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Congratulations on your purchase of this handwired
re-issue of a model 1959 100 Watt, all-valve, Super
Lead head. The original versions of this world famous
amplifier - nicknamed the ‘Plexi’ because of its front
panel material - were produced from late 1965 to mid
1969 and are now extremely rare and highly collectable.
This authentic reiteration of an SL/A head made pre-July
of 1969 is part of an ongoing series, which will feature handwired re-issues of revered historical
Marshall products. The reason I have decided to do this is simple - public demand!
One of the things I love doing most is meeting and talking to Marshall users at the many trade
shows, music fairs and shop appearances I do all over the world every year. A subject that almost
always seems to come up in conversation at such events is hand-wiring. In fact, in recent years so
many people have asked me to please start building handwired re-issue products that I’ve lost count!
Not surprisingly, given its much discussed tonal legacy and impressive list of groundbreaking, world-
famous users, the most frequently requested vintage Marshall amps to appear in such a guise is an
early version of the model 1959 Plexi head you've just bought - hence its inclusion as one of our first
handwired re-issues.
Just like its well-known vintage predecessor, the JTM45, the 1959HW is relatively simple in terms of
controls, features and circuitry, but sounds and feels fantastic. To recreate the incredible tone and
feel of the original, as well as its eye-catching good looks, my team of designers has gone to
enormous lengths to seek out and reproduce all of the original components and materials plus revisit
the original methods of construction we used back in the mid 1960s. From the handwired tag-board
circuits to the custom-manufactured Dagnall output and mains transformers, I am extremely proud of
the incredible accuracy and authenticity of this re-issue.
I sincerely hope that this handwired landmark of Marshall history will provide you with countless
hours of playing pleasure.
Yours Sincerely,
ENGLISH
ENGLISH
Overview: Historical, Tone and Tech Talk
The 1959HW is a Class-A/B, all-valve, 100 Watt, two-channel
head. When building this handwired re-issue of an amazing
sounding, original Plexi head made in 1969, our goal was both
obvious and simple: to make it as close to the original as
possible in terms of components, circuitry, constructional
methods, materials, specifications, aesthetics, signal path,
performance, tonal characteristics and feel. We went to
incredible lengths to achieve maximum authenticity and are
delighted to report that our suppliers were equally as exacting
in their tasks - none-more-so than our long-time partner,
Dagnall Transformers.
As is now rock folklore, the 1959 came to be when The Who’s
guitarist, Pete Townshend, approached Marshall in the mid
’60s and asked Jim to build him a ‘weapon’ that would allow
him to play so loud that he wouldn’t be able to hear what the
members of the audience were saying, should they have the
sheer audacity to talk whilst he was performing! Jim and his
team obliged and within weeks of Pete’s request one of rock’s
most instantly recognisable icons was born - the 100 Watt
Marshall stack.
As Jim Marshall has already stated, the 1959 head first saw
the light of day in late 1965 and was affectionately dubbed the
Plexi because of the material used for its front panel. Although
we continued to build 1959s, the now legendary Plexi-era
came to an end in July 1969 when we started using gold
anodised aluminium panels instead of Plexiglas. While all
original Plexi 1959s are held in the highest esteem, several
subtly different but tonally significant circuit variations existed -
the most celebrated and revered versions being those made between 1967 and 1969.
The circuit we have revisited for the 1959HW boasts several of said ‘tonally significant’ variants when
compared to the slightly later circuit we use for our critically acclaimed, standard-production Plexi re-issue -
the 1959SLP. The most sonically relevant technical departures in question lie in the negative feedback
circuit. Where relevant, specific details concerning these ‘deviations’, and others, are inserted into the text
labelled as ‘Tonal Notes’.
As you can see from its front panel layout, the 1959HW is an extremely straightforward amplifier. Its two
channels - Channel I and Channel II - each have two inputs (High and Low sensitivity) and separate Volume
controls, while sharing the amplifier’s four tone controls: Presence, Bass, Middle and Treble. Like all
Marshall, all-valve amplifiers, the 1959 sounds at its very best when turned up full - and because of its
conservative power rating and astonishing projection, is a formidable live amplifier in even the largest of
venues. A truth its impressive history has proven time-and-time again, from the mid ’60s to current day.
In keeping with its other non-master-volume, all-valve, Marshall brethren such as the JTM45 head and the
1962 ‘Bluesbreaker’ combo, the 1959HW's aggressive yet sweetly distorted, harmonically rich, thick,
musical tones result from its power valves being overdriven. As a result, when ‘cranked’ the 1959HW’s
instantly recognisable, guttural, ‘punch you in the chest’ roar is incredibly touch-sensitive, cleaning up or, if
desired, sitting right on the edge of distortion when the guitar's volume is turned down. Not surprisingly, it
responds well to picking dynamics too, indefatigably ‘in-your-face’ when you play like you really mean it and,
once again, cleaning up as you pull back on your picking attack.
From the Chairman
Introduction