The TC Electronic JIMS 45 is a distortion preamp pedal with Normal and High channels, each with its own individual gain controls12. RockBoard's PedalPedia lists it as a "DISTORTION PREAMP"1. It is part of the Ampworx Vintage series, alongside the Combo Deluxe '65 and the DC303.
The name is a nod to Jim Marshall: Guitar World's reviewer notes the JIMS 45 is "affectionately named, we assume, after Jim Marshall," and it is modeled on a Marshall JTM454. Pedal-of-the-Day called it "the best and most precise digital amp modeling of this famous amp you have ever run your guitar through"5.
A digital preamp modeled on a 45-watt Plexi
The JIMS 45 is a digital pedal, built with TC Electronic's AMPWORX modeling technology as a simulation of a 1965 Marshall JTM45 tube amplifier5. For a player, that means it behaves like the front end of an amp rather than like a conventional overdrive or distortion pedal: you feed it a guitar signal and it produces the preamp and power-amp character of the modeled amp, complete with a speaker simulation when you use the DI output.
That DI path integrates the official Celestion Digital impulse response of a 4x12 cabinet loaded with G12M Creamback speakers, so the pedal can go straight to a mixing desk or a pair of headphones without a real cab in the chain5. MusicRadar's reviewer Rob Laing found the amount of clean headroom with the stock IR "isn't quite as high as my encounters with the real thing," and that with third-party IRs the cleans "shine brighter, sound thicker and resonate deeper"3.
The pedal offers two channels, switched by footswitch:
- Green channel: based on the original amp's circuit, with a "master volume" set at 50% added after the tonestack5
- Red channel: the second voice, selectable from the same footswitch5
The controls
Guitar World and MusicRadar list the control set consistently43:
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Normal | Gain of the Normal signal path4 |
| High | Gain of the Bright signal path4 |
| Level | Output level4 |
| Bass, Mid, Treble | 3-band EQ54 |
| Presence | High-frequency presence control, as on the original amp54 |
| Pre/Post switch | Sets the boost before or after the amp model43 |
| Boost footswitch | Engages the boost43 |
| Channel footswitch | Switches between channels43 |
The Normal and High knobs mirror the two inputs of the original JTM45-style amp: Normal and High (bright), each with its own gain control42. Guitar World's reviewer Trevor Curwen notes that both the JIMS 45 and the DC30 have separate knobs for adjusting the gain of their Normal and Bright signal paths, "offering the either/or option or juxtaposition of the two"4. In total the pedal gives you 7 parameters to dial in5.
The boost
The boost footswitch adds extra push, and the Pre/Post switch decides whether it hits the amp model before it, for more grind, or after it, for more level54. Pedal-of-the-Day reports up to +18dB of on-board boost5, while MusicRadar's launch coverage put the boost at "an extra 5dB of heat"7.
Does it need an overdrive in front?
For medium-gain playing, no. MusicRadar's reviewer found the medium-gain tones "rich and fullsome," but said that "if you need anything beyond medium gain tones from this... you'll need to add an" overdrive such as a Tube Screamer or Klon to the chain3. That matches how players drive a real Plexi, where a low-gain overdrive in front tightens the low end and pushes the amp into higher gain.
The JTM45 and its Bassman roots
The amp the JIMS 45 models has its own story. The Marshall JTM45 was not an original circuit: JHS Pedals' history of the era describes how "in trying to clone the '59 Fender Bassman, Jim Marshall inadvertently created one of the most popular pieces of gear in" the world25. Guitar World's history of distortion records that Marshall's team "agreed to base their design on the Fender 5F6-A Bassman but with a few significant modifications"8, and Premier Guitar's coverage of ZVEX's '59 Sound notes Jim Marshall "used it as the template for the first Marshall amps"29. MusicRadar's review of the JIMS 45 likewise calls the JTM45 "a design influenced by Fender's Bassman"3.
So the signal the JIMS 45 models traces back through Kent, England to a late-1950s Fender bass amp, rebuilt with UK parts and given a sound of its own28. That Pedal Show has covered the JTM45's descendants too, describing the head version JTM45 as the inspiration behind the Blues Breaker-style overdrive pedals10.
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Questions
Is the TC Electronic JIMS 45 analog or digital?
It is digital. TC Electronic built it with its AMPWORX modeling technology as a simulation of a 1965 Marshall JTM45 tube amplifier, rather than as an analog circuit. The DI output also uses a digital Celestion impulse response of a 4x12 cabinet with G12M Creamback speakers.
What power supply does the JIMS 45 need?
It runs on 9V DC with a center negative plug, the standard pedalboard supply. At 300mA it draws more current than most analog overdrives, so it needs a proper power output rather than a small battery-style supply.
How much current does the JIMS 45 draw?
TC Electronic lists the current draw as 300mA at 9V DC. That is a substantial draw for a compact pedal, so check that your power supply has a 9V output rated for at least that much before adding it to a board.
What does the boost switch do on the JIMS 45?
The boost footswitch adds extra gain, and a Pre/Post switch sets whether the boost hits the amp model before or after it, giving different flavors. Pedal-of-the-Day reports up to +18dB of boost, while MusicRadar's launch coverage put the extra heat at 5dB.
Does the JIMS 45 have a cab simulator?
Yes. Its DI options include the official Celestion Digital impulse response of a 4x12 cabinet loaded with G12M Creamback speakers, and the pedal has dedicated outputs for DI and headphones. MusicRadar's reviewer found the cleans opened up further with third-party IRs.
Does the JIMS 45 need an overdrive in front of it?
For medium gain tones, no. MusicRadar's reviewer found the medium gain sounds rich and fullsome, but said anything beyond medium gain needs an overdrive such as a Tube Screamer or Klon added to the chain, the same way players push a real Plexi.
Sources (10)
- JIMS 45 by TC Electronic, RockBoard (PedalPedia), 2026
- THE TECHNOLOGY OF JIMI HENDRIX, JHS Pedals
- TC Electronic Ampworx Vintage Series Combo Deluxe 65', DC30, and JIMS 45 preamp pedals review, MusicRadar, 2023-09-19
- TC Electronic AmpWorx Series, Guitar World, 2024-11-18
- TC Electronic Ampworx JIMS 45 Preamp, Pedal-of-the-Day, 2023-10-15
- TC Electronic Ampworx Vintage Series: Classic '60s amps in a pedal, gearnews.com, 2023-06-28
- TC Electronic is packing the value and guitar amp sounds of the '60s in its Ampworx Vintage Series preamp pedals, MusicRadar, 2023-06-28
- The evolution of distortion: how advances in gear paved the way for heavy music, Guitar World, 2020-03-16
- ZVEX Effects Releases the Vertical Vexter '59 Sound, Premier Guitar, 2018-03-02
- Marshall Blues Breaker Style Overdrive Pedals: The Current Faves, That Pedal Show, 2018-12-07
