New Friedman “Plex” amp.

Nerine

Thought the Runt I had was ok, just a bit bland. 

I feel similarly about most Friedmans. A bit bland. They sound objectively good, but I always think a JCM 800 sounds better. 

They definitely look a lot better built than the 20w Marshalls though. Even so, the SV20 sounds legit and more importantly, more interesting than the Friedman offerings IMO. 

Boromedic

Well, life would be dull if we all liked the same things I guess. I wouldn't say a Runt is bland, has all the complexity of a great Marshall and just a bit more with it. Very much able to pull off all those modded 80s tones and stuff like Maiden, DC, and Lizzy. Sounds amazing through a Marshall 2*12 (oh the irony )

PPPMAT

Sounds great in the video - be interesting to see how it compares to the smallbox.

guitaraj

PPPMAT said:

Sounds great in the video - be interesting to see how it compares to the smallbox.

Same. I don’t understand amp design well enough to know how the differences between the SB and the Plex circuitry affect the sound, but the SB is Dave’s earlier take on Plexi, right?

Nerine

guitaraj said:

PPPMAT said:

Sounds great in the video - be interesting to see how it compares to the smallbox.

Same. I don’t understand amp design well enough to know how the differences between the SB and the Plex circuitry affect the sound, but the SB is Dave’s earlier take on Plexi, right?

Not really. It’s a bit of a common misconception. I’m not even sure where the “Plexi channel” thing came from regarding the Small Box. 

It’s just a (very good) low gain overdrive channel. Doesn’t sound anything like a Plexi to me. 

I’ve always called it channel one. 

I see it on social media more, but the term “Plexi” is bandied about so inaccurately these days. 

Almost like every low-ish gain Marshall-voiced amp is “plexi”. It’s not. 

guitaraj

Nerine said:

guitaraj said:

PPPMAT said:

Sounds great in the video - be interesting to see how it compares to the smallbox.

Same. I don’t understand amp design well enough to know how the differences between the SB and the Plex circuitry affect the sound, but the SB is Dave’s earlier take on Plexi, right?

Not really. It’s a bit of a common misconception. I’m not even sure where the “Plexi channel” thing came from regarding the Small Box. 

It’s just a (very good) low gain overdrive channel. Doesn’t sound anything like a Plexi to me. 

I’ve always called it channel one. 

I see it on social media more, but the term “Plexi” is bandied about so inaccurately these days. 

Almost like every low-ish gain Marshall-voiced amp is “plexi”. It’s not. 

Thanks!

spirit7

Sounds lovely, but not lovely enough to displace my Helios 50…

PPPMAT

Having heard a few clips now it doesn’t sound like a smallbox to me - sounds closer to a 1987x - quite aggressive which I like and a bit surprising as it’s based on a 68 which I have always thought was a softer rounder sound. 

Great sound though. 

guitaraj

spirit7 said:

Sounds lovely, but not lovely enough to displace my Helios 50…

These are hard to find in the UK. Youtube videos sound excellent. 

FelineGuitars

Dave pretty much built everything he did round that old 50W he had , so it was only a matter of time till he released a close version of it .

But one does have to wonder where are Marshall during all this?

So in the 1980s Jose mods were a big deal, as well as Bogner, Le Jackson, Tim Caswell etc etc

Why did Marshall say - here is an already modded version of our classic 2203/2204 1959/1987 - or was that the seemingly disliked JCM900s?

Why were they not the ones finding what had been done to Steve Vai's DLR era Marshall  or John Sykes one and releasing versions for all of us 

randella

I've often wondered if the 2203/4 was in part a reaction to the guys modding JMP non-masters.

The 900 I have is the hi-gain job that they only made for a short while alongside the Dual Reverbs. It has the clamping circuit tweak with a pair of zeners like one of the Jose mods for extra drive. Problem is, they buggered about with the tone stack at the same time - making it sound a bit like that Tone Shift button they still insist on fitting to their amps that you press once and vow never to touch again.

TTBZ

The Jubilee does that modded Marshall thing perfectly imo, with the added bonus that the EQ is actually effective unlike a typical Plexi EQ that seems to do next to nothing. 

guitarmanessex89

Sounds killer, but I always have effects and a volume pedal on the loop on a gig…. That means employing my Power Station, and that just seems backwards when concerning such a high end amp. I doubt it sounds better than my YJM for that tone, by BE50 is a workhorse and gets close, and my 78 JMP has enough Marshall DNA to work well with the Fryetter, too. If they somehow incorporated a PPI loop (if this was feasible) I’d probably be in. Sounds good for sure.

daveyh

TTBZ said:

The Jubilee does that modded Marshall thing perfectly imo, with the added bonus that the EQ is actually effective unlike a typical Plexi EQ that seems to do next to nothing. 

This. I bought a Marshall Custom (the ‘black Jubilee’) the year they came out, they were 100% an answer to mods/pedals being used with 800s. 

Catthan

Isn't it one of those that if you want Dave's take on a good plexi, that's it? 
Better for him (and presumably the client) getting the whole amp build like that from scratch vs having him mod one for you.
Suhr, Bogner and I'm sure others have been doing this and whilst the OGs are around and being reissued.
At some point a build/ mod/ circuit deviates enough that it becomes its own thing and they call it something else. 

I believe Marshall reissuing the classics is a great thing. The jtm45, plexi, jmp2203/4 and 800 (stock) defined a good chunk of music stylistically and chronologically but so did the Recto and the 5150, along with Vox and Vox-inspired. 
From that POV, Marshall launching the "modded" Marshall or new take on an old Marshall doesn't seem enough for the product to succeed.

My thinking process is If you want Dave's or someone else's take on a Marshall, buy one of their whatever the call it.
If you want a Marshall, get a reissue.

guitaraj

These have been out for a few weeks. Anyone had a chance to try one?

Danny1969

Pete's a fantastic player but the amp sounds a little harsh to me, probably due to post processing plugins more than anything else though. 
The best rock tone I've ever mixed live was a Friedman and a Les Paul with P90's, it just sounded like VH1 but was at a volume that was suitable for the small venues. Another friend has one he uses with a Strat and that sounds great as well, just not as awesome as that P90 and Friedman combination. 

£2800 though ! .... f#ck that ... I've never payed more than £400 for an amp so consider that an insane amount of money 

TeleMaster

Nerine said:

It’s just I see it on social media more, but the term “Plexi” is bandied about so inaccurately these days. 

Almost like every low-ish gain Marshall-voiced amp is “plexi”. It’s not. 

I have an ideal Plexi sound in my head but ultimately there are a million 'Plexi' sounds. Angus Young on TNT is very different to Hendrix's plexi sound. A Plexi sound to you might be completely different to me because there's so many different versions of it recorded with many different guitars through many different amps. I've come to realise that it's not something that can actually be accurately defined. 

rsvmark

 https://youtu.be/bgOlYzzFb1k?si=eioCVBIBRQPYjRH-

Pete always makes stuff sound good