What pedal to get?

[paul-e-mann]

@V-man Great news! Didn't know that. I always wondered why they never reissued the guv'nor seeing how they reissue everything else I might be willing to wait for the reissue then. Hopefully it won't be an arm and a leg. Do you have any info/page announcing that?

@ricksdisconnected I have an AC15. I know it will never be a Marshall, but I like the sound of it and I am looking for that 10-20% of the time when I want more "marshally?" sound.

Have you ever hooked your AC15 to a closed back cab say like a 2x12, it sounds really good and not that far of from a Marshall on its own. Then boost it with any clean boost to make it gainier if need be.

 

[GregM]

I was thinking similar to pede , I can get pretty good accadacca tones from my ac15 using just an eq pedal out front ( would prefer it in the loop but what loop ?)
Ac15 is a killer amp and very very versatile .

 

[jamvu]

Hi,

I am looking into getting a pedal for a Marshall sound. Ideally I'd like to get tones from AC/DC Back in Black to Gary Moore Still got the blues. That is probably quite a stretch, but if I am in a ballpark I'd be happy.
Unfortunately there are not that many guitar stores around me and poor pedal choice, so I will have to order online. That is why youtube and this forum

Currently I am thinking between:

* Wampler Plexi drive deluxe
Great for AC/DC type tones, 3 band eq. Not sure if I need the boost side as I already have a TS type pedal. I looked at the mini, bt it doesn't have the 3 band eq which I'd really like. Although Gary Moore used a guv'nor, this with a TS type pedal might get me into GM teritory.

* Bogner la grange
Great reviews. The downside is that it doesn't have 3 band eq but with the blend knob, and lots of toggles, it looks like it could be more than usable. Clean boost is also a bonus. But there have been posts that it has noise issues, and in one video I can really hear 60 cycle hum even though the video is positive regards to the pedal.

* Weehbo Plexface
Again great reviews, but no 3 band eq, just "amp" toggle and mid shape toggle. Still, with blackface part it is very versatile.
As I understand it (and I might not ) Gary Moore used an JTM45 with guv'nor dimed. And as JTM45 is somewhat based on Fender and more rounded than JCM this combination should get me in the ballpark.

* Weehbo JCM drive / JCM drive ltd
Same as plexface, but without blackface side, and with 3 band eq and lots of tone shaping options.

* Friedman BE-OD Deluxe
This is maybe the least vintage marshall sounding pedal, and probably the most expensive. But the blue channel sounds very nice, the green one sounds too modern and high gain. With eq it might be made to work, but my least favourite of these, and the most expensive.

I am pluging into ac15c1.
I've looked at a few other pedals (Catalinbread DLS, Box of rock, JHS,...), but from the videos (unfortunately) these are my favourites.
If anyone has experience with these, any advice is greatly appreciated.
Tnx

I have the Catalinbread Royal Albert Hall (Jimmy Page) pedal and that thing rocks with my Orange, my 1981 Marshall Vertical Input and the Friedman BE 100.....check it out. For a nice clean boost, my Super Chili Picoso is pretty sweet as well.

Jamvu

 

[Old Punker]

Well said!

Thanks man!

 

[ricksdisconnected]

@ricksdisconnected I have an AC15. I know it will never be a Marshall, but I like the sound of it and I am looking for that 10-20% of the time when I want more "marshally?" sound.

ah theres your problem.
the AC 15 has a very unique and outstanding voice of it own.
usually folks are trying to get that marshall or AC sound with a totally different amp
than either. the Carl Martin Plexi tone might be a option for you to get closer
but you might be in a pickle here. the AC is a keeper though.

 

[spiro2903]

@ricksdisconnected I love my AC15, and it's in red I was looking into CM Plexi ranger. I would get a ranger type pedal AND a plexi. Not sure if it's me but in the reviews I've seen it sounds like a lot of gain? Maybe like hotrodded Marshalls of the 70s. Have you tried it, can it do that low to medium gain? I always liked AC DC because its low to mid gain and high volume. And everyone knows every guitarist likes high volume but not every guitarist likes high gain
Anyway CM Plexiranger or Plexitone are an option as well. Wished it had 3 band eq though.
@pedecamp @GregM I don't have a 2x12. It would be an issues with space for a living room guitarist. If I ever get a chance to plug into a bigger cabinet it would be great to see what it sounds like cranked into that. Maybe even in 4x12? Somebody must have done that, right?

 

[Metroman]

88-91 Marshall The Guv'nor. If Marrshall are going to make an exact copy of that pedal, effects Loop included, get a new one. Also forget battery access. The Guv'nor has the worst battery access ever.

I use mine with e LTD ED Matropoulos JTM45 clone/Head Version. Non Tremolo. I use my pedal for more gain, and expanded EQ.

 

[Paul L Ewing]

Hi,

I am looking into getting a pedal for a Marshall sound. Ideally I'd like to get tones from AC/DC Back in Black to Gary Moore Still got the blues. That is probably quite a stretch, but if I am in a ballpark I'd be happy.
Unfortunately there are not that many guitar stores around me and poor pedal choice, so I will have to order online. That is why youtube and this forum

Currently I am thinking between:

* Wampler Plexi drive deluxe
Great for AC/DC type tones, 3 band eq. Not sure if I need the boost side as I already have a TS type pedal. I looked at the mini, bt it doesn't have the 3 band eq which I'd really like. Although Gary Moore used a guv'nor, this with a TS type pedal might get me into GM teritory.

* Bogner la grange
Great reviews. The downside is that it doesn't have 3 band eq but with the blend knob, and lots of toggles, it looks like it could be more than usable. Clean boost is also a bonus. But there have been posts that it has noise issues, and in one video I can really hear 60 cycle hum even though the video is positive regards to the pedal.

* Weehbo Plexface
Again great reviews, but no 3 band eq, just "amp" toggle and mid shape toggle. Still, with blackface part it is very versatile.
As I understand it (and I might not ) Gary Moore used an JTM45 with guv'nor dimed. And as JTM45 is somewhat based on Fender and more rounded than JCM this combination should get me in the ballpark.

* Weehbo JCM drive / JCM drive ltd
Same as plexface, but without blackface side, and with 3 band eq and lots of tone shaping options.

* Friedman BE-OD Deluxe
This is maybe the least vintage marshall sounding pedal, and probably the most expensive. But the blue channel sounds very nice, the green one sounds too modern and high gain. With eq it might be made to work, but my least favourite of these, and the most expensive.

I am pluging into ac15c1.
I've looked at a few other pedals (Catalinbread DLS, Box of rock, JHS,...), but from the videos (unfortunately) these are my favourites.
If anyone has experience with these, any advice is greatly appreciated.
Tnx

I am a collector of the MIAB pedals. I am currently down to 12 after being well over 20. Let me recommend just a few. The PedalPalFx Pal 800 v.3 is to die for authentic JCM 8oo. It does not leave the factory until it is tweaked to sound like the actual amp it is cloning, Unfortunately the 2 guys making the pedal are ALWAYS sold out and only take orders about every 3 months. Secondly there is the Columbo Audio Electronics Plexi Breed. It does all 3 of the true classic Plexi amps. If you heard the Marshall 100 watt Super Lead model #1959 voice on this pedal on a recording and you were told you were listening to the actual amp you would be 100% fooled. Last but not least if you virtually broke buy the NUX Plexi Crunch. It has a convincing JTM 45 vibe and especially killer on a Strat. In fact at $50.00 USD, buy one anyways As for your current choices all are acceptable. Except I hated the Bogner and the Friedman is over rated . In application it is bit buzzy, the lower mids are muddy and worst of all it's thin. The Friedman Small box is much better. What ever you pick, it will be a nice start Let me know when you have 10.

 

[Matopotato]

...
1. I reaaaaaly have very little space. My amp and pedalboard are in my living room, and with 2 kids, a dog and 2 cats it is already cramped. ...

If you crank it, you might find that the space occupied by dog, cats and kids will be reduced, allowing for you-know-what?
On a more serious note though, I did some OCD with lowish gain vs some settings on DSL40CR channels and it felt alright.
Perhaps a different tone but possible to dial in at least towards Marahall is Golden Horse (Klon clone replica in a mini format).

And yes, a high-five for the therapeutical effect of relief playing!

 

[MemphisMarshallMan]

I tried for years to find that "marshall in a box" tone. Some pedals came close, but none were really "it". I literally spent a couple thousand+ dollars chasing that tone.
I think for me the OCD pedal kinda came closest, but I ended up just buying a couple of Marshall heads. That was really what I should have done in the first place.
I wish you luck in your search.

 

[junk notes]

 

[kisschicken]

The Catalinbread Dirry Little Secret is fantastic except for the fact that you need to take it apart to change modes.


The tskalis room 40 is even better than the catalinbread and even includes a variac to change voltages.

 

[dandemay]

Regarding modeling, a headrush MX5 can be had for just a little bit more than what some of the pedals you are asking about cost ( I got mine for $325 used) and have a range of different Marshall models in it, along with other stuff if you feel like rocking a tweed amp for an afternoon. It's not super large either and has a headphone out so you can even play it without bugging the wife/kids/animals, etc. If you really want to focus on a pedal, I've had a few MIAB pedals and one I surprisingly find myself going back to a lot is the Tone City Model M. I played it in front a Fender Deluxe Reverb and got some great tones out of it. Honestly, it might be the one pedal I ever took with me if I wanted to make sure I was able to get a sound I was happy with. That being said, no 3 band EQ and I like the Dirty Little Secret as well, so YMMV.

 

[OneOcean]

Hi,

I am looking into getting a pedal for a Marshall sound. Ideally I'd like to get tones from AC/DC Back in Black to Gary Moore Still got the blues. That is probably quite a stretch, but if I am in a ballpark I'd be happy.
Unfortunately there are not that many guitar stores around me and poor pedal choice, so I will have to order online. That is why youtube and this forum

Currently I am thinking between:

* Wampler Plexi drive deluxe
Great for AC/DC type tones, 3 band eq. Not sure if I need the boost side as I already have a TS type pedal. I looked at the mini, bt it doesn't have the 3 band eq which I'd really like. Although Gary Moore used a guv'nor, this with a TS type pedal might get me into GM teritory.

* Bogner la grange
Great reviews. The downside is that it doesn't have 3 band eq but with the blend knob, and lots of toggles, it looks like it could be more than usable. Clean boost is also a bonus. But there have been posts that it has noise issues, and in one video I can really hear 60 cycle hum even though the video is positive regards to the pedal.

* Weehbo Plexface
Again great reviews, but no 3 band eq, just "amp" toggle and mid shape toggle. Still, with blackface part it is very versatile.
As I understand it (and I might not ) Gary Moore used an JTM45 with guv'nor dimed. And as JTM45 is somewhat based on Fender and more rounded than JCM this combination should get me in the ballpark.

* Weehbo JCM drive / JCM drive ltd
Same as plexface, but without blackface side, and with 3 band eq and lots of tone shaping options.

* Friedman BE-OD Deluxe
This is maybe the least vintage marshall sounding pedal, and probably the most expensive. But the blue channel sounds very nice, the green one sounds too modern and high gain. With eq it might be made to work, but my least favourite of these, and the most expensive.

I am pluging into ac15c1.
I've looked at a few other pedals (Catalinbread DLS, Box of rock, JHS,...), but from the videos (unfortunately) these are my favourites.
If anyone has experience with these, any advice is greatly appreciated.
Tnx

You've done your homework and already seem to have a better understanding of various Marshall-style drive pedals than most people. I've wondered what specific amp these pedals were designed to make sound like a Marshall. They surely do a better job with some amps than others. I'd assume these marshall-in-box effects are best suited for a popular non-Marshall-style amp like the blackface Fender Deluxe Reverb and similar models from that range, which basically have heavily scooped mids, center-biased gain stages (sym clipping), and no DC coupled cathode follower. Therefore, a Marshall pedal would need a tone circuit that boosts and shifts the mids, tweak the treble & bass, add an appropriate amount of asymmetrical clipping, and not sure anyone's been able to properly replicate the interaction of a tube gain stage into a DC Coupled cathode follower, but I'm guessing they do something to try to get close. Anyway, it would make sense these pedals are designed to work best with the popular blackface-Fender-like amps, but the pedal makers don't want to say this and possibly lose buyers of other types of amps. So what happens when they are used with a Vox, Tweed Fender, or even a Marshall? I'd guess they add some marshall-like characteristics but also could see them missing the mark on some other parameters. I'd guess one of these pedals in front of a Plexi could make it more like a JCM 800, and perhaps a JCM 800 could become more Soldano-like, but I suspect it would also add a noticeable mid-hump shifted to the right. Anyway, seems there is an opportunity for a pedal maker to design a Marshall-in-a-box pedal with a switch that allows the user to select the type of amp they're using it with.

 

[Justin Whitstine]

Paul Ewing has is right. Pass on the OCD and the Friedman BEOD. Take a look at the Friedman Small box. Has a switch on it to toggle between vintage / modern sounds. I saved the other 2 pedals he mentioned as I might need to acquire them one day.

Someone above mentioned "The Glove" that won a Marshall pedal shootout on an Andertons video not too long ago. That's probably one of the better budget options. Might be worth you checking that Andertons video out. Wampler and Carl Martin are good too. Don't think you can go wrong with any of these.

Just remember, set your amp kinda clean so it won't impart its color on top of the marshall pedal & most marshall in a box pedals like getting hit with a clean boost to kinda tighten them up just like the real thing.

 

[John Stedman]

I have a Wampler Plexi-Drive Deluxe that I use mostly with either a Roland JC-40 or JC-120. It's my favorite guitar pedal ever in terms of bang-for-buck usefullness. It gets used every day and I'd replace it with another in a heart beat if it ever got lost or stolen. I recently picked up a NUX Mini Studio (cab sim pedal) and I can get a convincing Marshall tone into Reaper with just the Plexi-Drive and the Mini Studio. I haven't tried using it with my AC-30, but I'd think setting it to a cleanish sound with the Plexi-Drive would get pretty close and the built-in Tubescreamer is quite handy.

 

[TXOldRedRocker]

I am a collector of the MIAB pedals. I am currently down to 12 after being well over 20. Let me recommend just a few. The PedalPalFx Pal 800 v.3 is to die for authentic JCM 8oo. It does not leave the factory until it is tweaked to sound like the actual amp it is cloning, Unfortunately the 2 guys making the pedal are ALWAYS sold out and only take orders about every 3 months. Secondly there is the Columbo Audio Electronics Plexi Breed. It does all 3 of the true classic Plexi amps. If you heard the Marshall 100 watt Super Lead model #1959 voice on this pedal on a recording and you were told you were listening to the actual amp you would be 100% fooled. Last but not least if you virtually broke buy the NUX Plexi Crunch. It has a convincing JTM 45 vibe and especially killer on a Strat. In fact at $50.00 USD, buy one anyways As for your current choices all are acceptable. Except I hated the Bogner and the Friedman is over rated . In application it is bit buzzy, the lower mids are muddy and worst of all it's thin. The Friedman Small box is much better. What ever you pick, it will be a nice start Let me know when you have 10.

Thanks a lot pal! I just bought a Columbo Audio Electronics Plexi Breed.

 

[SteelLucky]

Don’t own one but did get to hear it once.

El Rey Dorado - Keeley Electronics

The Keeley El Rey Dorado features classic British Amp Tones in an effect pedal. Lay down a foundation of thick and gainy tube tone!

robertkeeley.com

 

[El Gringo]

IMHO it is so hard to find a pedal to do what a Marshall amp does . Some might say a Tube Screamer or something like that , but it just not the same .

 

[spiro2903]

Wow, so many choices
I'll check some of them out, Colombo looks to be an Italian brand, so close to me and maybe easily available.
I agree that most MIAB pedals are made for Fenders, that is one of the reasons I'd like a 3 band eq, or some mid shaping toggle at least. Having said that, Vox takes pedals really well, and can do great edge of breakup thing so, with the right pedal, should get into that Marshall ballpark. Also, I believe and I could also be wrong , Marshall had some amps with EL84s and a cathode bias. I think Vox's biggest drawback might be some lack of bass. Which is not too bad for home use, but would probably be very noticable on stage when AB-ing directly Vox/Marshall.
I've been doing some research online and suposedly Thomann.de listed 3 Marshall pedals. One of them being the Guv'nor reissue. It was about a month ago and now it is gone. One other store as well. Marshall spokesperson said that they do not plan to release any reissue pedals, but it could be a trick...Now I'm thinking to wait a month or 2 to see if it comes out. I've heard some comparissons with the Guv'nor (That pedal show) and somehow it sounds more open and crisper than other pedals. I have also seen the Andertons MIAB blind test, and some of the pedals didn't really sound right, not sure why...
...waiting is so hard, sincerly doubt I'll make it.