Plexiglas

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Note: This article has been updated with lastest available information on January 16th, 2022 at 07:52 am

Positive Grid Plexiglas Amp is available under the Crunch amp group and is inspired by the Marshall Super Lead 100 Amp.

A special Jimi Hendrix™ version of this amp, J.H. Super 100, is available in the Experience Jimi Hendrix™ add-on for Spark.

Plexiglas
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Marshall 1959

The Marshall Super Lead Model 1959 is a guitar amplifier head made by Marshall. One of the famous Marshall Plexis, it was introduced in 1965 and with its associated 4×12″ cabinets gave rise to the "Marshall stack".

History

The 1959 (Marshall's identifying numbers are not years of manufacture), produced from 1965 to 1976 (when it was replaced by the 2203 "Master Volume"),[1] is an amplifier in Marshall's "Standard" series.[2] It was designed by Ken Bran and Dudley Craven after The Who's guitarist Pete Townshend asked Marshall for a 100 watt amplifier.[3] Its output was first channeled into an 8×12″ cabinet, but that single, unwieldy cabinet was quickly changed to a pair of 4x12″ cabinets, 1960a "angled" on top and 1960b "box" on bottom, creating the famous "Marshall full stack".[4][5] The amplifier also came in a PA version and a bass version, the Super Bass.[1]

The Plexiglas panel led to the name "Plexi", and while 50-watt models of the time are also called Plexis,[6] the 1959 100 watt model is generally thought of as the "definitive" Plexi.[7] The panels were actually made from much tougher polycarbonate plastic, but to the average American observer, it looked like the more familiar Plexiglas, and the name stuck.

In 1969, Marshall replaced the Plexiglas panel with one of brushed black metal with gold aluminum piping.[1] There were other modifications: In 1966, the KT66 tubes of the JTM-models were replaced with EL34. After 1976, the plate voltages were lowered slightly for improved reliability. But during the 1970s, Marshall's increasing exports overseas led to a problem: Often the EL34 tubes would break during transportation, to the point where amps began being shipped from the factory with more rugged Tung-Sol 6550 tubes, which are "stiffer and not as harmonically rich" as the EL34 tubes.[3]

JMP Super Bass

Marshall's first 100-watt bass amp was the JTM 45/100—also known as the "Super 100 Amplifier", due to text on its rear panel. By 1967, this text was updated to "Super Bass 100", while soon after the official model designation was changed to "JMP."[8] The Super Bass circuit was nearly identical to the 1959 Super Lead, with just minor differences in cathode and capacitor values. The result was a similar but warmer, less aggressive tone meant to appeal to bass players. While the Super Bass found prominent bass-playing fans in Jack Bruce, Chris Squire, and Lemmy, it was also popular among guitarists: Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page, Paul Kossoff, and Eric Johnson all preferred the Super Bass over the Super Lead.[8]

Reissues

The amplifier was reissued for the first time in 1988 (the 1959S), and again from 1991 to 1993 (the 1959X) and from 1993 to 1995 (the 1959SLP).[1] The SLP continued after 1995 but in 2000 Marshall added modifications to lower the noise floor (hum balance pot), reverted the negative feedback resistor to the 1968-69 value of 47 kΩ, and added an effects loop. The 1959SLP was sold until 2017. In 2005 Marshall introduced the 1959HW (for "hand-wired"), based on the 1967–1969 models, with negative feedback added corresponding to the 1969 model.[9] This amplifier was called "expensive but good."[10] Guitar Player magazine called the 1959 "monumentally huge, frightfully loud, and painfully expensive", and its review of the 1959HW said it was "quick, percussive, articulate," and required a "total commitment to volume."[11]

Technical specifications

The 1959 had 100 watts of power, two channels, and four inputs. They were equipped with four KT66 tubes, but models made after 1967 had four EL34 tubes instead; it had three ECC83 tubes in the pre-amplification stage. A model with tremolo, the 1959T, was available until 1973.[1]

The lead channel has a boosted bright tone, and the rhythm channel has a flatter response. Each channel has a high and a low gain input; the low gain input is attenuated by 6 dB.[2] The channels can be linked with an instrument cable, a technique sometimes referred to as "jumping" and used to feed the same instrument through both channels simultaneously, for increased gain.[12]

Notable early users

Besides Pete Townshend of The Who, early users include Eric Clapton, who in 1966, when he founded Cream, traded in his famous Bluesbreaker combo for a 1959 Plexi,[13][14] and Jimi Hendrix, who used a 1959 with four 4×12″ cabinets (his "couple of great refrigerators") at the 1969 Woodstock Festival[10] and established the Marshall as the "definitive rock amp".[15]

Other notable users

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Blue Book of Guitar Amplifiers, Zachary R. (2008). Blue Book of Guitar Amplifiers. Vol. 3. Alfred Music. pp. 335–36. ISBN 978-1-886768-59-8.
  2. ^ a b Boehnlein, John (1998). The High Performance Marshall Handbook: A Guide to Great Marshall Amplifier Sounds. Bold Strummer. pp. 3–5. ISBN 978-0-933224-80-3.
  3. ^ a b Pittmann, Aspen (2003). The Tube Amp Book. Hal Leonard. pp. 72–74. ISBN 978-0-87930-767-7.
  4. ^ Millard, A.J. (2004). The Electric Guitar: A History of an American Icon. JHU Press. p. 155. ISBN 978-0-8018-7862-6.
  5. ^ Doyle, Michael (1993). The History of Marshall: The Illustrated Story of "The Sound of Rock". Hal Leonard. p. 37. ISBN 9780793525096.
  6. ^ Molenda, Michael (June 2008). "The Homogenization of Rock Guitar Tone". Guitar Player. 42 (6): 76–78.
  7. ^ Guppy, Nick (3 November 2008). "Bad Cat BC 50". MusicRadar. Retrieved 16 April 2010.
  8. ^ a b Price, Huw. "Vintage Bench Test: 1967 Marshall Super Bass". guitar.com. Guitar Magazine. Retrieved 15 April 2025.
  9. ^ "Marshall 1959HW Owner's Manual" (PDF). Marshall Amplification. pp. 1, 3. Archived from the original on February 13, 2006. Retrieved 16 April 2010.
  10. ^ a b Balmer, Paul; Hank Marvin (2007). The Fender Stratocaster Handbook: How to Buy, Maintain, Set Up, Troubleshoot, and Modify Your Strat. MBI. pp. 156–57. ISBN 978-0-7603-2983-2.
  11. ^ Buddingh, Terry (December 2005). "Marshall 1959HW Super Lead 100". Guitar Player. 39 (12): 176–78.
  12. ^ "Marshall 1959HW Owner's Manual" (PDF). Marshall Amplification. p. 6. Archived from the original on February 13, 2006. Retrieved 16 April 2010.
  13. ^ Gulla, Bob (2008). Guitar Gods: The 25 Players Who Made Rock History. ABC-CLIO. p. 46. ISBN 978-0-313-35806-7.
  14. ^ Hunter, Dave (2005). Guitar Rigs: Classic Guitar & Amp Combinations. Backbeat. p. 113. ISBN 9780879308513.
  15. ^ Trynka, Paul (1996). Rock Hardware. Hal Leonard. p. 19. ISBN 978-0-87930-428-7.
  16. ^ Prown, Pete; Lisa Sharken (2003). Gear Secrets of the Guitar Legends: How to Sound Like Your Favorite Players. Hal Leonard. p. 2. ISBN 978-0-87930-751-6.
  17. ^ "Eddie van Halen Reveals His Biggest Lie". 18 April 2012.
  18. ^ "Muse | Matt Bellamy | Artist". Archived from the original on 2018-01-18. Retrieved 2015-10-13.
source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marshall_1959

According to Marshall Amps:

The journey to the ‘Plexi’ began when Pete Townshend was once more asking for a louder amplifier. The Marshall team delivered a prototype with four KT66 valves and two 50 watt transformers. It was immediately clear that the sonic range of this amp was different to anything that had come before it. By the time the first production models were developed in 1965, the 50 watt transformers were replaced with 100 watt output transformers. In 1967, the KT66 valves were replaced with EL34’s, now synonymous with traditional Marshall growl and bite.
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The look and aesthetic of the ‘Plexi’ amplifiers are arguably one of the most defining features. The name originates from its shiny, Plexiglas panel, commonly used on Marshall amps between 1965-1969. Although many amps are referred to as ‘Plexi’s’ The 100 Watt Super Lead (model number 1959) is most commonly associated with the name.

The popularity for the 100 watt amp exploded through the late 60’s due to the power, tone and sheer volume of the ‘Plexi’. With PA systems still in early production, the massive volume of this amp made it the first choice for guitarists playing large venues. The 68 specification amps were a hit with Jimi Hendrix, Cream and The Who, creating huge amounts of exposure and marking the ‘Plexi sound’ as the sound of rock.
Watch Marshall demo the 1959HW amp — a faithful recreation of the legendary 1959SLP Handwired, famously used by Jimi Hendrix.

Artist using Marshall Super Lead 100 Plexi:

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