Marshall Guv'nor

Well, there's 5 knobs on this thing; Gain, Bass, Middle, Treble and Level (volume) and since the tone controls are interactive (ie changing one affects another) you have to do a fair amount of fiddling to get good tone.

I'm using this with (in order): Squier Telecaster > DOD Milkbox Compressor, Rocktek Phaser (don't laugh) > Marshall Vibratrem > Marshall MG30RCD or Laney LC-30 if gigging. It definetly sounds better through the Marshall on the O/D channel with the amp gain set low and the pedal set up as a gain/volume boost. It kind of sucks through the clean channel, but i'll attribute that to the fact that there is no mid control on the amps clean channel to beef up the sound, it sounds kind of tinny/fizzy so keep the treble low and you'll get a reasonably good sound. Most of the 'classic' Marshall sounds can be pulled out of this box such as Clapton's Bluesbreaker era esque tones.

It ain't broke yet and if it did i'd have to fix it myself since Marshall don't make these anymore!I'd gig without a backup though, it's built like a brick shit house.

Never dealt with Marshall, heard they're good with schematics and stuff though.

I mainly play Britpop/Britrock and this pedal covers both of them but I only use it as a gain/volume boost. I compared it to a Marshall Guvnor+ a while back on alt.guitar.effects, both are good, i say use the original as a gain boost and the Plus as rhthym/crunch or whatever. The tone is unbelievable through a solid state amp!

(Before i start this is the old style Gov'nor, the big fat ugly pedal that i know you all love.)

Level, Gain, Treble, Mid And Bass knobs, which you turn straight away to full gain, treble and bass, at least you do if you're a real man :) I tend to find that the Level at 12 o'clock works nicely for just a slight boost in volume, and this didn't take anytime at all to work out.

Then you plug it in, and stamp on it.

Simple

Playing my Epiphone Explorer into the Gov'nor (full gain, treble and bass, no mid and Level at 12 o'clock) into my shitty little Korg effects pedal (which spends most of its time in Bypass mode) into my Carlsbro GLX100, this little baby has tone to cut through several layers of reinforced steel. I love this pedal to bits I really do, in many ways i prefer it to the tone you get out of a Marshall Amp, but maybe thats just me. the sound it gives is nothing short of perfect for lead playing, and although I don't play many solo's in my band (being more of a ryhthm guitarist) any solo's i do play go through this pedal, and it makes pinched harmonics squeal so perfectly. Also with the gain turned down a little, it gives a nice crunch rather than the hacksaw of sound that i usually use it for.

It's a big block of metal. So much more sturdy than the new cases that Marshal have taken to using - so what if it's ugly - i could jump on it from off the top of the drum riser and it would do me more damage than i would it. - No back-up needed. The Switch always works.

Also it doesn't eat batteries as if they were pop-corn, like many other pedals I've used (My AW3 kills batteries dead in afew hours of use) but I'd get a power adapter soon, because in the long run - if you're gigging, you don't want to run the risk.

Dunno, never spoken to Marshall.

They've stopped making this one though, so...

For the tiny price i got it (new) this pedal was great, and so much better sounding than a lot of the other distortion pedals around.
I've been playing about 3 years, but i'm an avid effects head, and a little bit of a tone-freak when it comes down to it (especially when i'm recording). The pedal does exactly what it says on the box, and better still, it does it well.
If it was stolen, firstly I'd cry, then i'd hunt down the guy that did it and shatter his kneecaps (oh yes i would). Then I'd cry some more, because Marshall don't make them like this anymore. It would take some hunting to find one that someone was willing to give up or sell to replace it, because it is just that good!

Easy to use. Gain, bass, middle, treble, level. Tone knobs interact with each other. Pretty cool. Easy to get several good sounds due to this, but only if you're willing to experiment. Knobs are angled away from you which is great to keep them out of the way but hard to see settings when you're standing. Manual is bare-bones but very informative. This is the original model, not one of the two newer re-issues. Trust me- they don't sound the same. I prefer the original.

The sound quality is fantastic. Very Marshall, no matter what amp I've put it in front of. The gain goes from practically none to JCM-900 territory. Great for boosting level with added character. Even at high-gain settings, the noise is bearable. Nowhere near the hiss from a DS-1, Big Muff of the re-issued Guv'nors. I run it into a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe. It'll retain the amp character when the tone knobs are set to 12 o'clock, or totally change it when I fiddle with them. I've pretty much left it set at a Santana-esque lead tone since I dialed it in but it'll give classic hard rock, 80's metal, texas crunch and smooth blues sounds.

Very dependable. I had one from 90-93 and used it daily with no failure. I recently got a brand new/old stock one from a music store that shut it's doors and had it buried in their warehouse. The footswitch was sticky but a drop of oil fixed it right up. This thing is solid steel and the footswitch is very solid and heavy-duty. I have no problem using it without a backup.

Never needed to contact Marshall on any of thier gear.

I loved this pedal 10 years ago and I love it just the same today. I play rock and this does it for me better than any other overdrive pedal I've used (and I've used a TON of 'em in my 17 years of playing.) I have a thinline Tele, Dano U2, DeArmond M-75 and M-75T. I use these "cheap" guitars because I love their distinctive vintage sounds, and the Guv'nor doesn't interfere at all. Sure it adds gain and has a versatile range of tones, but you can still hear the original pickup tone no matter what guitar I use. It has a cool effects loop feature that I use sometimes with a Micro Vibe with no problem. I don't wish it had anything else- I just wish I could find another NOS one at the price I got this one for- half the price that I regularly see some pretty shoddy used ones go for.

Essentially a pre-amp in a pedal, the Guv'nor(original version) suffers from the same fiddly EQ system as Marshall's amps - the low affects the mid which affects the high etc. It is very easy to get lost with this approach if you have to change settings in a hurry. The knob positions aren't exactly easy to see either.

As a pre-amp/boost effect the Guv'nor has much to recommend it, it's quiet, punchy and drives the signal through any number of leads and pedals, but as a distortion/fuzz unit it's awful! It has a few usable settings which are the most cliched rock tones imaginable. It's complicated EQ renders most settings an unpleasant muddy mess. As with other Marshall products of this era (early Valvestate amps, the terrible 9000 pre-amp) it should be avoided if you value originality and invention at any level.

The original Marshall Guv'nor is without doubt the most badly made piece of junk I have ever owned. It must have broken down ten times whilst I used it as a solo booster for live performance. Not the electronics, all these were mechanical faults - the switch broke so many times that it eventually collapsed completely and the jack sockets were thick with glue from the number of times they snapped off in transit and on stage. Shameful. I own several cheap and vintage effects and have never had anything like the trouble I had with this monster. I replaced it with an old MXR Distortion + and have never looked back.

Never bothered getting it fixed properly - it wasn't a good enough effect.

There are a few things that an old Guv'nor can do well, but other devices can usually do these and other things too. My Guv'nor eventually fell completely to pieces (only a plastic bodied JHS wah pedal has done this to me since) and has spent the last ten or so years in bits in a plastic bag. I could fix it in a few hours given the right parts, but I cannot be bothered. It does nothing that my MXR, ElectroHarmonix and Boss pedals and Vox amp don't do vastly better. It has even put me off checking out Marshall's (better looking) new range of effects. One to avoid unless it's free.

This thing's very easy to use. The two parametric knobs need a little time to get good fat tones.

Use a Fender Deluxe Fat Strat, Squier (late 70ts)with EMG gold Pups
Marshall 4210 Lead Series (800)Combo.
This one from Marshall sounds really good. Don't know how they do this but you can easyly reach the sounds of much good Alltube Amps in a really perfect quality. Use'd this thing only in clean mode of the amp, and sometimes I don't now if be in the real overdrivechannel of my amp or just forget step on this Guvner-Piece. But no matter if you're not really bliend you can see the LED, so be shure! If you want to use it as a booster in Overdrivechannel, it gives you a very long compressed sustain tone. But don't take to much drive in this mode better not more than 12 o'Clock settings and slightly more volume. Its not a Distortion Pedal anyway.

Even in high volume settings this thing is not too noisy to use.
Propably I would use it on stage if the song needs this creamy sustain over-overdrive.

Customer gave it to me, said: Test at home, pai if you like it.What more do you whish?

You like very authentic Marshall 800 Sounds? Buy this thing, you won't regret it!! By Shredmaster's

******I have the Original from the 80's******
Easy to use if you've got fingers(yes i do). Scoop out the mids and play your Metallica, turn up the Mids for a nice rauncy soloing sound, roll back the treble and bass and gian, grab a strat: your in bluesland. Very simple. Very flexible. You can't use it for "NU METAL" so don't expect it.

I can't complain, sure beats that tinny sounding Zoom pedal i used to have. Works well with my jackson, but better with the Strat and Samick SG

I could kill someone with this gaged steel tank, i can't see it breaking anytime soon. I'd gig with out a backup without blinking, this one's actually been used by the canadian band "treble charger". {That's a cool little thing i like to brag about :)}

Never deal with 'em

I think it's great, covers it all, I would check out the newer ones if it were ever stolen, but it won't be lost.I like everything, wish it had a presence knob. I helps me make music. It's more flexible than a Tubescreamer, and has more gain... but who's gonna bitch about that?

very easy, i didn't faff about with settings just cranked the gain, volume, treble and bass up full to get a really harsh distortion sound. Its the old version, i don't know about the new one but i think the old one looks better. the manual with its old pic of jim marshall is brilliant, not much use though! i haven't changed anything on it or in it

i use a strat into wah wah, chorus, fuzz pedal then guvnor. I like the setting i've got because the fuzz is lighter and bassy then i jump on the guvnor and my amp explodes. its noisy but thats cause i have it cranked full, i've had it turned down a few times and got lighter tones, more overdrives and fuzzes than distorions. i was aiming to get the type of sound rod jones gets from his pedal, i think he has an xtortion and a big muff. i wanted to have two different effects for distortion and this provides one of them, the fuzz the other.
im giving it an eight because i like the sound but and decent guitarist would probably hate it

built like a fucking tank alright, i jump on it regularly in full confidence
if it ever broke id eat my guitar

not needed it yet but i think marshall is usually very helpfull

i play what id call alt-rock and this gives me the boost i like. i've been playing for four years and have heard quite a few different pedals and researched alot of pedal boards and the guvnor comes out top.

the name says it all really!

!!!Beware!!!The old GuvNors and the new ones(Guv'Nor+) are reviewed there, so take care of what you're reading.
Mine is an original one, with the reds lines. The manual is great whereas, useless. One point of because of the knobs placement; it's hard to see how they're set.

D'you like marshall sound?Yes? then it's for you.
You've got the sound of any one who used marshall amps and more. It's an amp in a box...

As reliable as you wish ot would be...

If you want a Marshall sound then buy this pedal. I hate when the reviews are short but there you don't need to say anything else. The most versatil pedal I've ever seen...

6 knobs

Sounds better than jh-1 but i would rather buy a ibanez dist.

built like a tank

never delt with them

My Guv'nor is the original (80') one, and I bought it as used recently.
It's very easy to get good sound, because it acts like a preamp. It has 3-band EQ after the overdrive section, the frequency bands of the EQ are musically good selected and they are quite effective (althought it's passive type).
That's why I like it most. My other overdrive units (Ibanez TS-808, TS-9, Boss SD-1) have only "Tone" control, and my old MXR Distortion+ doesn't have it at all.

My main guitars are a original 70' Stratocaster and a 80' Stratocaster with EMG-SA active PU's (and some other customizations made by myself).
I have several amps, but now I'm using a Music Man RP-65 combo, because it has quite "neutral" sound itself, and therefore it's easy to process with external effects. The Marshall Guv'nor isn't very noisy, althought it has more gain than Ibanez Tubescreamer or Boss SD-1.
To get more distortion, I modified my Guv'nor a little by changing the two clipping diodes (LEDs) to silicon. The sound of my Guv'nor changed more biting and aggressive.

Althought I bought my Guv'nor as used, it's working perfectly, so I don't need a backup unit.

No experiments about customer support.

I'm a semi-pro guitarist, and I often use my Guv'nor in my gear . Because I think it's very flexible, it suits for me and my music very well.
I have tried the new Guv'nor Plus, but I think my 'old' is better!