What pedal to buy for my '69 Plexi clone?

[Rick Lee]

Just finished my Metro build and it's way, way too clean. In this video I'm using a tad of HOF Mini, MXR Phase 90 and, for the crunch part, a knock-off Tube Screamer with the drive maxed out.

I've been thinking about the Bogner Ecstasy Red, Burnley and EVH 5150 pedals. What can I add to this to make it sing?

 

[RockyStar]

Fortin Grind

 

[thenine]

Suhr Riot

 

[Rick Lee]

Probably gonna start out with a Plexitone and see if that fits the bill. I kind of want to retain the Plexi character of this head. I'm not much of a pedal guy, so this is uncharted territory for me.

 

[JTyson]

I like what I heard out of the new Friedman BE pedal, I dont know if you can buy 'em yet but dam they sound good. It might get as close to giving you 2 channels out of that plexi as you can get
Nice Rush tune, BTW

 

[Rick Lee]

How much is the Friedman pedal going to be? I'm just not a pedal guy. I have them for the stuff I need for my tribute bands, but generally like to get my gain from the amp. I am thinking I want to use this Plexi build as a pedal platform instead of modding it. My 1959SLP has already been modded and sounds just like the VH Fair Warning tone. The loop I had put in there is the best I've ever heard too. But otherwise that amp is as much a one trick pony as there ever was. That one trick is glorious, but it's only good for that one sound. I was hoping to make this build a little more diverse. Since it's organically so clean, I think a pedal is probably the way to crunch it up, so I can always switch back to clean instead of sending it out for a Splawn-like channel mod.

 

[RockyStar]

^^^Thus my suggestion of the Fortin Grind.

 

[Rick Lee]

Will check out the YT demos of the Fortin.

 

[psychodave]

Cusack Screamer. Thank me later.

 

[Deleted member 13074]

Clinch EP+
Adds the right mid shift for an Echoplex as well as brightness and gain for modded nastiness
Takes my Helios from Angus and hands it to Eddie

 

[Rick Lee]

Clinch EP+
Adds the right mid shift for an Echoplex as well as brightness and gain for modded nastiness
Takes my Helios from Angus and hands it to Eddie

I can't imagine a Helios would need any kind of distortion or OD pedal. I have an SLO, a 5153 Stealth, an Egnater Seminar, a DSL 50, a JMP 2204 and two more 100w Plexis. Only the '69 Plexi could use a pedal. The rest are high gain monsters and not at all in need of a pedal. How could a Bogner need one?

 

[mdc1mdc11]

Probably gonna start out with a Plexitone and see if that fits the bill. I kind of want to retain the Plexi character of this head. I'm not much of a pedal guy, so this is uncharted territory for me.

Watch out for the noise, sounds good but mine was noisy and settled for a Wampler plexi-drive or Catalinbread instead. I guess it depends on the amp and setup. The Plexitone I used was the mxr sized one.

 

[mdc1mdc11]

I like what I heard out of the new Friedman BE pedal, I dont know if you can buy 'em yet but dam they sound good. It might get as close to giving you 2 channels out of that plexi as you can get
Nice Rush tune, BTW

Unfortunately the Friedman does not retain the plexi sound, too compressed.

 

[Rick Lee]

Yeah, I don't want the big Plexitone. I want the small gold colored one. Just scored a used one for $90 shipped. If it doesn't fit the bill, I'll flip and shop some more. Pete Thorn's YT demo is what sold me. It seemed to really retain the, well, Plexi Tone and I don't do death metal or anything really heavy. And I certainly have other amps for that if I ever needed it.

 

[mdc1mdc11]

Cusack Screamer. Thank me later.

Always wanted to try one of these, after looking at quite a few of these class of drives and boosts.

This one?

http://cusackmusic.com/screamer/

 

[psychodave]

Cusack Screamer. Thank me later.

Always wanted to try one of these, after looking at quite a few of these class of drives and boosts.

This one?

http://cusackmusic.com/screamer/

Yup. That's it. I found one on reverb for $100. I'm floored how quiet it is and has the ability to add a shit ton of useable gain. Even has the opamp out in the open to easily change...for those who like to tinker more.

 

[Racerxrated]

Cusack is the best clean boost I've tried, really leaves your tone intact. I really like the OD1X, adds some upper mids and very organic sounding. But both are by far the quietest boost pedals I've tried.

 

[mdc1mdc11]

Cusack Screamer. Thank me later.

Always wanted to try one of these, after looking at quite a few of these class of drives and boosts.

This one?

http://cusackmusic.com/screamer/

Yup. That's it. I found one on reverb for $100. I'm floored how quiet it is and has the ability to add a shit ton of useable gain. Even has the opamp out in the open to easily change...for those who like to tinker more.

thanks just picked up one for 115 on reverb...

 

[Chubtone]

Wait a minute... are there kits to build Metro's again?

 

[Deleted member 13074]

Clinch EP+
Adds the right mid shift for an Echoplex as well as brightness and gain for modded nastiness
Takes my Helios from Angus and hands it to Eddie

I can't imagine a Helios would need any kind of distortion or OD pedal. I have an SLO, a 5153 Stealth, an Egnater Seminar, a DSL 50, a JMP 2204 and two more 100w Plexis. Only the '69 Plexi could use a pedal. The rest are high gain monsters and not at all in need of a pedal. How could a Bogner need one?

The Helios has enough gain, so that's a fair question.
In 80s mode it belongs in the same room as your listed amps, except the Plexis and the '69 - that is, a saturated modern gain.
In 70s mode it is in Plexi territory with more mids, less highs and lows. Your '69 sounds like it has more highs.
Once the gain is up in 70s mode it is a warmer, less compressed character than a high-gainer. The pedal adds that on-the-edge-of-blowing-up push.
There are plenty pedals do a similar thing with more gain still, but then it changes the inherent amp sound more and takes a lot of finding for the right fit.
I thought you might prefer a pedal that tinkers less with the amp's own sound.