Marshall Guvn'r Plus 2 - C22 'mod'

Voxman · March 2017

I'm aware that by snipping one of the legs off the C22 cap, you can greatly enhance tone and make the pedal brighter/tighter.

I was wondering if anyone has done this simple mod, and just wanted to check that all the tone/bass/mid/deep controls all still work after the 'mod' (so you can still make the pedal sound darker if you wanted to) and that there are no unwanted side-effects eg more noise?

ThePrettyDamned · March 2017

I did it, and didn't like the result, so put it back.

The tones are all already there in my opinion, it's a pedal that works best up loud vs at home volume. The main weakness I wanted to fix was the ability to clean up through pick attack - it's not fantastic for that, but the actual sound is so good I didn't mind.

Grumpyrocker · March 2017

I did this mod. It certainly makes it brighter, but I didn't like the result.

Voxman · March 2017

Interesting @Grumpyrocker and @ThePrettyDamned - I think that's the first time I've read negative responses to the C22 mod.

I agree that it's best 'cranked' but what was it exactly about the changed tone that you both didn't like?

@ThePrettyDamned I note you put it back - was it not possible to dial back in the 'pre-mod' tone with the effect controls?

ThePrettyDamned · March 2017

Voxman said:

Interesting @Grumpyrocker and @ThePrettyDamned - I think that's the first time I've read negative responses to the C22 mod.

I agree that it's best 'cranked' but what was it exactly about the changed tone that you both didn't like?

@ThePrettyDamned I note you put it back - was it not possible to dial back in the 'pre-mod' tone with the effect controls?

You might be able to, but I struggled to dial it in. It just makes it brighter - it doesn't 'open up' the slightly congested sound (which is fairly accurate imo of 70's rock).

It's just a pedal that needs to be loud to make more sense. I don't usually like that sentiment, but it's really true of the GV2. Max gain, volume up a bit, careful with the bass and the resonance or whatever it's called (which is easily the best bit of the pedal) and scoop some mids. Keep the treble up a bit and that's a really excellent old school marshallish tone.

Yorkie · July 2021

With apologies in advance for digging this out. I have just received a GV2 I found for £30 on eBay. Have no idea if it’s been modded, but will find out later. My question is about the settings to make this sound like early AC/DC; I have read that you need to keep gain low and crank up the mids, but @ThePrettyDamned said that this (unmodded) pedal works best with gain cranked up. Is the mod worth doing if wanting to keep gain low?

Cheers,
Jon

Voxman · July 2021

Yorkie said:

My apologies in advance for digging this out. I have just received a GV2 I found for £30 on eBay. Have no idea if it’s been modded, but will find out later. My question is about the settings to make this sound like early AC/DC; I have read that you need to keep gain low and crank up the mids, but @ThePrettyDamned said that this (unmodded) pedal works best with gain cranked up. Is the mod worth doing if wanting to keep gain low?
Cheers,
Jon

The C22 mod simply makes the GV2 a little brighter. I've not done it to mine as I have a Boss G7 EQ at the end of the signal chain on my pedalboard that gives me extra EQ control.

ThePrettyDamned · July 2021

Just play it and see what you think. I think you'll be surprised.

It's not a high gain pedal.

Yorkie · July 2021

I think I’ll have to reset the Katana’s EQ. I had increased the bass response to suit my taste, but now the combination with this thing’s ‘deep’ sound is making the headphones shake.

Jon

Voxman · July 2021

Yorkie said:

I think I’ll have to reset the Katana’s EQ. I had increased the bass response to suit my taste, but now the combination with this thing’s ‘deep’ sound is making the headphones shake.

Jon

The deep control is what makes the GV2 sound like it's going through a 4x12!

smudge_lad · July 2021

I have two GV2’s - one modded and one un-modded. As previously stated, the mod definitely makes the pedal brighter, and personally I prefer the modded pedal.

The biggest flaw of the pedal is with the gain low. It’s just doesn’t react well at all, which is a real shame. Gain cranked to mid/high gain, it absolutely wails!

I don’t think I’ve ever tried rolling the guitar volume off though, which might work. But running the pedal itself in lower gain sounds really bad unfortunately

Voxman · July 2021

smudge_lad said:

I have two GV2’s - one modded and one un-modded. As previously stated, the mod definitely makes the pedal brighter, and personally I prefer the modded pedal.

The biggest flaw of the pedal is with the gain low. It’s just doesn’t react well at all, which is a real shame. Gain cranked to mid/high gain, it absolutely wails!

I don’t think I’ve ever tried rolling the guitar volume off though, which might work. But running the pedal itself in lower gain sounds really bad unfortunately

That's very odd. My GV2 sounds good at all gain levels. My amps are a Laney Cub12R, Laney VC30-210, Marshall Valvestate Mk1 8080, and Marshall JCM2000 DSL401.

Im aware that different distortion pedals sound better with different amps. You wouldn't be going through a Fender per chance?

smudge_lad · July 2021

Voxman said:

smudge_lad said:

I have two GV2’s - one modded and one un-modded. As previously stated, the mod definitely makes the pedal brighter, and personally I prefer the modded pedal.

The biggest flaw of the pedal is with the gain low. It’s just doesn’t react well at all, which is a real shame. Gain cranked to mid/high gain, it absolutely wails!

I don’t think I’ve ever tried rolling the guitar volume off though, which might work. But running the pedal itself in lower gain sounds really bad unfortunately

That's very odd. My GV2 sounds good at all gain levels. My amps are a Laney Cub12R, Laney VC30-210, Marshall Valvestate Mk1 8080, and Marshall JCM2000 DSL401.

Im aware that different distortion pedals sound better with different amps. You wouldn't be going through a Fender per chance?

No, currently using a JVM410h and a Bad Cat Black Cat 30.

I just don’t like the way it responds with the gain low. It just doesn’t seem very alive and maybe a bit flat. It definitely doesn’t sound like my Marshall or other MIAB pedals with the gain set low

relic245 · July 2021

Voxman

Im aware that different distortion pedals sound better with different amps. You wouldn't be going through a Fender per chance?

I think the gv2 sounds ace through a fender. At least it does through my hrd with a v30 in.

Grumpyrocker · July 2021

I haven't used my GV2 for ages. My Tone City Model M does the Marshall in a pedal thing so much better.

thermionic · July 2021

I read somewhere that they copied most of the tone stack from the original Guv’nor, but scaled down all the resistor and capacitor values by a factor of 10 - but they forgot to change C22, which is ten times too big. Replacing it with the “correct” value should in theory yield better results than removing it completely. Maybe I’ll try it one day…

Yorkie · July 2021

Voxman said:

Yorkie said:

I think I’ll have to reset the Katana’s EQ. I had increased the bass response to suit my taste, but now the combination with this thing’s ‘deep’ sound is making the headphones shake.

Jon

The deep control is what makes the GV2 sound like it's going through a 4x12!

That’s what the manual says, yes. But with the Katana’s EQ set to boost bass too, the whole thing was displacing an unsettling amount of air. I shall reset it tomorrow when I have access to a computer.

Jon

Yorkie · July 2021

thermionic said:

I read somewhere that they copied most of the tone stack from the original Guv’nor, but scaled down all the resistor and capacitor values by a factor of 10 - but they forgot to change C22, which is ten times too big. Replacing it with the “correct” value should in theory yield better results than removing it completely. Maybe I’ll try it one day…

I’ve also read that they left C22 as it was because a lower capacitance would cause problems with feedback (?) because of the way cables are bundled inside the pedal… having just opened mine (unmodded, btw) I can only nod. But the board is soooo neatly annotated. I like it

Edit: here is the source - https://www.marshallforum.com/threads/marshall-gv2-guvnor-plus-overdrive-distortion-pedal-how-it-works-mods.93225/

thermionic · July 2021

Interesting stuff, thanks @Yorkie. Lots of clever stuff going on in that pedal, almost makes me feel nostalgic for running Spice simulations!

Yorkie · July 2021

thermionic said:

Interesting stuff, thanks @Yorkie. Lots of clever stuff going on in that pedal, almost makes me feel nostalgic for running Spice simulations!

Me too! It’s been a while…

andy_k · July 2021

Good read, I always preferred the Mk 1, so it is interesting to see how the circuit differs. I'm sure all the tone is in the Mk2, it is just a bit harder to dial in, option paralysis sets in, and I have settled on using a Fuzzdog Angry Andy for my MIAB pedal.
It is quite amazing how versatile that pedal is (based on a JHS AT model) considering how few parts are in the circuit, and the way the tone circuit is set with just 2 knobs makes things simple. There is a 3 way switch to set 25 / 50 / 100watt headroom which has fairly drastic effects.

Yorkie · July 2021

Ok, I might have to freeze the knobs with duct tape or something.

Or I could document it here:

Gain at 8 o'clock.
Deep at max.
Bass at 1 o'clock.
Mids at max.
Treble at max.
Volume at 2 o'clock.

Have set the Katana EQ to flat, resonance to 'vintage' and presence at 3 o'clock, clean channel. This has sent me back a few decades in time.

I reckon I shan't be modding this one. But I won’t say I idolise it, because I don’t want it to end up in the classifieds in two weeks time

Jon

dilbert · July 2021

I did mine, it's the easiest mod I have ever done, I just lifted a leg in case I was going to reverse it but I preferred the post mod sound. I also thought about fitting a switch so I could select either mode but I went cool on the pedal so decided against it. I still have it but it seems to spend more time out on loan than in use by me these days so....... time to unload??.

Yorkie · July 2021

dilbert said:

I did mine, it's the easiest mod I have ever done, I just lifted a leg in case I was going to reverse it but I preferred the post mod sound. I also thought about fitting a switch so I could select either mode but I went cool on the pedal so decided against it. I still have it but it seems to spend more time out on loan than in use by me these days so....... time to unload??.

Mine has definitely earned its place – for now. I also have a Blackstar LT Dual, but I couldn't get a confident low gain/crunch response from it. I guess now that I have both I can record a riff on my Wiretap and compare the response to knob settings on both. I find the Blackstar to be more versatile outside of the crunch range, but that may just be me not knowing what to do with the knobs – I'm still nothing more than an aspiring ignorant.

Jon

Voxman · July 2021

dilbert said:

I did mine, it's the easiest mod I have ever done, I just lifted a leg in case I was going to reverse it but I preferred the post mod sound. I also thought about fitting a switch so I could select either mode but I went cool on the pedal so decided against it. I still have it but it seems to spend more time out on loan than in use by me these days so....... time to unload??.

I haven't opened mine up. Is there a picture or vid somewhere to show how to access and snip or lift up the leg?

Does the mod render inactive any of the rotary controls?

smudge_lad · July 2021

Voxman said:

dilbert said:

I did mine, it's the easiest mod I have ever done, I just lifted a leg in case I was going to reverse it but I preferred the post mod sound. I also thought about fitting a switch so I could select either mode but I went cool on the pedal so decided against it. I still have it but it seems to spend more time out on loan than in use by me these days so....... time to unload??.

I haven't opened mine up. Is there a picture or vid somewhere to show how to access and snip or lift up the leg?

Does the mod render inactive any of the rotary controls?

I’m sure if you Google it, there are images and it’s fairly easy to find. In fact, I don’t even think you need to Google it, just open it up and you can see it.

It doesn’t affect any of the controls

Voxman · July 2021

smudge_lad said:

Voxman said:

dilbert said:

I did mine, it's the easiest mod I have ever done, I just lifted a leg in case I was going to reverse it but I preferred the post mod sound. I also thought about fitting a switch so I could select either mode but I went cool on the pedal so decided against it. I still have it but it seems to spend more time out on loan than in use by me these days so....... time to unload??.

I haven't opened mine up. Is there a picture or vid somewhere to show how to access and snip or lift up the leg?

Does the mod render inactive any of the rotary controls?

I’m sure if you Google it, there are images and it’s fairly easy to find. In fact, I don’t even think you need to Google it, just open it up and you can see it.

It doesn’t affect any of the controls

Thanks @smudge_lad ;

Yorkie · July 2021

While we’re here… what do you folks think of the NUX Plexi Crunch? Have watched Dave Simpson’s (sponsored) review and it sounded crackers.

BigPaulie · July 2023

Resurrecting this old thread because I've just modded my rehoused GV-2.

I didn't remove C22 but replaced it with a 47pF ceramic disc cap and the difference is quite striking. It has definitely increased the treble content for the better. Blanket lifted indeed!

TimmyO · July 2023

There’s a VERY detailed video on YouTube where a chap does various mods and gets a GV2 to the exact same frequency response (on a trace anyway) as a Mki but it took more than a single component change, if that’s of interest

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Marshall Guvn'r Plus 2 - C22 'mod'

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