The PedalPalFx PAL800 JCM Emulator is a hand-built overdrive pedal that aims to put the sound of the most famous British amps of the 1980s on a pedalboard. Released in 2015, it was the first pedal in PedalPalFx's 800 series and became known to customers as the "Silver Version"1. Instead of vacuum tubes, it uses especially selected transistors, while following what the maker describes as "the same circuit schematic that you will find in the most famous British Amps from the 80's"1.
The pedal is discontinued. PedalPalFx built a total of 363 units, each made one by one, set up by hand, and tested by the company's founders before shipping1.
A JCM-style overdrive built with transistors
The PAL800 belongs to a family of pedals that chase the sound of the Marshall JCM800 amplifier head, the amp Marshall itself calls "iconic" and describes as having "the distinctive roar" that its own JCM800 Overdrive Pedal replicates in pedal form3. Where Marshall's official pedal is its own circuit, the PAL800 takes a different route to the same target: an all-transistor design that mirrors the schematic of the 80s British amps it emulates rather than using tubes1.
PedalPalFx says the pedal is "100% handmade" and made "one by one," with each unit carefully set up by hand for maximum performance and tested by the founders of the company. It was never a mass-production item; only a few units were available per month1.
The transistor approach carried through the company's later work. Reviewing the PAL800 Gold Overdrive V4 at Guitar Pedal X, Stefan Karlsson noted that builder was "utilising JFETs to wholly recreate those amps' tube topologies," including what appears to be a custom JFET array, the JF8R44. The original PAL800's simpler transistor design is the starting point of that lineage.
Power, battery and bypass
The PAL800 runs on 9V DC and draws only 7.5mA, which is light enough that a battery is a practical option1.
- Adapter: regulated 9V DC, 2.1mm coax plug, negative center; not included1
- Battery: 9V (006P type), not included1
- Bypass: true hardwire bypass, so the bypassed signal is not colored by the circuit1
The adapter must be regulated. An unregulated supply or the wrong polarity can damage the pedal, and neither adapter nor battery ships in the box.
The 800 series: Silver, Gold and Silverhenge
The PAL800 JCM Emulator is the first version of PedalPalFx's 800 series, known to customers as the "Silver Version"1. The second version, the PAL800 Gold Overdrive, is known as the "Gold Version" and is also listed as discontinued, with 331 handmade units built5. PedalPalFx describes the Gold as "the result of all our knowledge and experience with the most famous British amps tone and also with our PAL800 JCM Emulator and PAL959 PLEXI Emulator pedals"5.
| Version | Place in the 800 series | Units made | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| PAL800 JCM Emulator ("Silver Version") | First version | 3631 | Discontinued1 |
| PAL800 Gold Overdrive ("Gold Version") | Second version | 3315 | Discontinued5 |
There is also a limited edition built on the original circuit. At Guitar Pedal X, Stefan Karlsson described the PedalPalFx Silverhenge Overdrive as "a limited Silverhenge edition doing the rounds, based on the earliest PAL800 circuit and more tuned towards the modern side of things," released as a limited run6.
Where the PAL800 came from
The PAL800's physical and electrical specifications are as follows. The pedal measures 119mm deep by 103mm wide by 54mm high and weighs 325 g (11.5 oz.) without a battery1. Its input impedance is 1M ohm, and it runs on 9V DC at 7.5mA1.
What reviewers said
The pedal's input impedance is 1M ohm, its power consumption is 9VDC at 7.5mA, and it weighs 325 g (11.5 oz.) without a battery1. Its enclosure measures 119mm (D) x 103mm (W) x 54mm (H)1.
Videos
PAL Effects (PedalPalFx)
PAL Effects (PedalPalFx)
PAL Effects (PedalPalFx)
Questions
Is the PedalPalFx PAL800 JCM Emulator still in production?
No. PedalPalFx lists the PAL800 JCM Emulator as discontinued. It was released in 2015 and a total of 363 handmade units were built, each set up and tested by the founders of PedalPalFx. The later PAL800 Gold Overdrive, the second version of the 800 series, is also listed as discontinued.
Does the PAL800 take a battery?
Yes. The pedal accepts a 9V battery of the 006P type, which is not included. It also runs from a regulated 9V DC adapter with a 2.1mm coax plug, negative center, also not included. Current draw is 7.5mA, so a battery lasts a reasonable while.
Is the PAL800 JCM Emulator true bypass?
Yes. PedalPalFx specifies True Hardwire Bypass for the PAL800 JCM Emulator, so the signal passes without coloring when the pedal is off. The later PAL800 Gold Overdrive carries the same true hardwire bypass specification.
How many PAL800 pedals were made?
PedalPalFx states a total of 363 handmade units of the PAL800 JCM Emulator were built. Each pedal was made one by one, set up by hand for maximum performance, and tested by the founders of the company, with only a few units available per month.
Does the PAL800 use tubes?
No. The PAL800 JCM Emulator uses especially selected transistors instead of vacuum tubes, while following the same circuit schematic PedalPalFx says you will find in the most famous British amps of the 80s. The later PAL800 Gold V4 moved to JFETs to recreate those amps' tube topologies.
What is the PAL800 Silver Version?
The Silver Version is the name customers gave to the PAL800 JCM Emulator itself, the first version of PedalPalFx's 800 series. The second version, the PAL800 Gold Overdrive, became known as the Gold Version. A later limited Silverhenge edition was based on the earliest PAL800 circuit.
Sources (6)
- PedalPalFx, PedalPalFx
- PedalPalFx, PedalPalFx
- JCM800 Overdrive Pedal, Marshall (www.marshall.com)
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2024-05-22
- PedalPalFx, PedalPalFx
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2023-11-28
