The Tone City Golden Plexi is a Plexi-style distortion in a mini pedal, aimed at a classic rock amp sound. Tone City describes it as "a classic rock amp sound with a timeless plexi-style tone lifted from the very best legendary black and gold amplifiers"1. Despite the small footprint, it carries four controls, and the 2025 version adds a Mod toggle switch that switches between the original Golden Plexi voicing and the Golden Plexi 2 tone12.
The controls
The Golden Plexi keeps things simple: Volume, Tone and Gain, plus the Mod toggle on the 2025 version. Tone City says the tone and gain controls have a wider range than you would expect from a pedal this size1.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Volume | Acts as you would normally expect1 |
| Tone | Keep it low for a smooth lead tone, or crank it higher for a more cutting sound that pierces through nicely in a mix1 |
| Gain | Wider range than you would expect, paired with the tone control1 |
| Mod toggle (2025 version) | Switches the tone from a right-side tightened gain, the Golden Plexi 2 voicing, to a left-side setting with more high gain and bass1 |
Pedal of the Day, reviewing the 2025 version, found that "the controls are usable at almost any setting from 0 to 10, making it very versatile and easy to use"2. The same review notes that the 2025 version "has also optimized the high frequencies in the Tone knob, making it very quiet"2.
Golden Plexi, Golden Plexi 2 and the mod switch
The Golden Plexi has been through one revision. Tone City explains that in 2022 the gain structure was refined to provide a more focused and consistent high-gain dynamic response, and the pedal was renamed the Golden Plexi 2. The original version then returned with the 2025 release, renamed simply the Golden Plexi1.
The 2025 version is the one to look for if you want both voicings: its Mod toggle switch allows users to switch from the classic Golden Plexi tone to the Golden Plexi 2 tone2. Tone City describes the two positions as a right-side tightened gain, which is the Golden Plexi 2 sound, and a left-side setting with more high gain and bass1.
Running it into an amp
Tone City makes a specific claim about how the pedal behaves in front of an amp: "The sensitivity of the tone control means that you can run this pedal into the clean channel of nearly any amplifier and get the classic plexi sound"1. In practice that means the Tone knob does much of the voicing work, so the pedal can be set to suit a clean amp platform rather than only working into an already-broken-up channel.
Availability
Pedal of the Day noted in its September 2025 review that Tone City pedals, including the Golden Plexi v2025, are available from Osiamo Music Gear2.
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Questions
Is the Tone City Golden Plexi true bypass?
Yes. Tone City lists the Golden Plexi as true bypass, so when the pedal is off your guitar's signal passes through without the circuit loading it. That matters on a pedalboard where several pedals sit in front of the amp, since each buffered stage can subtly dull the top end.
Does the Tone City Golden Plexi run on a battery?
Tone City specifies a DC 9V adapter as the power supply for the Golden Plexi, and the maker's specifications do not list battery operation. Plan on a standard 9V center-negative pedal supply rather than expecting a battery compartment.
What does the toggle switch on the Golden Plexi do?
On the 2025 version, the Mod toggle switch lets you switch between the classic Golden Plexi tone and the Golden Plexi 2 tone. Tone City describes the two positions as a right-side tightened gain, which is the Golden Plexi 2 voicing, and a left-side setting with more high gain and bass.
Can I run the Golden Plexi into the clean channel of an amp?
Yes. Tone City says the sensitivity of the tone control means you can run the pedal into the clean channel of nearly any amplifier and get the classic plexi sound. Keep the tone low for a smooth lead tone or higher for a more cutting sound that sits forward in a mix.
How much current does the Golden Plexi draw?
Tone City lists the current draw at 15 mA. That is light enough for almost any pedalboard power supply, though the pedal still needs its own 9V adapter output rather than sharing a daisy-chained connection with a digital pedal.
Sources (2)
- GOLDEN PLEXI- Plexi Style Distortion-TONE CITY ▏Analog Pedals & Power supplies, Tone City, 2026
- Tone City Golden Plexi v2025 Overdrive Distortion, Pedal of the Day, 2025-09-20
