Marshall reissues Guv'nor, Bluesbreaker, Drivemaster and Shredmaster pedals
February 1, 2023 · 2 sources
Marshall has reissued its classic "black box" pedals, the Guv'nor, Bluesbreaker, Drivemaster and Shredmaster, Guitar Player reported on February 24, 20231. The pedals are handmade in the U.K. and described by the company as authentic replicas of the originals1.
The circuits are said to be exact recreations, but the pots and jack sockets have been changed because the original manufacturer no longer exists; the specifications remain the same1. Steve Smith of Marshall told Guitar Player that the company worked from original schematics in its archive and compared prototypes against original pedals from the late 1980s and early 1990s held in its museum and R&D storeroom1. He said the team considered modifying the circuits and decided against it1.
"All the through-hole components are the same and we're making these pedals in the U.K. The only difference is the jack sockets and pots; the original manufacturer no longer exists, but they're the same specs."
The Guv'nor, a distortion pedal with a full EQ, arrived in 1988 and was discontinued in 1991, according to Smith1. The Drivemaster uses a Guv'nor circuit in a different housing without the effects loop jack, with Bass, Middle and Treble controls1. The Shredmaster has Bass, Treble and Contour knobs, the last changing the character of the midrange while enhancing low and high frequencies1. The Bluesbreaker was inspired by Eric Clapton's sound on John Mayall's Blues Breakers With Eric Clapton1.
Gearnews reported the same reissue on February 24, 2023, describing the Guv'nor as a medium-drive pedal with a distinctive Marshall voicing and a built-in effect loop via an insert-style cable input2. It described the Bluesbreaker as low gain, the Drivemaster as mid gain and the Shredmaster as heavier gain2. Gearnews gave a retail price of 179 euros each, which is not a US list price2. No US price was given in either report.