Pedal has been awesome so far w its sonic qualities..thx! Appreciate my sales engineer Nick Barton who is always mega helpful n informed!

I'd been eyeing this pedal for well over a year now, and decided to finally pull the trigger. I am SO GLAD I DID ! While my tube amp has channel switching, with the SL, I can quickly go from modulated cleans to in your face English flavored distortion!
XOTIC knocks it out of the ballpark again !!! And paired with the XOTIC EP, it seriously ROCKS ! Controllable feedback at bedroom levels ? No problem! I've had all sorts of pedals over the near 50 years of playing guitar, and the XOTIC SL ranks at the top of my list of distortion/overdrive pedals. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT !
BUY IT NOW, YOU WON'T BE DISAPPOINTED !!!

I'm really liking this Pedal. But to be truthful, I have even got into changing the internal switches yet! Just enjoying the "Stock" settings.

I got this pedal as part of an amp swap with a friend. At first I told him I didn't want it, but now am very glad I got it.

This pedal really surprised me - in a very good way. The range of the dirt is excellent - from a little grit to full-throated roar. It is set on the Super Bass voice. I love how well it cleans up when rolling back the volume.

I play a PRS SE Mira through a Peavey Classic 30. The SL Drive could easily be the only drive pedal on my board. The mini footprint is nice, though it can't accept a battery.

Absolutely love this pedal. Will admit first playing through amp I did not like it but after adjusting internal dip switches I fell in love with it. Definitely a keeper

Personally, I am not a Marshall Amp player but about 2 years ago I got my hands on a solid state Lead 25 that I absolutely fell in love with the GAIN channel. It was a great overdrive with a tight compression. Since then I have been looking for Marshall in a box style pedal that would give me something similar to that Lead 25. THIS IS IT.

Yes, you don't have many dial in options but the dip switches do give you great options for single coil or humbucker players. The "Superlead+" mode makes my Strat sound Full, Thick, with great Note Clarity. This is my first Xotic pedal and can say I am very happy.

I recently saw Dinosaur Jr. and following the show I went down the J. Mascis pedalboard rabbit hole. He bought this one because he had just enough space left on his board and found it to be his new favorite for rhythm on his Tele. I don't have it yet but my sales engineer, Kyle, said they're super cool. Hasn't steered me wrong yet. Kyle's the man!

Plexi in a mini pedal. What's not to love! Buy it NOW!!

Man this pedal is awesome. I have a JCM 2000 DSL 50 that I purchased in 2000. 50 watt head and a 1960 A cabinet. The Xotic SL Drive is so close it is amazing. The Xotic EP Booster in front of it is a great combination. Trust me! Lol

It's not a new pedal and it's not expensive, but it does an outstanding job of doing a medium and higher gain marshall tones. It pairs extremely well with the Xotic EP Booster, and other pedals. I've tried many MIABs, including the Origin Effects Revival Drive Compact (Hotrod Edition), and the SL Drive is probably the best bang for the buck. And I'm not just saying that it's just okay--it's very outstanding. I actually got mine modded by Alchemy Audio, which primarily mods the pedal to place switches on the outside of the pedal to control the four dip switches on the inside. Very handy if you switch amps or just want to experiment. This is a great purchase and if you want marshall tones, you cannot go wrong. Also, run it at 18v and turn the fourth dip switch off for higher headroom and more volume!

Was my first high-quality pedal and absolutely loved it. If you want to get the most out of this pedal, run it higher than 9v. It was very convenient to bring this little pedal around that could easily provide you with a full, British sounding OD/Distortion. The pedal does not have a lot of EQ options; however, some key tricks to keep in mind are that raising the gain cuts the highs and raising the volume increases the presence (while also doing the knobs intended purpose). Was not a huge fan of having the dipswitches internal; however, the best setting for me was the superlead + boost mode. Lots of gain on tap but wish there was more tonal options externally.

Side note: Had this pedal for about 4-5 years when one day after transporting it the signal kept cutting out. No sound or a faded sound would come through and after emailing xotic about the issue, 3 weeks went by where in that time I looked for a replacement, purchased a Friedman Smallbox (basically this pedal's bigger and badder cousin) and had my Sweetwater rep calling me to ask how I was enjoying my new pedal before I got a response back basically stating they would more than likely charge me for any repairs or replacements. I regret not purchasing the pedal on here as I probably would have gotten more assistance from Sweetwater but, you live and you learn. Still would highly recommend the pedal as it was my favorite for a long time.

I got this about 2 years ago and it is my go to for pushing my Fender Deluxe into Super Lead territory. Since I have a Marshall DSL I can get about the same sounds on the classic channel BUT by changing the dip switch settings inside to the Marshall Major setting. I get a warmer older sounding plexi. Reminds me of Doyle Bramhall II strat sound on smaokestack CD.
Well built solid pedal very much worth the price and priced better then most honestly.

Solid construction, stacks well with a boost (clean or dirty), and gets great Super Lead (SL) tones that can push into JCM-800 tones. Great for classic rock, alt rock, hard rock, and indie rock. The heaviest stuff I play with this pedal are Avenged Sevenfold and Coheed and Cambria, but the pedal can be dialed back to around 11 o'clock for more Green Day Dookie to American Idiot level of saturation sounds.

I tried this pedal from a friend and felt I had to have one. I was excited to hear how the overdrive is and you can adjust the settings. I really like that.

I won one of these in an online raffle many years ago. I am sure I would have otherwise never bought one, can't even remember entering the contest etc. So it's ironic that it's still my favorite overdrive pedal.

It has a very authentic Marshall/Vox overdrive tone. (I have a Vox AC-15 and I couldn't pick one over the other in a blind test by a long shot).

It really only does one thing but it does it perfectly.

The more you turn the drive up the more it starves the treble tones; you can compensate for this with the TONE knob. I have no idea if this is accurate to a Marshall amp or not, but it's one technical thing worth mentioning.

If I could sum up the sounds I get from this, it's early/mid 70's Bowie records. Suffragette City, etc. NOT A BAD THING!

The sooner you get anything from Xotic on your board - the better.
Trust me! The. Best.

If you need that presence of "crunch" or that "just over the top" bite, however your pedal board is at space capacity; the SL drive is what you need. I searched for that "tone" in the Sunset by Strymon, it's a great pedal, but controlling it takes some time and then keeping it there, well that's another review. Then there was the Aria - Compressor and Overdrive pedal by Keeley. Great workhorse, but I favored the Compressor more than the Overdrive due to lack of bottom control and drive intensity. I thought I've found it in the Morning Glory by JHS. This is another awesome pedal (especially with the red hot button for that extra punch). Yet, by itself it lacks that drive momentum. But when paired with the LS drive; it's was a perfect marriage for my setup! The LS drive provides that variable "bite" controlled by you, as you play harder it will react. As you relax, the SL drive provides that smooth tone waiting for your command to lead! Plus, consider the footprint! I'm a guitarist at Christian Fellowship Church Harlingen, Texas.

The dipswitches give you all the different Marshall crunch options. It's a perfect pair for my Marshall Origin, but works well with anything. Filled a crucial gap in my tone Arsenal.

Bought this little box of awesome to have a go to lead tone distortion. Simple to use, and fun to play. The only drawback is that the switches to modify the tone are internal, so they're not easy to access or test out the tonal options. Other than that, great pedal for the money

Ok, this is a really good Marshall - in - a box. Really good.

I own the Origin effects revival drive as well. Is it that good? No.

But, for 1/2 of the price, a smaller footprint and super easy to use its unbeatable.

Sounds good in front of any amp and has tons of gain on tap!

Ben Porter at Sweetwater hooked me up with my Xotic SL Drive Overdrive and an Xotic Voltage Doubler 9V to 15V/18V Power Supply converter; while I already knew what I wanted- and why 'n' what for- based on my comments, Ben thoughtfully asked me a few questions regarding the 15V/18V converter and any other pedals that I might use it for, just to make sure everything'd be fine. Good lookin'-out, right?

So- I wanted an overdrive/distortion pedal that I could place after my Fulltone MDV-3 Uni-Vibe style pedal and Les Paul with its rather high-output humbuckers, without getting overly flubby, throbby, or muddy. The SL Drive does exactly that- that is, sounds terrific following the 'Vibe, with a kind of clarity, definition, and headroom, delivering overdrive character evoking that of the classic "SL" and "SB" amps that its name alludes to. It has a very wide range of gain, tone, and output-volume available; while the internal mini DIP-switches allow one to tailor the response and overall EQ curve just-so. Tiny yet mighty! Low-noise, too. Can be powered from 9VDC up to 18VDC (18v being my preference, but others may prefer lower voltages). Highly recommended!

I've owned several vintage Marshall super lead amplifiers, and to my ears, this sounds nothing like them. Super Leads were not high gain amplifiers and this is a very high gain pedal.

That being said, I think it's a great distortion pedal with a lot of gain and sustain, and very musical. I wouldn't hesitate to play a gig with just this pedal.

Turns my twin into a Marshall in a click of button. If you're looking for a good Marshall in a box type pedal, do yourself a favor and grab this one. You can't beat the price.

10/10...super musical drive pedal....winner for size/quality/pricepoint, and flexibility of the dipswitch settings.....
i spent time with this one out of the box, and tried all settings...settled on the super bass...ultimately the darker palette
is most useable for my mostly tele style.... i get a full range from slight hair to all in when using volume pot...
overdrives come and go, and most of them can be made useable...this one is just classic XOTIC, and in a higher league
than most... in addition to delays, verbs, etc....i now use EP booster/Boss Compressor/SL drive/Nobels ODR for drive options...
between these 4 pedals i can cover all bases....

I was a little doubtful about what this little pedal would sound like.I watched a bunch of utube videos and they really didn't do it justice.so I bought it.and it blew me away.how they got a Marshall plexi head in that little box is beyond me I tried all the different dip switches and I really like the default setting.I haven't tried it with all my amps yet,so maybe one of the other settings might sound better with my Boss Katana I really love this pedal.I can't wait to play a gig with it

Exactly what I was hoping for; a small footprint pedal that can act as a 2nd stage gain and go where my Wampler Euphoria leaves off. I didn't expect it to clean up as nicely as it does by rolling back the guitar volume. Nice!

I looked for a Marshall style pedal for my Vox amp and this one did it!!!

I won one of these in one of those interminable web raffles for pedals. I literally don't even remember entering it, it just showed up in the mail one day. It was not on my radar in any way, even though I already owned two other Xotic pedals (the compressor and Echoplex pre-amp emulation (the EP pedal), both of which I dig.

I didn't even know that SL stood for "Super Lead".

Anyway my expectations could not have been lower when I plugged it in and...wow. It's simply the best overdrive pedal I've ever used, in that it really does keep the sound of the amp but adds as much hair as you want to the sound.

I am writing this in between takes in a session with a 52 reissue telecaster and my vintage Gibson G-20 amp (a poor man's tweed deluxe). Did a couple of takes and the recorded sound was too clean, wanted more of a mid 60's Stones growl. Hooked up the SL drive and just barely turned the drive up (maybe 1.5 on a scale of 10), backed off the output so as not to wake the neighbors, and boom, there's the sound I'm looking for.

For the price a no-brainer (well considering I got it free it was literally a no brainer for me, but for Sweetwater's price).

One of the best overdrive pedals I"ve ever owned!

This pedal is hands down the greatest overdrive/distortion pedal I have ever played. Sounds amazing, especially at higher volumes. The more volume you give it, the better it sounds. Very happy with it.

Sounds absolutely amazing with my Marshall Class 5 amp. Massive tone.

You can't tell the difference... Amp like in everyway. Responsive... You can hit it with as much overdrive from pedals and the pedals signal will not die down....

I find the SL Drive to be one of the most versatile boxes I have ever purchased. The response is very amp-like. It cleans up exceptionally well, even with my Gibsons. The tone can be snarly, smooth, crunchy, or even pretty - depending on where the gain is set and how you use your guitar’s volume control. It cuts perfectly in a live band setting, and it works great with both my Fender and Gibson guitars. It has plenty of gain on tap, and the tone is full and creamy. I generally keep the gain at halfway and boost it with an OCD for solos and heavier tones. After using it extensively in a live setting I can safely say it has become an integral part of my rig.

I used to own a Marshall Supafuzz. It is no longer made. I wish I still had it. I have been looking for a similar fuzz sound. The Xotic SL Drive has that sound. It is a classic fuzz that sounds good with single note leads and chords. The mark of a great distortion box is the ability to clearly hear the notes of a chord. This fuzztone has it all.

I bought this pedal due to space restrictions of my pedalboard. This is a nice pedal, just not what I was looking for. I have been a rat user all my life and I guess I am just used to the sound of it. This pedal to me really nails the marshall type of od/distortion quite well. Lots of options on this pedal, small footprint, just not what I was looking for so it was sent back.

I've had or do have many OD's, boosts, etc.. all designed to do basically the same thing differently from different angles. boost/OD and dist. This little guy right here.. he kicks butt. Play with it, a little here, a little there. and boom. I run a mini spark boost after it for solos or just an in your face sound.. stereo chorus to arena reverb out to 2 amps. Run at 18 volts.. I can hear them crying, but I just don't care. buy it, you'll like it.

This pedal has a ton of gain and sounds nice and thick in certain dip switch settings. Build quality is exceptional and it is quite heavy. On its own it sounds fantastic--but in my use case, when I put this pedal inline with a Tube Screamer (guitar>Tube Screamer>SL,) the tone improves even more. With my Strat on the neck pickup I can hit an F# or G and hold the note for as long as I wish. Other notes sustain nicely too, but to differing degrees on my guitars. It's all quite a bit of fun and very violin-like.

Bottom line is that this is a great pedal. But I can't help but wonder why Xotic didn't create access to the dip switches externally! That is the only knock I have on it. If I swap between single coil and humbuckers I have to open the pedal up and dork with the dip settings. I've seen mods to this pedal where toggles are placed on the outside, but that's the sort of adjustment that should have been external to begin with. Despite my angst with dip switch access I do love this pedal. Plus, it's tiny and has an 18 volt option. One last note: this pedal needs clean power, so don't skimp on that aspect.

I bought this to upgrade a dead (well, it turns out it's just fine, but that's another story) Mooer Hustle Drive on my backup/jam-session pedal board made up entirely of minis. I never expected tone like this out of a mini pedal. I am floored. I need a good drive on my backup pedal board, but this little tank of a pedal seems too tone-licious to be relegated to a backup position. I'm really not sure what to do.

I've had the SL drive for about a year now, and I love it more every time I plug it in. A super dynamic and touch sensitive overdrive pedal, very responsive to picking dynamics. This thing can go from silky smooth to screaming in a pinch. Only three knobs to play with but they are all very sensitive, allowing you to dial in tones to the T. Not to mention the internal dipswitches, which basically makes this 4 pedals in one tiny little box. When it comes to gigging/live situations this little guy cuts through the mix unlike any other; crystal clear and volume for days. Highly recommend it

This pedal is just like all other Xotic products. It is super in every way. It is built like a tank, it is small, so it doesn't take up much room on a pedalboard, and it sounds amazing. I play single coil pickups mainly, and this thing really thickens up your sound, when you need it to. It really does everything from a boost to your cleans to a very "gainy", heavy, driven sound. I can't say enough good about it.

I have been searching for a tone to compliment my rig for a while now. I have since settled on my supro rhythm master and my american tele deluxe. This pedal absolutely soars with this combination. I believe it would be truly difficult to not make this pedal sound amazing, but I feel I have dialed in the perfect combination to suit my preferences. I hope it does the same for you.

High Gain hot rodded Plexi tone. For the price, you can't beat it. For the size, you can't beat it.

The internal dip switches affect the tone quite a bit.I leave it in the default mode. I do wish they were on the outside of the pedal, but that would easily made the pedal bigger and once you find your sound the tone knob is enough to brighten or warmen up your distortion tone.

But if its sounding harsh to you or not that smooth. Try the super bass setting or playing with the dip switches. I'm sure quickly you'll find the marshall like sound you're looking for. I tried out a lot of distortion and overdrive pedals before settling on this one. This is a bright sounding distortion because super lead amps are bright sounding amps.

In terms of cleanup with guitars volume, I've had other pedals that do it better BUT this one sounds more like a true marshall and it does a good job of cleaning up considering the amount of gain on this little guy.

Gain knob goes from 0 to heavily distorted (almost fuzz like). Way more than I expected out of it.The gain kicks in early. For more classic rock, you'll want to keep this pretty low. It can do old school metal and punk rock easily. Modern metal i don't know. Good thing is this pedal doesn't get overly boomy with the bass when you crank the gain. and it cuts through the mix just like a marshall amp would.

Tone knob goes from super muffled to painful Ice-pick bright. I leave it around 12 o clock.
Volume has plenty to boost volume if you want to kick it on for a distorted solo boost in a live performance. Unity is around 12 o clock maybe a little lower. This changes when you mess with the db boost dip switch.

Im sure if you were to run this pedal at 18 volts, everything will sound twice as good.

This little gem NAILS IT...!!! in terms of vintage MARSHALL Super Lead PLEXI mojo. Simply amazing. Plus "you can" very easily modify the sounds with the 4 intetnal DIP switches. I use mine in default mode. Very impressive Lil device.

I was amazed at the sounds I could get out of my Fender Princeton amp using this little pedal.
I just cranked it up and wailed like jimmy page!

Can this tiny terror really bring fire-breathing cranked-Marshall tone to your rig? Yes and no, depending on the rig; paired with a typical sub-$100 practice amp, I doubt it could pull off such a miracle, though it would probably still sound purty darn good. In front of just about any competent tube amp, it's a mind-blower. I bought this pedal to replace the jumpered Super Lead Plexi model from my Line6 digital rig in my new analog 'fly rig' and I am mightily impressed. This pedal is about gain, and there's plenty on tap, probably more than most guitarists will ever need, plus enough level to slap your amp's input stage silly. It's a hefty hunk of beautifully powdercoated steel, and despite its diminutive size the simple, intuitive controls are mostly easy to grasp and all the pots have a solid, quality feel to them. The volume/level knob is smaller and a bit fiddly to operate if you have big 'ol callused, steel-bending fingers like SRV, but in practice, it's the knob you'll most likely set and forget; the others you can work with your Chuck Taylors on, but maybe not your Doc Martens.There are useful sounds throughout the ranges of the other two knobs, which is by way of saying there are no bad sounds, though you might find that all the settings are way too loud, which brings us to the internal dip switches, which allow you to integrate the pedal with your axe, your amp and your other pedals; if you have multiple gain pedals, you'll want to leave switch four in the off position. If you play an early-sixties Strat or have John Mayer Big Dipper pickups, you'll appreciate the lead/bass mode which nicely burnishes the midrange. The manual does a great job of explaining how to use the internal controls to subtly bend this little monster to your will.The sound, simply put, doesn't disappoint; this thing won an online shootout against an actual vintage plexi.

The SL Drive is chock full of natural sounding amp overdrive/distortion. The versatility using the internal dip switches is incredible. My only complaint is that this pedal has a LOT of gain. I needed a low-mid amount of gain and as delivered, it was just way too much. After a bit of experimenting, I found that the Super Bass setting with the Drive knob at 9 O'clock was perfect for what I was after. This setting gave me a thick lower gain tone that was perfect to add just a bit of breakup to my clean channel on a JCM900 head. The factory dip switch setting is the "Super Lead" mode which sounds fantastic if you want a searing "Marshall on 11" sound (and this is with a vintage Strat into a JCM900 clean channel).

If you are after a "Cranked Marshall" distortion tone, this is for you. If you are like me and need only a bit of compressed breakup, you can still find that tone with the Super Bass setting but you are on the bottom usable edge of gain in this pedal. Despite this, the tonal qualities allow me to rate it 5 stars. Fantastic pedal.