Neural DSP have dropped a teaser image and the guitar community is losing its collective mind. The silhouette shows an amp head with a wide, low profile and a centred leather strap handle sitting on top of a matching cabinet. No visible top vents. No boxy rack ears. No angled sides. If you know amps, you know what that shape is. It’s a Two Rock.
Ever since John Mayer was spotted playing through a Quad Cortex at Coachella back in April, speculation about a Neural DSP collaboration has been bubbling away in forums and comment sections. Mayer surprised everyone when he joined Zedd on stage and instead of wheeling out his usual Dumble-loaded rig, he plugged into Neural’s flagship modeller. The tones were reportedly spot on, and that kicked off months of “what if” conversations.
Now we might have our answer.
The teaser image is unmistakably Two Rock shaped. That distinctive wide, squat head with the leather handle dead centre is iconic. Two Rock built John Mayer a limited run of 25 signature heads back in the mid-2000s, and they’ve become some of the most sought-after amplifiers in the boutique world. The circuit is closely based on a Dumble Steel String Singer with some custom voicing done to Mayer’s specifications. Clean headroom for days, rich harmonics, and that glassy sparkle that defines his recorded tone.
Of course, there are other boutique amps that share similar visual DNA. Bludotone, Fuchs, and a handful of other Dumble-inspired builders use comparable aesthetics. But let’s be honest with ourselves here. The timing is too convenient. Mayer plays a Neural product live for the first time. The Quad Cortex gets a Dumble ODS model and a bunch of Two Rock cabinet captures. And now this teaser drops. The breadcrumbs are there if you want to follow them.
The running gag in Neural DSP circles is that every other plugin seems to include some variant of a modded 5150. Archetype Nolly has one. Archetype Gojira has an absolutely brutal 5153 variant. Even Archetype Plini includes what amounts to a Friedman and 5150 hybrid. When you look at their catalogue, it becomes a bit of a drinking game. New plugin announced? Take a shot if it has a 5150 variant in there somewhere.
Oh, is John Mayer playing a 5150 now? It does highlight something interesting about Neural’s approach though. They tend to pack their archetype plugins with versatile amp options that cover a lot of ground. A John Mayer plugin with just pristine Dumble-style cleans and edge of breakup tones would be perfectly valid, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they threw in something with more gain just to round out the offering.
The Money Printer Goes Brrr
If this does turn out to be Archetype John Mayer, Neural DSP are about to print an obscene amount of money. I’m not being hyperbolic here. Think about the crossover appeal. You’ve got the blues crowd who worship at the altar of the Continuum tone. The pop and R&B guitarists who want that smooth New Light sound. The gear nerds who’ve spent years trying to approximate Two Rock tones through amp sims without spending ten grand on the real thing. And then there’s the massive casual guitarist demographic who just know John Mayer as “that guy who plays really well” and would buy the plugin on name recognition alone.
Neural DSP already proved they can move units with artist-branded plugins. The Petrucci, Rabea, and Tim Henson releases have all done well. But John Mayer operates on a different commercial plane. He sells out stadiums. He has actual mainstream recognition. Parents know who he is. That’s a market Neural hasn’t really tapped into yet with their existing roster of predominantly metal and prog-adjacent artists.
The pricing will be interesting to watch. Neural’s archetype plugins typically run around $99 USD, but a high-profile name like Mayer could command a premium. Or they could keep it at the standard price point and let the volume speak for itself. Either way, their accountants are probably already planning their holidays.
What Would Be in the Box?
Assuming this is the John Mayer plugin, speculation about the contents is half the fun. The Two Rock signature head seems like a certainty given the teaser silhouette. But Mayer’s tone comes from more than just the amp. His pedalboard is famously stacked with Ibanez Tube Screamers, Klon variants, and that distinctive Keeley-modded Boss Blues Driver that adds grit to his leads.
A solid guess would be two or three amp models covering different eras of his sound. The Two Rock for that signature clean shimmer. Possibly a Fender Deluxe variant for his bluesier work. Maybe even something with more gain for the rare occasions he goes heavier. Add in a curated selection of drive pedals, some tasteful modulation, and Neural’s typically excellent reverb and delay options, and you’ve got a comprehensive toolkit for chasing those tones.
The real value would be in the captures though. If Neural actually got Mayer’s personal rig into their lab and ran it through their modelling process, that’s the kind of authenticity that’s hard to argue with. The man is notoriously particular about his tone. Having his blessing on the final product would mean something.
Wait and See
Nothing is confirmed yet. It’s a teaser image and a whole lot of speculation. Neural could pull the rug out and reveal something completely different. Maybe it’s a generic Two Rock style plugin without the Mayer branding. Maybe it’s some other boutique amp entirely and we’ve all been reading too much into the silhouette.
But the pieces fit together too neatly to ignore. The Coachella appearance. The Dumble and Two Rock additions to the Quad Cortex. The timing of this tease right before the new year when people have gift cards burning holes in their pockets. Neural DSP know what they’re doing when it comes to building hype.
If it is Archetype John Mayer, I’ll be buying it day one. Not because I particularly need another amp plugin, but because the thought of having that Two Rock tone accessible without remortgaging my house is too appealing to pass up. And I suspect a lot of guitarists feel exactly the same way.