Favorite Plexi Clones under 50w?

[RTogs]

Recently I posted about the best 2x12 cabs to pair w a Marshall super lead head. I’ve been playing around w the 20w reissue and a 100w plexi reissue of late. The 20 has the vintage sounds and tones and is fantastic but is missing some low end punch and mids, understandably.

been reading up on the clones: Germino 35, Metropoulos, Christine, etc.

What are some of your favorite plexi clones in the 50w and less range?

 

[JK1965]

Ceriatone

 

[Benny]

I had a very early Gemino Masonette that was extraordinary. It straddled the line between lead and bass spec plexi sounds in a way that made a lot of familiar tones very accessible. One of the all-time great slide amps I've ever encountered (and not just for Allman sounds, though they were certainly in there with the right speakers). It was also pretty easy to get in that zone where fuzz faces, tonebenders, octavias, univibes, colorsound overdrivers, etc., just make sense and sound right. I should have never sold it, but everyone does something dumb at some point in their life.

 

[RTogs]

anyone toyed around w carol-anns?

 

[gulliver]

I only tried one Carol Ann, very nice, but I think more of a boutique tone than raw vintage Marshall, if that's what you're looking for.

I don't think a 50 watt ol' skool Marshall will be any different than a 100 watts. Both will blow eardrums unapologetically.

I do have a THD Bivalve that might interest you. Thicker voicing up top, as compared to an old Marshall, but can cover old Mashall tones. A true NMV amp with the ability to run on one (or two) tube(s) or use internal attenuation to lower volume while still hitting that power section. Transformers are huge for maximum impact.

Here's a cheesy iPhone recording using a single EL84 (with adapter). Can use all types of power tubes and doesn't need bias between tube swaps.



Bivalve with 1 x KT66. Quite low gain but still very sensitive; ending notes are simple hammer ons.

 

[C-4]

Under 50 watts, I'll take the 20 watt Marshall Studio amps.

 

[bluesbreaker59]

My favorite is the Germino Club 40, mine always sounds great, big, fat and takes pedals tremendously.

I also have a Lead 55LV and it’s fussy with pedals, bright and at times brash. HOWEVER...Plugging in a LP or SG with PAF’s and cranking it into a Greenback loaded cabinet is GLORIOUS!

 

[Zounds Perspex]

50 watt Marshalls *are* pretty different than 100s, though - not in volume, but in feel, especially if the 50 watt or less is tube rectified.
50 watters tend to sag and just generally feel looser than a 100 watter - neither is bad, it's just up to your preference.
if that doesn't sound like something you'd like, maybe just an attenuator for the Super Lead?

50 watts or less, it is probably hard to beat a Germino Club 40 or Bass 35.
Lots of ass, killer Marshall "cleans", gobbles up fuzz and dirt pedals like a hungry toddler.
Being able to switch between tube and solid state rectification is awfully nice, too.

Metropoulos doesn't make any 50 watt amps these days - I think George is working on it -
but the 100 watt offerings he's had are all on another level, imo.
Great master volume without giving up much of anything in old school Marshall tone, awesome effects loops, the different modes, built-in boost,
switchable between 50 and 100 watts (which is more about feel than volume - the master volume is that good)-
I just can't think of how anyone could improve a plexi or JTM 45/100 type amp more than he has.

 

[kookaburra]

Rockitt Retro 50.

 

[Boeing bloke]

A store near me has the Victory Sheriff 22 and 44 on sale....very interested.

 

[LaXu]

For European folks, Bluetone here in Finland makes several awesome ones.

http://www.bluetone.fi/plexi-25/

They also make a 50W with EL34s as well as 5 and 10W Plexi with EL91 tubes.

All of these come with post-phase inverter master volumes and can be had with 3 step power scaling and fx loop. They use a combination of modular PCBs and handwiring (pots, tubes, jacks, transformers etc). For boutique amps these are pretty affordable too.

I am not in any way affiliated with them, I just like what they do. I own their excellent 4x10 cab and have tried several of their amps. I feel that they make the kind of practical amps the modern guitarist needs that you can just as well use at home as you can on stage without having to invest in an attenuator, deal with jumpering inputs or clipping excessive bright caps.

 

[Sirloin]

My Germino Masonette is probably my all time favorite amp after many many amps.

 

[louis]

anyone toyed around w carol-anns?

His take on a JTM50 must be insane !

 

[Steve_K]

Suhr SL67. Great amp...

 

[VICOwner]

I’m going to have to interject here but I have always thought that a “Plexi” was a Marshall post JTM45 and that made it a 50 watt or really a 100 watt. Wouldn’t it be difficult to have a Plexi less than 50 watts? I know lowering the voltage will get it down a little bit but it needs EL34’s or 6CA7’s.

 

[lgehrig4]

My favorite is the Germino Club 40, mine always sounds great, big, fat and takes pedals tremendously.

I also have a Lead 55LV and it’s fussy with pedals, bright and at times brash. HOWEVER...Plugging in a LP or SG with PAF’s and cranking it into a Greenback loaded cabinet is GLORIOUS!

he’s looking under 50w

 

[Alchemist XP]

Not exactly a Plexi Clone, but for Plexi Tones I like the Bogner Helios 50.

 

[bluesbreaker59]

he’s looking under 50w

His OP says “What are some of your favorite plexi clones in the 50w and less range?”

50 watt and less, thus my reply of the 2 Germino amps.

 

[RTogs]

For European folks, Bluetone here in Finland makes several awesome ones.

http://www.bluetone.fi/plexi-25/

They also make a 50W with EL34s as well as 5 and 10W Plexi with EL91 tubes.

All of these come with post-phase inverter master volumes and can be had with 3 step power scaling and fx loop. They use a combination of modular PCBs and handwiring (pots, tubes, jacks, transformers etc). For boutique amps these are pretty affordable too.

I am not in any way affiliated with them, I just like what they do. I own their excellent 4x10 cab and have tried several of their amps. I feel that they make the kind of practical amps the modern guitarist needs that you can just as well use at home as you can on stage without having to invest in an attenuator, deal with jumpering inputs or clipping excessive bright caps.

whoa. white shell. awesome.

 

[RTogs]

My Germino Masonette is probably my all time favorite amp after many many amps.

he seems to have raving fans and stuff looks awesome.