Marshall reissues the Guv'nor distortion pedal
August 14, 2024 · 2 sources
Marshall has reissued the Guv'nor, the distortion and drive pedal it originally released in the late 1980s, MusicRadar reported on 14 August 2024. The report said players had asked the company to bring the pedal back.
MusicRadar described the original as a pedal that "provided guitarists with the sound of a fully cranked stack at the click of a button"1. Gearnews, writing when Marshall reissued the Guv'nor alongside the Blues Breaker, Drivemaster and Shredmaster in February 2023, described it as "a medium drive gain with a distinctive Marshall-voicing" and said it "also had a built-in effect loop via an insert-style cable input"2. That report said the Guv'nor was first built in the UK, that production later moved to Korea, and that it was phased out and discontinued2.
"which has led players to beg Marshall to reissue the cherished unit - well, we're happy to report they finally listened!"
The two reports differ on timing. MusicRadar presented the reissue as new in August 2024, while Gearnews reported the Guv'nor reissue in February 2023 as part of a four-pedal relaunch12. MusicRadar's report did not give the Guv'nor's controls, price or a US availability date. Gearnews listed a retail price of 179 euros each for the 2023 reissues and cited a $140.00 US price for the Drivemaster, not the Guv'nor2. Gearnews also said owners who took the new reissues apart reported that "they look like good clones of the original circuits"2.