a_k_watson's Pedalboard

The ability to swap pre-amplifiers through the effects loop return of my combo amplifiers is a conscious space and budget saving solution.

The finish of the Vox Copperhead Drive is blatantly reminiscent of the control panels of Marshall amplifiers, leaving little doubt over its inspiration.

I personally like the Copperhead Drive Gain most between 11 and 2 o'clock, providing, to my ears, the tones in my head over the ages of JMP, through JCM800 to JCM900 (the 1970s to the 1990s).

In pre-amp mode, the three band active EQ has plenty of range to tweak to the power amp, speaker and the room.

The Bright switch adds a little more zing and sizzle, but not quite enough for my tastes for more modern tones through my usual arrangement into a Marshall Origin 20C combo 20W EL34 power amp into its 10 inch speaker. I dial the presence control on the receiving power amp up to taste.

I have the aforementioned Marshall Origin 20C which is fantastic at home levels at early Marshall clean, edge of break up and crunch but cannot do harder rock at sociable volumes. The maligned Marshall DSL1CR with its 1W output (using an ECC82 pre-amp valve in its power amp) has too modern voicing, for my taste, through its 8 inch speaker. In terms of actual Marshall pre-amp alternatives, I also have the JMP-1 Valve MIDI Pre-amp (which boasted it could cover from JTM45 to JCM900) and the lesser known DRP-1 Direct Recording Pre-amp (a completely solid state unit voiced with a 2203 in mind).

None of the above from Marshall themselves quite covers '70s and '80s classic crunch, bark and roar in my mind with such convincing tone and feeling as the Vox Copperhead Drive (or certainly not at such polite volumes).

I should make clear that as it is not a simulation, model or profile of a Marshall, it does not precisely emulate any particular Marshall. Rather it captures the vibe of the sound of rock over those decades propelled by various Marshall models.

Those not convinced about trying NuTube should watch the blind test comparison between a 12AX7 and NuTube in Landon Bailey's YouTube video Classic Vacuum Tube VS New Korg Nutube - Tone Comparison

https://youtu.be/KMCtOBAk4_o?si=0biRNcYp9oE4T9zW

It does becomes more compressed than I would desire from the point of heavier crunch onwards.

It sounds like valve, it feels like valve and most importantly it sounds like an amp brand whose control panels share their colour with this pedal.