The Wampler Plexi-Drive is an overdrive pedal from Wampler that aims to re-create the tone of a vintage Marshall Plexi amplifier in a stompbox. MusicRadar's reviewer Trevor Curwen describes it simply: "The Plexi-Drive is designed to be a Marshall in a box"1. Vintage Guitar's review of the closely related Plexi-Drive British Overdrive notes it "was designed to replicate the sound of a vintage Marshall JTM45"2, while Pedal of the Day's Mike B called it a "pretty spot-on rendition of that coveted amplifier, at a small fraction of the price"3.
Inside, the pedal uses JFET circuitry, transistor-based gain stages that mimic the tube gain, response and sound of an old Plexi-style amp rather than relying on diode clipping3. Wampler says the circuit sits somewhere between a JTM45 and an 18-watt Marshall model1. The amp-in-a-box genre is something Wampler has specialized in, with pedals like the Black '65 and Tweed '57 covering other classic amps.
The controls
The original Plexi-Drive keeps things simple with three knobs and a switch:
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Gain | A "gigantic tonal range," from beefing up the guitar's tone at low settings to intense drive with clarity and sustain when cranked, aiming at blues tones, cranked rock and roll and everything in between3 |
| Volume | Sets the output level3 |
| Tone | Lets you further dial in the exact sound you're looking for3 |
| Bass Boost switch | A switchable bass boost designed to deliver the heft of a 4x12 pushing air1 |
Vintage Guitar found the pedal easy to dial in with just these controls, and noted the Gain control is very dynamic, with a very good clean-to-crunch range at lower gain settings2.
The bass boost switch works at the input stage rather than as an EQ boost. On the Plexi-Drive Mini, Brian Wampler explained in Sweetwater's demo video that "the base switch here is actually changing an input capacitor that's going to control some bass," with one position allowing more bass in and the other cutting some bass off for tighter distortion5. Wampler describes the switch as emulating the tonal difference between a 4x12 and a 2x12 speaker cab6.
Power: 9V, 4mA
The original Plexi-Drive runs from a 9V power jack with a barrel plug like a Boss pedal, and also has a battery connection. Its power draw is 4mA3, low enough that it shares easily with other pedals on a typical power supply.
The Plexi-Drive Mini is different on both counts. It has no battery connection at all7, and it accepts any voltage between 9 and 18 volts. As Brian Wampler explained in the Sweetwater demo, "this pedal will run on any voltage between 9 and 18 volts and the higher the voltage is the more headroom the pedal has"5. Its draw is even lower: 1.4mA at 9V and 2.3mA at 18V7.
If you run the Mini, plan on an external supply: there is no battery option, and running it at 18V instead of 9V gives more headroom57.
History and versions: the original, the Mini and the Deluxe
The line runs in a clear order: "First there was the Plexi-Drive. Then there was the Plexi-Drive Deluxe," and then the Mini7. All three are overdrive pedals built by Wampler.
| Version | What it is | Key differences |
|---|---|---|
| Plexi-Drive | The original, hand-built in the U.S.A.3 | Gain, Volume, Tone, bass boost switch; battery connection; 4mA draw13 |
| Plexi-Drive Deluxe | Released 2015, a "direct descendent of the Plexi-Drive Standard but with a few upgraded features"839 | Adds a pre-gain circuit with TS-like, midrange-heavy overdrive; bass boost emulating the low-end thump of a 4x12 cabinet; top mounted input and output jacks; battery connection with a low-battery LED that flashes 3 times; built in the U.S.A.98410 |
| Plexi-Drive Mini | Released 2020, a downsized version of the popular Plexi-Drive6 | An improved version of the original circuit in a miniature housing; adds a Mid Boost switch; no battery connection; 9 to 18V operation1176 |
The Deluxe's pre-gain circuit, as Premier Guitar's reviewer put it, "adds TS-like, midrange-heavy overdrive" ahead of the main Plexi-Drive circuit4. The launch coverage promised it would "fill your Marshall void and give you the crunch, response, boost and feeling that your rig begs for"10.
The Mini's Mid Boost circuit switch was new for Wampler's Plexi range. MusicRadar's Rob Laing reported that "it boosts by tweaking several gain stages of the circuit at once, for added versatility"6. Guitar.com's Cillian Breathnach added that the mid-boost affects the gain stages rather than the overall output, inspired by players pairing the Plexi-Drive with other overdrives12. The Mini also brings back the Bass Boost toggle from the original11.
What reviewers said
Reviews of the Plexi-Drive family have been largely positive, with some caveats about versatility143.
MusicRadar's verdict on the original praised it for capturing "the Marshall flavour" and its "excellent build," while noting it "lacks the versatility and therefore value for money of some other Wampler pedals." The reviewer found "that vintage Marshall tonal flavour and crunch is certainly apparent"1.
"The Plexi-Drive Deluxe is an excellent Marshall stand-in for backline gigs"
Premier Guitar's review of the Deluxe framed the whole category: "players and pedal makers will never stop searching for alternate paths to early Marshall tone"4.
Vintage Guitar's 2013 review of the Plexi-Drive British Overdrive found it "offers classic Marshall voicing that was very useful and musical with every guitar and amp combination thrown at it"2.
In Sweetwater's demo video, Nick and Brian Wampler walk through the Mini's controls, with Wampler explaining the bass toggle's input capacitor and the 9 to 18V power range. Nick's take: "this pedal is not only extremely versatile it feels as good as it sounds"5.
Where it is made
All versions are built in the United States: the original was hand-built in the U.S.A.3, the Deluxe is built in the U.S.A.8, and the Mini is built in the company's USA facility13. The circuits are designed by Brian Wampler5.
Videos
Sweetwater
Wampler Pedals
Texas Blues Alley
Questions
Does the Wampler Plexi-Drive take a battery?
Yes. The original Plexi-Drive has a battery connection alongside its 9V power jack, which uses a barrel plug like a Boss pedal. The Plexi-Drive Mini is different: it has no battery connection and runs only from an external power supply, accepting any voltage between 9 and 18 volts.
Is the Wampler Plexi-Drive true bypass?
Yes. The original Plexi-Drive is completely true bypass, meaning that when the pedal is switched off your signal passes through without coloring it. This suits players who want the pedal to disappear from the signal chain when it is not engaged.
What does the bass boost switch do on the Plexi-Drive?
The bass boost switch is designed to deliver the heft of a 4x12 cabinet pushing air. On the Mini, Brian Wampler explains that the toggle changes an input capacitor that controls bass: one position lets more bass in, the other cuts some bass for a tighter distortion. Wampler describes it as emulating the tonal difference between a 4x12 and a 2x12 cab.
What is the difference between the Plexi-Drive, Plexi-Drive Mini and Plexi-Drive Deluxe?
The Plexi-Drive came first, with gain, volume and tone knobs plus a bass boost switch. The Deluxe arrived in 2015 as a direct descendent with upgraded features, including a pre-gain circuit that adds TS-like, midrange-heavy overdrive. The Mini followed in 2020, cramming an improved version of the original circuit into a smaller enclosure, adding a Mid Boost switch but dropping the battery connection.
Where is the Wampler Plexi-Drive made?
In the United States. The original Plexi-Drive was hand-built in the U.S.A., the Plexi-Drive Deluxe is built in the U.S.A., and the Plexi-Drive Mini is built in the company's USA facility. Wampler pedals are designed by Brian Wampler.
Sources (13)
- Wampler Plexi-Drive review, MusicRadar, 2014-02-11
- Wampler Effects Pedals, Vintage Guitar magazine, 2016-08-10
- Wampler Plexi-Drive British Overdrive, Pedal of the Day, 2015-04-16
- Wampler Plexi-Drive Deluxe Review, Premier Guitar, 2015-08-27
- Wampler Plexi-Drive Mini Overdrive Pedal Demo, Sweetwater, 2021-01-06
- Wampler's new mini overdrives are packing big features into small pedals, MusicRadar, 2020-10-19
- Wampler Introduces the Plexi-Drive Mini, Premier Guitar, 2020-11-23
- Plexi Drive Deluxe, Wampler Pedals, 2026-09-18
- Wampler Plexi Drive Mini, Delicious Audio, 2022-03-09
- Wampler Pedals Introduces the Plexi-Drive Deluxe Pedal, Guitar Interactive Magazine, 2015-03-05
- Wampler Unveils Two New Mini Overdrive Pedals, GuitarPlayer (www.guitarplayer.com), 2020-10-19
- Wampler Pedals launches the Plexi-Drive Mini, bringing massive gain to a tiny enclosure, Guitar.com, 2020-10-16
- Wampler Plexi-Drive Mini and Belle Overdrive Mini Pedals: based on classic drive tones, gearnews.com, 2020-10-18
