Marshall 1987X "plexi" Reissue

2006 Marshall 1987XL Plexi Reissue: a straight-forward guitar amplifier that has been used by a lot of artists over the years. Typical Marshall controls: presence, bass, mid, treble and two volume controls (one for each input - High Treble and Normal). No reverb or any other effects. This model has the effects loop, but I currently do not use it, as I use a pedal board between the guitar and the amp.

Here's the gear that I currently use with this amp and then I will detail what I???ve learned over the years playing and recording with a few different Marshall heads:

Guitars: Jackson Soloist SL1 (DiMarzio Tone-Zone in the bridge and Seymour Duncan stock pick-ups in the middle and neck positions). Fender Eric Clapton Artist Series Stratocaster with Vintage Noiseless pick-ups.

Effects Chain: Boss Tuner, Fulltone Fulldrive 2 Mosfet, Ibanez TS-808 Reissue, Boss Chorus, MXR Carbon Copy Delay, Lee Jackson Mr. Springgy reverb and Boss NS-2 Noise Suppressor.

Speaker Cabinet: Marshall 1960BX with 25 Watt Celestion Greenbacks.

Other amps: Marshall 1980 JMP 50W Master Volume, Fender Hot-Rod Deluxe. Used to own Marshall JCM2000 DSL 50.

Like others, I only play the 1987XL head with the inputs bridged to get a fuller tone. I've recorded with my 1987XL head and I'm thankful for the things I've learned here at Harmony Central. Stock, the head is brittle and bright. You can't get the amp over 2 on the high treble volume control without getting a very brittle sounding overdrive, and the volume is VERY loud at 2!! The tone controls did not seem to make much of a difference until you turned the amp up to 7 or 8 and effectively eliminate the bright cap across the high treble volume (C5 on the circuit board).

I had the bright cap at C5 volume removed and it made a huge difference. It was very evident when recording. The tone controls on the amp are more usable and much improved. The amps tubes overdrive around 5 on the HT volume control now. It is still a very loud amp, but it has a lot more headroom.

To get the overdriven sound I'm looking for, I keep the HT and Normal volumes at about 4, and use either the Fulldrive or TS-808 to drive the tubes. Both do a GREAT job, it just depends on what sound you're looking for. The TS-808 has the definitive mid-range hump and the Fulldrive IMO retains the amp's tone better while driving the tubes for more overdrive. My favorite setting on the Fulldrive is with the overdrive set between 11 AM and 12 PM and the Volume set at ~ 3 PM.

In a live setting, this works well, because you can turn the OD pedal off, reduce slightly the volume knob on your guitar to get a very pristine, clean tone. By kicking the volume knob full and putting the OD pedal on, you're in classic rock heaven! I've recorded my Plexi reissue using either the Fulldrive or TS-808 and I can get very, very close to Lynch's tone on Dokken's Under Lock & Key CD. I say this to give you a point of reference.

This amp is so loud however; that you will need some attenuator. I use a 16 ohm THD hot plate and it does a great job with this amp. I generally play at the -8dB setting, as this retains the amps tone best while reducing the volume.

For comparison purposes, I've recorded comparison tracks with my 1987XL with various Marshall cabinets (1960A, 1960BV, 1960AX and 1960BX). All had their own great sound, but the 1960BX was by far the clear choice. The 1960AX was very close, but I prefer like many others the flat cabinets for recording and playing. The BX has a deeper tone and it doesn't throw all the sound up to your head.

I also have recorded and compared the 1987XL to the JCM2000 DSL 50. The DSL is very versatile head with its two channels and reverb. It also has a lot more gain. However, when recorded with a good OD pedal in front of it, the 1987XL is much better sounding and pleasing to the ear.

I've not recorded yet with my 1980 JMP 50 Watt head. It is very similar to the Plexi, but with more tube overdrive. The benefit of the JMP is the Master Volume as I can get great Marshall tone at a much lower volume and this is a very good thing. However, when you turn both amps up, there is something in the way the Plexi responds that is unlike any amp I've used. I give it a 9 because of the stock C5 cap that IMO has to be removed; otherwise, it's

Other than having the tubes replaced and the C5 cap removed I've had no issues with this head. It's a Marshall and I expect it to be reliable. BTW, the tubes I???m using now are JJ EL34's and Tung-Sol 12AX7's. The tech that works on my amps tells me that the Plexi is a very reliable circuit.

I've dealt with Marshall only through asking questions through their web-site. Their technical support people have been responsive to my questions and very helpful. The 1987XL, that I bought used, still had 3 years of warranty left when I got it. Marshall gave a 5 year warranty with this head, which I believe is very good.

I provided much of what I wanted to share in the Sound Quality section. If anything ever happened to this head, I'd replace it in as soon as possible. I've been playing guitar for 32 years now (classic rock, instrumental rock and contemporary Christian music) and believe that the Plexi is one of the best amplifiers ever made.

I am a big fan of Marshall tube amps and can honestly say that if you are a rock guitarist, you will not be unhappy with a Marshall, as long as you get the right guitar, speaker cabinet and effects to go with it. I've spent the better part of the last 5 years going through a number of amps, cabinets, pedals and guitars to get the tone I was looking for. With the 1987XL Plexi and the JMP Master Volume (mostly for lower volume applications) through the 1960BX cabinet, my search for great tone has ended (for now of course).

This is a 90's 1987x Plexi reissue so there's no effects loop in this one. This is a rock amp. Basically a one-trick pony. Not ideal for country, metal, etc. It's a very simple one-channel design. While it has very few "features" by today's standards, after playing through this amp you realize that features are overrated and tone is ultimately what inspires us to play. I use this amp with my rock band. It just sounds right to me. It has plenty of power. Too much in fact. I use a THD Hot Plate to help with the volume.

I play my Strat, Tele, Les Paul, and SG through this. SG = Angus Young. Strat = Hendrix. Les Paul can be meaty and bluesy. Tele doesn't get used with this amp very much. I have also run a Fender Rhodes, Cello, Synths, etc. through this amp. Whatever you put into this amp comes out sounding like the rock and roll version of that instrument. Seriously. There is no amp that sounds more like rock music to my ears. The Rhodes turns into a rock rhodes. The cello turns into a rock cello. The Moog turns into a rock moog. It's comical. This amp has a distinct sonic imprint that equals rock and roll. There is no other way to describe the sound. This amp blooms and feeds back in a beautiful and organic way. Inspiring to play. The amp itself is an instrument. You will find yourself working feedback and incorporating it into your sound. It's truly a remarkable beast. I have a Fender Twin, Vox AC30, Ampeg V4, Boogie DC5 and Marshall JCM900. If I could only have one amp, this would be it. I run it through a Marshall 4x12 with greenbacks. These speakers have something to do with the "classic" sound this amp makes and I would recommend greenbacks to anyone considering this amp.

Yes it's dependable and yes I gig it without a backup.

Amp has never broken down.

N/A

This is a special amp to me. It records better than any other amp and sits in the mix so well. The frequency response is perfect. It's expensive but worth it if you like classic rock.

Well this is a 2005 Plexi Reissiue. This means that it is the model with the variable effects loop.
I play mostly rock and metal and is perfect for this style. I bought it originally because I wanted to switch channels without effecting the tone - that is one EQ section for two volumes. I use a standard AB box for this, so I set one volume to rythum and one to lead. Does exactly that.
Passive EQ on this amplifier.
Channel switching is not integral to this amplifier, hence the use of an AB box and two leads into the seperate channel inputs.
No master volume to suck your tone either.

I use a couple of guitars with this amplifier. The first is a stock Ibanez RG1570 Prestige and the second is a maple bodied custom guitar with EMG 89 pickups. Sounds great with both of these guitars with no complaints.
I also use a 'Carlsbro' 4 x 12 straight speaker cabinet wired to 8 ohms rated at 120 watts. The cabinet contains 30 watt Rola Celestian G12H speakers and code from about 1984/5. Birch ply cabinet like a regular Marshall cabinet and also has been fitted with an 11" Marshall logo, Marshall castors, Marshall edge protectors and Basket Weave cloth. In effect it looks like a '60s cabinet. The G12H speakers have better bass definition in my opinion - although they are very hard to get and don't think they are produced 'new' by Celestian anymore.
The amplfifier is 50 watts with two EL34's and 3 x 12AX7 pre-amp valves. It is extreamly loud for 50 watts and would probably destroy most 100 watt amplifiers in terms of shear volume! Buying a power attenuator is probably a wise investment (like a THD hotplate for example).
Effects wise, I use a Digitech RP14D valve based effects unit and Snarling Dogs Wah pedal. I normally set the amplifier to '5' accross the EQ and rely on the active pre-amplifier within the RP14 to modify the tone. I use the two volumes to act as a 'boost' during solos and plug an AB box after the RP14D to give two volumes with the same EQ.
The amplfier gives a great range of tones when using the EQ. With two independent channels on the RP14D and an AB box this, in effect, gives me four channels in total. Obviously EQ on the amplifier is of the 'passive' not 'active' variety. So you need to 'dial it in' as the bass settings effect the mid setting effect the treble settings etc.
I had the 'bright capacitor' removed at 'C5' on the ciruit board and wire bridged in the ciruit gap, after it was 'inspected' by Marshall (see below). This improved the headroom considerably. When I aquired it, it gave its full volume on about '2' with just more distortion as you increased the volume, now it is clean upto '6' or '7' before it begins to breaks up and the volume increase is much more 'gradual', not simply 'on-off'.
This is a much more useable amplifier for me now and the modification only cost me ??15 by my local amp tech. Of course, I have the 1400uf capacitor retained in case I wish to revert to 'stock'. Before the modification it was simply too dirty for what I wanted - and the volume was more-or-less an 'on-off' switch.
I reply on the effects board for all my distortion as this contains a 12AX7 valve.

Well it's a Marshall, you can throw them off a cliff and they still work. I've owned a few...including a JCM800 and JCM900. Love all Marshall products.
My 1987x has never broken down on me. Of course, being full valve you need to have it serviced but thats about it. If you start blowing fuses, it's time to change your power tubes. Of course your tube life will depend on how hard you care to drive the thing really.
The only thing that worried me was the 'smell' of the power transformer. This is perfectly normal - see below.

Absolutely amazing. I had a 'smell' eminating from the power transformer (like burning) - I got paranoid and thought something was wrong. I contacted Marshall, they checked it over for FREE. I only paid for a courier. Everything was fine with the amplifier anyway. The 'smell' is just normal basically (although my previous Marshalls had not 'smelt' like this).

I've been playing guitar most of my life, from about the age of 10. I am now 35.
I bought it because I wanted a Plexi (I love plexi tone). I would buy the same amplifier again, and I would have it modified in exactly the same way.
I tired it against most of the current Marshall range (TSL, DSL, vintage/modern etc).
I have previously owned a JCM 800 and JCM 900 and other valve amplfiers (such as Hiwatts and a vintage Sound City L120).
I like the 'simplicity' of it. You can't get confused with this amplifier, and you almost can't fail to hear just about every classic rock sound ever recorded coming from the amplifier. Okay you could argue you need an overdrive pedal - but its your taste really. Remember it will take pedals better than most due to the simplicity of the ciruit.
I really liked it. I like it even more now I've had it modified very slightly.
The only slight detraction is the cost of these amplifiers new. I took off two points for this - like every other manufacturer the word 'reissue' doubles the price despite it being an extreamly simple ciruit not with a vast quantity of components! (bit like 'Reissue' Fenders or Gibsons).
They couldn't even argue research and development costs!
What makes me also 'smile' is that it is not even a true 'Reissue' as the original 'small' logo Marshall 1987 had a 'point-to-point' ciruit board (pre 1973), not the PCB as in this one. If you wanted a history lesson (and you'd go to sleep), a post 1973 PCB model 1987 had the 'large' logo.

Not sure the year this one was manufactured. Mine is a slightly modded version of the 1987x with a new P2P circuit board and Mercury OT. Bright Caps removed. 2 Mullard EL34's in the power section. No F/X Loop on this one either. Very simple, basic features. On/Off, Standby, Bass, Mid, Treble, Presence, and two channel volumes. 4 Inputs. High & Low Gain for each channel.

I use this amp in an AC/DC Tribute band for the Malcolm role. I use a Gretsch Malcolm Young model guitar with Filtertron pickups strung with 12's. This amp is perfect for raw simple rock tones and if you use your guitar volume to control distortion it cleans up nicely. A very warm sounding amp that is incredibly loud. I use it with a Marshall 1960BV 4x12 and a Mesa Recto 4x12. This amp sounds great through either. The beauty of this amp is that each note blooms and seems to have a more independent influence in the mix than the other amps I have (Boogie, Peavey). Did I mention that it's loud? In small clubs I actually need to face the 4x12 backwards. A Hotplate is definitely in order. In larger venues this works perfectly and when you turn up to about 4-5 it really starts to sing.

Never gig without a backup. That's like driving without a spare tire. I've not had any problems with the amp so far and it lives in a shock mounted road case.

Not had any need to contact Marshall

I've been playing guitar for almost 30 years. Rock, Metal, Blues mostly and have played countless gigs with different amps. Mesa Boogie, Peavey, and Marshall primarily. Each has its place and distinct voicing. What I love about this Marshall is that it doesn't pretend to be something it's not. It is simply a loud, raw amplifier that rocks. If you want that Back in Black, early Def Leppard or that Foreigner 4 tone, this is THE amp for you. If it were stolen I'd file a claim and get another one.

This is a 2009 head made in the UK. It has one channel. Loud 50 watts (more on that later). Very simple and that is the purpose.

I am writing this review based on my experience. I read every review on this site for the amps I was considering and even then I did not have enough insight, that's why I'm writing. I considered an Orange AD30, Marshall JTM45 and this 1987x to be the dirty amp alongside my Fender Twin Reverb clean. I play a Gibson Les Paul standard with no fx.

Tone - Everyone says 'classic tone' like Page Hendrix Cream Angus Young etc. Yes. It is classic but that's because they are classic players. It can be used in modern rock applications like the Vines, or The Black Crowes, Foo fighters or any rock music to great effect. It will never do grunge. It's clear in that every note rings through chords, but not as clear as say a JTM45 and by no means a clean amp (although roll back on the guitar for a mellow crunch); that's why it can't do grunge. But it can do palm muting heavy stuff. Overall in a word I would say this amp is aggressive. It can be a bit 'hissy' sounding, not nasty or bad ass but aggressive.It's a beautiful aggressive sound and makes you realise how important your amp is.

Volume - At 25 I still like volume but am a tiny bit more sensible than at 18. I've always liked amps louder than most. This was my main concern about this amp reading the reviews, contrasting opinions and mentioning of power brakes. I tried it out full blast in the shop as I did the JTM45 and AD30. They are all loud. I loved the JTM45. Through 25 watt greenbacks it broke up nicely and the 1987x seemed too aggressive. The thing is the 1987x at volume 2 is the JTM45 at volume 8. In the shop it was obviously loud but I could sit next to it full blast and my ears were fine. In the house is another matter. This amp is truly on or off. At 2 it's not far off the volume of 10. It just gets dirtier. And at 2 I don't want it to be but it is too loud for the house. I play my 100watt head loud but this gets loud so quick the radiators shake the sound waves play your acoustic guitars for you the room rattles. It's fine out of the house and ok for pubs and clubs I'd say. I never wanted a power break they are too expensive and suck tone. This bothered me for a while. I thought I should have got the JTM45 so I tried it again and it just wouldn't break up through 25watt speakers full blast. I have decided that rock and roll is not playing in your bedroom. Practice with something else. This is a reissue, a vintage, a classic rock n roll amp it's not for keeping the neighbours happy. Neither will an AD30 or a JTM45 or any amp you crank for tone. Accept that it's for use outside the house or in a basement etc if you buy it. I hate saying this because I am a screw the neighbours let my ears bleed type of guy. Well I thought I was.

Mods - I wouldn't bother. I tried 2 they both sound amazing. Get it biased that's it. There's people who like to hoard equipment and modify equipment and waste their lives making minimal changes and researching mods and this becomes their hobby/interest. Not playing the guitar which they forget about.

The orange AD30 sounded thin compared to this. The JTM45 was more mellow but the 2nd one I tried just wouldn't break up. This is a classic Marshall. Search 1987x on youtube for an accurate demo of sound.

Speakers - So important. Don't bother with vintage 30's which are actually 60 watt or the 75 watt celestions. They are not suited to this amp and won't actually push air. The 25 watt greenbacks are good. But as you may guess the 30watt celestion re-issues as found in the orange anniversary cab or the anniversary Marshall CAB '100' I have (basketweave) are the best. They have such an insanely tight low end, but push air because they are bothered by 50 watts (unlike the 75 watt speakers) and help the 'break up sound'.

I had a 100watt TSL before this and that Marshall head was fine.

warranty is 3 years in the UK if you register the serial number

It's loud. I don't want it to be too loud for the house. It is. On or off. But it represents everything rock n roll is. It's not for your bedroom. You can sit next to it at full volume with a slight wince on your face though if you live in a detached. For gigs it's fine.

Tone wise the high treble is too trebley and the normal input too bassy. Compensate with the tone controls and you get amazing singing rock tone with overtones everywhere. Beautiful. Not as mellow as the JTM45. If you bought a JTM45 or this either would be good.But this is for rockers, the JTM for bluesy rockers. The Orange AD30 is too crispy and thin - a novelty.

I'm happy with it. I won't fiddle with it. When I get it out the house it will shine. The Fender twin reverb I use it with is the nicest clean amp in the world. This is not often disputed. Recommended also.

Made in 2006. A loud 50 watts. 2 x EL34 valves in the power amp, 3 x ECC83 valves in the pre amp. 2 channels (1 normal, 1 high treble), no footswitching, 4 inputs, simplistic operation, simple as you can get apart from maybe the Epiphone Valve Junior head, Presence, Treble, Mid, Bass, then two loudness controls for the two channels. These reissues have an effects loop, though I have no need for it. No headphone jack, don't need that either, I have good neighbours and even if i didn't, **** em. If you are looking at this amp you know what you are getting, straight up tone, simple operation and sounds from spanky cleans to raunchy crunch. If by features you mean a surplus of knobs, switches, effects loops and built in effects then this head doesn't rate, but less is more for me, and the ability to patch the channels together and blend them for tonal control is all the features I need for the music I play. For those who like to keep it low in their bedrooms I can see that a master volume would come in handy and some may like to take up the option of a Power Brake or Hot plate.

I use either a Gibson Explorer or Firebird running into a TS808 Tubescreamer placed smack bang in front of this thing. Got the head going through a 1960AX 100 watt cab loaded with Celestion Greenbacks. The overall sound and tone of this head running through the cab and pedal is exactly the sound I was looking for. The band I play in probably sounds like a glass of The Vines, two pieces of Foo Fighters and a big bowl of feedback. I like the old school rock sound, The Angels, ACDC yada yada. This provided that tone. Crank it to 5 and it breaks up nicely, especially with this cab, not so much with a stock 1960A. Distortion is not there with this amp, it is all overdrive. If you need or want high gain then get a Boogie, Peavey or a TSL. But if you want tone and extreme clarity from your notes and rich harmonic feedback when you're standing in front of this thing at it's lowest volume, then this is the amp for you. We play small to medium size venues and this has more than enough bark. 100 watts is too much and all techs will have you turn it down to the point where you might as well be using a ****ing Peavey Rage. As previous reviews have said, it is a one trick pony with a few variations, but I'm yet to hear another amp do the same trick as well.

Who gigs with a back up? Imagine lugging two of these things around, you'd either need a good roadie or a permanent myotherapist. I never gig with a back up, if our amps blow up we just finish early and get pissed. Does seem nicely built though, pretty tough I'm tippin. Still, that doesn't give you a license to ****in spill **** all over it, take care of it or it will take care of your wallet.

Never dealt with em. Figure they've got enough whinging bastards withouth me getting on their goat. They're probably alright, few of em might be down on their luck but nothing too major.

I've been playing 10 years, I own alot of amps, 8 in all. From my first little practice amp (Peavey) through to a Mesa Roadking. I play Gibsons, got a few, but i like my Explorer the best. I've compared it to alot of amps, Fender DeVille, VOX AC30, my brothers old skool Vardis, and this takes the cake, just. The Vardis sounds pretty rad. I love it's simplicity, it's tone and obviously it looks killer, with the cab (tolex covering) especially. This amp does what I want, but spend some time with it, really work the knobs and patch the channels, blend em and **** with the presence, get your sound and you won't be dissapointed. Vote Quimby.

Depends on what your idea of features relates to. If its knobs and buttons and all the in betweens - It wouldn't score highly as it only has the bare essentials but...Judging it on the variety of sounds this baby can achieve...It's up there. The ability to jumper 2 channels and balance accordingly makes it really diverse

Effects loop - can't complain

I use a Les Paul through this amp and connected to a Marshall TV cab - unbelievable!!!! These vintage re-issue amps are renowned for there clean/crunch sound and rightly so. But don't be fooled into thinking thats all it can pull off. Turning this amp anywhere between 6/7 onwards is an experience I would recommend - it's got some real crunch to it and breaks up nicley, perfectly in fact.

Unless you play huge venues - forget the 100w 1959slp. You'll never get a chance to crank it up like it ought to be. This 50w version is ideal and LOUD as it is - besides, when amps are mic'd up at gigs most of the time anyway, it is beyond me why anyone wants 100w

Although there are only a few pots on the amp - each one effects the other in unique ways and can create all sorts of lovely tone. You won't get the pure filth distortion you'd find on the crappy valvestate amps but if your looking at these plexi amps you know what you want. You can always stick a pedal on if you want that anyway

Great for hendrix sounds - lets face it - everyone wants this

Natural compression is spot on....eveything is spot on....buy one and get a tv cab.

Not had enough use out of it yet.....

Marshall have extended their warranty from 1 to 3 years so you can't argue. Given the fact that Marshall are so big, you can always get replacement parts so there's no messing about. Some people moan about marshall support - I see no reason why....

I'll always use this amp and there's no going back. I hate 90% of marshalls but adore this one. Lots of people mod these amps so go ahead but I personally wouln't change a thing.

I tried the JTM-45 as well in the shop and it was awsome too - just didn't have as much BITE as this beast

This amp is PERFECT and sounds great through the marshall TV. JUST BUY ONE

Made in 2006. Tailored for early 1970's British rock tones. No bells or whistles. Does have an effects loop though. I wonder why? Luckily bypassable. Has all necessary features to achieve a great rock tone. 50 watts of Marshall is much too powerful for home practice. You'll need some kind of attenuator to obtain the right crunch at a bearable sound level.

You'll need to get rid of the silly bright cap they still put on there. It makes the amp distort very early (like at 2 on the volume knob) and gives an overly bright and brittle tone. They now put this capacitor on the board at C5. Snip it off and the tone will improve 100%.(IMPORTANT: Make sure you know what you're doing when you open up that chassis, it contains LETHAL VOLTAGES!!! If you're not sure, have it done by a qualified tech!) You'll have nice cleans and warmer distortion. IMO, this amp is made to be played with humbucker equipped guitars (such as Les Pauls, SGs), although strats can sound great with it too. I play it through a greenback loaded 4 x 12" 1960TV cab which is the right match for this type of amp. Since I value my hearing and got more than my share of decibels in the past, I use a THD Hotplate to keep the sound level at an acceptable level while enjoying the great distortion that we rockers love.;-)

I baby all my gear, always have, always will. So I never had any failure. But I guess I'm not truly representative of the typical on the road hard working rock n roller. I never had any reliability issues with any Marhshall amp that I owned in the past. My very first one was a 1969 100w Superbass. It unfortunately was stolen. I wish I still had that one.

Never needed service.

I've been playing for 35 years. I've owned or played almost everything available out there at some point or other. I just keep a 1997 Celestion Blue equipped Vox AC-15 which I truly love, a Gibson GA-15RV, a Gibson GA-5 Les Paul Jr. and a MetroAmp JTM45 clone which I assembled myself. The MetroAmp JTM45 blows the Marshall clean out of the ballpark in all respects. Quality of the components, quality of assembly (;-)), sound quality are truly miles above anything Marshall makes nowadays. If you want that classic Marshall sound that you've heard all your life on records and on the radio, do yourself a favor and check out www.metroamp.com.

I have a 2005 model 50w with the basic tone features - treble, mid, bass and presence. Two channels high treble and normal. There's an effects loop which I don't use. This amp leans more towards the 70's era Marshalls. Limited features but I'm after that classic/prog rock sound so don't expect for it to have 8 channels and 100 eq knobs

I've own this amp for a year now and its the only one I really love to play everyday. The sound is warm and not overly aggresive. The distortion has a singing quality to it. I like to set the volume past 5 to get the most tone out of this amp.

I've never had to mod it. Everything is stock. To my ears it's perfect for the kind of music I play which are classic, prog, blues rock and electric blues.

I mostly play my Les Paul Standard through it and occasionally my strat. The Les Paul just sound, in my opinion, better and stronger and it's the time tested classic combo for rock. My rig is pretty simple - Dimebag wah and TS9 tubescreamer but it's also lovely plugged straight in. The cab I use is the 1960a marshall 4x12 with celestion g12 75w stock speakers.

When I first bought this amp a year ago I played it for 3 weeks and it went south on me...I was pissed but I had my dad who's experienced with amps and electronics fix it and rebiased. So I won't slam Marshall for my amp because it's not an issue that occurs that often (been reading forums about my problem). I just happen to get the one with a loose connection. But since then (about 8 months after the fix) it has not failed me, even after 4 hours a day jammin.

I would have sent my amp in for the warranty repair but didn't feel like sending it or driving all the way out to long island which is 2 hours away to get it fixed. Just let my pops handle it which took only an hour or less to fix. I haven't had to deal with Marshall yet so I really have no opinion on their customer support

I've been playing for 4 years and since then I've own mostly Fender amps and other Marshall models. So far I'm very satisfied with this amp. It just gives me what I need and more. I just love the simplicity of plugging straight in and getting that classic rock marshall sound. I don't need anything else. For some time now I've been chasing "that sound" kind of like a Paul Kossoff, Eric Clapton, bluesbreaker sound and I must say I'm pretty much there. My hats off to Marshall.

Its got what you need.

They nailed it. (but you have to spend some time with it)...clip the brights, and patch the channels manually( 6 inch patch cable from channel 1 "bottom input" to channel 2 "top input". invest some time tweaking the knobs on the amp and any effects you run and you'll get the sound/tone you want. A speaker attenuator is a must. I originally tried the Hotplate, and it worked well. However, the Power Brake is the sh**. Plexis are very unforgiving amps. They pick up everything***especially mistakes**
I bought a 1996 1987xl from a guitarist that hated it. Instead of experimenting with it himself he just tried suggestions from other players.. used it for 1 or 2 gigs, sounded horrific and gave up. After a gig I offered him 750 for it. He said I was nuts for wanting it, even more so for buying it without playing it..that was about 4 months ago.. He popped up at one of my gigs a few weeks ago.. He says I had to have had major mods done,. All I did was clip the brights, mix the channels and use the pb. He wants it back now..I think Im gonna keep this beast. Like it so much I just picked up another. I found a 2006(the number says it was made in november, so its brand new). found it on ebay from the second owner. 6 months old and Im the third owner. This one cost me 900 and is worth every penny of the 1800.00 they go for in stores,. The new one has an effects loop, I run a gt-8 through the loop and a PB before the cab, Its a reissue PLEXI.. and can hold its own against the original.

The bad reviews the RI plexi's get are few and far between. Theyve been selling the reissues at insane prices longer than they made the originals.

I live near the Marshall factory in Melville. Any time Ive gone there theyve been great

This is an amazing amp