Who makes an under 30W head that REALLY sounds like a Plexi!?

[Wilko]

interesting. I've never noticed an AC30 in a video of Page. He used one with the yardbirds. And a couple of super beatle heads with the rickenbacker cabs for early zep.

He used AC30 on In Through the Out Door.

Anyway, an AC30 doesn't sound much like a plexi

 

[Tim]

This is one of many I've seen him use one. Another

 

[Wilko]

Thanks for posting those!
I saw that tour in May that year in San Diego. I don't remember noticing his amps. Appently he used 2 Fender tonemaster and 2 AC30 in a system rigged up by pete cornish. Those don'tlook like tonemasters. Supposedly 4 outputs from his effects to feed four amps were added January of 1995. so in may he had 4 outputs. The video looks like three heads and 1 AC30. Cool!

He keeps all his gear that he likes. There's a real good chance that AC30 in the first video was the one he used in the yardbirds. In his gear room he still has the custom made Hiwatt, his main Marshall and the Rickenbacker cabs. Can be seen in "It Might Get Loud"

 

[Tim]

No problem!
The DVD they made of that tour, can't remember the name of it, he used the AC30 with a Vibro King. I think those two sounded great together!

 

[fernieite]

interesting. I've never noticed an AC30 in a video of Page. He used one with the yardbirds. And a couple of super beatle heads with the rickenbacker cabs for early zep.

He used AC30 on In Through the Out Door.

Anyway, an AC30 doesn't sound much like a plexi

He also used an AC30 with THE FIRM.

Btw, the "Super Beatle" head was probably a rare Vox UL4120, or UL460.

The VOX Showroom - Vox UL 4120 Amplifier

The VOX Showroom - Vox UL 460 Bass Amplifier

 

[Wilko]

Watch this clip. My fave clip. Says what all electric guitarists should know.

His amps are all here. The two Vox heads, the ricky cabs. his #1 Marshall and Hiwatt. AC30, Supro, etc...

 

[thejaf]

Any luck yet Ed?

In my experience and to my ears, 6V6 breakup sounds more like EL34 than the other lower wattage tube (EL84). I picked up a Bogner Goldfinger SL45 last year, and I think it comes pretty close to the Plexi sound with a bunch of tone shaping options. Just using it through an old Bogner 4x12 (circa 1998), but I will pick up the smaller Goldfinger 2x12 later this year. Factory preamp tubes are OK, but I put in some 1950s Mullards in the first few spots and it really smooths out the breakup.

 

[lespauler]

Man, there are many great amp heads in that category. Marshall and Vox have some great heads.
you may find something on awkwardsound

 

[Ed A]

Any luck yet Ed?

No not really. In my original post when I said, is there any amp that will sound just like a plexi I should’ve also said feel and response as well. Granted I haven’t tried 25 different amps, but I tried more than a half dozen, including Ceriatone, Marshall hand wired 20W, JTM30, Origin, Friedman Runt, Friedman Pink taco, Tech 21 and more… many of these sound great, but nothing I have found sounds and feels just like a 1968 50W Plexi other than a 50W plexi! It’s not just tone there is a feel and response that is quite different than these lower power amps. The only thing that has done it for me was to buy a Germino lead 55, which copies the 68 50W plexi. There is no getting around that the bigger iron in the Dagnall replica transformers is a huge contributor to the tone. And the feel and the response, which is a big part of it for me. Even the Germino 35 which is as close as I came, with the different type of transformer didn’t have quite the same tone. So I’ve got the Germino 50W head and a smaller more lightweight and portable head cabinet and and when I need to reduce the volume to a more reasonable level, I just use my Weber attenuator, and it has worked out fantastically! Oh, and there is a great sounding master on the back panel, which when turned up full is completely out of the circuit. That works really well to reduce overall volume level, but I tend to prefer the attenuator.

 

[CK6]

Ed, did you ever try the Friedman Smallbox?