Neural DSP – Archetype: John Mayer X v1.0.0 for WiN

When an artist spends decades honing a unique and personal voice, as John Mayer has, every detail matters. Touch, phrasing, restraint, and timbre become inseparable from the music itself, shaped by years of writing, recording, and performing. This pursuit has resulted in one of the most extensive and meticulously curated collections of guitar gear in the world. Taken as a whole, John’s gear could sit behind glass as a museum piece; rare, historically significant, and in many cases, impossible to replace. But within this collection, there exists a much smaller group of items; instruments he turns to instinctively, honed through constant use rather than a desire for preservation.

John is also known as a staunch purist, not out of nostalgia or resistance to change, but out of a deep respect for the guitar and its history. His approach celebrates the details: the circuits, components, feel, and subtle interactions that give a sound its character. Any new instrument, digital or otherwise, must honor this pedigree and meet the same standards of care and intent.

John opened the doors of his personal Los Angeles recording studio to us and entrusted us with his most treasured instruments. These are the very instruments that form the foundation of his sound, honed by constant use and selected from an extraordinary collection. Creating this world as a single, uncompromising plug-in was one of the most challenging and, at the same time, most rewarding projects we’ve ever undertaken. With sincere gratitude to John for his trust and vision, we proudly present Archetype: John Mayer X!