Published in May 2006 issue of Guitar World, BuzzBin -- New, Hip & Under the Radar

YOU PLEXI THING!
Voodoo Amplification V-Plex half stack

By Eric Kirkland

A number of high-end amp designers have been building their versions of the ultimate Marshall "Plexi," but few have approached the task with a greater dedication to tone than Trace Allen Davis.

The president of Voodoo Amplifiers, Davis is known as one of the industry’s most respected amp-modification artists, and he routinely turns mild-mannered amplifiers into dream machines with seemingly supernatural tonal attributes. Davis conceived of the Voodoo Amplification V-Plex half stack after he encountered an enchanted 1968-69 "Plexi" in his shop's service bay. He paid an exorbitant sum to acquire it from the owner and set upon discovering its secrets, engaging Mercury Magnetics to reverse-engineer the transformers and build exact replicas. The hand built V-Plex features these recreations, as well as point-to-point wiring, premium components and lustrous gold plated control knobs.

I tested the 50-watt master volume version of the V-Plex through one of Davis’ custom-designed 4x12 cabinets. As I hit some open chords on my Les Paul, with the amp’s volume controls set at noon, the V-Plex's glorious harmonic balance practically took my breath away. Every note that I played through this extremely quiet amp was smooth, rich and warm, with a sizzling brilliance that defies description. The detail and depth of the tone was so fine; I was inspired to play slow and deliberate licks in order to experience the full evolution of each beautiful sound. Simply put, the Voodoo Amps V-Plex is the difference between a good "Plexi" and a great one. Bravo, Trace.

[Ed note: Trace Davis does wonderful mods on all types of guitar tube amps using Mercury Magnetics transformers.]