Marshall ShredMaster

What can I say - it`s very easy to use. Contour knob is fantastic ! It allows you to play every kind of music - blues, jazz, rock@roll, hard rock, heavy/trash metal... etc. and everything sound great!! Very versatile pedal.

I play mostly heavy metal, hard rock. It`s the best pedal I have ever used !!! Huge bottom end deep sound - great for heavy riffs (contour and gain 9/10 or 10/10) !! But on the same settings solos don`t sound good (for me) - I need to change contour leve to 5/10, then it`s usable for soloing. It`s quite difficult to find settings good both for solos and riffs (that`s why I gave "only" 9) - but to play one of them - it`s the best pedal .
My main pickup - DiMarzio Tone Zone(bridge), second - Sey. Dunc. Hot Rails (neck), use Fender Squier Strat. I play trough solid state amp - I really can`t wait the moment I will buy a tube amp and use this awesome pedal do smash my ears !!!

I depend on it and use it without any backup on gigs. I bought it with changed footswitch...

Never dealt with them.

It`s the best overdrive/distortion pedal i have ever used or heard (I`m playing for 3 years). Much better than Marshall Jachhammer wich I have also and use to play solos. Better than any Boss I have heard or used. Far better than Ibanez SM-7 Smash Box - its sound is synthetic.

Very natural, tube sounding, great bottom. If you find one - buy it !!! It`s just great !!

Many sounds can be got out of this. Just twiddle the knobs! Gain only really comes on after about 2 o'clock, also get the terrible no mid sounds for metal if you are not careful.

This pedal IS the best distortion pedal ever. I have tried over the years, Jackhammer (rubbish), Boss turbo distortion (no bottom), Boss Metalzone and none of these come close. I feel sorry for any guitarists that use the mentioned pedals really as they do not know what they are doing!

Obviously, these are not made anymore but they seem to be strong except for the switches, which are easy to replace.

Never

This pedal is fantastic, the bottom end and all important mids are great. Also easy to get musical feedback out of it.

This pedal isn??t as easy to use as a two-knob pedal, but its completely worth fiddling around and getting to know what the knobs do. You won??t need a manual (since these are vintage don??t expect anything coming with it). If you find the sweet spots its AWESOME. and you know you??ll find them when you know what you??re after.

the sound from this unit is brilliant. wide range of OD and distortion sounds. can be bluesy but also handle metal, rock, whatever.
This is a top-of-the-line distortion, better sounding than any boss pedal or similar crap. Its lively and has soul. it has loadsa charme.

I use this with an ibanez ARC300 into the following:

guitar --> ehx octaver --> ehx microsynth --> shredmaster --> dano eq --> ehx stereo delay --> fender twin 2x12" / epiphone valve jr 1x8"

superb sounding setup. sometimes i use a vintage framus with two dimarzio superII pickups and therefore have to turn the gain down a slight bit (those PUs have a freakin?? high output for passive PUs). sounds great too.

can get noisy but most distortion/OD pedals can do this. mostly sounds great. never heard such a smooth but still in-your-face distortion sound. this is my main drive.

it was in good shape when i bought it and still is. i don??t think it??ll ever break but i have a DOD fx51 for a backup (go look it up if you dont know this, yet another great but sadly discontinued pedal). the casing looks sturdy and the knobs aren??t scratchy/flimsy yet.

I play tool/kyuss/melvins influenced so-called "stoner" rock and a little improv blues. its a really good match for my tastes. it can be quite bluesy with the contour knob around 9 o clock and the gain turned down a bit, and powerful distorted chords and still cutting and smooth leads are also possible. wonderful. show me another pedal in this pricerange (look what i paid! bargain!!!) that sounds like this. if this were stolen, i know someone who has one and isn??t too satisfied. i might even ask him for it someday. whats better than having the same pedal for a backup?
this thing thru an all-tube fenders clean channel and i??m happy. really shines!

This pedal has the usual gain, bass, treble and volume, with the addition of CONTOUR, which acts like a mid shift knob. It can really get a bluesy half-distorted sound to a scooped out mid recto sound, with the gain on 10 and the contour on 8-10. Great variety, takes a bit to adjust, but every sound is great!

Okay, here we go. I can't believe how fanstastic this sounds with my nonmaster marshalls. I use it with a 100 watt '69 and a 100 watt '72, and it sounds wonderful! I bridge the channels and lower the bass a bit, it is dark, and the sound really shines! I just gave up my tonebone hot british for this, the shredmaster even sounds clean and heavy gained out and using the neck pickup! Most of the tube drivers fart out on the neck, but this thing shines!! WHY DID MARSHALL STOP MAKING THESE! Then again, why did they originally stop making the nonmaster volume amps back in the 80s? Well, since they are remaking a lot of the classic amps (hopefully they will get it right soon) they may remake this pedal!!!

built like a tank!! I really think this thing could be driven over by a car and plug and play!! the on off switch is a little weak, but it works! Funny, the knobs remind me of the marshall amps, some turn easier, and they have ranges of sound, rather than each notch changing the sound, great stuff!

huh?

Overall, this is my main pedal for the nonmaster marshalls!! It sounds like a tube screamer boosting an MXR distortion+ without the noise!!

set gain to full, set bass to 1-2 o'clock,play with the treble this will dictate the "darkness" or the "lightness" of the sound. Play with its contour, the higher your contour the thinner the sound gets(less presence for solo's)use the volume for presence to catch up. So for a chunky,crunchy sound lower its contour. turn the unit for awhile.set your amp volumes "clean" to desired settings, then turn on your shredmaster and adjust its volume to catch up with its clean. this will asure you of a balanced presence or kick for rhythm and lead solos. plus this setting will balance your tone and volume and incase you want to switch it on or off for your song. very easy to use but you have to appreciate blues rock, rock n roll, blues, jazz, classic punk, even metal etc. to appreciate its simplicity and smoothness. most modern rockers don't deserve this distortion. they should just buy a metal zone or something.

50's, 60's, 70's, 80's, 90's sounds. from inxs, to rolling stones, to sabbath, to zeppelin, etc. i use a fender amp so i can balance it's clean to distortion, i either use a les paul(US standard) or a strat(US standard). depends on my mood or sound i have to get. but more for my mood. i can play either guitar for this set up almost any song(give or take). its best used with a passive by-pass modulation. It whistles a lot(depends on setting, wire condition and distance of amp to user), in return for power and sustain. my set up is: Amp---Shred---sansamp GT2(for variation. never at at the same time)---passive by pass Modulation---vox wah--guitar. thats 7 years of playing.

you can depend on the casing! But not the nipple like foot switch, it wears out first. dependable but always keep in in check. keep cleaning it after use. regardless of your gear bring back up if you can afford.

friendly but hard to depend on for repair. good with sales though.

classic rock, blues, rock n roll, even metal. yup its perfect for me. but they don't make them anymore so it replaced it, with a Guv'nor plus and a jackhammer for variation.

Modern rocker set ups are to dependent on digital. thats baby stuff, almost all speed. lacks imagination. till the day i find someone better than tom morelo, you guys have to learn more.

Bought it used at a flea market

When I remember to futz with the knobs it gets better...it has a variety of moods from Ozzy to Mazzy Star to Galaxie 500...tends to be a bit tempramental, but then again I practice at a rehearsel space with Marshal amps with master knobs...not my preference (prefer Mesa Boogie Head or old Fenders, but that said...it's a staple in the gear bag.
I wish the knob functions were more visible(unreadable with out a microscope) since I try to experiment with many effects pedals seeking a unique sound, but still use it as my main distortion. People always want to buy it from me.

I can depend on it even though the battery keeps flopping out due to the missing cover. As with with all vintage pedals with missing backs....wedge a piece of soft foam in there to hold the battery...it's a hassle but hey...whats the alternative?

N/A

I play experimentel art music with a bunch of non-musicians which are getting musically better by the minute. I've been playing for 20 years.
I've had to sell great gear from time to time to live...but it comes and goes like the sun..as with old records, the best gear is the cheapest, I play an old cracked Harmony with a vintage DeArmond pick-up and a Cortez electric. If the shredmaster was stolen I would probably update it with some kind of home made gizmo often found on the net these days but not before a having a bar brawl. Although sometimes it gets in the way of good music..its me more than the pedal, however the pedal is the main stay.

ease of use, hmmm , fairly easy to get basic sounds, but fine tuning it can take some time ,but i like the fact it can be tweaked, its definitly not a one trick pony, compared to some racks though its childs play

im using this with two marshall stacks, one is a 1972 50 watt non master volume ,the model is the 1987
the other is 1972 100 watt non master volume superbass,used for guitar
i play a les paul
i find the pedal a bit noisy , but then my amps are as well, it doesent bother me
i dont think this a high gain type of pedal but it does have a LOT of gain ,just not rectifier sort of gain, if you like 70s 8os rock you will probably love it
i tried this through two marshall master volume amps one jcm800 and a jmp , didnt like it with them , it squealed very badly ,not natural feedback just crappy uncontrollable noise ,
BUT it shines with the the non master amps
i notice some reviewers comments that the pedal is too dark sounding
ive notced it can be ,but ive found if you set the pedals out put too low its dark, if you set it too high its bright
it can produce a wide pallette of tones , but i prefer it with the gain flat out
ive noted reviewers comments about radiohead ,i dont know if they are accurate or not as im not that familiar with their stuff ,
ive noticed however that with my marshall 100 watt superbass it does the sound that thin lizzy had on the track stone cold sweat,
which i think is the guitarist john sykes, definitely one their more gained out sounds, sounds bloody amazing i love it.
with my 50 watt marshall it also does a very impressive take on the guitar sound from the billy idol track rebel yell, again absolutley killer marshall sound
both these sounds or either one alone are well worth the money i paid for the pedal, i think it sounds incredible , i cannot stress this enough , use it with the non master volume marshalls, you will be blown away by the sound!!!!!!

dont honestly know mine seems sturdy, but the baterry cover is crap
and a pain in the arse,

ive used marshall for a long time,
ive lost count of how many marshall amps ive owned, i dont know if marshall would repair this if it broke, i would probably just buy another anyway
BUT, their customer service ive received for my amps has been first rate, they are always polite, knowledjeable and helpful, and their prices for repair or service are very good,
you can take your amp to marshall by appointment, for repair or service or modification, and wait and watch them work on your equipment ,they have a courtesy area where you can sit and watch them in the service area through a huge window
ive dealt with paul marshall and phil wells , they have both been great
phill wells must have spent hours on the phone with me teaching me how to run marshall se100 with an eventide for a wet dry wet setup
now THATS customer service
RATING 20

i love the sound of this pedal if mine needed replacing
i would buy another in an instant
ive owned boogies , soldano, fender,vox, carvin,eventide
ive tried too many pedals to mention,
ive come back to marshall, this pedal works brilliantly
with the four hole marshalls , amazing gained out leads and rythym
stunning

real easy to use. contour control does take a little tweaking but once you understand how it works and what it does to your sound it`s a piece of cake.

i use a 1978 les paul anniversary and either a 1981 marshall jcm 800 half stack single channel or a 1984 peavey heritage vtx.....pedal sounds great on either amp.......

like the previous guy, i also laugh at some of these reviews. guys playing a whole 2 years(wow) and giving low ratings for one of the most sought after distorion pedals on the current market because it does`nt have enough gain, that is absolutley ridiculous. all that gain only covers up shitty guitar playing. i`ve been playing thirty years plus and believe me, i know what a crappy sounding rig sounds like, as well as a good one. this pedal is absolutley awsome if you like the british/marshall crunch. it can sound just like a jcm800(i have two of them so i know) or the jcm900 high gain master volume(had one of those too) with the extra 11-20 gain knob. loads of GOOD feedback if you know how to use it. this pedal has plenty of gain. like i said, i read here where some say it does`nt have enough gain, thats total bullshit. if it had anymore gain, it would sound like a buzz saw. it really depends on your amp and the guitar you are using. the guys using fender strats with single coil pickups will never get a crunch like my les paul can get. so before you complain about the amount of gain this pedal "does`nt" have, try all guitars with this pedal, not just your cheap fender copy with weak pickups. so, if you want to sound like computer generated crap, then get a boss metal zone or something. this pedal is just dripping with authentic tube tone and it sounds great.

i have had mine since 1990 and all i ever had to do was have a new foot switch installed. i play every weekend so that pedal has had the living shit stomped out of it and it still sounds as good as the day i bought it. the original stomp switch lasted for 14 1/2 years. i had the new one installed last year(2005). seems like a good reliable pedal considering how many times i stomped on that thing.............

never needed it

i play all kinds of music in my band. everything from metal to country. i use a blues breaker 2 on the boost setting for country leads and the shredmaster for classic rock and metal. the SHREDMASTER one of the best distortion pedals ever made. just go to ebay and price them (around $150-$200). yea, it does sound like an overdriven marshall, but that is the point now is`nt it. if you want a chain saw sound then go buy a BOSS heavy metal HM-2 or a metal zone. i know because i own a BOSS HM-2 also................

Pretty much self explanatory, just plug it in, and start jiggling with the controls, hit that switch to turn it on and off.

My setup is nothing fancy, Japanese Fender Stratocaster 62 reissue and a Fender Champion 30 Watt amp. I developed very high expectaions for this item and was thrilled once I won it on Ebay, imagining my Radiohead crunch or my Sonic Youth noises coming through the speakers. Well, I was disappointed. Even with full gain this pedal sounds more like an overdrive pedal than a distortion pedal. Sure, the contour button can give you some versatility, but at the extreme right setting there is a very bad drop in tone, and in the extreme left setting there is a drop in gain, so you end up somewhere in the middle anyhow. The new DS-1 I bought easily out-noised this pedal. The Shredmaster should be of better use as a light distortion pedal or as an overdrive pedal, but don't expect much more than that. If I connect through it when it's off it somehow gives a better clean sound for my guitar than a direct connection, very odd feature.

Looks very sturdy though the power connection seems a big jigly. Also, I bought this second hand with one of the original knobs missing, so watch out for them falling.

I play alternative rock (Radiohead, Smashing Pumpkins) and some blues and just a little jazz. I found the pedal too weak to use as a distortion pedal since I'm looking for that killer grungy sound which it simply failed to deliver. However it could be of use as a strong overdrive pedal since you can get quite a few different tones with it by playing with the knobs, then again you'll probably find one you like and stick with it.

pretty easy.. gain, bass, contour, treble and volume..unlike the drivemaster, the volume level stays pretty constant when you apply the gain

i use a strat and an es335.. plexi amp

this must be one of the most UnderRated pedal Ever!!

for starters, it's pretty quiet considering the amount of overdrive you can dial in. when looking inside the pedal, it has 2 levels of cascading circuits available. IT's very well built inside..

The very surprising thing here is how soft and musical the overdrive is when using a lower gain level. I swear that when dialing it right, you can get damn close to a Tube screamer..

As a matter of fact, i tested it with a friend that is a TS808 maniac. i was hiding the pedals behind my amp and i plugged in his TS808, a TS-9 and this pedal and the ONLY way he had been able to identify this one is by the click the on/off switch does..he was really surprised how close it was to his Tube screamer..

Things get a bit more 'heavy/complicated' when applying more gain and fiddling with the 'contour' knob.. you had a LOT of other sounds available with this pedal. from Hard rock to heavy metal to Death metal.. grrrrrrnnnnnn!!!...

But in order to get a good heavy tone, you have to understand mechanical/vibrationnal feedback..you see, when you apply more gain (a lot in this case), and you are playing loud, this pedal will enhance KEY frequencies that will cause material close to the amplifier to vibrate..ESPECIALLY it will make your guitar feedback.. loose strings, pickup, your teeth too!!

it makes me laugh reading the reviews of this pedal that some had serious feedbacks happening and blamed the pedal..!!!

OF COURSE it does that,, it's a high gain overdrive/distortion pedal.. you have to learn how not to put TOO much gain to have some control over feedback and adjust the bass/trebble..duh!!

i have been fiddling with overdrive pedals for years and i am very happy to have gotten this one..
i am able to get 3 very good sounds with this one..

a tube screamer type overdrive
a hard rock Marshall sound
a heavy metal/distortion sound

seems pretty tough..this is the black metal box with the 5 knobs on the front on a lower level to prevent your foot from accidentally change the settings..

the battery door sucks thought..it's all metal except thig..flimsy battery access and the battery is loose inside..(i fixed that with a piece of styrofoam..

i dunno

worth every dime .. this is a great addition to my pedalboard..which is :

guitar -> modded vox cry baby -> shredmaster -> TS-9 -> vintage electric mistress -> amp

i will be using it as my Marshall overdrive sound.. the Output level is not very high.. so it's at 3 oclock all the time..

i reduce a '1' because of the battery door..