I did a “What is it about…” regarding the tone of a 100-Watt amplifier recently, and while I’m now hooked on higher-wattage amps, and will probably sell off a few of my low wattage amps, I’ve got some other lower-wattage amps – namely, my Aracom amps – that I will never part with because of their insanely fantastic tone and dynamics. While not nearly as beefy-sounding or -feeling as a 100 Watt amp, they just ooze great tone, and when cranked to the hilt, just sustain for days!
For instance, this morning I played a church service at my kids’ school and had two of my fellow church band members to play a power trio. Since we didn’t have a lot of room (the 5th grade class shares our normal band space), I just brought my Aracom PLX18 BB Trem combo with me so I wouldn’t have to hook up a cab. This amp is based upon the popular Marshall 18-Watt Plexi circuit, which is absolutely simple, as all vintage Plexi circuits were. It has a single gain stage that feeds into an EQ (and on the PLX, it’s a single tone knob to bleed off highs), then straight into the power amp. I believe it’s this simplicity that gives the amp and its Marshall ancestors such pure tone.
With their single gain stage, obviously amps of this ilk will not do over-the-top overdrive, and have to be cranked (as in dimed) to deliver any overdrive. But when they do deliver it, it’s smooth as silk and incredibly dynamic and articulate. This has always been my experience with Plexi-style amps, be they 100 Watts or 18 Watts. For my own PLX, as I said, it may not have the beefy tone that a 100 Watt version may offer, but that smooth overdrive and dynamicism is all present.
Anyway, I set up my rig this morning and I warmed up the amp. Then I plugged in my Gibson 2009 Limited Run Nighthawk, and started playing some warm-up scales. I hadn’t played my PLX for awhile, and running through my warm-up, I was reminded about how damn good that amp sounds! As Jeff Aragaki (Aracom’s owner) puts it, “It doesn’t matter what wattage the amp is. You just know a great amp when you play and hear it. And Marshall got that circuit right.” At least to me, Jeff couldn’t be more right. The PLX is pretty much an exact copy of the classic 18 Watt Plexi circuit (with some slight mods that Jeff has made), and that amp was made to be hit hard. When you do that, you’re rewarded with a tone that, at least to me, is other-worldly! If you’re looking a great Plexi-style amp, this is an amp you have to check out!
Here’s a little treat. Gene Baker of B3 Guitars recorded a great clip that demonstrates the PLX18’s wonderful crunch tone. Check it out:
Over the years, I’ve tried and tested a lot of different amps, and several that cop Marshall designs. No doubt, there are some great amps out there, but Jeff at Aracom really “gets it” with respect to vintage Marshall-esque amps. The cool thing is that instead of making an exact replica of the circuits as many amp builders do, Jeff sees where he feels the designs may be weak, makes corrections or improvements, or creates new amps altogether from the base. For instance, my VRX22 started out as a Plexi 18, but Jeff wanted to add more gain with the second channel, so he added another gain stage that acts as a tube overdrive that’s always on, went from EL84’s to 6V6’s, and what he came up with is an absolutely superb amp that has vintage-style Marshall dynamics, but a sound all its own.
For more information, please visit the Aracom Amps site!
Guitar Gear 
I just love the half stack, from my first Marshall to my now modifed Carvin V3. Carvin is perhaps the most under-rated and unknown US manufacturer there is. I dig their custom guitars and the V3 amp has been a jewel of tones.
I currently have it biased w 5881 (6L6) power tubes (4) and JAN Phillips 5751s (5) in my preamp. I love being able to change the tube amp around and try different tube setups. The V3 brings the tone no matter the combination. For $1000 this head is amazing, 3 channels, 3 stages of gain and 2 EQ switch options on each channel, master vol, clean boost and mine an additional modifed clean boost, foot switchable and remembered by each channel. The versitily of this amp is incredible.
I love the wattage headroom and the 3D dimensional quality of a multi-cab 4×12. They just sound better to me. Little amps to my ear do not have the depth and headroom, this is not to say they do not have good tones or can be used to great effect in recording.
And, I certainly get the notion of hauling less gear and set up time. I am off the wheel of playing live, gigging, or even having a band these days, so I can enjoy the beloved excess of my private sound room. My pedal board, that I made myself is 4′ X 20″ on a slant. While I do not pack effects on merely to look crowded, I enjoy the room to move things around and experiment for the best tone options. It would take two to carry it but I do take it anywhere and yet I would still load it because I am not going to jam w someone in a half ass manner.
My brother was a sound engineer and he explained many things to me about how to pink noise frequency analyze systems and the how and why of bandwidth and headroom and how wattage is required to push low frequency and how a single speaker just cannot deliver as much range and fullness as a several. It’s just physics.
Even in recording, the little amp is at best an illusion and recording is an illusion. I can hear the narrow and thiner sound of the little amp even when used by someone like Trower in recording. They also tend to be one trick ponies, I look to an old tiny Champ like amp as merely like an effect pedal, one basic tone range.
There is a very good reason why major players use higher wattage amps and multi-cabs not only on stage and live but also in recording, …tone, and depth of tone.
Little amps are cool if that is what you dig and inspires you to play, plug into my rig and you will hear what I am talking about.
‘Horse I totally get what you’re saying. There’s a fullness and richness to the tone of a high wattage amp, and it’s the direction I’m going in – right now, but you’re also missing the point: A great amp is a great amp. If it sounds and responds in a such a way that you’re moved by it, that can’t be denied. That’s the beauty of making music; there are lots of alternatives out there.
As to Carvin, I’d have to disagree with you about them not being known and underrated. From what I can tell, they’re a pretty successful company, and they were one of the first gear companies to perfect the mail-order high-end gear business.
I like em all (if they sound amazing). I think it starts with speaker and cabinet choice. I’ve got a 20 watt mesa subway rocket. It sounds great with the stock speaker. I’ve tried other speakers but it’s not the same. other speakers don’t sound as full.
I had a V3 with Ruby 6L6’s in it and it was a great sounding amp for the cash but I sold that to get my Bogner Ecstasy. I liked my Peavey JSX and 5150 amps better than the V3, the V3 better than my 5150 II etc. My first year JCM 800 and early 90’s Plexi RI are in a class by themselves.
What I’m getting at is “Variety is the spice of life”. I’m with the Dawg on this one.. I love good amps big and small.
While recoding can be an illusion, unless you have the wall of amps and room mics setup, most of the time you’re just mic’ing
ones speaker even when running a 412 and 100 watt head, so it’s an illusion there also which means IMO that once you have that great amp, speaker choice is critical…