Friedman Vintage Plexi

ners said:
Dave's been using this MV in mods for a while. I had him do it a few years ago to a Plexi I used to have.

I'd think of it more as "why did it take him so long to put out a production Plexi".
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He modded a plexi for me back around 2011 or so but was a reissue and didn't have the magic of those older amps. I couldn't crank it and at the time just didn't understand all of the options I had. I wish I still had it. Dave was great on the phone and so helpful. This was back when he was doing mods and could get a hold of him.

When the Jake E. Lee amp came out, I thought maybe he would go down this route. The way I look at it, he is creating a new version of an amp that is no longer in production. Has some modern touches but captures what we all love.

I don't understand why Marshall doesn't just redo a plexi like back in the day. I must be missing something but seems like a no brainer and would sell like hot cakes. I know not everyone is a Friedman tone fan but ive always said, Dave is like one of us. He loves great tone and really has his fingers on the pulse of what people are looking for. He just keeps coming out with useful buffers, pedals, amps, guitars, etc.
 
I know we are all blowing our load over this amp BUT there are hundreds of videos of good sounding plexis on 10 on YouTube.. this includes clones. This also includes Marshalls new studio series amps. Let's not forget that. Buuuuuut, I want one of these too. I just don't wanna spend close to 4k...so, I'm working on my plexu kit and getting it back up and running. It'll do the trick. Maybe throw it on a variac for shits n giggles.
 
skoora said:
I disagree. A good plexi is one of the most versatile amps around. Most of the 70’s metal panels don’t have good clean tones but late 60’s, like the one this is based off should be able to get great cleans and edge of breakup, AC/DC and flamethrower rock. I suspect Dave as a maker, even though he says cranked is best, isn’t resting on that on how much the amp can do. Or even focusing on VH per se. But…we won’t know until we get to put it through its paces. I’ll be interested to see if the Presence works with low MVC settings, as it often doesn’t with a PPIVM and cranking the presence is often what brings a plexi to the good place with a Gibson.
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Totally.

I think a plexi’s versatility comes mostly from the player’s hands, guitar’s volume knob etc. Once you’ve dialed in your base tone, that is.

There’s versatility “in” the amp, but the player has to coax it out via touch, technique, guitar’s controls and so on. There’s a huge array of killer tones, but you, the player, have to work to bring them out. It’s a way more satisfying experience as a player, IMHO.

Quite different from switches and knobs that will “do it for you” so to speak.

To me, this versatility via technique is the shit.
 
Kapo_Polenton said:
I know we are all blowing our load over this amp BUT there are hundreds of videos of good sounding plexis on 10 on YouTube.. this includes clones. This also includes Marshalls new studio series amps. Let's not forget that. Buuuuuut, I want one of these too. I just don't wanna spend close to 4k...so, I'm working on my plexu kit and getting it back up and running. It'll do the trick. Maybe throw it on a variac for shits n giggles.
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$2799 is close to $4k? You guys crack me up.
 
romanianreaper said:
He modded a plexi for me back around 2011 or so but was a reissue and didn't have the magic of those older amps. I couldn't crank it and at the time just didn't understand all of the options I had. I wish I still had it. Dave was great on the phone and so helpful. This was back when he was doing mods and could get a hold of him.

When the Jake E. Lee amp came out, I thought maybe he would go down this route. The way I look at it, he is creating a new version of an amp that is no longer in production. Has some modern touches but captures what we all love.

I don't understand why Marshall doesn't just redo a plexi like back in the day. I must be missing something but seems like a no brainer and would sell like hot cakes. I know not everyone is a Friedman tone fan but ive always said, Dave is like one of us. He loves great tone and really has his fingers on the pulse of what people are looking for. He just keeps coming out with useful buffers, pedals, amps, guitars, etc.
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But they ARE doing those plexis in their reissue and the studio series aren't they? A plexi is a plexi .. unless Marshall is going to source NOS caps or upgrade caps and then carefully measure everything etc.. it isn't going to get much better. Unless you want them to do an internal variac I suppose. A Plexi " back in the day" is using the iron they had and the caps/resistors they had. Those are too expensive now. So dave is really just giving you sozos, a custom transformer, an internal variac (very cool) and a few switches for fat cap and bright cap. Marshall probably can't be bothered as they sell enough of the studio series.
 
Kapo_Polenton said:
But they ARE doing those plexis in their reissue and the studio series aren't they? A plexi is a plexi .. unless Marshall is going to source NOS caps or upgrade caps and then carefully measure everything etc.. it isn't going to get much better. Unless you want them to do an internal variac I suppose. A Plexi " back in the day" is using the iron they had and the caps/resistors they had. Those are too expensive now. So dave is really just giving you sozos, a custom transformer, an internal variac (very cool) and a few switches for fat cap and bright cap. Marshall probably can't be bothered as they sell enough of the studio series.
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Yeah literally the only thing off of the "EVH spec" on the current 1959HW IIRC is that they're using 560pF for the mixer bypass and treble caps and not a 50k mid pot (at least I don't think it is, actually haven't pulled one to look). Actually can't recall if it has the fat cap or not either, but these are mods that would take a tech an hour to put in.

Only downside is the 59HW is stupid expensive in North America... but you can import one for under $2k new in the US and just change the fuses and flip the voltage selector.
 
shar-vell Dan said:


No loop gtfo >
I have the v4 Metro loop in my Kitchen sink. Its outstanding. Never had a problem.
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A Kitchen Sink mod creates all the gain from the preamp....so an effect loop will sound great. The Plex is a completely different circuit, and a loop before the phase inverter will sound like adding a drive pedal after a delay. Dave is 100% spot on for not adding an effect loop.
 
Soundstorm said:
I’ll probably get one, but I'm thinking it'll still need an attenuator to give up the goods like in those clips.
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Yep. Dave’s been pretty open about the fact that while the master is good, using it through the PS is better. I’d just factor in the cost of a PS
 
Bxlxaxkxe said:
Yep. Dave’s been pretty open about the fact that while the master is good, using it through the PS is better. I’d just factor in the cost of a PS
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Plus the whole loop thing makes it almost a necessity.

Dave should come out with a Powerstation but with a 'sonic creation' of the H&H power amp (but no fan!). We don't need anymore tubey goodness in the power amp and I think I'd prefer the bandwidth potential of a SS power amp. So the Marshall punch and sizzle is all there.
 
SpiderWars said:
Plus the whole loop thing makes it almost a necessity.

Dave should come out with a Powerstation but with a 'sonic creation' of the H&H power amp (but no fan!). We don't need anymore tubey goodness in the power amp and I think I'd prefer the bandwidth potential of a SS power amp. So the Marshall punch and sizzle is all there.
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Over the years Dave has said the Matrix mosfet amps were the closest amp to something in the H&H range of amps but now Matrix cannot get any more of the parts they used from what I have read and have stopped production.

Maybe an older Peavey CS800 power amp can give that big high voltage punch of the H&H and are built like tanks. I have almost pulled the trigger to try one out but my Matrix GT1000FX still does it for me when I need a great power amp and I still have a nice Peavey 50/50 power amp that still sounds great.
 
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