The McFly very proudly features a 6SN7 preamp tube as well as a 6SN7 phase inverter tube. This 8 pin preamp tube was the precursor to the modern 9 pin 12AX7 style preamp tubes that are common now and is in large part why the McFly has the wide frequency response it has. With the McFly, your low-end will remain crystal clear and punchy at frequencies well past the low E string on your guitar and your high end will breathe with the openness and air of a studio grade preamp as these unique preamp tubes allow the full voice of your instrument to be heard.

This preamp, which has two operating modes (50’s and 60’s) gives you two distinct preamp modes with which to sculpt your tone. The 60’s mode is the cleaner of the two modes and will give you more clean headroom and is perfect for musical styles where a warm vintage Blackface type clean tone is needed. The 50’s mode is more aggressive and has more preamp gain which gives the McFly its signature Tweed era tone! In the 50’s mode you’ll notice that notes sustain longer and will often take off into controlled feedback at will.

TONE CONTROLS.

Instead of a typical Treble and Bass control like you’ve seen on other amplifiers, the McFly features a unique set of controls to tailor the frequency response of the amplifier. To control the low end frequency response of the amplifier, we have included a 6-position Body Switch which allows the player to select various configurations of components to sculpt the amount of low-frequency in their tone. Using a switch to control the frequency response provides an intuitive and more repeatable method of dialing in your low-end and reduces loading on the guitars signal which results in a more natural and open tone like you’d find in a studio grade preamp.

In addition to the Body Switch, the McFly features a master Tone control that effects the high frequency of your tone. Much like the tone control on a guitar, the Tone control on the McFly allows the player to dial in a tone that is brighter at the clockwise position and darker at the full counter-clockwise position. The McFly also offer a Bright switch which further extends the high frequency boost when needed.

OUTPUT TUBES.

To complement the 6SN7 preamp we have chosen to run a unique set of power tubes in the McFly. The McFly features two cathode biased 6V6 power tubes which allows the player to get the classic clean tones of a Blackface Deluxe amplifier in the 60’s mode or the aggressive rhythm tones of a Tweed Deluxe in the 50’s mode. The McFly also includes a cathode biased pair of 6L6-GC power tubes which offer a higher wattage clean tone in the 60’s mode and a more robust overdrive tone in the 50’s mode. If you’re familiar with Jackson Ampworks you know that we typically don’t leave well enough alone. We always expand a players tonal palette and offer more than they expect and we’re proud to say that with the release of the McFly, that tradition has continued. To help you create a host of new tones that blur the lines between Blackface and Tweed, the McFly allows the player to select both types of power tubes simultaneously! This feature allows the player to blend the rock solid and dynamic response of the 6L6-GC power tubes with the softened compression of the 6V6 power tubes to create a hybrid tone that is uniquely their own!