What song(s) represent the "Plexi" tone best??

  • Thread starter Thread starter SLOgriff
  • Start date Start date
JohnSykes":jzzdca1x said:
If we talk about plexi + boost... Yngwie's Rising Force.
Click to expand...

I though he was all about the metal panel 50 watters from 71/72?
 
AndyK":pkz7xfq9 said:
Anything by Free.
Click to expand...

Exactly what I was thinking. Free's "Alright Now" seems to be a stereotypical humbucker-into-cranked plexi kerrang tone.
 
chumbucket":3qjo0a4n said:
AndyK":3qjo0a4n said:
Anything by Free.
Click to expand...

Exactly what I was thinking. Free's "Alright Now" seems to be a stereotypical humbucker-into-cranked plexi kerrang tone.
Click to expand...


Great example and a great band.
 
Shark Diver":28coy515 said:
SLOgriff":28coy515 said:
Got it! I always loved the tone on the AC/DC song TNT...
Click to expand...


TNT, plexi, not so much. Much older AC/DC I don't know for a fact that this is Plexi, but I believe it is:

Click to expand...
Agree...this one as well:

 
Bronco":26kiacha said:
Shark Diver":26kiacha said:
SLOgriff":26kiacha said:
Got it! I always loved the tone on the AC/DC song TNT...
Click to expand...


TNT, plexi, not so much. Much older AC/DC I don't know for a fact that this is Plexi, but I believe it is:

Click to expand...
Agree...this one as well:

Click to expand...

Yup, classic LOUD Plexi tones!

Here is a great example of super loud Plexiish tones, one of my youtube favorites!

https://youtu.be/w0GQTKHePzs
 
AC/DC is the best example of pure plexi, but also hendrix pops into mind
 
When I think Plexi its, Hendrix, Page, Frampton, those would be at the top of my list.
 
Once you've played one, it is easier to identify one when you hear it. What you can't tell from some recordings is that there is a wide frequency range/spread with a Plexi that you will not hear with most amps.

AC/DC for sure stands out. Highway to Hell, Back in Black, etc.
VH - yes, but he was goosing it up w/ a Variac. I have a 1969 Plexi. It will not get me to VH I territory, but it will get close. Maybe VH II - Dance the Night Away.

One thing that should not get overlooked are the cleans and semi-dirty tones from the Plexi. Cleans are CHIMEY and full - just a full spread of tonefulness. Best
cleans I have ever had came from my Plexi on 3 and the coils split. What a sound! From "Pleasure Dome" intro to "Yellow Ledbetter" and lots in between.
 
I thought AC/DC used JTM45s in the studio? Free and Bad Co immediately come to mind when I think of classic plexi tone. Hendrix does as well although his tones were usually a bit more effect laden. For a more modern take, Audley Freed's tone on Cry of Love's "Diamonds and Debris" album is awesome and all plexi.

And although VH isn't typical plexi tone IMO, you can get that level of gain out of a stock, cranked plexi...too many guys have proven this for anyone to say otherwise with any credibility.
 
rupe":1wy7xhi1 said:
I thought AC/DC used JTM45s in the studio? Free and Bad Co immediately come to mind when I think of classic plexi tone. Hendrix does as well although his tones were usually a bit more effect laden. For a more modern take, Audley Freed's tone on Cry of Love's "Diamonds and Debris" album is awesome and all plexi.

And although VH isn't typical plexi tone IMO, you can get that level of gain out of a stock, cranked plexi...too many guys have proven this for anyone to say otherwise with any credibility.
Click to expand...

I think Malcolm was all about old Superbass heads and Angus used the JTM45's. I also agree about the whole "enough gain" thing for EVH. People forget he was also goosing the front end with a BOss GE-10 in a frown, maybe just for solo's, IDK for sure. All I know is my metro, '69 circuit, 100 watter gets more than enough gain to play VH all day long. Especially if you have a hotter pickup. Also it seems EVH may have dabbled with Super Distortions in the 70's.
 
VH1 always sounded like something was in front of the amp to me. EP1, EQ, whatever pedal ....
 
Shark Diver":2on7ou1g said:
SLOgriff":2on7ou1g said:
Got it! I always loved the tone on the AC/DC song TNT...
Click to expand...


TNT, plexi, not so much. Much older AC/DC I don't know for a fact that this is Plexi, but I believe it is:

Click to expand...

now THAT is thee best Marshall Plexi tone! :thumbsup:


Plus the whole of their TNT album from 1975. I love the way Malcolm's guitar rings out.
 
It seems like the term "Plexi" is a catch all for a period of amps whose specs varied widely. JTM45, JTM 45/100, 10,000 series, 12000 series, split cathode(super lead) vs shared cathode(super bass); narrowing the choices down to just 100 watt amps still yields many differences in preamp layouts, values, tubes and transformers. That being said, it seems that what most people commonly refer to as a "plexi"...from what I've read is a 68 era Super Lead. The funny thing is that those amps varied tremendously in the type and value of parts used. There are some very interesting and wonderful sounding "Plexis" that were likely just products of happenstance because they were fitted with some oddball parts that Marshall happened to have available that day...i.e. #12301. With respect to the early VH "Plexi" tone, that's power tube distortion that comes from biasing the amp at 85ma @120v and dropping it with a variac down to 90'ish v. You have to have the old Sylvania, Phillips or GE 6ca7s to do it right. The proper amp setup and OT is key too or the bottom end will get loose and farty. That's where the extra gain is coming from as well as everything he had pushing the front end like EP-3's that were of an oddball spec, MXR 6 band EQ's/Boss GE-10's, DSD's/ MM1300 pups and overwound PAF's. Kossoff was using a Plexi era Super Bass I think; I would guess I hear that the higher impedance of the 1202-84 Drake, but I won't swear to it. I had superbass spec Metro 1200 for a while that I switched ovet to superlead and that's the tone that came to mind when I first tried it. I changed the OT out to a C1998 Dagnall clone from Merren audio and it radically altered the tone. It sounded woolier, thick and meaty with that OT like earlier Free; I always loved that tone he got. The dagnall made it leaner sounding with more bite. Once again, it's referred to as a "Plexi" sound but is nothing like Jimi's 45/100s or EVH's 68 Superlead, which get thrown in the same hat as being Plexis. 68's, were a pretty transitional year and didn't go to split cathode until later in the year; those amps were all over the place in terms of parts values and types. No wonder, no one can put a label on what the plexi sound is.

BTW, didn't AC/DC play JTM45's and later metal panel Marshalls?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top