Marshall 1959 Super Lead (Plexi) Settings Guide
The Marshall 1959 Super Lead — known as the "Plexi" for its original plexiglass faceplate — is the 100W all-EL34 amplifier that created the sound of classic rock. No master volume, four inputs, and dual channels that can be linked for increased harmonic complexity. Jimmy Page, Jimi Hendrix, Pete Townshend, and Eric Clapton all used early Plexis. The amp must be played at volume to achieve its characteristic tone — the power amp saturation at high volumes is fundamental to the sound.
Used by: Jimmy Page, Jimi Hendrix, Pete Townshend
The best Marshall 1959 Super Lead (Plexi) settings start with: Volume1 at 7/10, Volume2 at 0/10, Treble at 6/10, Middle at 6/10, Bass at 5/10, Presence at 6/10. Adjust from there based on your amp, guitar, and room volume. For Classic Rock: Volume1 8/10, Volume2 0/10, Treble 6/10, Middle 7/10, Bass 5/10, Presence 7/10.
⚡ Start Here — Recommended Settings
| Control | Starting Position | Range |
|---|---|---|
| Volume1 | 7/10 | Off → Loud |
| Volume2 | 0/10 | Off → Loud |
| Treble | 6/10 | Dark → Bright |
| Middle | 6/10 | Scooped → Forward |
| Bass | 5/10 | Thin → Thick |
| Presence | 6/10 | Smooth → Bright |
These are universal starting points. Adjust based on your amp, guitar, and room. Scroll down for genre-specific settings and artist-documented positions.
What Each Control Does
Recommended Starting Settings
Safe starting positions for any style. Adjust from here based on your amp and room.
All values on a 0–10 scale. These are starting points — fine-tune by ear.
Settings by Genre
Single channel at high volume — the Plexi requires Volume at 7–10 to reach power-amp saturation. Middle up to 7 provides the characteristic honky midrange that defined classic rock guitar tone. Presence at 7 adds air without shrill treble. This is the Zeppelin I–II, Townshend, and Clapton Cream tone.
Linking the two channels (jumper cable between input jacks) adds harmonic complexity and additional gain. Volume1 and Volume2 together create more saturation than either alone. The two channels have slightly different voicing that combine for a richer, more complex preamp distortion. This is the Page "No Quarter" approach.
Full Volume1 with a loud master — the Plexi at full chat is extremely loud but produces its most saturated, harmonically dense sound. Treble at 7 and Presence at 8 add the aggressive top-end clarity that cuts through. With humbuckers this produces heavy rock rhythm tones.
The Plexi below its sweet spot is relatively clean. Volume at 4 produces a clear, slightly compressed clean tone with the characteristic Marshall top-end. Not the amp's designed use case — it was built for loud stages — but usable with a boost pedal pushing the front end.
Cranked Plexi with a guitar volume control for dynamic range — the Clapton Cream approach. At high volume the amp responds to guitar volume pot adjustments dramatically: guitar at 10 is full saturation, guitar at 7 cleans up to the amp's open, harmonically complex mid-gain zone. Middle at 7 defines the blues-rock lead voice.
Artist Settings
Documented settings used by professional guitarists on this unit.
Page used the channel-linked approach with both Volume controls active — the combination of the two channels' slightly different voicings creates the harmonically complex, violin-like lead tone on Led Zeppelin I and II. His 1959s were often modified over the years, but the linked channel approach is fundamental to his early recorded Plexi tone.
Hendrix played his 100W Plexis at full volume into 4x12 cabinets — the sheer volume was fundamental to the feedback, sustain, and power-amp saturation in his playing. His amp technician Mitch Mitchell modified several of his Marshalls. The treble and presence settings produce the bright, present cutting tone in Are You Experienced recordings.
Townshend's walls of Marshalls on stage used the full volume approach — he was legendary for his volume levels and the power-amp distortion that resulted. His slightly elevated Bass setting adds weight to his chord-driven rhythm approach. The Plexi into a 4x12 at stage volume was Townshend's primary sound through the Who's peak years.
Also in Our Rig Database
Guitarists who feature this gear in their documented rig — explore their full setup.
Tips & Common Mistakes
- The Plexi has no master volume — to get the amp into its designed operating range you must run it loud. For home or studio use, a power attenuator (Two-Notes Torpedo, Weber Mass) between the amp and speaker allows the power amp to saturate at manageable volume levels.
- Channel-linking is a classic Plexi technique: take a short guitar cable and connect Input 1 (high sensitivity, channel 1) to Input 3 (high sensitivity, channel 2), then plug your guitar into Input 2 (low sensitivity, channel 1). The two preamp sections combine for additional harmonic complexity. Adjust both Volume knobs independently for the blend.
- The Plexi is highly sensitive to tube quality and condition. Original 1960s EL34s had their own character; modern players often experiment with different EL34 manufacturers (JJ, Mullard reissue, Tung-Sol) to find the combination that best suits their tone.
- The mid-heavy EQ voicing of the Plexi means it cuts through a band mix differently than a scooped modern amp. The honky midrange that can sound nasal in isolation becomes the guitar's presence in a full band context — don't eq away the mids in solo testing.
FAQ
Marshall 1959 Super Lead (Plexi) — Common Questions
Best starting settings for Marshall 1959 Super Lead (Plexi): Volume1 at 7/10, Volume2 at 0/10, Treble at 6/10, Middle at 6/10, Bass at 5/10, Presence at 6/10. Adjust from there based on your guitar, room, and playing style.
For Classic Rock: Volume1 8/10, Volume2 0/10, Treble 6/10, Middle 7/10, Bass 5/10, Presence 7/10. Single channel at high volume — the Plexi requires Volume at 7–10 to reach power-amp saturation. Middle up to 7 provides the characteristic honky midrange that defined classic rock guitar tone. Presence at 7 adds air without shrill treble. This is the Zeppelin I–II, Townshend, and Clapton Cream tone.
For Channel-Linked: Volume1 6/10, Volume2 6/10, Treble 5/10, Middle 6/10, Bass 5/10, Presence 6/10. Linking the two channels (jumper cable between input jacks) adds harmonic complexity and additional gain. Volume1 and Volume2 together create more saturation than either alone. The two channels have slightly different voicing that combine for a richer, more complex preamp distortion. This is the Page "No Quarter" approach.
Volume1: Channel 1 input volume (Off to Loud). Volume2: Channel 2 input volume (0 = unused) (Off to Loud). Treble: High-frequency EQ (Dark to Bright). Middle: Mid-range presence (Scooped to Forward). Bass: Low-frequency EQ (Thin to Thick). Presence: Power amp brightness and edge (Smooth to Bright)
The Plexi has no master volume — to get the amp into its designed operating range you must run it loud. For home or studio use, a power attenuator (Two-Notes Torpedo, Weber Mass) between the amp and speaker allows the power amp to saturate at manageable volume levels. Channel-linking is a classic Plexi technique: take a short guitar cable and connect Input 1 (high sensitivity, channel 1) to Input 3 (high sensitivity, channel 2), then plug your guitar into Input 2 (low sensitivity, channel 1). The two preamp sections combine for additional harmonic complexity. Adjust both Volume knobs independently for the blend. The Plexi is highly sensitive to tube quality and condition. Original 1960s EL34s had their own character; modern players often experiment with different EL34 manufacturers (JJ, Mullard reissue, Tung-Sol) to find the combination that best suits their tone. The mid-heavy EQ voicing of the Plexi means it cuts through a band mix differently than a scooped modern amp. The honky midrange that can sound nasal in isolation becomes the guitar's presence in a full band context — don't eq away the mids in solo testing.
Jimmy Page settings: Volume1 8/10, Volume2 7/10, Treble 6/10, Middle 6/10, Bass 5/10, Presence 6/10. Page used the channel-linked approach with both Volume controls active — the combination of the two channels' slightly different voicings creates the harmonically complex, violin-like lead tone on Led Zeppelin I and II. His 1959s were often modified over the years, but the linked channel approach is fundamental to his early recorded Plexi tone.
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