Can you really capture the essence of John Mayer’s finely‑honed guitar tones in software?

Given John Mayer’s profile as both an artist and guitar player, Neural DSP’s latest plug‑in collaboration — Archetype: John Mayer X — is both a mouthwatering prospect and, I suspect, something of a coup for the company. Mr Mayer’s studio and live rig is something of legend and, honed over 25 years and featuring some iconic vintage gear, replicating it would cost you an eyewatering amount of money. So, if you hanker after John Mayer’s tones but are unwilling to sell a vital organ or two to access them, might Neural DSP’s virtual emulation be a capable, more affordable alternative? I’ll answer that question below...

We’ve explored the core features of the Archetype plug‑ins in a number of previous reviews and, sensibly, that well‑designed workflow wheel has not been re‑invented here. So, for instance, the stylish GUI includes the familiar global controls, including access to presets, the excellent Doubler, Tuner and MIDI configuration options, as well as multiple tabs to access the separate sections of the rig’s signal flow. In this case, those sections are Pre FX, Amp, Cab, EQ & Comp and Post FX, and you can access the tabs using six icons at the top of the display.

The John Mayer Trio

Mayer’s blues trio, in which he plays with Steve Jordan and Pino Palladino, isn’t the only trio of interest — his studio and live rig generally blend a trio of vintage valve amps. Neural have recreated that setup in this plug‑in. The amps here are called the Smooth Operator, Headroom Hero and Signature ’83, and they are based on extensive sampling of Mayer’s 1964 Fender Vibroverb, Dumble Steel‑String Singer (serial number 002 and renowned for its epic clean headroom), and an early prototype of his signature Two‑Rock, along with the respective speakers/cabs he uses with them.

Neural were given full access to these amps in John’s studio in Los Angeles and, if you want an insight into how they collect data from the amps they model, then watch the interview with Doug Castro (Neural DSP’s CEO) on Rick Beato’s YouTube channel, and look out for something that resembles an ‘amp miking machine’; it really is fascinating stuff.

The cabs comprise a single 15‑inch speaker for Smooth Operator, with plenty of low‑end character should you want it; an emulation of a 12‑inch in Mayer’s original Dumble cabinet; while the Two‑Rock emulation is paired with a 2x12‑inch cab. Dual microphone modelling is provided for all cabs, with options for selecting the mic types and positions relative to the speaker, all handled within a very intuitive graphic interface. You can link the cabs to their respective amp or, if you prefer, mix and match them. That’s maybe not something you’d achieve quickly and easily with the actual Vibroverb (being a combo), but the additional tonal flexibility this feature brings is welcome. And if you weren’t already aware, a little experimentation on this front will soon bring you to appreciate just how important the speaker choice is to your tone.

Naturally, you can use each amp individually — this is the case for all the Archetype plug‑ins — and in doing that you get access to the full front‑panel control set for each amp. But in a first for Neural DSP, you also get the option to use all three amps together, exactly as Mayer does on stage and in the studio. This ‘blended’ mode features fixed preset configurations for each amp and cab, but it does include a compact macro‑style control set that allows you to adjust the overall input gain, the blend between the three amps, the output, and the amount of room ambience added. If you want instant access to some classic Mayer tones, this gives you a very easy route in.

Board Surfing

The effects menu is stocked with equally iconic options, and rather than bore you by listing each and every one, I’ll take you through what I feel are some highlights. The Pre FX section includes emulations of John’s ‘always on’ boost, based on a Keeley Katana (but labelled Justa Boost here) and used to just add a little bit of extra level into the front of the amps. You also get the Antelope Filter, based upon the Electro‑Harmonix Q‑Tron Plus auto‑filter, and instantly recognisable from tracks such as ‘I Don’t Trust Myself’. For me, the star of the Pre FX show is probably the Halfman OD, modelled on Mayer’s Klon Centaur. (The Klon is a pedal that has spawned countless more affordable hardware clones, of course, but if you wanted to buy a genuine Klon, used prices on eBay start at around $4000...).

Elsewhere, there are emulations of a wonderful vibrato and spring reverb in the Gravity Tank tab. Unsurprisingly, these effects form a core part of the guitar sound on the classic track ‘Gravity’. It sounds very ‘analogue’ and it’s absolutely full of character. There’s also an Empirical Labs Distressor‑style compressor, a flexible four‑band EQ, and studio‑grade delay and reverb options — those latter two are in the Post FX section.

Clean To Mean

Across his musical catalogue, John Mayer’s tones range from the most pristine of cleans to the meanest of blues rock. There’s a sense of perfectionism in the way he approaches his sound and, as a consequence, there are some sounds that have reached iconic status amongst his fans. Can the plug‑in get you there? Well, even a quick trawl through the presets, including some supplied by the artist himself (the preset names point you right at the original song inspiration) quickly makes it clear that it can do just that. But it can also do plenty more...

This plug‑in should definitely appeal to an audience that goes way beyond the hardcore John Mayer fanbase.

Whether it’s some ambient soundscapes or sound design (thanks to the immaculate clean tones and the impressive reverb and delay options), or some aggressive classic‑rock tones through driving the amps a little harder with boost and overdrive, Archetype: John Mayer X can cover plenty of sonic ground. Not everything — metal for instance, though Neural already have that genre well catered for by other plug‑ins. But this plug‑in should definitely appeal to an audience that goes way beyond the hardcore John Mayer fanbase. The supplied preset collection is huge, with contributions not just from Mayer himself but also from a large number of Neural’s regular guitarist collaborators, and ably proves the point.

And if you consider yourself a fan, does it sound like the real thing? I’d say so. If in doubt, there’s video footage online of Mayer blind testing the plug‑in in his studio control room, and he looks genuinely bewildered when trying to hear (and feel) the difference, as his engineer switches between the real rig and the plug‑in. I guess Neural have nailed it then! Oh, and by the way, that ‘feel’ is an important element of what makes the plug‑in so much fun to use; it doesn’t just sound right, but it’s really touch‑responsive when you play. That might not matter as a listener, but it can make a huge difference as a player, and makes this plug‑in really inspiring to actually use.

Remarkably Mayer

If you’re a dedicated, guitar‑playing John Mayer fan, you can now play exactly the same guitar as he does — his signature PRS Silver Sky is available to buy — and play it through a virtual recreation of his signature rig that it seems even John can’t reliably distinguish from the original hardware. So, we’re now just waiting for John Mayer to collaborate with a biomechanics firm to create signature bionic John Mayer hands... In the meantime, Neural DSP have absolutely smashed this plug‑in out the park. I’d be surprised if it doesn’t become their biggest selling software release to date, and by a considerable margin. Archetype: John Mayer X is truly impressive technology.