Any Metro Amp kit builders here?

Pick me a Metro amp to build. I perform with a Tele and now a soon to receive beatiful ES-335 Custom Shop Dot Fat Neck.

I am a blues/classic rock player and cover Clapton, Hendrix, Alvin Lee, ACDC, Gary Moore and my own stuff.

Which would you pick (hint: I own and love my Victoria 45410 Bassman Amp):

JTM45
50w Plexi
100w Plexi PPIMV
JTM45/100 (not a kit, but they sell it)

Wow! 35 views and no one's built a Metroamp? Am I on the right forum?

I've built three Metroamp kits, all of which I've modded a bit. Do you know the voicing of the different amps? I'd suggest you add an attenuator or master volume or power scaling or VVR or, my current favorite, the London Power SL-MV, to allow gainy tones at various volumes other than flat out. A JTM45 in stock form with KT66s is pretty middy and bassy, has a nice clean sound and a medium grind cello tone with humbuckers (Clapton Beano album, also Angus Young leads). Good for blues and classic rock. The 1987 50 watt with a solidstate rectifier, split cathode on the first preamp tube, EL34s and smaller value coupling caps has a more aggressive tone with more treble and gain, is a very versatile rock amp. Classic Rock and 70s rock. Both 100 watt amps have much more authority and rich bass, with a beautiful complex tone you don't get with a two output tube amp, but they're unbelievably loud unless tamed with one or more of the methods mentioned above. For pure wonderfulness I'd vote for the 45/100 but it's totally unusable anywhere but stadiums (again, unless you tame the volume with one or more of the methods suggested).

Metro has a very good forum that will give you a lot of help after you build a stock amp, in getting it voiced to your taste. You'd probably find a JTM45 too bassy, but that's fixable with some smaller coupling cap values here and there. A 1987 or 1959 may be too bright, but the lower mids can be bumped up with some coupling cap adjustments and maybe a change in the slope resistor. There's a lot of info in those forums for voicing classic Marshall amps, which is what the Metros are.

I used to think 100 watt amps had more bass, but after tweaking several 50 watt amps, I now know you can get just as much roar and bottom from a 50w.

I'd say a JTM45 or a plexi50 would be cool. Either way, you have to put in a PPIMV. JTM45 is looser and more bluesy (not that a plexi50 isn't bluesy though), a plexi50 is tighter and more rockin'.

If it were me, I'd go with a plexi 50 (my favortie build is my modified plexi50). Metro is expensive, but that's cause they use great quality parts. You'll be happy no matter what kit you get from them.

I was strongly considering the 100w Plexi PPIMV until I saw the cost of 4 quality EL34's!
I own a MusicMan 112 Sixty Five (watts) with MV and EL34's, so I don't know if I'm pretty close the Plexi 50w there and that it might overlap enough to make it a waste of money over one of the other ones.

If I could pick one it would be the JTM45/100, but I don't believe Mr. Metro has that kit now or in the near future, no?

I am required to play a wide range of songs and genres in one gig and I wonder if the 50w Plexi might be a little more versatile, though I'd dearly love a JTM45 with KT66's just for the mojo and history of it.

If I go with the 100w Plexi MV, would I need to go with a 4x12 cab instead of a 2x12 I would use with the JTM45 or 50w Plexi? My back is not the greatest and I think lugging around a 4-by might be more than I should mess with, though I would love to experience that oomph of a 100w Plexi.

I'm thinking all-in-all the 50w Plexi might be the way to go as I want to cover Hendrix fairly closely, Alvin Lee, Gary Moore and ACDC in one amp. Of course that would be either the JTM45/100 (Malcolm) or the 100w (Hendrix) unless I have my gear history wrong.

What think ye o wizards of watts?

I only run my amps through 2x12"s (though they're all 50w amps).

I'd say you don't need 4x12"s, if you use two speakers that each rate 75 watts or more... besides, 4x12"s are heavy!

JTM45's are pretty much similar to plexi's except for the rectifier is a tube on the JTM45. JTM45's are pretty much just tweed Bassman, expect for the British power tubes.

If you're going to bother getting a 100 watt head, get a 4x12 closed back cab with G12Hs or G1265s or the Scumback equivalent. (you can of course run a 2x12 with high wattage speakers with a 100 watt, but if you're going for it, go for it). I'd however recommend a 50 watt just for tube costs, and a 2x12 convertible open/closed back cab with G12Hs or G1265s (again, or the Scumback equivalents that sound a little better than the Celestions). Avatar and Scumback both make cabs like that.

If you're going to bother getting a 100 watt head, get a 4x12 closed back cab with G12Hs or G1265s or the Scumback equivalent. (you can of course run a 2x12 with high wattage speakers with a 100 watt, but if you're going for it, go for it). I'd however recommend a 50 watt just for tube costs, and a 2x12 convertible open/closed back cab with G12Hs or G1265s (again, or the Scumback equivalents that sound a little better than the Celestions). Avatar and Scumback both make cabs like that.



+1. I've got two Avatar 2x12" cabs. They're pretty deep and sound great closed back.

Yeah, if you're going for a 100w deathray, you might as well go 4x12" and level the neighborhood. Pure, naked power is always fun. HAHA! Either way, take tons of photos and share them with us :smile:

You guys are a pleasure to get these pearls from. Some very wise and funny comments!

Johhny Crash:
"Yeah, if you're going for a 100w deathray, you might as well go 4x12" and level the neighborhood." :shock::lol::shock:
Wayne Alexander:
"but if you're going for it, go for it"

I believe after all this going back and forth between low watt/high watt plexis, etc, that my best move would be to get both the JTM45 and the 50W plexi into a Scumback or Avatar 2x12 or both and cover all the bases, doing it over time.

I am a old school rocker to the core (60's raised), but believe it or not am also a guitarist for a superb church band and we guitarists need to cover juicy fills on hymns to crunchy rhythms to all out bluesy, tasty leads...

I also do blues, classic and hard rock on the side.

But if I had to chose just one....(ouch)
it probably would have to be the 50w Plexi.

I appreciate your great help gents, and if it is alright, may I also ask your advice if I get stuck on the build down the road. I'm pretty fair with an iron, at least I used to be, but I may need a little guidance at times.

Thanks again...you guys are great!

Not to add more confusion:

A 50w head is pretty heavy as it is, you could also build a 100w plexi with a 50w half power switch (pulls two tubes from the circuit)... or even a half power AND a pentode/triode switch (get you down to about 30w with both activated).

Then you could use a 2x12" of whatever speakers you'd like (that can handle 50w) and save the half/fullstack for when you flip the 100w mode on.

Pickalittle, the DVD of instructions you get from George at Metro is very, very comprehensive and good. Go slowly and step by step and do what he says, the amp will come out great in stock form. Then read his forums and figure out what you need to do in terms of revoicing. I do strongly recommend the sl-mv from Kevin O'Connor, here http://www.londonpower.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=6&products_id=78 , it's the best master volume type thing I've used, only costs $40. I personally like the sound better than power scaling or vvr or a post-phase inverter master volume.

Wow! I didn't know Metro Amps were so popular. I listed my Audioarts 8x console on Craigslist (Flint, MI) and George wants it, so I'm heading over there to play a few of his amps and most likely trading my console for one of his amps. I'm liking the GMP 45 or the GMP 45 combo. I guess Metroamps is located in Burton which is a suburb of Flint. A lot of my friends have had George build custom roadcases for their 800's and Ampeg cabs. Should be a fun time tomorrow or Friday!