Marshall 1959 Super Lead: every version
Every version, how to tell them apart, how to date one, and what to check before you buy. 8 versions, 1965–present.
The 1959 Super Lead is Marshall's 100-watt, four-input, non-master-volume head, and it has been made in some form since the mid-1960s. The plexiglass-panel heads of 1965–69 are the collectors' amps; the brushed-aluminium JMP heads that followed moved to circuit boards in 1973, US-export heads ran 6550s, and the JCM800-era 1959 was a cosmetic change. Reissues cover both the PCB 1959SLP and the hand-wired 1959HW. From July 1969 the serial number tells you the year.
The versions, in order
Super Lead 1959, early plexi (1965–1967)
Plexi
The first 100-watt Super Leads: KT66s at first, then EL34s from 1966–67, hand-wired on turret boards.
How to spot one
- Four KT66 output valves with a solid-state rectifier on the earliest heads; the move to EL34s came in 1966–67.
- Early heads wore JTM-branded plexiglass front panels, with the 100-watt model named on the back panel.
- Back panels on the earliest heads were white/cream rather than the later gold.
- Hand-wired on a turret board, with no date letter in the serial number.
Specs
| Construction | Hand-wired turret board |
|---|
Super Lead 1959, 1968–69 plexi (1967–1969)
Plexi
The classic plexi: gold plexiglass panel, four EL34s, and from 1968 the split-cathode first stage.
What changed from the Super Lead 1959, early plexi
- Output valves changed from KT66 to EL34 in 1966–67, with a new lower-impedance output transformer.
- In 1968 the preamp moved to a split-cathode first stage, for a tighter, more aggressive, higher-gain sound.
- Drake transformers gave way to Dagnall parts on 100-watt heads around 1968.
How to spot one
- Gold plexiglass front panel; JMP initials replaced JTM around late 1967–1968.
- Four EL34s, three ECC83s, solid-state rectifier, 100 W, no master volume.
- Four inputs: two for the brighter High Treble channel and two for the Normal channel, sharing Presence, Bass, Middle and Treble.
- From 1968 the preamp has a split-cathode first stage (each channel's triode has its own cathode resistor), the classic Super Lead circuit.
- Dagnall transformers (C1998 output) replaced most Drake parts on 100-watt heads around 1968.
- US-export heads often have a third front-panel toggle, a ground/polarity switch.
- Plexi panels ended in mid-1969.
Specs
| Power tubes | 4 × EL34 |
|---|---|
| Rectifier | Solid-state (silicon diodes) |
| Phase inverter | Long-tail pair |
| Rated power | 100 W |
| Preamp tubes | 3 × ECC83 |
JMP Super Lead 1959, metal panel (1969–1981)
Metal panel
Brushed-aluminium panel, serials with a year letter from July 1969, and circuit boards from 1973.
What changed from the Super Lead 1959, 1968–69 plexi
- Mid-1969: brushed-aluminium panels replaced plexiglass.
- July 1969: serial numbers gained a model prefix and a year letter.
- 1973: hand-wired turret boards were replaced by printed circuit boards.
How to spot one
- Gold brushed-aluminium front panel with black lettering, introduced in mid-1969 in place of plexiglass.
- The serial number starts SL/A (Super Lead) and ends with a year letter: SL/A 6121E is a 1973 amp.
- Hand-wired on turret boards until 1973; later heads use a printed circuit board.
- Heads from around 1976–77 have a larger logo and rocker switches in place of toggle switches.
Specs
| Power tubes | 4 × EL34 |
|---|---|
| Rectifier | Solid-state (silicon diodes) |
| Phase inverter | Long-tail pair |
Super Lead 1959, US-export 6550 version (1970s)
Metal panel, export
The same metal-panel head, fitted with 6550 output valves for the US market.
What changed from the JMP Super Lead 1959, metal panel
- Power tubes: 4 × EL34 → 4 × 6550
- Heads for the US market used 6550 output valves; other markets kept EL34s.
How to spot one
- Heads made for the US market were fitted with 6550 output valves instead of EL34s; heads for other markets kept EL34s.
- Otherwise the same metal-panel, two-channel, four-input, non-master-volume layout.
Specs
| Power tubes | 4 × 6550 |
|---|---|
| Rectifier | Solid-state (silicon diodes) |
| Phase inverter | Long-tail pair |
JCM800 Super Lead 1959 (1981–c. 1990)
JCM800
JCM800 cosmetics on the same non-master Super Lead: the 1981 change was cosmetic.
What changed from the JMP Super Lead 1959, metal panel
- 1981: JCM800 cosmetics (full-width panel, larger logo, white piping) with the same model number and non-master-volume circuit.
How to spot one
- JCM800 cosmetics: full-width control panel, much larger logo and white piping around the front.
- Same model number and non-master-volume two-channel layout as the last JMP heads.
- Serials from 1984 on put the year letter before the number instead of after.
Specs
| Power tubes | 4 × EL34 |
|---|---|
| Rectifier | Solid-state (silicon diodes) |
| Phase inverter | Long-tail pair |
1959SLP reissue (1988 on)
Reissue
The standard-production reissue, first sold in 1988 as the 1959S, on a printed circuit board.
What changed from the JCM800 Super Lead 1959
- The reissue started in 1988; early reissues had no effects loop, later ones added a series loop with a bypass switch.
How to spot one
- Built on a printed circuit board; the hand-wired version is the separate 1959HW.
- Four EL34s, three ECC83s, 100 W, four inputs, no master volume.
- Later examples add a series effects loop with a bypass switch and a -10/+4 level selector on the back; early reissues have no loop.
- Uses a slightly later circuit than the 1969-based 1959HW.
Specs
| Power tubes | 4 × EL34 |
|---|---|
| Rectifier | Solid-state (silicon diodes) |
| Phase inverter | Long-tail pair |
| Rated power | 100 W |
| Preamp tubes | 3 × ECC83 |
| Construction | Printed circuit board |
1959HW hand-wired reissue (2005 on)
Reissue
A hand-wired recreation of a pre-July-1969 plexi Super Lead.
What changed from the 1959SLP reissue
- The 1959HW is hand-wired on tag boards with Dagnall transformers and follows the 1969 circuit, where the 1959SLP is a PCB amp based on a slightly later circuit.
How to spot one
- Hand-wired on tag boards made to the original thickness and pitch, with custom Dagnall mains and output transformers.
- Recreates a pre-July-1969 plexi Super Lead circuit.
- Two channels with two inputs each, no master volume.
Specs
| Power tubes | 4 × EL34 |
|---|---|
| Preamp tubes | 3 × ECC83 |
| Construction | Hand-wired tag boards |
1959RR Randy Rhoads (2008 (limited edition))
Signature
A signature Super Lead with a factory cascade mod on Channel II, white covering and an effects loop.
What changed from the 1959SLP reissue
- The 1959RR adds a factory channel-cascade gain mod and white covering to the Super Lead layout.
How to spot one
- White covering, modelled on Randy Rhoads' own modified 1959 Super Lead.
- Channel II has a factory cascade mod: the two halves of the first preamp valve run in series for much more gain.
- A series effects loop.
Specs
| Power tubes | 4 × EL34 |
|---|---|
| Rated power | 100 W |
| Preamp tubes | 3 × ECC83 |
1959 Super Lead buying checklist
Date it
- There was no consistent serial-number system before July 1969, so pre-1969 numbers don't reliably date an amp.
- From July 1969 to 1983 the serial ends with a year letter: A = 1969–70, C = 1971, D = 1972, E = 1973, F = 1974, G = 1975, H = 1976, J = 1977, K = 1978, L = 1979, M = 1980, N = 1981, P = 1982, R = 1983.
- From 1984 the year letter moves in front of the number: S = 1984, T = 1985, U = 1986, V = 1987, W = 1988, X = 1989, Y = 1990, Z = 1991–92.
- The prefix SL/ (later SL/A) marks a 100-watt Super Lead; SB/ is the Super Bass. SL/A 6121E is a 1973 Super Lead.
- From the early 1990s serials switched to a barcode-style number that encodes the year.
- Many vintage heads carry an inspection or test date inside the chassis, which helps date one within a year.
- On pre-1969 heads, dating relies on physical details: panel type and initials (JTM or JMP), back-panel colour, output valves and transformers.
Check it’s original
- Check the transformers: original Drake or Dagnall mains and output transformers have often been replaced on older heads.
- Common player mods to look for: an added master volume, an added effects loop and extra speaker jacks.
- Replaced filter and coupling caps are normal service work; note them, but they're not faking.
- Linking the two channels with a short patch lead (“jumpering”) is a standard playing technique that needs no modification.
What usually needs work
- Filter capacitors on older heads are usually due for replacement; dried-out caps can take a transformer with them if they fail.
Questions buyers ask
What does “plexi” mean?
It refers to the gold plexiglass front panel used from 1965 until mid-1969, when brushed aluminium replaced it.
How can I tell what year my 1970s Super Lead is?
Read the letter at the end of the serial number: E = 1973 and J = 1977, for example. From 1984 the letter moves to the front.
Is the 1959HW the same as the 1959SLP?
No. The HW is hand-wired on tag boards with Dagnall transformers and follows the 1969 circuit; the SLP is a PCB amp based on a slightly later circuit.
Why do some old Super Leads have 6550 valves?
Heads made for the US market were fitted with 6550s instead of EL34s.
When did Marshall stop hand-wiring the Super Lead?
In 1973, when printed circuit boards replaced turret boards. The hand-wired 1959HW reissue arrived in 2005.
Amp vs amp
- Marshall JTM45 vs Marshall 1959 Super Lead
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