Are you looking for the best “Marshall in a box” pedal? You’re in the right place.
Guitar enthusiasts are very much familiar with those tiny metal enclosures that help create magic onstage. These hands-free pedals house a circuitry that is responsible for the musical outcomes of guitars. Musicians use them to modulate, drive, and reverberate the tone of their instruments.
Whenever pedals are mentioned, one cannot ignore the power of Marshall pedals. Marshall tones are one of the most loved in the music industry. Youâre just a stomp away from a supercharged guitar performance; all hail to the mighty Marshall sound from the pedal.
Read along to find the seven best Marshall pedals in the market. We’ll help you find the best Marshall in a box pedal, as per your taste and preferences.
Best Marshall Pedals – Comparison Table
1. Catalinbread Dirty Little Secret Overdrive Guitar Effects Pedal (Editorâs Choice)
Endorsed by Andy Martin himself, Dirty Little Secret has earned a reputation in the music industry with its power-packed pedals. The DLS Marshall pedals allow a roaring indulgence into the 70âs Marshall Super Bass. In our opinion, the DLS is the best Marshall in a box pedal available on the market.
Features
The Catalinbread Dirty Little Secret overdrive guitar effects pedal comes in two modes – Super Lead and Super bass. While the Super Lead mode will take you to the world of the Marshall Super Lead amp with excellent harmonics, the Super Bass mode of the DLS pedal will give your music the power of a Marshall Super Bass.
With these pedals, you get the true Marshall feels with the treble-middle-bass tone controlling through a three-knob set-up.
The Marshall sound from the pedal by DLS is enhanced and superior due to the added fuzzes and overdrives. This âalways-onâ pedal ensures crisp music with just one roll of the guitarâs volume knob.
Pros
- It plays like a cranked amp
- Dip-switches produce a combination of lead and bass
- Features internal trim-pots
Cons
- It can be a bit noisy
Before you set your guitar with the Catalinbread Dirty Little Secret overdrive pedal, make sure you get the hang of them beforehand. Play around with varied gain settings and plug-in to your pedalboard to indulge in stunning Marshall sounds.
2. JHS Charlie Brown V4 Overdrive Guitar Effects Pedal (Close Runner-Up)
The JHS musical marvels came into being in 2007 due to a DIY project by Josh Scott. The Charlie Brown V4 overdrive guitar effects pedal forms a range of Marshall JTM45 amps to bless you with the best Marshall sound.
Features
The JHS Charlie Brown V4 pedal gives out the old-school chewy Marshall vibes with a touch of 60âs rock music. The pedal allows you to modulate bass, middle, and treble and turn your music into a masterpiece.
The V4 range is slightly different from the rest of the Charli Brown pedals. Along with a color change, the makers have equipped the pedal with a Marshall three audio-band tone stacks. The pedal also comes with a massive five controls option.
The power needs of the pedal are merely 100mA with a 9V DC negative requirement. Charlie Brown V4 owners also vouch for the incredible high-grain tones from this pedal.
Pros
- Superior built
- Marshall in-a-box style sound
- Easy finetuning with the knob
Cons
- None so far
If youâre looking forward to giving your music a British touch with exceptional Marshall tones from the pedal, Charlie Brown V4 is your mate. This pedal has plenty of output to offer.
3. Xotic Effects SL Drive Distortion Guitar Effects Pedal
With excellent sound delivery and beautiful aesthetics, the Xotic Effects SL drive distortion guitar effects pedal tops Jimmy Pageâs list. This made it to the best Marshall pedals list due to its versatility and high-grade Plexi sound.
Features
The Xotic pedals do not fail to deliver Super Bass and Super Lead tones, much like the modern British amplifiers. These pedals come with a two settings design that allows them to perform classics with a plethora of versatile tones. The amp-like response produced by this feature allows the instrument to intermingle beautifully with your guitarâs drive and tone.
The classic Super Bass and Super Lead pedals exude incredible sounds of saturation. This quality, paired with the pedalâs vibe of organic and woody tones, creates an unbeatable aura of Marshall tones.
To achieve the all-time classic Marshall sound, many renowned artists like Paul Kossoff have infused the Xotic Effects SL drive distortion with their guitars.
Pros
- Portable small enclosure
- Highly responsive
- Functional knob cleanup
- Reasonably priced
Cons
- A high level of compression may not work for everyone
This considerably compact-sized pedal packs in a lot of compressions. It features superior Plexi sounds with fine tunes of Super Lead and Super Beat. This Marshall pedal goes to show how Xotic always delivers on its phenomenal quality.
4. Wampler Plexi-Drive Deluxe V2 Distortion & Overdrive Guitar Effects Pedal
It makes it into our list owing to its spectacular control to sharpen your tone. From an uber-cool-looking design to a 3-band active EQ, the Deluxe V2 has nailed the pedal game. Much like its predecessors, the Wampler Plexi-drive deluxe V2 makes up for one of the best Marshall Plexi pedals.
Features
The Wampler Plexi-Drive Deluxe V2 is amongst the best Marshall Plexi pedals with a high musical style range. The Deluxe V2 can deliver rustic and vintage â68 tunes flawlessly while also blasting the sharp rock tones.
This pedal has versatile gain functionality with spectacularly voiced pre-gain packs in a punch to the Marshall tunes. The V2 also comes with an additional brightness control that adds as a plus point for the players.
To top all that, these versatile pedals are equipped with a bass boost that exudes a low-end thump with great ease. Players can even crank it up a notch by dialing their own low-end for an even lower volume.
Pros
- Additional high-end sparkle for switching from bright to dark guitars
- Pre-gain boost gentle click to help push during thick overdrive
Cons
- It can be a bit blaring
Is it the best MIAB pedal? Honestly, I don’t know. However, it definitely should be on this list but I’d prefer one of the first three option for THE authentic Marshall sound.
5. JHS Angry Charlie V3 Distortion Guitar Effects Pedal
JHS Angry Charlie is a different ballgame altogether. We needed to give a shoutout to this beast. When it comes to the high-gain pedal arena, no one beats the JHS Angry Charlie. The V3 distortion guitar effects pedal has a specialty of converting any amp into a blasting Marshall sound.
Features
The Angry Charlie V3 is a versatile pedal with the power to breathe JCM800-like pitch into any tune you want. The V3 is packed with an endless sustain. Unlike several similar British pedals, this one flaunts a 3-band tone stack.
This whole package allows the player to ace those blazing Marshall sounds. The functionality of its swift drive knob makes for an effortless transition from the tunes of chilled-out blues into searing Brit tunes.
The Angry Charlie V3 also allows the players to fine-tune those riffs by balancing the bass, treble, and middle. Therefore, you can easily mellow your guitarâs volume without compromising the clarity of the Marshall sounds.
For Scott and his passion for providing badass pedals in a saturated market, this pedal deserves the clout.
Pros
- Active control boost without distortion
- Versatile tone palette
Cons
- Expensive in comparison with market rivals
6. J. Rockett .45 Caliber Overdrive Guitar Effects Pedal
After the 1962 JTM 45 sound, one could only think of the J. Rockett .45 caliber series for sonic influence. It is a recreation of the 1962 JTM 42, but with better and more advanced features. Better sculpted Marshall tones and the novel speed switch system make this pedal unbeatable.
Features
With a .45 caliber overdrive style, the J. Rockett pedal features excellent compression and a tweakable control system. It measures 4.00â x 2.30â in dimensions and requires a 9V battery to function at its best. With the J. Rockett .45 Caliber, Marshall tones come easy, all hail to its multi-controls. You can adjust bass, gain, and treble by simply turning different knobs.
The .45 caliber overdrive pedal will sure take you to the 60âs British music jungle with its phenomenal gain range. The bypass switch ensures tone preservation like no other guitar effects pedal. The speed switch consists of a solderless replacement system. With this pedal, you can tone-shape in a jiffy with the 2-band EQ circuitry.
Pros
- Delivers impressive classic rock tones
- Features Solderless speed-switch replacement system
Cons
- None so far
If you want to achieve those spectacular British rock tones from the â60s, the .45 caliber maybe your best mate. This pedal will take you to the famous âface-meltingâ Live at Leeds jam by Pete Townsend.
7. JHS AT+ Andy Timmons Signature Overdrive Guitar Effects Pedal
Packed with plenty of options to craft your tone per your requirements, the JHS Signature pedal never fails to impress. This Marshall sound pedal features soaring distortion and supreme overdrive that deliver high-quality effects.
Features
The AT overdrive delivers Andy Timmonâs unmatched rhythm tones and Marshall Lead. The pedal allows four major controls; EQ, Drive, Air, and Volume. The three-way knob switches between 25-watt, 50-watt, and 100-watt modes with absolute ease. You can switch the drive between soaring distortions and high gain blues, while the volume control gives you sufficient headroom.
The AT pedal gives you the option to tweak your tones and give them the shape you desire. The EQ circuitry alters the bright/dark tone handling. Moreover, the Air controls work perfectly to help you achieve the desired clarity, precision, and articulation.
You get the premium feel of a multi-wattage amplifier with this JHS model, all hail to the three-way toggle. All in all, Josh Scottâs passion for refurbishing Boss Blues Driver resulted in the conception of an unbeatable pedal. The JHS AT+Andy Timmons is here to stay and slay the Marshall tones for as long as the music is alive.
Pros
- Three wattage system
- EQ filters high frequencies
- Air control function like an amp power circuitry
Cons
- None reported so far
The AT+Andy Timmons Signature Overdrive pedal, for sure, surpasses other standard pedals in terms of a multitude of features. This one is a low gain, even when set on a higher level on the toggle switch. The Marshall tones delivered by this pedal are crisp and clean, much like the Boss OD3 and other gold-standard pedals.
How to Choose the Best MIAB Pedal?
The market is quite saturated because of a surge of new pedal developers aiming to deliver the best Marshall tones. It requires a lot of thought and music science for guitarists to settle for a Marshall pedal.
Marshall tones are not going out of style any time soon. These leads are what every new guitarist strives to ace. However, to begin jamming the contemporary British tones, a guitarist needs to have the basic know-how of pedals.
Whatâs the Difference Between Marshall Pedals and Amplifiers?
Young musicians, who are venturing into the world of pedals, often find themselves stuck between a pedal and an amplifier. Though they belong to the same category, both these add-ons vary in terms of many characteristics. One could expect lesser compression and enhanced dynamics from an amplifier. On the other hand, MIAB pedals deliver more compression and lesser dynamics.
Speaking of the frequency range, Marshall pedals mostly deliver a narrower range of frequency. The frequency ranges with a pedal are noticeable only in the low-end.
However, Marshall amps make way for a much more comprehensive frequency range. Even with increased volume, the low-end remains earthy yet gut rattling, while the high-end dazzles. To achieve a less earthy low end, pedals work wonders.
Wrapping up, we would highly recommend our guide on the best punk distortion pedals where you can easily find other interesting models of good MIAB pedals.
Wrap-Up: The Best Marshall in a Box Pedal
Choosing one over so many brilliant Marshall Pedals is a tedious task. But if we have to choose one, it would be the Catalinbread Dirty Little Secret overdrive guitar effects pedal.
This Marshall in a Box Pedal is unbeatable in terms of Super Lead and Super Bass outputs. The Catalinbread Dirty Little Secret overdrive guitar effects pedal gives out the most phenomenal Marshall tones. Donât panic if you suddenly find yourself next to Andy Martin, jamming to mind-bending rock beats with the DLS Marshall pedal.