Are you looking for the best Plexi pedals? You’re in the right place.
Suppose you are searching for tones to match up with the Marshall era’s authentic rock vibes in the 60s to wow your crowds or just to wow yourself in the garage. In that case, these four pedals will emulate the distinctive tones of the Plexi-Head era without the expense and hassle of lugging a whole new set of amp heads around with you.
We have found and reviewed the top 4 best Plexi pedals for you. Without further ado, let’s take a closer look:
Best Plexi Pedals – Comparison Table
Wampler Plexi-Drive Deluxe Guitar Effects Pedal
From this Plexi-Drive Pedal, you will hear the authentic Marshall sound in a small, updated package.
It offers the same range as the Wampler Plexi-Drive Standard but adds a few key features, including a pre-gain boost for mid-range overdrives, a bass switch to darken tones a bright boost to add a higher frequency into your music.
It also has the main dials for bass, middle, and treble, which you can turn to a greater or lesser effect. Its post gain boost dial will saturate your circuit with a warm overdrive.
The Wampler Plexi-Drive Deluxe Guitar Effects Pedal uses high-grade film capacitors and resistors for the best sound and frequency. It offers an entirely true bypass, allowing you to remove the pedal’s sound from your music altogether if you so choose.
It has a standard size to fit into any system, and although it is lightweight, it is also heavier than some of the others on the market.
Pricewise, it is the most expensive of those on this list, mainly because its bells and whistles allow you to perform more tones with a single pedal.
J Rockett Audio Designs ANIMAL Pro Guitar Distortion Effects Pedal
The J Rockett ANIMAL has a snarl switch that toggles back and forth from the stock Plexi mode when it is in the downward position to the Modded Plexi mode when it is in the up position, so with a simple flick of a switch. You can quickly move from one to the other in live play.
It offers excellent replication of the 1968 sound if that Classic Rock is what you are going for and has a very subtle bass and treble control, which you use throughout their entire sweep.
It can go from a deafening, almost distorted volume and acceptable range to the blues, depending on how you play with it.
Because of its snarl switch, purchasing the ANIMAL is excellent for those whose musical gigs call for a wide range of sounds, and its price, midway between the Wampler and the Catalinbread or Carl Martin, reflects that.
Catalinbread Dirty Little Secret Guitar Overdrive Pedal
Visually, the Dirty Little Secret (DLS) Overdrive Pedal stands out for its attractive design and bold logo. The DLS is designed to be a foundation Plexi pedal, with a dual-mode sound pattern for both a full wall Marshall Super Lead and a Super Bass sound and response.
You can switch between the two modes using an internal slider switch. The DLS forms the core sound for both types of music, which you can then embellish with boosts and other overdrives to capture the exact sound you are looking for.
It has the three standard knobs: treble, middle and bass, and a pre-amp. When you purchase the DLS overdrive pedal, you essentially receive two pedals in one because of their vastly different amperage.
It is less than the ANIMAL or Wampler, mainly because, unlike those two, it is set up primarily to give you variations of the classic rock sound. It fits into all standard pedal holders, and its super lightweight, 8 ounces, is excellent for on-the-go musicians.
Carl Martin PlexiTone-S Guitar Distortion Effect Pedal
This Carl Martin version of a popular Plexi-Tone is a single channel pedal in small, pedal-board-friendly housing. It has three knobs for level, drive, and tone, and a bypass switch.
It has one small modification to tighten the low end and soften the high end, making it compatible with a wide range of amps, similar to the high gain PlexiTone channel.
With its musical set-up, those who are mainly looking at recreating the classic rock sound will have everything they need here at a fair price, without paying for extras you may never use.
It is easy to haul around at just one pound, and its dimensions fit into standard pedal holders perfectly. Its price is about level with that of the Catalinbread. It is the least expensive of those on this list.
How to Choose the Best Plexi Pedal for Your Guitar
Most Plexi pedals are built and designed to mimic the classic Plexi-Head sound used by guitarist legends such as Jimmy Hendrix and modern-day musicians such as Billy Joe Armstrong and Matthew Bellamy.
While vintage Plexi-heads can be hard to find (and harder to afford!), the Plexi pedal lets you offer up the same classic rock sound in a simple foot pedal you can easily carry around to all your shows.
Many pedals are designed just for that classic rock sound boost. So if you want the boost but are not concerned about unique features and different sound effects, then you may want to consider one of those more streamlined Plexi pedals with fewer knobs and switches to play around with.
Fewer knobs mean fewer distractions during live performance, even if they cut back on the amount of versatility and modal range you will have within your music.
Other Plexi-Drive Pedals, such as the Wampler, are meant for more in-depth tonal experimentation and hitting a wide range of sounds with a single pedal.
That comes by adding extra knobs and switches, so it may take some practice getting used to hitting the right combination during a live set.
However, the upside is that you will experiment more with different tones and overdrives to hit upon the mixture right for you.
The multiple modes and switches will also pay off if you perform in many different music styles.
Rather than lugging different amp heads for country and classic rock, for example, you could have a single pedal and change genres at the flip of a switch.
Cost is going to be a factor. You can find all of the pedals listed here for less than 300 dollars but are going to pay more if you buy a Plexi pedal with additional music tones and modes than for a standard classic rock boost.
So if you are in the market for a new Plexi pedal for your rocking guitar, you will want to consider your music’s essential features and price them out accordingly.
These four Plexi pedals are the best quality out there on the market today and offer a mixture of price points, features, and designs that may or may not be the best fit for what you are looking at.