Eleven MK II The Amps
We went to great lengths to obtain the world’s most sought-after vintage and modern amps—in their original state—to create the models in Eleven MK II. Here are all of the amps that it emulates along with a bit of their history, where you may have heard their signature tones, and how our models compare to the originals.
'59 Tweed Lux
Based on a 1959 Fender® Deluxe*
With a single 12-inch Jensen speaker and a pair of 6V6 tubes delivering 15 watts, Fender’s “tweed” Deluxe became a recording studio favorite for everyone from ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons to jazz/fusion legend Larry Carlton. In fact, Carlton’s acclaimed solo on Steely Dan’s “Kid Charlemagne” is a Gibson ES-335 (with the guitar’s tone control rolled back) straight into a cranked Fender Deluxe.
With just a simple tone control, ’50s-era Deluxe amps deliver crunchy clean sounds when used with single-coil pickups, and fat leads when driven with humbucking pickups. Even with that dynamic range, its low wattage keeps it totally under control for recording. While not exactly loud enough to cut a gig, Neil Young toured for decades with his beloved ’59 tweed Deluxe, but he had to drag around a personal PA system just so he could hear it over the actual house monitors and PA.
For our model, the knobs range from 0–10 (instead of 1–12 on the original) to better match the other amps in Eleven, and for consistency with automation and control surface controls. Our ’59 Tweed Lux is also “jumped” so you can feed both the Instrument and Mic inputs in parallel. Turning either the Instrument or Mic channel volume to zero will un-jump the channels (though the patch cord will remain onscreen).
* Eleven is not affiliated with, or sponsored or endorsed by, the owners of the Fender or Jensen names. These names are used solely to identify the classic amplifiers and loudspeakers emulated by Eleven. References to artists and bands are for informational purposes only and do not imply endorsement or sponsorship of Eleven by any artist or band.
’59 Tweed Bass
Based on a 1959 Fender® Bassman®*
Originally designed by Leo Fender in 1952 to go along with his new “electric” Precision Bass, the world’s first bass amp, the Fender Bassman, supplied less than 40-watts through a single 15-inch speaker. It was also covered in the same tweed suitcase cloth used on the Fender Deluxe. Always willing to make a design better, Fender eventually felt that using four 10-inch Jensen speakers had a tighter bass response while still keeping the high-end intact. By 1959, the Bassman had closer to 50 watts of power, using two 5881 (military spec 6L6) power tubes, and four inputs (high and low for each channel). Along with controls for Bass, Middle (midrange), and Treble, a negative feedback Presence control also allowed for more tweaking of the high-end frequencies.
Even though the ’59 Bassman was originally designed with bass guitar in mind, it became the holy grail of tone for nearly all of the pioneering country, rock, and blues guitarists of the ’50s and ’60s. Even blues harmonica players consider the Fender Bassman the industry standard when used with a “Green Bullet” microphone. It’s this classic amp’s layout and circuit design that became the blueprint for many others to follow, including amps made in a small shop in England owned by a drummer named Jim Marshall.
Just like Avid’s ’59 Tweed Lux, the ’59 Tweed Bass’ knobs range from 0–10 (instead of 1–12 on the original) to better match the other amp models in Eleven, and for consistency with automation and control surface controls. The Tweed Bass is also “jumped” so you can feed both the Bright and Normal inputs. Though no patch cord is present on screen, turning either the Instrument or Mic channel volume to zero will un-jump the channels.
* Eleven is not affiliated with, or sponsored or endorsed by, the owners of the Fender, Bassman, and Jensen names. These names are used solely to identify the classic amplifiers and loudspeakers emulated by Eleven.
’64 Black Vib
Based on a 1964 Fender® Vibroverb combo amp*
Produced for a short time in the mid-’60s, the Fender Vibroverb amp was one of the all-time great US-made smaller club amps. With an easy-to-overdrive but still not over-loud 40-watt 6L6GC-based power section and a single 15-inch speaker in an open-back cabinet, the amp strikes a great compromise between the crunch of smaller models in the line and the hall-filling clean tones of the larger models. Our amp offers a range of volume and tone controls, plus four Tremolo settings. We also added a midrange control (not found on the original) for more tonal versatility. Set it to ~7 to match the flat response of the original amp.
'64 Black Panel Lux Vibrato, ’64 Black Panel Lux Normal
Based on a 1964 Fender® Deluxe Reverb®, Vibrato Channel and Normal Channel*
For nearly the entire time Leo Fender was designing amps, he always made sure to have a version of the Fender Deluxe. With a single 12-inch Oxford speaker and a pair of 6V6s putting out just over 20 watts, Fender’s Deluxe Reverb became the ultimate small club amp. In the studio, it’s been used to record countless #1 hits in Nashville thanks to “first call” session players such as Brent Mason.
At low volumes its crisp, clean high-end has been favored by Fender Telecaster® country rockers such as Pete Anderson (Dwight Yoakam). But push the amp past 7 with a humbucking pickup, and you’ve got an amazingly dynamic lead tone that’s been used by blues/jazz great Robben Ford and ’80s LA session king Steve Lukather. With his goldtop ’58 Les Paul, Lukather used his Fender Deluxe Reverb to cut the solo on Toto’s hit “Hold The Line.”
Fender made both a Deluxe and a Deluxe Reverb at the same time. However, with its bigger cabinet and extra gain stage (which was used to isolate the reverb tank from the preamp), most players preferred the sound of the Deluxe Reverb. After Leo Fender sold his company in 1965 to CBS, the black front panel was eventually phased out and replaced by “silverface” panels. The more desirable early and mid ’60s Fender amplifiers picked up the nickname “blackface” due to their black control panels.
For Eleven, we’ve modeled both channels of this classic blackface-era amp. While both versions of our ’64 Black Panel Lux model include Tremolo (which Fender mislabeled as Vibrato), Normal is a single gain version, while Vibrato adds the additional gain stage like the original.
*Eleven is not affiliated with, or sponsored or endorsed by, the owners of the Fender and Deluxe Reverb names. These names are used solely to identify the classic amplifiers emulated by Eleven. References to artists and bands are for informational purposes only and do not imply endorsement or sponsorship of Eleven by any artist or band.
’65 Black Mini
Based on the 1965 Fender® Champ combo amp*
Outputting a mere 5 watts of power through a single 6-inch speaker when it first arrived in ’55, the Fender Champ boasted just one power tube. Though small in stature and volume, the amp offers sweet, gently driven tones and straight-ahead spank in droves. Its ability to produce classic tube amp sounds at low volumes made it a studio standard for decades. Our ‘65 Black Mini amp model is based on the ’60s-era 6-watt tube combo amp, with a single 8-inch speaker in an open-back configuration. Our version offers Volume, Treble, and Bass controls, and four Tremolo settings—Speed, Sync, Intensity, and Vibrato.
’65 Black SR
Based on the 1965 Fender® Super Reverb combo amp*
Known for its chiming clean tones at comparatively high volumes, the ’65 Fender Super Reverb "blackface" 40-watt combo amp featured an all-tube design, tremolo and spring reverb effects, and four 10-inch speakers in an open-back configuration. The amp became a legend among country pickers, blues players, and other guitarists who favored high-volume clean tones. Our version offers Volume, Treble, Mid, and Bass controls, along with a Bright switch (which can be toggled on and off using the SW2 button) and four Tremolo settings—Speed, Sync, Intensity, and Vibrato—to capture the full tone profile of the original.
’65 J45
Based on the 1965 Marshall® JTM45 head*
Originally released in 1962, the JTM45 was the first guitar amp made by Marshall and was based on the Fender Bassman. Designed as a cheaper alternative to Fender amps, the JTM45 became known for its warm, clean Fender Tweed-like sound, giving way to a dirtier bluesy sound when cranked—unlike later Marshall amps, which are known for their signature "crunch". Our model features two bridged input channels, each with its own volume setting, which can be blended together using the Volume 1 and Volume 2 controls. Both have different tonalities—Channel 1 offers a fairly flat tonal response, while Channel 2 is somewhat darker-sounding.
’66 AC Hi Boost
Based on a 1966 VOX® AC30 Top Boost*
Originally released in 1958, Vox’s AC30 went through a few design changes that would eventually define the sound of British pop/rock in the ’60s. First available by Vox as a modification mounted in the rear of the amp, the “Top Boost” circuit added an extra tube and controls for Treble and Bass. It became so popular that Vox eventually redesigned the control panel and officially added the circuit to the AC30 in 1963. It’s this version of amp with two 12-inch Celestions (also known as 15-watt Blue or Bulldog speakers due to their color and labeling) and a quartet of EL84 tubes delivering 30 watts that helped change the sound of popular music.
While the Beatles are forever linked to the AC30 Top Boost, many other great bands built their sound with it, including Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers, REM, Radiohead, and U2. Armed with a Stratocaster that fed into a digital delay, the Edge’s percussive rhythm on tracks such as “Pride (In The Name of Love)” and “Where The Streets Have No Name” showcase the amp’s distinctive high-end chime and glassiness. For lead work, Brian May’s singing solo tones on such Queen classics as “Bohemian Rhapsody” and “Killer Queen” have helped make the Vox AC30 one of the most sought-after amps of all time.
For our model, we’ve “jumped” the Normal and Brilliant channels. Tremolo and Cut (presence) are active on both channels. However, just like the original, the Treble and Bass controls are only part of the Brilliant channel, and have no effect on the Normal channel.
* Eleven is not affiliated with, or sponsored or endorsed by, the owners of the Vox, AC30, and Celestion names. These names are used solely to identify the classic amplifiers and loudspeakers emulated by Eleven. References to artists and bands are for informational purposes only and do not imply endorsement or sponsorship of Eleven by any artist or band.
'67 Black Duo
Based on a 1967 Fender® Twin Reverb®*
Without a doubt, Fender’s blackface-era Twin Reverb is considered one of the greatest combo amps ever made. With two 12-inch Jensen speakers and a quartet of 6L6 tubes pushing 80 watts, no concert stage was complete without one. During the ’60s and ’70s, nearly every pro guitar player in every genre of music used a Fender Twin Reverb, from BB King and the Beatles (used on The White Album) to John Fogerty, David Gilmour, and Carlos Santana. It was during the recording of Santana’s 1970 Abraxas record that he used his ’61 Gibson SG and Fender Twin Reverb to track his classic instrumental ballad “Samba Pa Ti.”
One of the main reasons for the amp’s popularity is that it can maintain the classic Fender clean sound even at high volume levels. For some players, such as Eric Johnson who uses two amps in stereo, a Twin Reverb is the only amp that can really keep up with a driven Marshall half stack. Another special feature of the blackface-era Twin Reverb is the inclusion of a Bright switch. For our model, just like the original, as you turn the Volume knob up, the Bright switch has less of an effect. Dial the Volume knob around 3 or 4 with the Bright switch on, and you’ll get that ultra-clean snap that it’s famous for.
* Eleven is not affiliated with, or sponsored or endorsed by, the owners of the Fender and Twin Reverb names. These names are used solely to identify the classic amplifiers emulated by Eleven. References to artists and bands are for informational purposes only and do not imply endorsement or sponsorship of Eleven by any artist or band.
’67 Plexiglas Vari
Based on the 1967 Marshall® Super Lead "Plexi" head with Variac modification*
When guitarists want it loud, they turn to Marshall, and the Super Lead "Plexi" was among the loudest when it arrived. Known for its warm, bluesy tone, the amp is embraced by many revered blues and rock guitarists, including Pete Townsend, Eric Clapton, and Angus Young. Our amp model is based on the 1967 100-watt tube head, similar to the amp we used as the basis for our ’69 Plexiglas 100w model. This amp simulates that amp having its voltage reduced by a variable transformer called a Variac—a custom mod made famous by Eddie Van Halen, producing the much-loved "Brown" tone. The amp’s two channels, which can be blended together using the two volume controls, offer different tones—Channel 1 has a fairly flat tonal response, while Channel 2 is somewhat darker-sounding.
’68 Plexiglas 50w
Based on the 1968 Marshall® Super Lead 50w head*
In 1968, Marshall changed up the circuitry in its Super Lead Plexi series of amps, giving them more brightness, which brought out even more crunch. Our Plexiglas model is based on the legendary 1968 50-watt head, which was designed with a lower power tube plate voltage, and is known to break up at lower levels than its 100-watt counterpart. We also "jumped" both channels for even more gain.
’69 Blue Line Bass
Based on the 1969 Ampeg SVT head*
When it comes to getting that big, ballsy, blow-’em-away tone, guitarists have their Marshalls. Bassists bow to the great Ampeg SVT bass amplifier. And now you can get that thunderous, sought-after sound of rock legends worldwide with our emulation of the vintage 300-watt 1969 Ampeg SVT bass amp head. Pair it with the 8x10 Blue Line speaker to re-create that massive legendary sound. On the original amp, the U-Lo and U-Hi controls are on-off switches. In our version, they’re continuously variable, so you can use them to add low or high harmonics to your tone. In addition, the Mid Frequency control setting is continuously variable, unlike the original’s set three-way switch.
’69 Plexiglas – 100W
Based on a 1969 Marshall® 1959 100-Watt Super Lead Head*
In 1963, Fender amps were expensive and hard to find in England. But there was one small store named Marshall’s Music in a London suburb that stocked a few. The shop was owned by drum teacher Jim Marshall, whose students included Mitch Mitchell (The Jimi Hendrix Experience) and Keith Moon (The Who). The shop’s amp repairman, Ken Bran, thought they could build the same kind of amps as Fender, but using domestic part supplies. Within two years, Marshall needed a bigger factory, and his amps were gaining favor among a new crop of local guitar players. A young Eric Clapton bought his first Marshall combo for his new gig with John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers.
It was a volume-hungry Pete Townsend who eventually asked Jim to make a 100-watt head and 8x12 cabinet. It didn’t take long before The Who’s roadies protested, and the cabinet was split in half. Now with two 4x12 cabinets loaded with “greenback” Celestions, and a 100-watt head, the Marshall stack was born and ready to usher in the era of the Guitar God. When James Marshall Hendrix landed in England, he thought it was fate having the same name as Marshall’s owner, and left the store with a brand new 100-watt Super Lead stack.
This era of Marshall’s amps had a plastic gold front panel. By the end of 1969, they switched to metal, thus making the “Plexi” heads highly collectable. Some of the greatest rock riffs and solos got their tone from the Plexi, including “Sunshine of Your Love,” “Voodoo Child,” “Cliffs of Dover,” and every single guitar sound on the first two Van Halen records, including “Eruption.”
For our model, we’ve based it on the legendary 100-watt 1968/69 version, which also has the “lay down” transformers favored by Eddie Van Halen. We’ve also “jumped” both channels like Eric Johnson’s setup.
* Eleven is not affiliated with, or sponsored or endorsed by, the owners of the Marshall and Celestion names. These names are used solely to identify the classic amplifiers and loudspeakers emulated by Eleven. References to artists and bands are for informational purposes only and do not imply endorsement or sponsorship of Eleven by any artist or band.
’82 Lead 800 – 100W
Based on a 1982 Marshall JCM800 2203 100-Watt Head*
By 1982, Jim Charles Marshall finally ended a bad distribution deal, which kept the company financially strapped for over a decade. He decided to trim the amp line down and focus on his new flagship amp, the JCM800. Named after the license plate on his car (which was just his initials and a plate number), the JCM800 delivered massive distorted rhythm sounds thanks to its cascaded preamp design, a quartet of EL34 tubes, and the addition of a master volume.
Unlike the Marshall heads of the ’60s, which needed to be on 10 to achieve an overdrive sound, a JCM800 could conjure up real distortion at any volume level, and that made it very popular in the burgeoning heavy metal scene. From Judas Priest to Iron Maiden and Slayer, no metal band would go on onstage without a wall of JCM800 stacks. It absolutely dominated the ’80s rock and metal scene. In later years, Jane’s Addiction’s Dave Navarro and Rage Against The Machine’s Tom Morello used JCM800 series amps to redefine the sound of metal-inspired rock.
* Eleven is not affiliated with, or sponsored or endorsed by, the owners of the Marshall and JCM800 names. These names are used solely to identify the classic amplifiers emulated by Eleven. References to artists and bands are for informational purposes only and do not imply endorsement or sponsorship of Eleven by any artist or band.
’85 M-2 Lead
Based on a 1985 Mesa/Boogie® Mark IIc+, Drive Channel*
Mesa Engineering was originally started by amp repairman Randall Smith so he could buy supplies for his other job, rebuilding Mercedes engines. It was this “hot rod” mentality that lead Smith to take a small Fender Princeton and turn it into a 50-watt monster, complete with a JBL 12-inch speaker. In 1970, while repairing amps in his shop at Prune Music in Berkeley, CA, Smith left what he thought of as a practical joke in the storefront. When local guitar hotshot Carlos Santana heard it, he was blown away and said, “Man, this thing really boogies!” At that moment, the Mesa/Boogie amplifier was born.
Over the years, Smith continued to improve his designs to include features such as switchable channels, effects loops, a slave out, 5-band EQ, and a power tube mode called Simul-Class. Different output power levels could be achieved by tweaking the Simul-Class rear switches to run the amp in Class A with a pair of EL34s, or in conjunction with a pair of Class A/B 6L6s. All of those features helped make the final design of the Mark IIc+ one of the most desired amps Mesa/Boogie ever made.
The Mark IIc+ can be heard on everything from the progressive rock solos of Dream Theater’s John Petrucci to the super chunky rhythm sounds of Metallica’s James Hetfield. Used during the sessions for And Justice For All and Master of Puppets, Hetfield always had the amp’s graphic EQ set up in a “V” curve to maintain a tight bass sound, while getting rid of any unnecessary midrange boominess.
We’ve based our model on the Lead channel with the Fat, Bright, and Gain Boost options on. We even modeled the classic “V” EQ curve!
* Eleven is not affiliated with, or sponsored or endorsed by, the owners of the Mesa/Boogie and Mark IIc+ names. These names are used solely to identify the classic amplifiers emulated by Eleven. References to artists and bands are for informational purposes only and do not imply endorsement or sponsorship of Eleven by any artist or band.
'89 SL-100 Drive, ’89 SL-100 Crunch, ’89 SL-100 Clean
Based on a 1989 Soldano SLO-100 Super Lead Overdrive Head
Originally from Seattle, Michael Soldano moved to Los Angeles and officially founded Soldano Custom Amplification in 1987 on April Fool’s Day. Soldano quickly got a reputation for doing high-gain mods to old Marshall heads. His goal was to add lots of gain without losing definition or clarity. This led to the creation of his own 100-watt amp called the Super Lead Overdrive. Built like a tank, and sporting a chromed chassis and transformers, some of the first SLO-100 heads were quickly purchased by Mark Knopfler, Steve Lukather, Lou Reed, Steve Stevens, and Aerosmith’s Brad Whitford. Known for its singing sustain and clear articulation, the SLO-100 also became Eric Clapton’s favorite stage and studio amp through most of the ’90s.
For our ’89 SL-100, we modeled three different channels. Clean and Crunch both have the Bright/Normal switch of a stock SLO-100. For Drive, we modeled Warren Haynes’ (The Allman Brothers) Soldano’s bright switch mod. Set to Normal, the amp is stock. With Mod engaged, the treble boost that would normally happen at lower gain settings is removed, which leads to a rounder, thicker sound. The Mod circuit has progressively less effect as the gain is raised, and no effect when the preamp is set to 10.
*Eleven is not affiliated with, or sponsored or endorsed by, the owners of the Soldano and SLO-100 names. These names are used solely to identify the classic amplifiers emulated by Eleven. References to artists and bands are for informational purposes only and do not imply endorsement or sponsorship of Eleven by any artist or band.
’92 Treadplate Modern, ’92 Treadplate Vintage
Based on a 1992 Mesa/Boogie® Dual Rectifier® Head, Channel 3: Modern High Gain and Channel 2: Vintage High Gain*
Released in 1989, Mesa/Boogie’s Dual Rectifier seemed cooler than a high-performance racecar. With more tone-tweaking options and distortion than any Boogie before it, the amp became the industry standard for players looking to achieve a massive sound. It first gained exposure at the end of the grunge period with bands like Alice in Chains and Soundgarden. But the Dual Rectifier would find its greatest fame in the Nu Metal scene with Korn, Limp Bizkit, and Linkin Park. The Dual Rectifier has also become a favorite of bands such as Creed, and more recently the Foo Fighters.
With the ability to run on either 6L6 or EL34 tubes, the Dual Rectifier was named for its ability to select between either tube or silicon diode rectifier circuits. On top of that, an AC power selection switch offered a Bold or a Spongy option, which would drop the voltage like a Variac for a more “brown” sound.
For our ’92 Treadplate, we modeled two different channels and selected the appropriate rectifier and AC power switch setting. For Treadplate Modern, we set it on the Red channel using 6L6s, a silicon rectifier, and the Bold power setting for a tight, aggressive tone. For Treadplate Vintage, we modeled the Orange channel with 6L6s, a tube rectifier, and the Spongy power setting for a more fluid lead tone.
* Eleven is not affiliated with, or sponsored or endorsed by, the owners of the Mesa/Boogie and Dual Rectifier names. These names are used solely to identify the classic amplifiers emulated by Eleven. References to artists and bands are for informational purposes only and do not imply endorsement or sponsorship of Eleven by any artist or band.
’97 RB-01b Red, Blue, and Green
Based on the 1997 Bogner Ecstasy 101B head*
With three distinct channels—Red (lead), Blue (rhythm), and Green (clean)—and a discrete preamp circuit for each channel, the 100-watt Bogner Ecstasy boutique amp enabled variety-hungry guitarists to achieve a huge range of vintage amp tones, without the tonal and ergonomic issues of modular amp setups. The Red channel excels at high-gain lead tones, the Blue is suited to chunky rhythm playing, and the Green focuses on clean tones. Our model offers a variety of volume, tone, gain, presence, and boost controls, plus a Bright switch.
DC Bass
Custom bass amp based on the 1969 Ampeg SVT head*
For bassists, this amp is based on the same 300-watt ʼ69 Ampeg SVT* bass head we used as the basis for the Blue Line Bass model. We designed this custom bass amp with a scooped lower-midrange response, enabling you to achieve more thundering lows with a tighter response than the original amp. And—unconventionally for a bass amp—ours offers a tremolo circuit.
DC Modern 800
Custom amp based on a 1980s-era Marshall® JCM800*
A variant of our Lead 800 model, DC Modern 800 is based on an ʼ80s-era Marshall JCM800* high-gain tube head. We made a couple of simple component swaps to change the tone significantly, and added a Bright switch to provide additional tonal range.
DC Modern Clean
Custom amp based on a 1960s-era Fender® combo amp*
This custom amp is loosely based on a 60s-era Fender* 85-watt tube combo amp. We tweaked our version to provide shimmering clean tones.
DC Modern Overdrive
Custom Modern Overdrive
If you’re looking for a unique tone that blends the classic growl of a 100-watt Marshall with more low-end girth, give our DC Modern Overdrive a try. Based on the JCM800, we added loads of extra gain and a carefully tweaked tone stack for a little extra thump! Plus, there’s a Bright switch and a Fender*-style Tremolo. Use a humbucker in the bridge position and you’ll have a tone that can shred with the best of them.
DC Modern SOD
Custom amp based on a US-made late 1980s tube head*
This amp is loosely based on a US-made late-ʼ80s 100-watt "super overdrive" tube head. It features a tight, extended low-end and high-gain capability—perfect for players of extended-range guitars.
DC Vintage Clean
Custom amp based on a 1966 VOX AC30 tube amp*
This amp is loosely based on the same ʼ66 VOX AC30 Top Boost* tube amp we used as the basis for our AC Hi Boost model. We further refined it to offer a range of tones—from super clean (it’s actually cleaner than the original amp) to a slight amount of breakup.
DC Vintage Crunch
Custom Vintage Crunch
For our DC Vintage Crunch model, we blended the two most popular versions of the Fender Deluxe* into one killer amp. Based on the tweed-era Deluxe, we added more gain and a Bright switch. To make it even more versatile, we added the blackface-era tone stack and tremolo. Using single-coil pickups, you can achieve glassy clean sounds and punchy leads with ease.
DC Vintage OD
Custom amp based on a combination of Marshall and VOX tube amps*
This unique “overdrive” amp is loosely based on a combination of Marshall* and VOX* tube amps. It takes the preamp section from our Plexiglas model and marries it to the power section of our AC Hi Boost model, with further tonal enhancements.
* Eleven MK II is not connected with, or approved or endorsed by, the owners of the Ampeg, Bogner, Fender®, Marshall®, Mesa/Boogie®, Soldano, and VOX® names. These names are used solely to identify the guitar amplifiers emulated by the Eleven MK II plugin.