Formula B dials into Classic Eighties Rock Tones with its new Eighty Master MIAB Overdrive / Distortion Pedal

Formula B’s Marco Bovelli has some serious pedigree with Marshall voiced gain pedals - where his Super Plexi pedal is one of the best of that kind. For the Eighty Master he delivers a more expansive gain range and introduces some really smart controls to further enhance that classic tonality.

Controls - Bass, Treble, Modeling (Presence), Volume, Power / Headroom : 50W / 100W, Compression : Some / None / Lots, Mids, Gain.

3-Band EQ for these kinds of pedals is fairly industry standard - while we have 3 additional clever controls here that really lifts the profile of this pedal.

The 50W / 100W power switch is somewhat reminiscent of the same sort of thing on the JHS Andy Timmons @+ pedal - there you have a 3rd 25W Mode - while here we have the classic 50W and 100W types which determine the character, headroom and saturation of the output. The 50W option is the more dynamic, while the 100W is a denser and more saturated distortion.

We also have a 3-position Compression switch - which is essentially ’off’ in the middle, mild to the left and heavy to the right. Then finally we have a sort of character shaping dial - Modeling - which is closest in nature to an Amp Presence knob.

The Eighty Master has plenty of verve and sizzle and really lives up to its billing. It certainly goes down on my acquisition list - I’m a sucker for great sounding Marshall style pedals - and this is a very find ambassador for that genre. No doubt my friend Jim Button at Boost Guitar Pedals will be getting some of these into stock fairly soon. I feel these will do very well. They are priced at €255 and equivalent.

Overall it’s a really smart MIAB which properly delivers superior tones.

Do you have space for one more Marshall?