pedal or no pedal for that extra whatever. The Slo just will not get that plexi coverage. Just my own opinion. But you don't take a knife to a gun fight either.

I agree.

 

[Shark Diver]

I love the SLO's but they just have something missing. Deep down this HAS TO BE TRUE or they would be the number one hands down amp of all time. They just don't have that one something that makes them complete. Kinda like they are missing something in the body of the tone category for me. Play them for a bit of time but then....... they gotta go. And I don't seem to find even a decent majority of guys that keep them LONG TERM, like guys do the plexi's. This to me says PLEXI all the way...pedal or no pedal for that extra whatever. The Slo just will not get that plexi coverage. Just my own opinion. But you don't take a knife to a gun fight either.

I agree.

I hear you guys, but maybe if people modded them as much as plexis then they could have whatever it is you guys don't hear. Man, I voted 10 times and my beloved SLOs are still behind. But considering the # of Plexis out there compared to the # of SLOs it is much closer than I thought.

 

[skoora]

I love the SLO's but they just have something missing. Deep down this HAS TO BE TRUE or they would be the number one hands down amp of all time. They just don't have that one something that makes them complete. Kinda like they are missing something in the body of the tone category for me. Play them for a bit of time but then....... they gotta go. And I don't seem to find even a decent majority of guys that keep them LONG TERM, like guys do the plexi's. This to me says PLEXI all the way...pedal or no pedal for that extra whatever. The Slo just will not get that plexi coverage. Just my own opinion. But you don't take a knife to a gun fight either.

I agree.

I hear you guys, but maybe if people modded them as much as plexis then they could have whatever it is you guys don't hear. Man, I voted 10 times and my beloved SLOs are still behind. But considering the # of Plexis out there compared to the # of SLOs it is much closer than I thought.

If I have to mod a $3500 amp to work for me I'm looking at the wrong amp (the SLO I played last that I enjoyed very much I wouldn't have changed anything anyway. The depth mod is for bedroom players, not recording or playing live IMHO). Personally I think people who mod plexi's are chasing their tails. They rule in stock form and like I said before there's so many good pedals right now, having them achieve more saturation but retaining their feel/tone is easy.

 

[Greazygeo]

They rule in stock form and like I said before there's so many good pedals right now, having them achieve more saturation but retaining their feel/tone is easy.

The feel is what I don't dig about plexis / Marshalls. Modding the power supply is a necessity to change the feel for me.

 

[ZachMN]

Wait, wait, wait...5150 was SLO? I thought the SLO didn't come in until For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge. Also, 5150 came out in '86, right? The SLO didn't debut until 1987. I've read/heard that 5150 and 0U812 were JCM 800 and Plexi.

Just trying to get the facts strait. I'm sure if anyone knows, it'd be you guys.

Um yeah- the SLO wasn't out until 1987 (Howard Leese then Ed's bud toto man can't think of his name had the first two) and that is a fact- I don't know what 5150 was but I hated it- sounds 'safe' the fucking sound should be on the verge of being lost - like taming a wild stallion- Ed didn't use an SLO till F.U.C.K.-
and to say 'Plexi' is too vague- no way was Eddie's main one stock and who told him to really use it as a preamp anyway? He didn't figure that out on his own.......so to say stock 'Plexi' is a misnomer-they don't all sound the same due to varying parts etc.
Warren DiMartinis was said to have the highest plate voltage (like 600-650) and would only run with fans blowing on it for a short time before melting down. I read about this when the 'best' sounding Plexi was serached for to use for making new ones, I'll try to look for that article......

 

[skoora]

They rule in stock form and like I said before there's so many good pedals right now, having them achieve more saturation but retaining their feel/tone is easy.

The feel is what I don't dig about plexis / Marshalls. Modding the power supply is a necessity to change the feel for me.

Yeah, but I'm pretty sure that a SLO's power section is filtered the same or higher/stiffer than a 69 onwards 100 watt Marshall. The different years of plexis have very different feels due to their filtering in the preamp and power section, whether they're split or shared cathode and what values are used in those configurations. So in a way you need to change the poll to SLO vs. Plexi circa. 196?

 

[Greazygeo]

They rule in stock form and like I said before there's so many good pedals right now, having them achieve more saturation but retaining their feel/tone is easy.

The feel is what I don't dig about plexis / Marshalls. Modding the power supply is a necessity to change the feel for me.

Yeah, but I'm pretty sure that a SLO's power section is filtered the same or higher/stiffer than a 69 onwards 100 watt Marshall. The different years of plexis have very different feels due to their filtering in the preamp and power section, whether they're split or shared cathode and what values are used in those configurations. So in a way you need to change the poll to SLO vs. Plexi circa. 196?

Both mine (68 and 69 100 watts) needed modding. With any of those the stock values were too low for me to like. Much better now.

 

[Shark Diver]

I love the SLO's but they just have something missing. Deep down this HAS TO BE TRUE or they would be the number one hands down amp of all time. They just don't have that one something that makes them complete. Kinda like they are missing something in the body of the tone category for me. Play them for a bit of time but then....... they gotta go. And I don't seem to find even a decent majority of guys that keep them LONG TERM, like guys do the plexi's. This to me says PLEXI all the way...pedal or no pedal for that extra whatever. The Slo just will not get that plexi coverage. Just my own opinion. But you don't take a knife to a gun fight either.

I agree.

I hear you guys, but maybe if people modded them as much as plexis then they could have whatever it is you guys don't hear. Man, I voted 10 times and my beloved SLOs are still behind. But considering the # of Plexis out there compared to the # of SLOs it is much closer than I thought.

If I have to mod a $3500 amp to work for me I'm looking at the wrong amp (the SLO I played last that I enjoyed very much I wouldn't have changed anything anyway. The depth mod is for bedroom players, not recording or playing live IMHO). Personally I think people who mod plexi's are chasing their tails. They rule in stock form and like I said before there's so many good pedals right now, having them achieve more saturation but retaining their feel/tone is easy.

If I had to mod a $3,500 dollar amp to make it what I considered perfect I wouldn't blink. If I bought a million dollar house but wanted different color carpet for it to be perfect to me should I walk away because it should already be perfect based on the cost? That makes absolutely no sense to me.

 

[FUZZboat]

what a silly thread

since everyone knows that tone is in the fingers

wasn't that pretty much the overall concensus here on Rigtalk last year !!

for example EVH's tone is in his fingers - middle finger that is

 

[yngzaklynch]

what a silly thread

since everyone knows that tone is in the fingers

wasn't that pretty much the overall concensus here on Rigtalk last year !!

for example EVH's tone is in his fingers - middle finger that is

Tone is in my colon and I can prove it!

 

[stratotone]

what a silly thread

since everyone knows that tone is in the fingers

wasn't that pretty much the overall concensus here on Rigtalk last year !!

for example EVH's tone is in his fingers - middle finger that is

Tone is in my colon and I can prove it!

I'll take your word for it, no need for proof!

 

[skoora]

I love the SLO's but they just have something missing. Deep down this HAS TO BE TRUE or they would be the number one hands down amp of all time. They just don't have that one something that makes them complete. Kinda like they are missing something in the body of the tone category for me. Play them for a bit of time but then....... they gotta go. And I don't seem to find even a decent majority of guys that keep them LONG TERM, like guys do the plexi's. This to me says PLEXI all the way...pedal or no pedal for that extra whatever. The Slo just will not get that plexi coverage. Just my own opinion. But you don't take a knife to a gun fight either.

I agree.

I hear you guys, but maybe if people modded them as much as plexis then they could have whatever it is you guys don't hear. Man, I voted 10 times and my beloved SLOs are still behind. But considering the # of Plexis out there compared to the # of SLOs it is much closer than I thought.

If I have to mod a $3500 amp to work for me I'm looking at the wrong amp (the SLO I played last that I enjoyed very much I wouldn't have changed anything anyway. The depth mod is for bedroom players, not recording or playing live IMHO). Personally I think people who mod plexi's are chasing their tails. They rule in stock form and like I said before there's so many good pedals right now, having them achieve more saturation but retaining their feel/tone is easy.

If I had to mod a $3,500 dollar amp to make it what I considered perfect I wouldn't blink. If I bought a million dollar house but wanted different color carpet for it to be perfect to me should I walk away because it should already be perfect based on the cost? That makes absolutely no sense to me.

Not having a go at you but it's all relevant to what you can afford and anyone who can afford the gear in your signature is obviously not having a problem buying a $3500 amp. Very few of us are in that position.

 

[yngzaklynch]

what a silly thread

since everyone knows that tone is in the fingers

wasn't that pretty much the overall concensus here on Rigtalk last year !!

for example EVH's tone is in his fingers - middle finger that is

Tone is in my colon and I can prove it!

I'll take your word for it, no need for proof!

 

['63-Strat]

I love the SLO's but they just have something missing. Deep down this HAS TO BE TRUE or they would be the number one hands down amp of all time. They just don't have that one something that makes them complete. Kinda like they are missing something in the body of the tone category for me. Play them for a bit of time but then....... they gotta go. And I don't seem to find even a decent majority of guys that keep them LONG TERM, like guys do the plexi's. This to me says PLEXI all the way...pedal or no pedal for that extra whatever. The Slo just will not get that plexi coverage. Just my own opinion. But you don't take a knife to a gun fight either.

I agree.

I hear you guys, but maybe if people modded them as much as plexis then they could have whatever it is you guys don't hear. Man, I voted 10 times and my beloved SLOs are still behind. But considering the # of Plexis out there compared to the # of SLOs it is much closer than I thought.

If I have to mod a $3500 amp to work for me I'm looking at the wrong amp (the SLO I played last that I enjoyed very much I wouldn't have changed anything anyway. The depth mod is for bedroom players, not recording or playing live IMHO). Personally I think people who mod plexi's are chasing their tails. They rule in stock form and like I said before there's so many good pedals right now, having them achieve more saturation but retaining their feel/tone is easy.

I agree that to me, the stock SLO has plenty of low end at gig volumes and see no reason to need the depth mod. But I think that anyone wanting tons of low end on guitars is out to lunch anyways. That said, I don't think that modding an amp you own to get it where you want is necessarily wrong either. I wouldn't do it to my strat, but if I had a bunch of pre cbs strats, and money was no object I bet getting one routed for an old PAF in the bridge would sound great