MODELED AMPS: WHICH AMPS ARE MODELED?
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Modern Class A - The ’96 Matchless Chieftain, which was studied for the
Modern Class A selection, is a very expensive handmade amp. Originally designed
to sound like a top-boost Vox AC 30, the Matchless doesn’t exactly have a Vox
sound, but something unique (largely due to the complicated EQ scheme); the
sound is sort of “future retro.” Its soft clipping is typical of Class A amplifiers;
almost a “hi-fi” sound in a great rock n’ roll amplifier.
Brit Class A - Music was changing in the early 60’s and guitarists were asking
for more brilliance & twang. So the Jennings Company, makers of Vox amps,
decided to add Treble and Bass controls (and an extra 12AX7 gain stage,
incidentally); this additional circuit became known as Top Boost. The AC 30 with
Top Boost was the amp made famous by many British invasion bands. Much of the
unique character of the Vox sound can be attributed to the fact that Class A amps
overdrive in a very different way than Class AB. Brian May of Queen, Mike
Campbell of Tom Petty’s Heartbreakers, and The Edge of U2 have also used classic
AC 30s to make their music. On this Amp Model, the Mid Control acts like the
Cut knob on the AC 30. Although usually played fairly clean, a cranked AC 30
has a great saturated lead tone, a’la Brian May on the early Queen albums. A non-
Top Boost AC 30 is modeled for POD’s Brit Class A #2 Amp Model, accessible
with the Emagic SoundDiver software on the POD Tools CD.
Brit Blues - This Amp Model is based on a circa 1964-65 JTM-45 head with
block logo (predates the “scrolled” Marshall logo), complete with a gold Plexiglas
(Plexi) front panel, although the sound normally associated with Plexi amps
comes from the late 60’s, 50-watt version that was the inspiration for the next in
POD’s line up of TubeTone Amp Models. The JTM-45 marked the beginning of
Marshall’s transition from a mellower Fender-like tone to the distinctive bright
“crunchy” sound of the later Marshalls.
Brit Classic - Modeled after the infamous Marshall Plexi – coveted by tone
connoisseurs the world over. By this time (ca. 1968) Marshall had completely
changed the circuitry away from the Fender 6L6 power tube heritage and moved
to an EL34 tube; another major tone difference was due to the necessary output &
power supply transformer changes. (See, we told you we spent some time looking
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