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I thought I'd add a quick post showing my build pics for the Plexi MKII Brown that I just finished. I'm really happy with the way it turned out. When I first fired it up I had NO SOUND...crap...back to the bench. But, I found a simple mistake with a missing ground jumper. Install jumper, get sound! Great! But......really weak signal from the normal channel. Back to bench....scratch head....find bad solder connection. Re-solder, full signal! I've only played it for about an hour so far, but I think it sounds great. Really nice big clean sounds and great crunch. I installed the VRM kit in the power switch location and it really works well for getting higher gain at lower volume. It makes my guitar volume pot a little scratchy at lower settings though so I'll be going back to the bench to move my input resistors and add caps to V1 per Stephen's circuit diagram. Well, anyway, enough rambling, here are the pics. From parts to amp in six easy steps

Step 1: Unpack


Step 2: Install hardware


Step 3: Build and install VRM


Step 4: Wire power supply


Step 5: Populate turret board


Step 6: Wire board in chassis


Oh yeah, Step 7: Play it!

Nice clean build every where

Nice build.

How does it sound? Clips?

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Les

http://www.soundclick.com/unimind

Thanks! It sounds great. I haven't been able to crank it up much yet, but at lower volumes it still sounds really nice. Great cleans to heavy crunch sounds available at lower volumes using the gain and master volume of the Plexi channel. More gain on tap when the master is up but, I've only been able to do that while keeping the VRM turned down. Hopefully I'll have a chance to crank it up and get the power tubes cooking soon. I've also got some better tubes ordered than the ones I had on hand. Once I get them installed maybe I'll try posting a clip.

Looks good!

Is the VRM scaling the whole amp? Just wondering as I see you don't have DC blocking caps on V1. Not a big deal, I built a Plexi with VRM too and didn't add the caps.

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http://pdfelectronics.com

First NEW Plexi MkII build using the NEW Board!!!

Looks great. Nice clean build.

Where was the bad solder connection? Cant overstress the need for good solder joints!

What tubes are being used?

Nice big clean sounds was a bonus from this design - especially if you keep the gain down on TMB side.

What do you think of the Fat switch?

We thought the normal channel was pretty well perfect - what do you think?

Yes, the VRM kit needs the DC blocking caps at lower volume. Move the 1M resistor as well.

Congrats!!

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Stephen
Web: www.trinityamps.com. Facebook: facebook.com/trinityamps. Twitter: @trinityamps

Where's the normal/cascade switch located.?

@ kurtlives: Yep, the VRM is scaling the whole amp. I'll end up putting the DC caps on V1 eventually as it does make the pots scratchy at lower levels, but I can live with that for now while I enjoy it like it is.

@ Stephen: Thanks! I think the new board layout makes for a nice clean arrangement. The bad solder connection was on the center lug of my tone pot of the Normal channel. The normal channel sounds excellent. As the volume goes up it's got a really nice breakup that's really sensitive to pick attack. I still haven't had a chance to really let it out yet unfortunately. And yes, the cleans on the Plexi channel with the gain around 4 are beautiful. The Fat switches effect seemed a little subtle, but again, it's been at low volume so I haven't experienced the full goods yet. Right now I've got a set of Mesa Boogie tubes in it that I had left over from a TA-15 that I traded awhile back, with an EH 6CA4 in the rectifier spot. I've got (2) JJ EL84, (2) Tung Sol 12AX7, and (1) Gold Lion 12AX7 on the way from the Tube Store. I thought I'd give the Gold Lion a shot in V1 or V2. I've read good things about the Gold Lion but they're a little spendy so I opted to go for just one.

Which spot do you think will have the biggest effect?

@ Stoo: I don't have a channel switch. The pot switch is my VRM pot that does double duty as the main on/off switch.

Do you know, or maybe Stephen can answer, if I can jumper channels with this design?

Thanks.. ya I just had a closer look at your pix and saw the VRM.. Well..I'm confused..

The Trinity official Plexi Brown MKII doesn't have the cascade switch.



Yes you can jumper channels.

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http://pdfelectronics.com

Thanks kurtlives!

Okay, so I just had my first chance to open this baby up at some real air moving volumes and all I can say is holy crap! This thing is a beast! I was totally blown away. Crank up that normal channel and MAN! does it give up the goods! Lot's of crunchy to high gain AC/DC tones for days. I was plugged into my EVM12L Thiele cabinet and it really let the amp shine through. The Plexi side cranked up was equally great going from clean to mean. Leave the gain low and crank the master and there is quite a lot of headroom with big fat cleans. The fat switch does just that, fattens it up and just makes it a bit fuller spectrum of sound, like it fills in the middle if that makes sense. I think I'll just leave the fat switch engaged all the time. Anyway, just had to stop playing long enough to post a quickie now that I was able to let it loose. Time to go try jumping the channels.

How is that mkII doing?

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Stephen
Web: www.trinityamps.com. Facebook: facebook.com/trinityamps. Twitter: @trinityamps

Hi Stephen, I'm still really loving it. Doing a little experimenting with tubes. I'm trying out a NOS Jan Philips 12AT7 I had in the V3 spot. Changed the feel and headroom a little bit. Not sure if I'll leave it in or go back to a 12AX7, but the amp sounds great with either one. It really comes alive at higher volumes. I had never really experience note bloom before, but now I think I understand what people mean by it after playing this amp. I also finally got around to making a cabinet for it. I was going to go traditional, but decided instead to make it out of zebra wood and shortened it up to 22" to match a Thiele style 1x12 I made a while back for an amp I no longer have, so I have a nice set again. Here's a pic below. Thanks again for a great kit build experience. I'm sure I'll do it again in the future. Maybe a Triwatt next time

Gorgeous!

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Stephen
Web: www.trinityamps.com. Facebook: facebook.com/trinityamps. Twitter: @trinityamps