The Marshall 1959 Super Lead pedal is an overdrive/distortion pedal that models the company's 1959 Super Lead amplifier in pedal form. Marshall says it delivers the same "dynamic range, clarity, and rich tonal character that defined the vintage roar of the original 1959"1.
What it does
The pedal is an amp-in-a-box design: rather than a generic drive pedal, it is built to reproduce the character of one specific amplifier. Marshall says it has "the same dynamic range, clarity, and rich tonal character that defined the vintage roar of the original 1959"1.
Its control layout follows the original amp. It presents gain controls for both the treble and normal channels, allowing players to blend the sound and shape the gain between the two, much as they would by jumping channels on the amplifier itself1.
What reviewers said
Premier Guitar's Ted Drozdowski, who had the good fortune to test the pedal alongside a real 1972 Marshall Super Lead, found it more than capable of holding its own against the original amplifier overall2.
"Ted Drozdowski, who had the good fortune to test this pedal alongside a real 1972 Marshall Super Lead, found it more than capable of holding its own against the original."
Context in Marshall's pedal range
The 1959 Super Lead pedal sits in a line of Marshall-branded drive pedals that runs from the Amp Series models announced at NAMM 2025 back to earlier designs such as the Marshall The Guv'nor, the Marshall ShredMaster and the Marshall Jackhammer. Players comparing it with other Plexi-style pedals can also look at the wider field of distortion pedals and overdrive pedals modeled on the same amplifiers.
Videos
Marshall
Moons Guitars
Middle Aged Gear Junkie
Questions
What amp is the Marshall 1959 Super Lead pedal based on?
Marshall says the pedal has the same dynamic range, clarity and rich tonal character that defined the vintage roar of the original 1959 Super Lead, the Plexi-era head. It carries gain controls for both the amp's treble and normal channels, so players can blend the two and shape the gain the way they would on the amplifier itself.
How much does the Marshall 1959 Super Lead pedal cost?
When Marshall announced the Amp Series overdrive pedals at NAMM 2025, the 1959 Super Lead pedal was priced at $149 in the United States and £119 in the United Kingdom.
Sources (2)
- NAMM 2025: “These pedals bring the sounds of the great Marshall amps of history onto the pedalboard”, MusicRadar, 2025-01-23
- The Year In Gear 2025, Premier Guitar, 2025-11-07
