The Lovepedal Purple Plexi is a compact analog overdrive pedal that aims to put a vintage Marshall Plexi amplifier on a pedalboard. Lovepedal describes it as capturing the classic punch and harmonics of vintage Marshall amps, with a simple three-knob layout that runs from mild crunch to full-on rock saturation1. The current version, sold as the Old School Build, carries a list price of $220.002.
The pedal is part of a whole family of amp-in-a-box designs. Delicious Audio's reviewers called it one of the better Plexi-in-a-box designs, noting that its gain control and tone stack let you reach many different eras of Marshall Plexi character from one pedal3.
A Marshall Plexi in a pedal
The Marshall Plexi is one of the most beloved and iconic amplifiers of all time, and many manufacturers have tried to capture it in pedal form3. The Purple Plexi is Lovepedal's take: rather than a generic overdrive, the controls are voiced to move between specific Marshall eras. Lovepedal says that at the bottom of the Drive sweep you get a JTM45-ish tone, and that advancing the Tone control while turning up the Drive puts you in "'68 Plexi 100 land," with a full-on JCM 800 roar when both are dimed2.
Delicious Audio's reviewers found that range convincing, writing that the pedal "can access many different eras of Marshall Plexi designs via the responsive gain control and tone stack"3.
The 2019 redesign shaped the current Old School Build. Lovepedal rebuilt the layout and parts: the casing is now smaller, MXR-size, and the maker went with big old school film caps, which Lovepedal describes as fuller sounding, and carbon resistors, described as warmer3. The gain taper was also redesigned so the control has an even progression up to the maximum gain setting, rather than bunching the useful range into one part of the sweep2. On the circuit side, Lovepedal shunts 100k off the input signal to ground, which the maker says helps with the decay and gives a smoother feel2.
"In this pedal, you can access many different eras of Marshall Plexi designs via the responsive gain control and tone stock."
The controls: Volume, Tone and Drive
The Purple Plexi keeps to three knobs, and each one does real work41:
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Drive | Sets the gain. At the bottom of the sweep Lovepedal describes a JTM45-ish tone; turning it up moves toward Plexi and JCM 800 territory2 |
| Tone | Voiced alongside Drive. Advanced together with Drive, Lovepedal says it puts you in '68 Plexi 100 land2 |
| Volume | Sets the output level of the pedal1 |
GuitarPCB's build document summarizes the design: the simple Volume, Tone and Drive layout lets you dial in everything from mild crunch to full-on rock saturation1.
Cleaning up with your guitar's volume
A big part of the Plexi experience is how the amp responds to the guitar, and Lovepedal says the Purple Plexi behaves the same way. The maker states that it still cleans up via pick attack and volume control at the guitar, with humbuckers or single coils2. In practice that means you can set the pedal for a saturated rhythm tone and back off the guitar's volume knob for a cleaner sound without touching the pedal. Lovepedal describes the same behavior on the Drive control: roll back the volume knob on the guitar and the clipping goes away2.
Power and size
The pedal runs on a 9V battery or a 9VDC adapter with a negative center connection, drawing 10mA2. Connectors are Input, Output and a DC adapter jack2. The MXR-size enclosure makes it a practical fit for a crowded pedalboard, and the low current draw means it will share a typical isolated or daisy-chain power supply without strain.
The current Old School Build is the redesigned version: MXR-size casing, film capacitors, carbon resistors and a redesigned gain taper. Earlier Purple Plexis predate these changes3.
The DIY connection
The Purple Plexi's LM386 circuit has a life beyond the retail pedal. GuitarPCB offers a bonus PCB based on the Lovepedal Purple Plexi, available only as a free bonus with qualifying orders and not sold on its own1. The board prints all component values and capacitor codes directly on the PCB, and 10% of the PCB cost is donated to the designer by the manufacturer1. The layout itself was shared publicly on PCBWay by the user "Glory to Ukraine"1. For a player curious about how an LM386 amp-in-a-box works, the build document describes the circuit as an LM386-based overdrive that captures the classic punch and harmonics of vintage Marshall amps1.
Videos
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Sean Michael
Questions
Does the Lovepedal Purple Plexi run on a battery?
Yes. Lovepedal lists the power supply as 9V battery operation or a 9VDC adapter, with a negative center adapter connection. Current draw is listed at 10mA, so a standard 9V battery or a typical pedalboard power supply output will run it.
What chip is in the Lovepedal Purple Plexi?
The circuit is built around the LM386, a small power amp chip that DIY builders have long used for simple amp-in-a-box overdrive circuits. GuitarPCB's build document for its bonus PCB version describes the Purple Plexi as an LM386-based overdrive.
Does the Purple Plexi clean up with the guitar volume knob?
Yes. Lovepedal says it cleans up via pick attack and volume control at the guitar with humbuckers or single coils. At the bottom of the Drive sweep the maker describes a JTM45-ish tone, and rolling back the guitar's volume knob makes the clipping go away.
Is the Purple Plexi the same size as an MXR pedal?
Yes. The current version uses a smaller casing that Lovepedal and Delicious Audio describe as MXR-size. The 2019 redesign moved the pedal into this compact enclosure along with new film capacitors, carbon resistors and a redesigned gain taper.
Sources (4)
- Lovepedal-Purple-Plexi-Build-Document.pdf, GuitarPCB, 2025-10
- Purple Plexi, Lovepedal
- Lovepedal Purple Plexi, Delicious Audio, 2019-01-10
- Purple Plexi by Lovepedal, RockBoard (PedalPedia), 2026