Marshall 1959 Super Lead

This amp is a 1974 Marshall Super Lead head (model #1959). It has 4 inputs (two for treble - two for bass) with a volume control for each, and the standard presence, bass, middle and treble controls. Very simple and straight-forward. The back has an impedence selector as well as two speaker-outs. I don't use this head very much - primarily because of its extreme volume. I suppose the only real feature is that fact that you can blend the treble and bass inputs simply by linking them together with a small cable. This fattens up the sound and gives you a bit more control over the treble and bass.

I use a Gibson Les Paul Standard with stock pickups through this head and play the kind of music most people would associate with an old Marshall - heavy blues, old AC/DC and Jimmy Page type stuff. As far as the sound goes - it nails those tones perfectly. Not much variety though, those are really the only sounds this thing generates. But if that's what you're after - it's perfect. It really is the best "clean" distortion sound I have ever heard or expect to hear. You can hear all the notes when you play chords and there's no buzzy distortion sounds usually associated with master volume amps (ie JCM 800). For the stuff I like to play, this head sounds best with the volumes between 4 and 5, but I know guys who max them out and they sound great (ie Gordie Johnson from Big Sugar). It just depends how heavy you like it.

As with a lot of old Marshall designs, this amp overheats after a while. A few times this thing has just shut down after a couple of hours of going hard. It's in perfect shape - one of the cleanest pieces I've ever seen. It has been serviced by a great amp tech and it runs the way it's supposed to, but if I used it for a big show, I would definitely bring a back-up.

N/A - I think the warranty ran out about 20 years ago. It's such a simple design though, that there are quite a few guys who know how to fix it right.

I've been playing for about 10 years and grew up listening to Marshalls on all of my favourite records. It makes sense that this is the sound I hear in my head when I think of great guitar tone. I have owned several different amps - Vox AC30, Fender Vibrolux, Marshall JCM 800, Peavy 5150 - and this amp really does smoke them all for the tone that I like. If it were stolen or lost would I buy another? No. That may sound strange, but the truth is, this thing is just so loud that I don't use it that much. By the time I get the sound up to where I like it - it's far too loud for most situations. I've tried the Marshall Power Break with it - I wasn't crazy about it. I guess I bought it so that I could have my dream amp. The fact of the matter is, I would probably be better off with something smaller. The tone is amazing, but it's not very practical.

This is a 1973 100 watt head that I bought from the Plexi Palace (www.vintageamps.com). Just like most Marshalls, they're great plugged straight in. Not much on the feature side, but they really make each guitar shine in their own way. A Marshall is one of those amps that shows off the player (good or bad!). How else could there be so many recordings of them that sound so different.
Jeez, this thing is loud! I've owned Marshalls in the past, but this one takes the prize. I have to use a THD Hotplate just to keep it reasonable, which totally adds to the cool factor.

Using a '73 Les Paul Goldtop (with PAF's). The amp pretty much nails the first 4 Van Halen records. Besides that, with a Strat, the tone varies quite a bit. The overdrive (with both channels daisy-chained) is outrageous. Why did we cut up so many of these in the 80's and early 90's? I can't imagine that you'd ever need this much distortion.
Clean channel? What's that? When you roll the volume off on the guitar, the amp cleans up nicely, with tons of dynamics.

The amp was serviced before I bought it. I've only had it for a few weeks, but for it's age, I would say it's doing great.

Vic at the Plexi Palace is very accomodating. Since I purchased it by mail, he actually plugged in the amp and played over the phone!!! Not too many folks would go out of their way to sell an amp for $650. He even played some of my favorite Van Halen tunes...
If you are looking for a Marshall (plexi or otherwise)or a variety of used amps that have been restored, I would highly recommend checking them out.

I've been playing for about 18 years. This is one of about 10 amps that I have right now. I had one about 10 years ago, but sadly I had it modified. It never did sound very good...If it was stolen, I would have to break the thief's fingers off (real slow, as to be certain of its effect).
Make sure you get a THD Hotplate. Unless you're playing a stadium tonight, you'll be glad you did!