Marshall Plexi 1959 Super Lead: The Definitive Guide to a Rock Legend
The searing, revolutionary wail of Jimi Hendrix at Woodstock. The colossal, ground-shaking riffs of Led Zeppelin. The raw, high-voltage crunch of AC/DC. These are not just legendary sounds; they are sonic cornerstones of rock and roll. And at the heart of them all lies one iconic piece of gear: the Marshall 1959 Super Lead, known to the world simply as the **"Plexi."**
More than just an amplifier, the Plexi was the voice of a generation, a tool that allowed guitarists to unleash a power and aggression never before imagined. This article will take you on a deep dive into the story of this legendary amp—from its explosive birth in the swinging sixties to its secrets of tone and its undeniable legacy that continues to shape music today. Ready to plug in? Let's go. 😊
The Birth of a Legend: Forging the Marshall Plexi 🎸
The story of the Plexi begins in the mid-1960s, a time of musical revolution. Bands were getting louder, and they needed amplification that could keep up. The legend starts with Pete Townshend of The Who, who famously walked into Jim Marshall's London music shop with a simple, yet groundbreaking, request: he needed a 100-watt amplifier head. He wanted a "weapon" that could project his aggressive guitar work to the back of any arena.
Accepting the challenge, Jim Marshall and his team, including engineers Ken Bran and Dudley Craven, got to work. While they drew initial inspiration from the circuitry of the 5F6A Fender Bassman, they didn't just create a copy. By sourcing British-made components like transformers and tubes, they fundamentally altered the amp's character. The result was a sound that was brighter, more aggressive, and had a signature midrange punch that would become distinctly "British." Released in 1965, the 1959 Super Lead was born. Its famous nickname, "Plexi," came from the gold-tinted plexiglass (Plexiglas) used for its front and back panels until mid-1969.
Decoding the Tone: Secrets of the 1959 Super Lead Sound 🔊
The Plexi's legendary tone isn't the result of one single component, but a perfect storm of electronic design choices and raw, untamed power. Understanding these elements is key to appreciating its genius.
The Power and Roar of EL34 Tubes
A crucial evolution in the Plexi's design was the switch from KT66 power tubes to a quartet of EL34s. This gave the amp higher output, more headroom, and a much more aggressive, focused midrange. This signature "kerrang" and rich harmonic content are the sounds we now associate with classic hard rock. The EL34s provided the perfect sonic palette for the emerging genre's powerful riffs and soaring leads.
No Master Volume, No Compromise
Perhaps the most defining characteristic of a vintage Plexi is its lack of a master volume knob. This is where the magic—and the immense volume—comes from. The amp's incredible overdrive and sustain aren't generated in the preamp stage; they come from cranking the volume and forcing the entire amplifier, especially the EL34 power tubes and output transformer, to work at their absolute limit. This power amp saturation creates a rich, complex, and touch-sensitive distortion that is almost impossible to replicate. It's the reason a Plexi feels so "alive" under a player's fingers, but it also means you have to be loud to get "the" sound.
The 'Channel Jumping' Trick
The 1959 Super Lead features four inputs across two channels: Channel I (High Treble) and Channel II (Normal). Guitarists quickly discovered an ingenious trick not intended by the designers. By running a short patch cable from an unused input on one channel to an input on the other—a technique called **"channel jumping"** or "bridging"—they could blend the two. This allowed players to mix the bright, cutting tone of the High Treble channel with the darker, fuller-bodied sound of the Normal channel, effectively creating a powerful onboard EQ to sculpt their perfect tone.
The Platform for Gods: Artists Who Defined the Plexi Amp 🤘
The Plexi was a blank canvas, and the world's greatest guitarists were its artists. Each one found a unique way to harness its power.
- Jimi Hendrix: Perhaps the most famous Plexi user, Hendrix pushed the Super Lead to its limits, creating everything from sparkling cleans to full-on psychedelic fury, often paired with his Fuzz Face pedal for an even wilder sound.
- Eddie Van Halen: To create his iconic "Brown Sound," Eddie used a stock Plexi but ran it through a **Variac**, a device that allowed him to lower the wall voltage going into the amp. This saturated the power tubes at a slightly lower volume, creating a chewier, more compressed tone that became the holy grail for a generation of shredders.
- Angus Young (AC/DC): For his signature crunch, Angus often used an early wireless system that hit the front end of his Plexi harder, acting as a built-in boost to create that raw, biting tone that defined AC/DC's sound.
- Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin): While he used various amps, Page often relied on a modified Marshall Super Bass—a sibling to the Super Lead with a slightly darker voicing—to achieve the thunderous, multi-layered guitar tones on classic Zeppelin tracks.
The Enduring Legacy: The Plexi in the Modern Era ⚡
Over half a century later, the Marshall Plexi remains the undisputed benchmark for rock guitar tone. Its influence is everywhere. Original vintage models from the 1960s are now priceless collector's items, but the legacy lives on in many forms:
- Official Reissues: Marshall continues to produce hand-wired reissues like the 1959HW, offering players a chance to own a brand-new version of the classic circuit.
- Boutique Clones: Countless smaller amp builders have created their own faithful reproductions or modified versions of the Plexi circuit.
- "Plexi-in-a-Box" Pedals: For players who can't handle the volume, dozens of overdrive and distortion pedals are designed specifically to emulate the Plexi's signature crunch through a clean amp.
- Digital Modeling: The Plexi is one of the most modeled amps in the digital world, appearing in countless software plugins and hardware units from companies like Universal Audio, Kemper, and Neural DSP.
The Marshall 1959 Super Lead wasn't just a machine for making sound louder. It was, and still is, a fundamental part of the rock and roll spirit—an untamed beast that, in the right hands, could sing, scream, and change the world.
Frequently Asked Questions ❓
What's your favorite Marshall Plexi tone or player? Share your thoughts in the comments below! 👇