What's a good alternative to a Plexi for home use?

[Cliff Gress]

My SV20H doesn't drive anyone in my house to tell me to turn it down.

 

[Gridlock]

I own a high-end JTM45 clone (KT66’s and Mustard caps) that sounds amazing. It is a very loud amp, but I’m controlling volume with OD pedals pretty well.



I have a Marshall Astoria Classic that can get Plexi tones at very manageable volumes. A short run, kind of a rare amp, and hard to find.



I also have Marshall 1974x that can get close to Plexi type tones.



Finally, I owned a Marshall JTM20 combo that sounded very good and is probably the best option for an “at home” Plexi type amp.

 

[gibson slave]

Those Marshall combo amps look pretty inviting. The SC20 looks to modeled after the metal face amps (JCM800), which isn't the clean/overdriven I was looking for, but the SV20 might just do the trick. I still have my Ultimate, and all my pedals, including my old Tubescreamer, so I have the stuff I need/want to overdrive it to my tastes.

I always wanted a 74x, but I don't think it'll get the crunch I'm looking to replace, even with my Tubescreamer.

I still have that Suhr Badger stuck in my head, so I'll have to mull this around a bit. The Badger did a really nice job with its power scaling. It could get really nice cleans, and drive almost to the point of a metal face. They aren't cheap, but they're also built like a tank.

As usual, this rabbit hole is getting deep quick..lol

 

[jb_abides]

If you like to swap tubes [easily] and are going to look at other 20w, it's worth some research to take a look at the THD Flexi.

Tube mix n' match, power reduction from 50w to 20w, boost, master volume with MV bypass, FX loop, switchable speaker output, direct output... and built like a tank.

 

[Dave P]

I tried a Cornell Plexi 7 that sounded really good

 

[Subliminal lanimilbuS]

jb_abides comment about THD might be worth investigating. I know someone with a THD Bivalve as his only amp. Gigs with it and uses it at home which is in a condo. Has a built in attenuator to go as low of volume as you need. Class A amplifier that takes pedals well and built like a tank. Should probably have one myself as I can't think of a more encompassing amplifier to own. Especially down the road.

 

[SG Std]

I'm a 'home hacker' and in 2012 I purchased both the limited edition 1 watt JMP & JTM when Marshall introduced them. Both were cool sounding amps & I liked them but to make them sound their best, just like any other Marshall, they had cranked way up & thus were no longer 'home amps' for me. But they might be worth checking out [although I've heard they're pretty expensive these days].

 

[JASIII]

I recently tried a Friedman Dirty Shirley 1x12 combo that sounded pretty good.

 

[gibson slave]

I listened to a bunch of THD Flexi videos, and while the tube switching, Class A status and power reduction all are great options for an amp, the tone just wasn't doing it for me. It just seemed a little weak in the knees, for lack of a better description. The videos were less than stellar though, so not sure how much that colored the sound.

My Tech 21 is supposed to show up tomorrow, so looking forward to trying that one out. I'm still narrowing things down, but since I have lots of spare tubes for popular vintage amps, and I know how to bias and tinker with them, I think I want to stick with a tube amp for some good practice tone when I want to get a little more serious. That means it has to have a good master, power scaling, or I'll have to rig in my Ultimate if need be. Lots of options, and I'm in no hurry, so I'm actually enjoying the research.

Thanks everyone for all the suggestions so far.

 

[Blind Lemon Chicken]

There is always the 57 tweed deluxe !

 

[Bob Womack]

Sworn by and at in equal measure.

The Marshall Origin 20 series, head or combo. Twenty watts from a pair of EL-34s with power scaling to bring it down. It is Oscar-approved (as seen in the pic), besides anything else. You'll have to decide which camp you are in.

Bob

 

[NickiC]

Isn’t the Origin designed to give, “home” plexi tones?

*I’m a bit late, oops…

 

[Wilko]

any amp--doesn't matter what--and a pedal.

 

[gibson slave]

Sworn by and at in equal measure.

The Marshall Origin 20 series, head or combo. Twenty watts from a pair of EL-34s with power scaling to bring it down. It is Oscar-approved (as seen in the pic), besides anything else. You'll have to decide which camp you are in.

Bob

Watched a few videos of that Origin and I have to say, I'm pretty impressed with it so far. It really does sound like a mini Plexi. I wasn't even aware of this thing until you posted it. It has been added to my list of considerations, and right now seems like it may be the best option.....AND, I have cats.

Thanks a bunch for that suggestion.

 

[Subliminal lanimilbuS]

I listened to a bunch of THD Flexi videos, and while the tube switching, Class A status and power reduction all are great options for an amp, the tone just wasn't doing it for me. It just seemed a little weak in the knees, for lack of a better description. The videos were less than stellar though, so not sure how much that colored the sound.

My Tech 21 is supposed to show up tomorrow, so looking forward to trying that one out. I'm still narrowing things down, but since I have lots of spare tubes for popular vintage amps, and I know how to bias and tinker with them, I think I want to stick with a tube amp for some good practice tone when I want to get a little more serious. That means it has to have a good master, power scaling, or I'll have to rig in my Ultimate if need be. Lots of options, and I'm in no hurry, so I'm actually enjoying the research.

Thanks everyone for all the suggestions so far.

 

[Subliminal lanimilbuS]

Ya, if you want plexi sound without pedals at low volumes there really isn't anything that will accomplish that. A lot of the appeal of old Marshall's is how they interact with your guitar and play. When testing them out I crank them up and check what kind of overtones they are producing and what the feedback is like. With pedals I think those THD amps could get a person close, from what I have heard, but I haven't had one to experiment with personally. I am sure with pedals and some small tube amp you can probably find something close. With a digital or modelling amp you might be able to get some of that plexi sound, but from my experience they totally lack in the feel and interaction that old Marshall's are famous for.

 

[Bob Womack]

Watched a few videos of that Origin and I have to say, I'm pretty impressed with it so far. It really does sound like a mini Plexi. I wasn't even aware of this thing until you posted it. It has been added to my list of considerations, and right now seems like it may be the best option.....AND, I have cats.

Thanks a bunch for that suggestion.

Glad to help. My review is over HERE on my website. It includes this cool video:

Bob

 

[gibson slave]

Glad to help. My review is over HERE on my website. It includes this cool video:

Bob

I had already watched that video, didn't know it was your review. I'm curious what you meant by "Sworn by and at in equal measure."? Have you had problems or issues with it? One of my concerns with these cheaper tube amps is reliability. The boards and components aren't the best.

 

[Bob Womack]

I had already watched that video, didn't know it was your review. I'm curious what you meant by "Sworn by and at in equal measure."? Have you had problems or issues with it? One of my concerns with these cheaper tube amps is reliability. The boards and components aren't the best.

I love mine. Those who love them, love them. Then there are those who think they are cheep junk. I also own a 1996 Marshall JTM612 combo that everyone said wouldn't last. It took twenty years for it to burn out its first tube, a current limiting resistor, and a fuse, a big $140 repair. That's been the only problem I've had with it. I'm not bothered by economy amps.

Bob

 

[gibson slave]

Follow up:
I bought both the Tech 21 and a Marshall Origin 20. They both just arrived today. I spent about 30 minutes playing each, and I'm very happy with both of them.

The Tech 21 is for quick, no hassle, grab and play 5 minute practices. For the price, it's a nice little peace that does the job just fine and has quite a bit of tonal variety...especially for what it is. You have to play with it a bit to figure out what you like, but I'm happy with the sound I've gotten.

The Marshall Origin 20....I'm VERY happy with! I'll spare giving a big review, but it does the Plexi thing, at a much lower volume, absolutely wonderfully. I will say that it has mids and lows that I can feel, and that just makes me smile. This thing is exactly what I was looking for, and I love that I can still get the nuances that ONLY a tube amp can give. I can't wait to play around with some vintage tubes I have for it.

A huge thank you to everyone who responded.
Here's a shot of them with my R7....just because.