Metropolous Shutting Down

[redsnapper]

Just read on Facebook George is shutting down Metropolous Amps and moving on due to personal issues. I wish him well on his future less stressful endeavors. Great products and contribution to the entire music industry.

 

[Mongillo19]

The used market for those about to go crazy. Wish him the best!

 

[JiveTurkey]

That stinks. I had his 2x12 cab and liked it. @greatmutah is a big fan as well.

 

[laxu]

That's a shame. Never played one but I understand they were very well liked as far as Marshall clones go.

 

[HotRats]

Sorry to hear that.

 

[greatmutah]

I’m a huge fan but I know George has been having health issues for a bit and a running a small business isn’t good for that. I’m sad to see him go. Wish I would have grabbed another amp of his at some point but his Mk I Metroplex was so good to me it kinda made a lot of other Marshall style amps redundant. Even his own a little bit. He’s a good dude though and I hope nothing but the best for him.

 

[la szum]

Not sure what is in the water in Michigan with George and Dave Friedman both having
such monumental Marshall fetishes.

George is a legend, and I predict he will rise again. Hopefully a break from all the stress
of running a business will give him time to have his power and well-being restored.

 

[greatmutah]

That's a shame. Never played one but I understand they were very well liked as far as Marshall clones go.

I never played his old replica amps, but the Metroplex I own is fantastic. It’s not exactly a reproduction of an old Plexi but more so a Plexi voiced amp with broader more effective controls and a workable master volume with a couple different modes largely based around the 68 Super Lead. His Super Plex was meant to be voiced around the JTM45/100 and had similar controls to the Metroplex, but with some extra options (gain levels and a tweed/plexi voicing toggle). These all had his effects loop and a built in boost too.

His last offering was a bit of old and new. He basically made a 4 hole Marshall with bridges input into a 2 hole with a loop and a master. I never to play one of these. He basically made an analog emulation circuit to simulate a cranked plexi power section so he could actually keep the amp biased normally and just let the real power section only handle volume. And the amp had two preamp modes. One based off his personal 68 plexi and another based off of 12301. I think he used a dual ganged mid pot too to get the 50K mids on that mode.

One of the things George’s amps did well was they kept and maintained the rasp and sizzle of actual Marshalls. Friedmans and the like were more specifically based on modded Marshall voicings and smoothed out in some spots. Not a bad thing just different. George wanted his amps to have that rasp and they do. He was obsessive about tone.

 

[Elric]

I got a 50W MkII direct from him this year... Glad I got in under the wire. It's an absolutely epic amp. Top shelf in every sense of the word and completely definitive for the vintage Marshall thing.

Wish nothing but the best for George. Shame to see someone so dedicated to quality and service bow out. Sounds like it was a combo of his personal situation (health, age, etc) combined with the current state of the market.

 

[FuzzyAce]

Wish George the best.
I always thought, if you really wanted a boutique Marshall with all the fine details and tone, quality construction and that extra touch, Metropolous was the one to get.

 

[AutomationBias]

I have the last 50 watt plexi he ever made. Unbelievably great amp.

 

[2dor]

Read about it on RigTalk.. Sad to see these things happen

 

[Ed DeGenaro]

Not sure what is in the water in Michigan with George and Dave Friedman both having
such monumental Marshall fetishes.

George is a legend, and I predict he will rise again. Hopefully a break from all the stress
of running a business will give him time to have his power and well-being restored.

Bruce Egnator?

 

[greatmutah]

Dave learned a lot from Bruce and George talked to him a bit too. I did the amp building seminar with Bruce. That little 50 watt amp kicks so much ass. Still voiced in the Marshall area but a little smoother on the top. Between that and the Metroplex I never felt much need for a Friedman. Not that Dave doesn't design a great amp; he definitely does. But most of what I'd want out of one of his amps I already had covered. Except for the JJ. That's the one that I always kinda wanted but that's because I'm very much a Cantrell fan boy.

 

[AutomationBias]

Anybody other than Germino doing the historically accurate stuff now?

 

[Elric]

Anybody other than Germino doing the historically accurate stuff now?

Friedman Plex, Suhr SL6x Amps.

 

[SonVolt]

Anybody other than Germino doing the historically accurate stuff now?

Was Metro doing historically accurate amps? I thought his design philosophy was emulating the driven Plexi tone through Preamp distortion etc?

 

[paisleywookiee]

Was Metro doing historically accurate amps? I thought his design philosophy was emulating the driven Plexi tone through Preamp distortion etc?

He had two separate lines; one traditional, one more Friedman-ey (but better, IMO).

 

[AutomationBias]

Was Metro doing historically accurate amps? I thought his design philosophy was emulating the driven Plexi tone through Preamp distortion etc?

Yeah, he used to do replicas (https://www.metropoulos.net/plexireplicas.html).

 

[Elric]

Was Metro doing historically accurate amps? I thought his design philosophy was emulating the driven Plexi tone through Preamp distortion etc?

Tonally it’s ‘accurate’ by all accounts; but, yes, you are right, the MkII is not a Plexi ‘clone’ the circuit is not the same;. it is an improved Plexi with modern features (MV, Loop) that has been designed to sound and respond exactly like a vintage one, in particular its designed to sound like two vintage Plexis, George’s and EVHs; and then has added bright cap option to emulate a couple of variants. That is why it is so special, IMHO.