IndyGuitarist Plexi-Drive

Pretty cut and dry here - a toggle switch and tone gain and volume knobs.

The Plexi Drive has a great low-end marshall crunch to it. With the gain set low, you get a great rythm crunch, and with the gain completely topped off you can get some pretty great sounding leads. Where this pedal really shines, is somewhere in between - around 2'oclock on the gain knob. This is the classic AC/DC cranked marshall sound. I play through a Vox AC30 and a Fender DeVille and it quite effectively transforms them into a large wall of plexis.

Cons:

The only thing that could be bad about this pedal is it puts out a LOT of low end. Compared to an 808 style overdrive like a HBE Power Screamer it puts out a lot more low end.

The treble toggle switch is really fizzy when engaged - I leave it off for a natural sound, but i suppose some people might like it.

Good so far - had it for a few weeks and no problems.

I haven't dealt with their tech support, but I have heard it is phenomenal.

Great pedal for the specific sound it delivers. Not for all music styles, but it really shines in delivering fat low end marshall crunch.

This is a three knob overdrive pedal - Gain, Tone, Volume, blue LED indicator and a bright on/off switch. Just plug the pedal and dial your sound. It doesn't take a genius, just meddle with the knobs, listen an I assure you will hear something you like. Gain and tone control are responsive, that means you can really change the shape of your sound. This is a trye bypass pedal, meaning there no coloration of your sound when the pedal is switched off. That is IMMENSELY helpful when you're playing through five of more pedals on a pedalboard.

I don't find the bright switch that useful, but It helps when you want a little extra snap when you're playing with light overdrive. Great for those light rock n' roll country-rock solos.

I've never tried a Marshall plexi, but I'll say this: This pedal ROCKS, period. Think early late 60's through 70's classic distortion sounds. There's lots of midrange and smooth, creamy, overdrive and loads of sustain (especially if you play through a cranked tube amp) and no noise. Like a previous reviewer said, this is a very 'amp-sounding' pedal, which means it's a very musical and harmonically rich sound.
I've tested the PlexiDrive with my amps: a Traynor YCV40WR tube amp, a Fender Hot Rod Deville and a Marshall AVT50. I think this pedal works nice with any type of amp, but really starts to shine when it's plugged into a good tube amp. True bypass is here, and it's a blessing when I put this pedal in my pedalboard (usually after compression, and before chorus and delay).

The best sound came when I cranked my Traynor amp to slight 'dirtyness' then the pedal in the front end of the amp. I was into classic rock zone, The Traynor YCV40 is a bright sounding amp, so a 'dark' type of distortion sound compensates a little.

You can easily mimic early ACDC, Cream, Led Zep, Eric Johnson tones... you just have to tweak your amp EQ accordingly. And dont forget the guitar you're using plays big part in it. Nevertheless, I managed to get excellent classic rock tones with my Telecaster and my PRS Santana SE guitars.

Solid as rock, but in any case I always take care of my gear. The blue LED indicator light shines stronger than the other pedals when they're on (quite useful on a dark stage if you're switching the dirt on and off during playing). You have to unscrew the backplate to change batteries (a thumbsrcrew or snap-in compartement would've been nicer) but there's nothing to worry about.

If you like fancy paintjobs or etched details on your pedals, forget about it. I got a metal box painted white with a decal on it - I was a little dissapointed at first sight, but when I plugged it in, my jaw dropped. The PlexiDrive easily blew my Boss Turbo Overdrvive and Visual Sound Jekyll & Hyde pedals out of the water.

Don't be fooled by fancy-pansy painted pedals - it's the inside that counts, and I believe this pedal is made with some of the finest components, because it ROCKS so much with power and tone.

Brian is very helpful. I'm a nobody guitarist and still, he ALWAYS answers my mails. The guy is a guitarist himself and has an excellent ear for great guitar sounds. You can write him and tell him about the sound you're trying to achieve, he'll definitely come up with interesting suggestions.

I play play rock, jazz, blues and everything in between except metal. I play a fender 1978 telecaster, a PRS Santana SE and an Ibanez artcore guitar. This is an excellent pedal for classic rock, mainstream rock, blues-rock, blues, and jazz-fusion tones. If you want more of the 80's or 90's harsher punk/grunge guitar tones, look elsewhere (although Brian has a Plextortion pedal which mimics the classic JCM 800 sound that may satisfy more 'modern' tastes)

If it were stolen, I'd definitely get a new one. I love the sound I get out of it, the sustain and the harmonics come out of it so easily (use a cranked tube amp for best results)Compared to Ibanez, Boss and Digitech stuff I've tried, the PlexiDrive owns them big time. It sounds awesome, it's quiet and built like a tank. And the true bypass feature helps a lot with other pedals on my pedalboard. Perhaps a 3 band EQ and a separate snap-in battery compartment on the pedal itself would make it absolutely perfect.

I've been playing for more than 20 years now, and It's been a while since I got a piece of gear that inspired me to play better - this pedal did it for me.

Very easy to get great sound out of the pedal. Three controls, Gain, Tone, and Volume.

This is my second Indyguitarist pedal. My first being the Pinnacle 2. (See Review) This pedal is a little darker than the Pinnacle 2. This pedal sounds like a dark Marshall Plexi. I am using T. Anderson Guitars and % by 13 amps. I keep the gain rolled back on this pedal and keep the Pinnacle hot. This pedal gives a smooth round tone. Think Eric Johnson type tone only not as fuzzy. Great sound, perfect for rhythm, chords ring true. If you have a dark amp and are looking for some bite, go with the pinnacle.

No problems, built very well by Brain or Jason!

Brain will take care of you. He always responds to e-mails and is very interested in satisfying his customers. Thanks Brian!

Brian makes the most "amp sounding" pedals I've heard, and I've heard and tried a lot. I'm sure he learned the do's and don'ts by completing countless pedal mods. His own pedals have to be a culmination of all that experience! Highly recommended...especially considering the price.