Need Plexi Tone

[Bbenderman]

My coverband started playing ZZ Top songs and I need the plexi sound for Sharp Dressed Man.
My pedalboard today has this od-pedals.
Ac-boster Rc-boster Dirty Little Secret Lovepedal Od11.
None give me the right tone.
I have found two pedals on the marked that gives good plexi tone.
ToneBone plexitube and Carl Martin Plexi Tone.
Do you have any other suggestions?

[JesterR]

Do you say about studio tone? It feels pretty post-processed. Many layers etc/

[Donelson]

Pedals don't, and never will, cut it. Doesn't matter what brand or cost. Those little wimpy transistor circuits are not going to do it. Get the big basic tube rig and CRANK IT if you want the true hippie-rock guitar sounds.

Almost like trying to sound like a Ramirez with an "acoustic simulator".

[ruger9]

The Wampler Plexi-Drive is the best I've ever heard at copping the Plexi Sound. The Wampler Plextortion will also do it, with more gain, which imo would probably be better for Sharp Dressed Man.

But that entire album was a Rockman you know. No joke. Billy talked about it in a recent guitar mag interview. Unless he's jiving, which he has been known to do. BUT... it sounds like a Rockman to me... a well-recorded, well-EQ'd one (he even said he had TOm Scholz mod them a bit), and all the songs' tones sound exactly the same.

[Donelson]

Ha! Just kidding in my above post. Famous distortio guitar sounds many many times were recorded with gimmick devices, NOT the "big rig".

[JesterR]

Originally Posted by Donelson

Pedals don't, and never will, cut it. Doesn't matter what brand or cost. Those little wimpy transistor circuits are not going to do it. Get the big basic tube rig and CRANK IT if you want the true hippie-rock guitar sounds.

Almost like trying to sound like a Ramirez with an "acoustic simulator".

Actually Billy uses marshall preamp (which has tube, but I believe it's hybrid) into SS marshall power amp.

[artdecade]

I love the Visual Sound Open Road for Plexi tones. Its a very under-valued pedal that sounds stunning.

[Teleworshipkid]

Definitely the Tonebone. You may not need the Plexitube though, unless you want both channels- the Hot British should be enough.

This is one of those few pedals that I can almost guarantee people will be impressed by... Listen to some of their sound samples, it's exactly what you're looking for!

[uriah1]

2 OD's in series do it great. Create the fat saturation.

Sometimes 1 by itself is too thin, ...
no matter how pricey and botiquey.

1st OD at noon
2nd OD at 3-4oclock

[artdecade]

Originally Posted by uriah1

2 OD's in series do it great. Create the fat saturation.

We have a different view on what a Plexi sounds like... I don't think of fat saturation. To me, it is more of a dry, power tube crunch (ala Acca Dacca). The tone is open and raw.

Marshall amps were more saturated in the 80s. especially when the 800 series amps were modded (and even more when the 900 series was released). At this point, they didn't sound like old school Plexis anymore.

[WireLine]

Or get a Legend 50 amp and one Celestion in a silent recording box- that's what BG used for Eliminator

According to the guy to recorded the record, anyway

[Two Steps]

I actually think that the zvex box of rock does the plexi thing BETTER than anything else. Almost to a fault. The bass gets a bit woofy - just like my plexi - but it sounds exactly like my plexi through english greenbacks at 8.

I also have the ocd which is supposed to be a marshall in a box on the hp setting as well, but it doesn't do vintage 60's like the BOR. Just my opinion....

Sent from my DROIDX using TDPRI

[smoss469]

Billy will sound like Billy regardless. He's used a LOT of amps on tour. He even did a tour with some of the cheap Crate Combos and I'm sure it still sounded excellent.

[Hulk]

I really don't think you can beat the Wampler Plexi-Drive as someone else above posted. This pedal is unbelievable. It has almost no compression and sounds like natural amp overdrive. It is an incredible pedal!

[WireLine]

If you can swing it, try stacking 2 lower gain pedals in series...Mr Gibbon's tone is not really as nasty as it seems, and when I've tried to cop some of his licks, I seem to get the best results by punching up the upper mids/his on one and the lower mids on another mid gain device ... although not very esoteric, a TS9 and a Blues Driver or 808 in series gets REAL close...

Just an opinion - picking with the edge of the pick helps more than any pedal though.

[artdecade]

Originally Posted by smoss469

Billy will sound like Billy regardless. He's used a LOT of amps on tour. He even did a tour with some of the cheap Crate Combos and I'm sure it still sounded excellent.

Billy is a tone freak. If I had to guess, the only thing that Crate had to do with those amps were the badges. He is known to mod just about everything. Remember when he used to have a whole bunch of Expandora pedals on stage linked in series? There is no way that he was actually getting his tone from those - It would be a noisy, spongy mess. Billy loves to mess around with other guitar players and he uses a lot of subterfuge.

That said, you are right - Billy always sound like Billy.

[Bbenderman]

How are the Marshall The Guv´nor2 sounds very much jsm800 i just heard youtube demos

[CyanideJunkie]

Tried using the Xotic BB Preamp?

[uriah1]

Originally Posted by artdecade

We have a different view on what a Plexi sounds like... I don't think of fat saturation. To me, it is more of a dry, power tube crunch (ala Acca Dacca). The tone is open and raw.

Marshall amps were more saturated in the 80s. especially when the 800 series amps were modded (and even more when the 900 series was released). At this point, they didn't sound like old school Plexis anymore.

I would not necessarily say more open. I had a 66-67 superlead, while
not true plexi, had great saturation, that I can get nowadays
on many tube amps. Of course I would pull the 3rd/4th tube, or something
like that to knock it down .

but, it has been quite awhile.!! I could be crzy
lol

[Brandon mac]

rockett animal overdive is the best plexi in a box!!