Pricing and availability
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Average Price: $2,376
High-end/Boutique
$300
$801+
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Budget
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High-end
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Description
Marshall JMP Super Lead 100-Watt amp head
*The photo attributed to this entry is the original Marshall JMP Super Lead 100-Watt, and NOT the Marshall JMP MKII Super Lead 100-Watt. There is another model in the database for the MkII model.
Product specs
| Brand | Marshall |
| Model | JMP 1959 Super Lead 2-Channel 100-Watt Guitar Amp Head |
| Finish | Black, Red, White |
| Year | 1967 - 1975 |
| Made In | United Kingdom |
| Categories | Guitar Heads |
| Color Family | Black |
| Direct Output | No Direct Output |
| Electronics | Tube |
| Impedance | 16 ohms, 4 ohms, 8 ohms |
| Number of Channels | 2 Channels |
| Number of Inputs | 4 Inputs |
| Output Power (Watts) | 100 |
| Power Tube Type | EL34 |
| Reverb | None |
FAQs
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What are the tonal characteristics of the Marshall JMP 1959 Super Lead 100-Watt?
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The Marshall JMP 1959 Super Lead is renowned for its powerful, bright, and aggressive tone, often described as having a "crunchy" sound with a strong midrange presence. It's a classic choice for rock and blues, delivering the iconic "Plexi" sound.
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Is the Marshall JMP 1959 Super Lead suitable for live performances?
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Yes, the Marshall JMP 1959 Super Lead 100-Watt is ideal for live performances, particularly in larger venues. Its 100-watt output provides ample volume and headroom, making it perfect for cutting through a mix on stage.
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How many inputs does the Marshall JMP 1959 Super Lead have?
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The Marshall JMP 1959 Super Lead features four inputs, allowing for versatile connectivity options and the ability to bridge channels for a richer sound.
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What type of power tubes does the Marshall JMP 1959 Super Lead use?
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The Marshall JMP 1959 Super Lead utilizes EL34 power tubes, which contribute to its distinctive British tone and dynamic response.
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Can the Marshall JMP 1959 Super Lead be used with different speaker impedances?
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Yes, the Marshall JMP 1959 Super Lead is compatible with 4, 8, and 16-ohm speaker cabinets, offering flexibility in pairing with various cabinets.
Videos
Alsmusicfactory TV Searching The Good Tone
Marshall 1959 Super Lead 100W Original 10 April 1970
Reviews
PROS
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Distinct, unrivaled sound quality
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Exceptional for achieving classic rock tones
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Non-master volume provides unique feel and response
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Capable of significant gain for various applications
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Versatile sound suitable for recording and live gigs
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Durable construction from iconic eras (60s-70s)
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Can achieve classic Marshall sound across models
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Compatible with power soaks for volume control
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Noticeable difference in sound quality with de-modding
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Bright, razorblade distortion characteristic
CONS
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Extremely loud at low settings
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Heavy and cumbersome to transport
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May require modifications to achieve desired sound
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Some models may sound overly bright with certain settings
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Consistency issues due to tube variability
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High cost, especially for vintage models
Owner Insights
We analyzed real musician discussions from forums and Reddit to find what players love, question, and tweak about Marshall JMP 1959 Super Lead 100-Watt.
Setup and maintenance
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The chassis often contains a QC checklist with a date, which can help confirm the production year.
Source
Mods and upgrades
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Owners often swap 6550 power tubes for EL34s to achieve a more authentic Marshall tone reminiscent of classic rock sounds like Hendrix or Zeppelin.
Source
Features and functionality
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The JMP's power amp with 6550 tubes can be tighter, with distortion primarily from the preamp, unlike the EL34's break-up style.
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Super Lead amps offer tonal variety through channel jumping, but require higher volume levels for breakup compared to the 2203.
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The 2203's low input is often underutilized, offering clean tones with guitar volume adjustments similar to the Super Lead.
Source
Use cases and applications
Comparisons
Critic Reviews
5.0 out of 5
Based on 1 Review and 7 Ratings
41029
I wanna rock n roll all night
These amps are loud and bright at 1. I owned an early 70s metalface in purple tolex. We called her Barney. It had a sharper sound then my plexi reissue. More of a razorblade distortion rather than a creamy distortion. My friend owned a later pelxi RI and that sort of split the difference between the two sounds. I briefly owned a very late plexi front that was similar to this amp throughout and was very bright clean but smoothed out more turned up all the way. All of these superlead amps made between the 60s and late 80s are different and none of them has been equaled in a mass produced amp since. I'm more of a vox guy, but nothing sounds like these except maybe a laney supergroup. Its a shame so many metalfaces were modded out in the 80s because they are very cool stock. This sound is very much the sound of classic KISS and ACDC, if that's your bag. Tog et the ACDC sounds you need to sue the angus settings. If you try the all knobs on 10 with this the treble will take your head off, an EQ out front is not enough to tame this beast. It won't sound good with the plexi settings either where you turn up all the tone controls and kill the presence. Its just hairier and wilder without the tone shaping. These are getting expensive now :-(
Artist usage
Add artist
In a 1967 photo of Eric Clapton performing with Cream, the Marshall JMP 1959 Super Lead 100-Watt amplifier is visible behind him, demonstrating its use during that period.
Used for ZZ Top's First Album, Rio Grande Mud, Tres Hombres, Fandango!, Tejas and Degüello, as recalled by Gibbons in this December 3, 2009 Guitar World article (reprinted from an interview in the November 1996 issue).
“La Grange”
Tres Hombres (1973)
“That is straight guitar into amp: a 1955 Strat with a stop tailpiece through a 1969 Marshall Super Lead 100. That fuzz sound in the lead and in the front and back end of the composition is just pure tube distortion. Pickup-setting differentials account for the different tones. The opening part was played on what we used to call ‘the mystery setting’ in the dark days before the existence of the five-way toggle switch, when finding that perfect ’tweener [in-between setting of a three-way pickup selector] required dedication.
“That Marshall amp, which was a trusted friend through the first six records, was an import brought over by Jeff Beck’s at-the-time tech. I had four of those babies, and they were my main road amps for years. I ran them through cabinets with those [Celestion] Greenback speakers. They still retain a distinctive, rich, enjoyable tone and are well worth owning. I must, however, advise anyone fortunate enough to find one to beware of the variable power plugs. The 220[-volt] setting doesn’t work very well outside of the 220 countries, as I can tell you from experience. We had more than a few paper-clip nights over the years [due to blown fuses].”
“Tush”
Fandango! (1975)
“The first three albums were recorded exclusively at the Robin Hood Studios outside of Dallas, and the special sound that always seemed to be accessible there was due in part to the fact that the equipment was nailed to the floor and nothing ever moved so you could always count on a sound. Quite a good sound, I must say.
“ ‘Tush’ was Pearly Gates, my beloved Les Paul, played through the same Marshall Super Lead, and we sure enough did stop and enjoy the G tuning for the composition’s slide element. This song was largely straight guitar to amp, but I also utilized a real odd, esoteric device called the Cooper Time Cube, which was a simplistic application of the complex world of physics. In a small rack-mounted can sits a small speaker, right up next to maybe 50 feet of one-inch rubber tubing, which is coiled, spring-like. The sound waves actually take longer to travel, having to make these corners, creating a type of delay which is quite unlike the familiar sound of a digital delay. That was a real left-field piece of gear which they had—and still have, I might add—in that studio. Some of the guitar sounds that appear to be doubled on the early albums are actually the byproduct of that oddball Cooper Time Cube.”
In a MusicRadar article, Deryck Whibley discusses using a 1979 Marshall JMP 1959 Super Lead 100-Watt as his main amplifier for clean sounds during live performances, with the gain set to 3.
In the video you can see Euronymous playing a Marshall JMP stack. Especially at 00:43.
In this video from Fearless Records, we see on one the guitarist of Pierce The Veil, Tony Perry, showing his touring rig. At this point in the video, he shows us the 1971 Marshall Super Lead 100w Tube Guitar Head.
"Trower’s hottest rig blasted his array of Strats through a pair of 100-watt Marshall JMP-100 Mark II heads feeding two 1960-B 4x12 cabs and had an impressive effects chain on the floor: custom preamp and clean booster pedals, a Dan Armstrong Red Ranger treble booster, a Tychobrahe wah-wah, an octave/fuzz Fender Blender, a Uni-Vibe chorus/vibrato, Mutron II phase shifter, and two Electro-Harmonix Electric Mistresses."
At 1:30 in the video about equipment used for the recording of Spiritual Instinct, Neige says he specifically used a Marshall JMP "super lead I think"
In the description of this video, Andy lists the pedals that he uses for this song:
Matchless Clubman
Matchless Chieftain
Marshall JMP
Hohner Pianet T
Strymon Bigsky
Strymon Timeline
Eventide Space
El Capistan
Naunaber Slate Stereo Wet
Electro Harmonix EHX POG2
Earthquaker Devices Afterneath
Echo Park
Telecaster
Album Usage
The Marshall JMP 1959 Super Lead 100-Watt has been featured on the following albums:
Genre Usage
Based on how artists on Equipboard use this gear, it is most commonly found in the following genres.
Used With
Based on how musicians on Equipboard use Marshall JMP 1959 Super Lead 100-Watt, it is most commonly used with the following gear.
Similar
Add recommendation2 alternative and related items for Marshall JMP 1959 Super Lead 100-Watt, curated by the Equipboard community.
$134.00 - $159.99
A new for 2025 amp in a box pedal, based on the Marshall 1959 Super Lead amplifier.
The Dirty channel features a tone stack voicing switch that delivers the sweeter JTM tone control voicing and balanced gain response in one position, and the more in your face JMP voicing in the other. The Gain control knob cascades through multiple tube gain stages in a unique way that starts out with Classic Plexi tones early on the dial giving way to scorching High Gain tones later on. The Gain Boost switch engages even more gain as well as kicking in our unique clipping diode circuit that gives you the sustain and precision of a ‘Jose’ but retains the organic Plexi clarity when backing off of the guitar’s volume control. See below for a description of each of the three individual amp voices available in the dirty channel.
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