8 of the best Marshall style pedals

Marshall Amplification is legendary in the guitar world. Their sonic signature is all over some of the most popular recordings in music across pretty much every genre. And for good reason! They are incredibly well-crafted and have the tone to match. These are our top picks for some of the best Marshall-style pedals available today.

But if you want to get the famous Marshall sound without having to move away from your current amp, or if your budget is slim, you can always look to the pedal world.

It’s also worth noting that this is just a sampling of what’s available. There are many boutique builders that have stellar pedals with the Marshall vibe, but some you have to order direct. A quick internet search will open up Pandora’s box and give you plenty of additional options!

Best overall: Universal Audio Lion

Best Overall

Universal Audio Lion

Three detailed Marshall amplifiers in a pedal with cabinet, microphone, and room emulations that you can customize.

Pros

Three authentic Marshall amp emulations

Cab, mic, and room emulations that can be bypassed

Customization through app

Cons

Expensive

Doesn’t cover many Marshall amps

Buy From

musician’s friend

guitar center

reverb

sam ash

amazon

The Lion is UA’s take on three distinct Marshall amps – the Super Lead, Super Bass, and the “Brown”. The latter being a take on Eddie Van Halen’s famously modded Marshall that helped him forget the infamous “brown sound”.

It runs on the company’s powerful dual-engine processing and UAD modeling and nails the nuances of these three legendary British amps. Cabinet, microphone, and room emulations (all can be bypassed) are also included and can be customized through an app.

Controls are simple, select the desired amp and cabinet through switches and dial in gain, EQ, and volume through standard control knobs. True to Marshall form, it even includes two volume controls like the amps themselves. You can even save presets for quick switching on stage or for recording.

Universal Audio has stepped into the effects pedal market in a big way. It only includes three amp models, but the Lion stands up to any Marshall-in-a-box as one of the best around.

Best overall runner-up: Bogner La Grange

Best Overall runner-up

Bogner La Grange

Great Plexi sounds in a pedal with unique controls that include Variac simulation, multiple gain structures, and a Channel Blend that simulates bridging input on the real amp.

Pros

Authentic Plexi tones

Blend control simulates bridging inputs

Variac simulator

Expression pedal input for real-time gain control

Cons

Large enclosure

Only Plexi emulation

Buy From

reverb

amazon

If you’re looking for the infamous “brown sound”, it might be time to take a trip to La Grange. This Plexi-style pedal has a simple but powerful control set that includes gain, tone, and volume with an additional control over the amount of boost.

The real magic lies in the Channel Blend control, which emulates bridging two channels of the 4-input original amp. A set of switches lets you tailor the sound even further with additional gain, increased presence, a Variac simulator, and Structure – which changes how the gain behaves (tight and focused, or loose and open).

You can even use an expression pedal to alter the gain in real time!

Most Versatile: Tech 21 Character Series British

Most Versatile

Tech 21 Character Series British

Dial in a range of Marshall amps through a simple control. Realistic speaker emulation that can be bypassed. Great for direct recording.

Pros

Character knob allows for range of Marshall amp sounds

Speaker emulation that can be bypassed

Great for direct recording

Cons

Sounds aren’t as authentic as more expensive options

Buy From

musician’s friend

reverb

Tech 21’s Character series offers some of the best amp sounds you can find in a pedal, and the British is their take on the Marshall mojo. It comes with drive and level controls for gain staging and a 3-band EQ for tone tweaking.

But the Character knob is where the true magic lies. It allows you to select between many types of Marshall’s most popular amp models like the JCM800, Bluesbreaker, Super Lead, and JMP. It also comes with Sansamp speaker emulation that can be disabled if desired.

Best Plexi: Wampler Plexi-Drive Deluxe V2

Best Plexi

Wampler Plexi-Drive Deluxe V2

An all-analog Plexi emulation with a versatile control set.

Pros

One of best Plexi emulations

All analog circuitry

Bright and bass boost switches

Boost channel great for extra push for solos or as a second channel

Cons

Large enclosure, but comes in a mini version with fewer controls

Buy From

musician’s friend

guitar center

reverb

sam ash

amazon

No one can deny that Wampler is at the top of the heap when it comes to squeezing amazing amp sounds into a pedal. The Plexi-Drive features two independent channels (normal and boost) with 3-band EQ and some voicing switches that can add more bass and brightness.

And if your pedalboard is low on real estate, it also comes in a mini version with a few less features.

Best Super Lead: Xotic Effects SL Drive

Best Super Lead

Xotic Effects SL Drive

This slim Super Lead is all analog circuitry and fits nicely into any pedalboard.

Pros

Simple control set

Small footprint

Cons

Not as much control over sound as other options

Buy From

musician’s friend

guitar center

reverb

sam ash

amazon

The SL Drive is built to reproduce sounds from the Super Lead and Super Bass amplifiers, with internal switches that let you choose between them. The Super Lead is brighter and offers more gain, while the Super Bass has more low end. It also interacts nicely with your guitar’s volume control, just like the real thing.

It would be nice if it had a few more controls, but the small footprint fits in nicely – especially if pedalboard real estate is at a premium.

Best Hot-Rodded Sound: Friedman BE-OD

Best Hot-Rodded Sound

Friedman BE-OD

This pedal models the Friedman BE-100, an amp that pays homage to classic Marshall tones.

Pros

Simple controls

Tight knob lets you focus the sound

Deluxe version offers more controls

Cons

Some might want more specific controls

Buy From

musician’s friend

guitar center

reverb

amazon

Friedman amplifiers take the British sounds of Marshall and hot-rodded them. The BE-OD features the full midrange and increased gain found in the BE-100 amplifier and squeezes it into a stompbox.

The unique Tight control gives you a range of responsiveness, and there is more than enough gain on tap to do some serious damage. It also comes in a Deluxe, two channel version with even more controls.

Best JCM800: JHS Angry Charlie V3

Best JCM800

JHS Angry Charlie V3

Put the thump and thunder of a JCM800 onto your pedalboard. Active EQ controls interact like a traditional Marshall tone stack.

Pros

Accurate JCM800 tones

Marshall-style tone stack active EQ

Drive and Volume controls interact like master volume on the physical amp

All-analog circuitry

Cons

Only JCM800 sounds

A little pricey for just one Marshall sound

Buy From

musician’s friend

guitar center

reverb

amazon

The JCM800 is one of Marshall’s most famous models. Responsible for some of the most sought-after heavenly high-gain hard rock tones on record, it has defined generations of guitar players’ sounds.

This pedal brings the gainy goodness, lush low end, and thick midrange. The active tone section is based directly on the amp version. A few knobs and the truth – just like the amplifier.

Best budget: Joyo British

Best budget

Joyo British

This budget pedal brings a range of Marshall sounds at a price point anyone can afford, but the speaker emulation can’t be bypassed.

Pros

Good amount of controls

Affordable

Convincing sound for price point

Cons

Can’t disable speaker emulation

Not as much clarity as more expensive options

Buy From

reverb

amazon

This model from Joyo is very similar to Tech 21’s version. It offers the same control set and comes damn close in replicating the sound of some of Marshall’s most famous creations.

The only significant difference is that it does not allow you to turn off the speaker emulation – but that is one of the critical elements to getting a convincing amp sound anyway. It’s already really affordable, but you can get it dirt cheap used.

FAQ

What is the Marshall signature sound?

Marshall (along with Vox) pioneered the “British sound” in guitar amps. They are known for being loud and having a lot of gain while being warm and fat sounding.

Does Marshall make pedals?

Yes. Most of them have been discontinued, but you can still find them at relatively affordable prices on the used market. They did re-issue their most popular pedal – the Bluesbreaker – recently.

When did the Marshall Bluesbreaker pedal come out?

It was original released in 1991. Initially it wasn’t very popular, which lead Marshall to eventually discontinue it. But over the years it gained renown and became so in demand that the company reissued it in 2023.