The 7 most influential distortion pedals for high-gain tones. They offer the classic complex rock effect, metallic tones, or a more natural-sounding distortion.
Are you thinking about buying a distortion pedal? In the market, we find various exciting options, which is unsurprising since it is the most used guitar effect by guitar players. But which one do we choose? To make things easy for you, we have selected the best distortion pedals with the best value for money in this article.
Capable of delivering everything from a warm, gritty sound to a full-throated growl, these pedals are the weapon of choice for recreating the tone of your favorite guitarist, whether a blues rock or black metal guitarist, or for honing your own. Looking for something even more distinctive? You could try Flanger pedals.
How do you choose a distortion pedal for your guitar tone?
Tone
It is qualitative. Take your time, search YouTube for demonstrations of any pedal, and notice how much you like the sound of that particular pedal. Compare the sounds with those of another person. When doing this, remember that there are other variables. Guitar, amplifier, room, microphone, speakers, booth, hands, etc.
Quality
This is much easier to discern. Try to look for the reputation of each pedal. Have people had problems with buildings? Are there possible omissions by the manufacturer? Is it true bypass or buffered? Are plastic or aluminum knobs cheap? Is it hand-painted by an artist? Can you please?
Versatility
While watching the demonstrations, observe the possible tonal variety achieved with the pedal. You may need a suitable pedal for metal. Maybe the three knobs of a RAT are not enough to sculpt what you need. Consider the pedal for the music you (and your band) like to play.
Price
The last variable is often the deciding factor. In this guide, we present a wide range of price points, but what we hope it will take away from us is that you don’t have to break the bank to have a perfect distortion pedal on your pedalboard.
The best distortion pedals are about quality and price.
Let’s see the best distortion pedals on the market without further ado.
Pro Co RAT2
It is a strange pedal, with all honesty, which is probably the reason why people like it so much.
It’s half fuzz and half distortion, offering an exciting mix between the two that you won’t be able to find on any other pedal on the market. We have also found that the Pro Co RAT2 does a great job of nailing that “clean type and non-type” distortion stage, making it an excellent option for those who want to use a more subtle impulse.
This pedal is Spartan, straightforward to mark, and built like a tank to cover the basics. It looks like it could crush under a tire and survive well. You get 3 knobs (distortion, filter, and volume) and a pedalboard. It’s hard to grasp something more fundamental than that.
As for the tone, this pedal shines for its versatility. Whether it is hard, metal, softer, or warmer, the RAT2 can do it perfectly. It does everything and carries a relatively affordable price.
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Boss DS-1 distortion pedals
This is another of the best distortion pedals for guitar distortion effects. The Boss DS-1 is a classic, and for good reason. It has a minimalist design and is the same color as a traffic cone (who thought it was a good idea?), but it has a great tone. In addition, it is highly affordable, and thanks to the legendary quality “built like a tank” of Boss, it will last a lifetime.
Let’s talk about the sound. For better or worse, DS1 users say it illuminates the sound of their amplifier. Most guitarists like this color of the sound since it makes the distortion different from any other generic distortion pedal. On the bottom side, some describe this pedal’s timbre as thin, fuzzy, or metallic. If your guitar amp’s bell is on the darker side of being with it, the illuminating effect that DS1 has can be desirable!
The bell control is heavy in the treble, so for a warm, saturated, thick distortion sound, keep it at 7 in the morning or below.
Sure, it’s a bit metallic sometimes, but this pedal is a pure rock and roll perfection – hard to do better for the price.
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MXR Super Badass Distortion M75
What stands out about the M75 is its versatility. We love collecting and rearranging pedals as much as anyone, but this would be hard to beat if you want a pedal to cover all your dirt needs. There are many other versatile distortion pedals, but few will have a reasonable price and be that simple.
Unsurprisingly, the distortion knob does the heavy work, but the three equalizer knobs allow endless possibilities to shape the tone. With distortion adjusted down, the M75 is a clean impulse with only a tiny bite. As you raise the distortion, you approach a good overdrive, and with the knob turned to the end and a little EQing, you will be in the territory of modern metal distortion.
At any level of distortion, remember that you can (and should) play with the equalizer settings to sculpt your sound; that way, you can tame any roughness in the medium or treble, emphasize or eliminate the bass (there are many), or make it stand out in the mix.
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Boss DS-2 Turbo Distortion Pedals
The second Boss distortion pedal we recommend for the low-budget buyer is the Boss DS2 Turbo Distortion, which can be considered the big brother of the Boss DS1. When the DS1 carries some user complaints that the sound is too bright and a bit thin, the DS2 has fixed all that (and, as a result, comes at a slightly higher price).
Its most prominent feature is the “Turbo Mode,” which in the setting offers a softer and smoother distortion, and in setting II, it increases the power level and the average frequencies to stand out more in the mix. If your guitar is equipped with humbuckers, the turbo configuration will give you some unpleasant, thick, and sustainedly severe tones.
The Boss DS2 may not be the best for metallic tones. With the DS2, think more about alternative rock, classic rock, modern rock, grunge, and crunch—that’s where it excels. And being a Boss pedal, you probably couldn’t destroy it even if you tried! The investment will stand the test of time.
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TC Electronic Dark Matter Distortion Effect Pedal
This is another of the best distortion pedals for guitar distortion effects. The TC Electronic Matter Distortion TC Guitar Pedal aims to offer you that mighty and super-musical roar of an old Plexi, a sound that will satisfy even the pickiest on the market.
From a clean sound with an attitude and warm blues to an overdriven crunch and saturated sounds full of harmonics and nuances, everything is here and available instantly with your guitar’s volume control. The Dark Matter distortion is built from high-level components and features an easy-access battery cover and footprint technology.
Just plug it in and start playing. You can make different styles of music. From bluesy crunch to energetic distortion sounds, but always very musical, this pedal was designed for guitarists who like things a little (or very) dirty. With a fully analog circuit, dual-band tone controls, level and drive controls, and a sound switch to adjust the bass response. There are a lot of benefits to adapting to any musical style, but the sound is always very open and transparent, and your way of playing will never get dirty or covered up. The brand also offers many pedals for other effects styles and the Fuzz and Overdrive types.
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Electro-Harmonix Nano Big Muff
This is another of the best distortion pedals for guitar distortion effects. Regarding distortions and saturations in general, certain pedals have greatly impacted the industry. One of them is the Electro-Harmonix Big Muff Pi. It was so good that many modern pedals are based on their legendary circuit. However, the original remains.
Nano Big Muff is a compact version of the original design but powerful and capable. The pedal has three controls, an elegant enclosure, and a lot of cane!
If you are looking for large amounts of profit, this bad boy offers it in abundance. That said, the gain is not raw and chaotic. On the contrary, it is very controllable and easy to work with. In addition, the pedal offers a great variety, which you should appreciate.
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Pro Co RAT2 Distortion Pedal
Ugly as he is, he is effective; I can’t think of any other way to call it. The Proco Rat 2 is a rough distortion pedal, reminiscent of the first big muff, Electro Harmonix.
Maybe you can’t see this distortion pedal, but what if I told you that Dave Grohl, James Hetfield, Kurt Cobain, Alex Turner, and David Gilmour are some famous guitarists who have decided to sculpt their sound thanks to it?
As you can imagine, this pedal is straightforward, as it only has three controls (distortion, filter, and volume). What differentiates the Rat from the rest of the pedals in its range is that its sound is halfway to fuzz. This is your pedal if you are looking for a sound that leans towards grunge and hardcore.
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Conclusion
This is what we have prepared to cover your distortion needs. There are many possibilities on the market, and we have decided on these; it is up to you to choose a good pedal that will accompany you for a long time.