Marshall DriveMaster Overdrive/Distortion Pedal 2023

Marshall’s The Guv’nor distortion pedal was a resounding success in the late 1980s, attaining industry-wide acclaim for its authentic British-voiced amp-in-a-box sound. By 1992, the dust had settled, and Marshall was ready to kick things up a notch. Enter the DriveMaster, a JCM800-style pedal similar to its predecessor but with a new tone and drive network for greater performance. Unfortunately, the original stompboxes have long been difficult — and expensive — to obtain on the used market. Well, that will no longer be a problem, as Marshall is reissuing this revered pedal to honor the company’s 60th anniversary. The rebooted pedal offers a direct, one-to-one copy of the original, right down to the iconic graphics, unique enclosure design, and distinctive red-on-black color scheme. The DriveMaster boasts a familiar control set, with a flexible 3-band EQ, plus Gain and Volume knobs, for dialing in your sound. You also get a standard footswitch and a red LED status indicator. There are countless reasons why the ’90s-era DriveMaster is so heavily sought after today, and this reissue takes everything that made the original so special and re-creates it for today’s guitarist.