Smallbox module possibility?

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Bucksears

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Like, Plexi-clean to medium gain on one channel, med-to-high (vintage BE?) on the other.
I’ve read that the Plexi & 800 modules don’t clean up much at all.

Does the Metropoulos mod cover this?
 
Metroplex, no, not at all. Not for me at least.

BB/BE maybe. I never played one.

Vai module, maybe. Never played that one either.
 
Bucksears said:
Like, Plexi-clean to medium gain on one channel, med-to-high (vintage BE?) on the other.
I’ve read that the Plexi & 800 modules don’t clean up much at all.

The Plexi can definitely pull off medium-to-high gain (although the bottom loosens up significantly when the gain knobs are dimed). It can clean up but it's not Fender Twin kind of clean, it's Marshall clean.

Bucksears said:
Does the Metropoulos mod cover this?

The Metropolis is very, very clean for me but I use lower gain pickups (Lollar Imperial Low Winds, Classic 57's, etc.). in all of my humbucking guitars. IMO, it's better with "chimey" sounding Strats, Tele's and P90 guitars and doesn't really provide much of a distorted sound at all, at least for me.
 
I think that perhaps we should try to cover what the Plexi and Metro Plex aren’t offering that a small box would. Dave Friedman actually voiced and designed the Plexi module and my two cents I don’t personally see how a small box module would really offer anything drastically different at least based on playing, recording, and hearing small boxes in regular use. At best you have the same dish made by a different chef.

Reality is if you like those early Marshall cleans a lot of that happens at high volume, the right speaker cabinet, and with vintage lower wind pickups.

When I use most of my guitars through the Metro Plex or Plexi I have zero issues dialing in cleaner settings at the module or getting clean up rolling back my volume. So the other comments about not being able to roll back to clean up just simply weren’t my experience at all YMMV I suppose.

Perhaps you are using a higher output more modern pickup that’s driving the front end of these modules too much and adding some hair to the tone. Likewise if you plug into an actual old Marshall, Smallbox, metroplex, or similar type of amp you’ll find that these amps react in a similar fashion. I know my Charvel with hotter dimarzios and a PRS I have loaded with P Rails Hot pickups struggle to get clean with many amps/modules in that vein but on the other end can really shine when you dial in the crunch/gainy sounds.

If you are using such an instrument you’d probably be best checking out a BMAN or Morgan AC synergy module for a touch more clean range. Really contacting Rob at Jaded Faith and having a module made that has more clean headroom on tap might be even smarter.
 
Friedman BB/BE has a marvelous clean channel that gets downright Fendery as it is based on it. The BE is very good dirt Marshall One of my fav modules. Certainly not as uber gain as many of the mega module amps but a nice Marshall basic.
 
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