Which distortion pedal should i get

The chorus has editable parameters for rate and depth, and the delay for time and feedback. With the chorus or echo set at tame levels and stacked after the distortion, you can nail those lush tones from the 80s. Image: Digitech.

Simple to operate, the pedal features four controls: gain, volume, and low and high knobs for shaping your EQ. The pedal operates on 9V, though you can run it on 18V for an increased headroom. Image: Strymon. The main controls are simple enough — gain and level, a three-band EQ, and two switches to control gain structure and frequency push. But what truly counts lies under its hood. Riverside marries the dynamic sensitivity of an analogue JFET circuit with the control of a custom DSP to produce responsive, rich distortion.

The nuances that come from this A meets D approach are plenty. It was designed in collaboration with amp guru Bruce Egnater of Egnater Amplification fame. In a nutshell, this stomper is like the shredding channel your amp never knew it had.

It also has a footswitchable boost with independent level and gain controls. Gain levels go from medium to high and beyond, but this pedal is not just some renegade. The aforementioned boost circuit gives this pedal an added usefulness too, with its independent controls allowing you to dictate just how much volume and intensity you want to add to the dirt.

Check out our full review here. Check out our other lists for reverb , overdrive , fuzz and multi-effects pedals, too. Unheard song featuring George Harrison and Ringo Starr played for the first time. Gretsch launches Richard Fortus signature Falcon guitars. Fuzz Was The Future: Now but not yet. Greuter Audio Fokus review: A boost to cut through the mix and the competition.

Check out our Black Friday guitar deals page for all the latest news and the best distortion pedal offers. Boss has made some truly game-changing distortion pedals over the years, but the more recent Angry Driver, released in partnership with JHS Pedals, packages one of the most classic overdrives of all time with one of the most popular modern distortions.

Thankfully, in this case, it does — offering plenty of distortion to cover most styles of rock and metal, with added versatility thanks to a three-band EQ which can sweep through throaty overdrives and into more scooped and metallic thrills. You get a Blues Driver, world-renowned for recreating warm valve amp tones, and one of the best boutique distortions in the JHS Angry Charlie, housed together with full functionality as if they were two separate pedals.

Three dual-concentric knobs provide independent Drive, Tone, and Level control for each voice, while a six-position mode selector dials in each overdrive independently or combines them in series and parallel configurations. Which is why — regardless of how much gain you are looking for — the Angry Driver will always have you covered, and is one of our favourite additions to our best distortion pedals guide.

Elsewhere, the boost switch — for extra low-end and dirt — is easily accessible, and you can also deactivate the EQ on the hi or lo modes. With a saturated, yet responsive chunk, the hi mode puts Foo Fighters, Metallica and Dream Theater at your feet, thanks to the extra EQ, which sparkles and scoops without any harshness. But while you won't find transparent break-up tones on the lo mode, its harmonically rich overdrive cleans up beautifully with the guitar's volume knob.

That distinctive tone led to players as diverse as Thom Yorke, Robert Fripp and James Hetfield all making good use of the rodent over the years. You may also want to check out our guide to the best fuzz pedals.

Looking to ride the lightning like Kirk Hammett? It keeps noise down to a minimum thanks to the onboard gate, and also features a Doom knob to ramp up your low-end to earthquake-inducing levels. The gain can be shaped through a treble control which covers an impressive range of sounds. Definitely the best distortion pedal for Metallica fans. The Sovereign distortion pedal covers an array of dirts and distortions, with options for advanced gain and brighter modes.

The best distortion pedal if you want something that feels more unique and boutique. Read our full Wampler Sovereign Distortion review. Voiced after the greatest Plexis in Marshall history, the BE-OD, much like head itself, oozes class and thunder on all fronts. As well as its dual gain engines A and B , the Pugilist also boasts a blend knob for a mix of both — which makes it one of the most versatile distortion pedals out there. Especially considering each engine has its own adjustable gain and tone controls, so it can function almost like three different channels at once.

And, of course, running both together offers no end to amount of gain you can dial in. Don't forget to check out our best electric guitars for beginners too. Read our full Fender Pugilist Distortion review.

Based in Oklahoma and founded in , Walrus Audio are another brand whose pedals have really made an impact in a relatively short space of time. This updated version of their Iron Horse distortion will undoubtedly be popular among those looking for thicker and sludgier tones, with no shortage of low-end and warmth. We all need some distortion every now and then. The only effect less compromising than fuzz is distortion.

Hard-clipping a guitar signal can be done one of two ways - with a distortion pedal, or a guitar amp set to ear-bleeding levels. That said, distortion pedals aren't only for bedroom players dreaming of Peavey stacks - why not have both? The same volume jump that overdrives use to smash tube amps is often present in a distortion, with a hard-clipping extra punch into the bargain. When used right, there's nothing like the roar of an amp getting totally shredded by a distortion, and it's come to define many genres, from metalcore to Swedish death metal.

Are you looking for a great deal on the best distortion pedals this Black Friday? Check out our Black Friday guitar deals page for the latest news, and the best offers around. The question is, where do you start?

Well, the honest answer is 'try a ProCo RAT and go from there,' but if you want a longer read, then we've rounded up some of our favorites below. Fender's Pugilist Distortion is a hugely versatile dirtbox thanks to its dual distortion circuits, which allow you to blend two channels for monstrous high-gain tones with enhanced clarity — similar to playing through separate amps at once.

As a result, it's one of our absolute favorites right now. Alternatively, with all sorts of flavors of gain at your fingertips, with the Wampler Sovereign Distortion on your pedalboard you could lose days weeks simply dialing in various tones, each bathed in harmonic-rich distortion and crunch. Read our full Fender Pugilist Distortion Pedal review.

Brian Wampler has packed a heap of features into a small enclosure here. The Sovereign could probably fight in the overdrive category but has so much beef in its gain structure that goes way beyond. When it comes to the best distortion pedals, the M75 is a no-brainer that takes seconds to find the tone you want — an indestructible little powerhouse of versatile analog distortion. Developed in , and mass produced from onwards, the ProCo RAT has a decent claim to being the first proper mass-market distortion box.

Its hard, aggressive sound and tight, focussed clipping are pretty much the template for what distortion sounds like to this day. They of course used a Marshall Shredmaster - now long discontinued - but the RAT can cover most of the same ground. Although it does sound the best at higher gain settings, it can be used as a lower-gain boost, even if it never fully cleans up in the way an overdrive might.

In general, overdrive will be used by more vintage and less aggressive styles, whereas distortion is the staple of metal and more modern music. This is by no means a rule, however - there are lots of exceptions. For more info on the differences between them all, read the study. It has this brilliant ability to give you some distortion without altering your core tone. The thing is - it does that job so very well in such an awesome package that this has to be our premium pedal of choice.

A lot of the more expensive pedals tend to be very restrained; offering transparency, or flexibility, or boutique manufacturing. It really is very loud when cranked up, which is something that can be missing from old-school fuzz pedals sometimes, and we love it. The gold artwork and the huge dial just look so very cool and larger than life. We could really imagine this pedal on the board of many a rockstar.

The sound that the RAT 2 produces will be unmistakable to many audiophiles, with a fantastic capacity for shaping it with the incredibly useful filter knob. There are so many 80ss hard rock and light metal tones that you can get with this pedal, all in that beautiful space above overdrive without excessive distortion. It really is fantastic, which is why this model is likely to prove just as popular in the future as the original RAT.

Ten distortion pedals, all of which clearly deserve to be here, and options whether you have a small or large budget, and whether you want some compressed, controlled distortion for thumping metal rhythm, or hot fuzz for screaming leads.

If you'd like to read more about distortion pedals, click here for the fantastic study. If you liked this review by Music Critic , please leave a positive rating:. A look back at almost 20 years of reviews by the staff, contributing authors and friends of Music Critic. You just can't beat the classics. Copyright - MusicCritic , all rights reserved.

Electro-Harmonix Soul Food 2. EarthQuaker Acapulco Power Amp 3. Pro Co RAT2 4. Boss DS-1 6. Electro-Harmonix Nano Big Muff 7. Xotic Effects SL Drive 9. Behringer Super Fuzz SF What is the best high gain Distortion Pedal? How to use a Distortion Pedal? What does a Distortion Pedal do? At a glance: Our top 3 picks. Electro-Harmonix Soul Food Optional true- or buffered bypass Superb transparent overdrive sound Rugged construction Click here for price.

Electro-Harmonix Soul Food. Pro Co RAT2. Boss DS Electro-Harmonix Nano Big Muff. Xotic Effects SL Drive. Behringer Super Fuzz SF MXR Custom Badass '