Learn how UA captured the sound of this classic “piggyback” setup.
The UAD Showtime ’64 Tube Amp plug-in gives guitarists the iconic punch and clean headroom of a vintage 1964 Fender Showman Amp* right in their DAW. Known for its loud, sparkling cleans and later reputation as a “pedal platform” amp, the Showman has been the backbone of countless stage and studio rigs.
Here, UA Senior Product Designer James Santiago walks you through what makes the UAD Showtime ’64 plug-in different, and how mic and cab choices transform its tones, and why it’s just as good for bass and twangy baritone as it is for guitar.
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“The Showtime ’64 Tube Amp plug-in stays big, loud, and clean, so your guitars, pedals, and playing style dictate the tone,” says UA’s James Santiago.
What inspired Showtime ’64, and how does it stand apart from smaller vintage combos?
James Santiago: Showtime ’64 was inspired by the big 100-watt heads Showman Amp head Fender made back in the mid-’60s. At the same time Fender had the Deluxe Reverb and Twin Reverb, but the Showman was a different beast. No onboard spring reverb, a solid-state rectifier, and a closed-back 2×12 or even 2×15 speaker cab.
But what really makes Showman amp’s unique is the headroom. You can crank the volume to five, six, even seven and it stays tight and clean. Smaller amps with tube rectifiers would already be breaking up by then. That’s why these amps are such great pedal platforms — they let the character of your guitar and effects shine through.
“Showtime ’64 gives you tons of clean headroom, making it a perfect ‘platform’ amp for your pedals.”
James Santiago, UA Sr. Product Manager
How does Showtime ’64 bring out the personality of different guitars?
Santiago: With some amps — like a Vox AC30 or a Fender Deluxe Reverb — everything tends to have a certain “baked-in” sound once you turn them up. That’s cool, but it can mask the unique voice of each guitar. With Showtime ’64, you can swap from single-coil Fenders to humbuckers to a Rickenbacker, and the amp lets each guitar’s character come through. It’s a huge advantage for tone-sculpting.
James Santiago and his team left no stone unturned while creating the UAD Showtime ’64 Tube Amp plug-in. Capturing the enormous clean headroom – a hallmark of the original amp’s sound – it’s suitable on a wide range of guitars and playing styles.
What did you emulate for the cabinet?
Santiago: We modeled a vintage 2×12 cab loaded with the classic “Fender Special Design” speakers that were built by Oxford or Utah. We didn’t capture the famous JBL-equipped 2×15 cab that guys like Dick Dale used. It’s great for a big clean surf sound, but they have an aluminum dust cap making them too bright and hi-fi-sounding for overdriven guitars usually.
How do the mic options shape the sound?
Santiago: Showtime ’64 comes with the classic closed-back 2×12, but you get three mic options that really change how it sits in a mix. For example, using a condenser you get bright, hi-fi, airy cleans whereas ribbon mics are big, warm, and rounded — great for smoothing out top end without resorting to EQ. You can also use a mix of a dynamic mic like an SM57 and a ribbon mic. That way you get the punchy mids from the 57 plus the low-end weight of the ribbon.
As you push the amp into edge-of-breakup, the mics shape the top end in subtle but important ways. Even with the volume on ten, you still get punchy, articulate cleans — not a fuzz box.
“The microphones make a huge difference in how this amp sits in a mix.”
James Santiago, UA Sr. Product Manager
The Showman circuit has a famous “bright switch.” How did you approach that?
Santiago: The bright switch on these amps is tricky — it actually changes behavior depending on where the volume is set. At low volumes, the cap makes a big difference: crispy, hi-fi cleans. But once you’re dimed, the cap does almost nothing.
That means you can really sculpt how much top-end clarity you want just by where the volume sits. For me, around six or seven is the sweet spot — still clean, but with just a little extra punch when the bright cap is on.
What role do the EQ controls play compared to other Fender circuits?
Santiago: Unlike a Deluxe, which doesn’t have a midrange knob, the Showman gives you mids, and it’s powerful. Crank mids to ten, and you’re pushing the amp into tweed-like grit and edge. Pull it back, and you get that classic scooped blackface sound.
Same with the bass knob — around four, the low end really shows up. That’s why bassists loved these amps too. Plug in a Fender P-Bass or Fender Bass VI, and you’re instantly in that ’60s Beach Boys/Glen Campbell/Carol Kaye-zone.
“This amp circuit wasn’t just for guitar — bassists loved it too.”
James Santiago, UA Sr. Product Manager
And what about tremolo?
Santiago: This amp uses Fender’s classic tremolo circuit — which they labeled “vibrato” back then. At slow speeds, it’s really choppy. As you turn it faster, the waveform softens and becomes smoother. That’s the magic of tube tremolo — it’s musical in every setting.
What tones can players expect right out of the box?
Santiago: The plug-in ships with presets that show off the range. For example, “Bright and Chimey” is the ultimate hi-fi clean. Then there’s “Vintage Clean” with a ribbon mic — super 60s, warm, never harsh, even on a bridge pickup.
Switch guitars and you hear how the amp adapts: single-coil Fenders sound spanky, PAF humbuckers in a Gibson 335 give you smooth jazz-rock, and a Rickenbacker cuts through with honk and midrange bite. Same settings, totally different personalities. That’s the point of a platform amp.
“Presets are a great starting point,” explains James Santiago. “And you can hear the same settings sound different just by swapping guitars.”
Why should guitarists — or even bassists — reach for Showtime ’64?
Santiago: Because it captures what made the Showman so versatile in the first place. It stays big, loud, and clean, so your guitars, pedals, and playing style dictate the tone. Whether you’re tracking lush cleans, edge-of-breakup textures, or ’60s-style bass lines and baritone parts, Showtime ’64 gives you that huge, high-wattage Fender headroom sound, in a plug-in.
— Darrin Fox
*The Showtime ’64 Tube Amp product is not affiliated with, sponsored, nor endorsed by Fender. The Fender name, as well as the Showman Amp name is used solely to identify the classic amp emulated by Universal Audio’s product.
