The ZVEX Box of Rock is a Zvex distortion pedal, currently around $219. Close alternatives include the ZVEX Double Rock Vexter and the Suhr Riot Mini Black Edition. It pairs well with the Marshall JTM45 45W Tube Guitar Amp Head and the Marshall JCM900 2100.

ZVEX Box of Rock

Zvex · pedal

The ZVEX Box of Rock is a distortion pedal built to simulate the everything-on-ten sound of a non-master-volume Marshall JTM45, the amp behind a great deal of classic hard rock. Its distortion engine runs from a whispered crackle at low drive up to a punchy, raucous crunch, with Volume, Tone and Drive controls; the voice sits at the lower, more amp-like end of the distortion spectrum rather than in modern high-gain territory, and can turn bass-heavy and slightly flabby at maximum gain. A separate footswitchable boost channel provides an extremely high-headroom, low-hiss unity-to-50x gain stage closely related to ZVEX's SHO, refined to sound more like a hot amp input and less glassy. The boost follows the distortion in the chain, so engaging both hits the amp harder for leads. This is the Vexter series version -- the same circuit in ZVEX's more affordable screen-printed factory finish rather than the hand-painted line.

  • hard rock
  • distortion
  • thick
  • rock
  • everything on ten sound
  • crunch
  • gain
  • boost
$219View on Reverb

Price updated Aug 27, 2026

Genres the ZVEX Box of Rock is commonly used in

  • Hard Rock
  • Rock
  • Metal
    citedInferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag.
  • Punk
    citedInferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag.
  • Alternative
    citedInferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag.
  • Grunge
    citedInferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag.

Amps that pair well with the ZVEX Box of Rock

Marshall JTM45 45W Tube Guitar Amp Head

amplifier

55% match

ZVEX built the Box of Rock to recreate a dimed non-master JTM45, so plugging it into the real amp doubles down on that everything-on-ten roar.

Marshall JCM900 2100

Marshall

35% match
$1216.84via Reverb

Push the JCM900's aggressive midrange crunch with the Box of Rock's thick, hard-rock distortion for a heavier stage tone.

Ceriatone HRM 50

Ceriatone

tonal match

Ceriatone HRM 50 takes that high gain character and pushes it toward mid-forward

Ceriatone Overtone Special HRM Bluesmaster 50

Ceriatone

tonal match

Ceriatone Overtone Special HRM Bluesmaster 50 pushes a high gain tone toward mid-forward

Gallien-Krueger Legacy 212

Gallien Krueger

tonal match
$1699via Reverb

Gallien-Krueger Legacy 212 takes that high gain character and pushes it toward mid-forward

Phil Jones BG-400 Suitcase Compact Bass Combo

Phil Jones

tonal match
$947.62via Reverb

Stack Phil Jones BG-400 Suitcase Compact Bass Combo on top and a high gain tone tightens toward mid-forward

Hiwatt Custom Studio Stage MkIII 20/40W 2x12 Combo

Hiwatt

tonal match

Feed a high gain signal into Hiwatt Custom Studio Stage MkIII 20/40W 2x12 Combo and it comes out closer to mid-forward

Phil Jones X4C NanoBass 35W 1x4 Combo

Phil Jones

tonal match

Feed a high gain signal into Phil Jones X4C NanoBass 35W 1x4 Combo and it comes out closer to mid-forward

Pedals that stack with the ZVEX Box of Rock

Klon Centaur

Klon

24% match
$4000via Reverb

Push the Box of Rock's thick crunch with the Klon's midrange boost for extra sustain without losing the amp-like character.

Browne Amplification Gritador

Browne Amplification

23% match
$199via Reverb

Stack the Box of Rock's thick, everything-on-ten crunch with the Gritador's own asymmetrical TS-style clipping for real weight.

Electro-Harmonix Electric Mistress

Electro-Harmonix

20% match
$123.72via Reverb

Run the Electric Mistress' lush, unique flange sweep after the Box of Rock's thick, everything-on-ten crunch and the modulation gets real weight.

Wampler Cory Wong

Wampler

20% match
$269.97via Reverb

Run the Cory Wong before the Box of Rock for funky, punchy optical compression before that thick, everything-on-ten distortion kicks in.

Meris Mercury7 Reverb

Meris

15% match
$299via Reverb

The Mercury7's lush, ambient reverb tails go at the end of the chain, catching the Box of Rock's everything-on-ten crunch rather than getting distorted itself. — goes in the amp's FX loop (or last, into a clean amp)

Walrus Audio Fathom

Walrus Audio

15% match
$188.50via Reverb

Keep the Fathom after the Box of Rock — the thick, everything-on-ten distortion stays intact and the ambient, studio-grade reverb washes out behind it. — goes in the amp's FX loop (or last, into a clean amp)

Spaceman Effects Atlas IV

Spaceman

tonal match
$179via Reverb

Spaceman Effects Atlas IV pushes a high gain tone toward clean boost

MXR CAE Wah

MXR

tonal match
$110.87via Reverb

MXR CAE Wah takes that high gain character and pushes it toward mid-forward

Cheaper alternatives

Morley Distortion Boost

Morley

71% similarity
$130via Reverb

Shared character: hard_rock, crunch, distortion

Maxon OD808

Maxon

69% similarity
$118.63via Reverb

Shared character: hard_rock, crunch, distortion

Boss DS-1 Distortion (Japan, 1980s)

pedal

68% similarity
$49.99via Reverb

Shared character: hard_rock, crunch, distortion

Dunlop MXR M104 Distortion+

Dunlop

67% similarity
$97.11via Reverb

Shared character: hard_rock, amp, distortion

Carl Martin Rock Drive

Carl Martin

93% similarity
$89via Reverb

similar tone character

Carl Martin Crush Zone

Carl Martin

93% similarity
$85via Reverb

similar tone character

Similar charactersee all similar tone character →

ZVEX Double Rock Vexter

Zvex

70% similarity
$259via Reverb

“originally designed at the request of J Mascis of Dinosaur Jr., who wanted two Box of Rock circuits combined in one enclosure”

Suhr Riot Mini Black Edition

Suhr

70% similarity

Shared character: hard_rock, crunch, distortion

EWS Eric Gales Brute Drive

Ews

68% similarity

Shared character: thickness, amp, distortion

Amptweaker AT Fatrock

Amptweaker

68% similarity

Shared character: hard_rock, thickness, distortion

Roland ST-2 Power Stack

Roland

67% similarity

Shared character: hard_rock, thickness, distortion

Crazy Tube Circuits Motherload

Crazy Tube Circuits

93% similarity
$233.65via Reverb

similar tone character

See all alternatives to the ZVEX Box of Rock (cheaper + boutique) →

Questions people ask

What are good alternatives to the ZVEX Box of Rock?+

The closest matches in character are the ZVEX Double Rock Vexter, the Suhr Riot Mini Black Edition, the EWS Eric Gales Brute Drive. Budget picks: Morley Distortion Boost, Maxon OD808, Boss DS-1 Distortion (Japan, 1980s).

What pairs well with the ZVEX Box of Rock?+

Strong matches from rig and tone-complementarity evidence: Marshall JTM45 45W Tube Guitar Amp Head, Marshall JCM900 2100, Ceriatone HRM 50 — ZVEX built the Box of Rock to recreate a dimed non-master JTM45, so plugging it into the real amp doubles down on that everything-on-ten roar..

How much does the ZVEX Box of Rock cost?+

Around $219 (live listing price, updated Aug 27, 2026).

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