10 Best Distortion Pedals

There has never been a better time to find great-sounding distortion pedals! Manufacturers are releasing new devices like never before. Some talented teams of people are making incredible products!

When companies first began introducing distortion pedals, they were just ok. But today, some of these new pedals are beginning to sound almost like tube amps and are very pleasing to the ear. 

Best Distortion Pedals

I have collected and tried some of the most popular pedals on the market! Made by some great builders. Some are well known, and some are not.

These pedals are becoming popular because word of mouth is very positive for them. While some pedals develop hype, sometimes it’s very real!

If it was getting good feedback from players, we purchased it to try for ourselves. And sure enough, they are as nice as they are made out to be! Some are now on our personal pedal boards because they are just so good!

Revv G3

Features

• Top mount jacks.
• 3 band EQ.
• True bypass circuitry.
• 1M Ohm Input Impedance.
• 1-year warranty

Build Quality

The build quality of the Revv G3 distortion pedal is impressive. It weighs in at a very light three quarters of a pound. Its dimensions are 4.7″ x 2.75″ x 1.25″. The pedal’s housing is made of aluminum and is a custom enclosure.

Even in low-light conditions, the laser-engraved text remains readable and clear. It’s super simple to attach cables thanks to the top-mounted jacks. This is also excellent for managing the space on a pedal board.

The true bypass circuitry of the pedal makes sure that when it isn’t in use, it doesn’t affect the tone of your guitar. The G3 is expertly constructed overall and should withstand heavy use.

Sound

The Revv G3 produces a rich, saturated sound! It’s particularly well-suited for hard rock and metal genres. It has a large low end but is tight! In terms of gain, there is more than enough for anyone here. Each level of aggression getting even more fire-breathing.

To further characterize the sound, the pedal has a frequency response range of 70Hz to 15kHz. There is a strong signal-to-noise ratio.

As a result, when it’s idle, you will hear some white noise. This is due to the high levels of gain. But most players who like high-gain tones will be used to this.

Overall, the sound quality of the Revv G3 is exceptional! It’s able to deliver a wide range of tones that are both versatile and satisfying.

G3 Audio Sample

The audio sample below provides an excellent example of what the Revv G3 sounds like in action. It’s set to blue aggression with the controls set to noon.

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Friedman Smallbox

Features

• Side mount jacks.
• 3 band EQ.
• True bypass.
• Tight switch.
• Warranty: 1 year.

Build Quality

The Friedman pedals are well known in the music world. Their sound is considered to be some of the best. But what about build quality?

The Smallbox, like most of the Friedman pedals, are built into a 125B style enclosure. This is a cast metal enclosure that offers decent durability.

The foot switch feels pretty robust. After a number of presses, it still feels strong. The knobs all seem like quality parts, they respond as they should.

The only concern I have with this pedal is the switch on the side. It could get sheared off if someone accidentally steps on it.

Sound

There are big tones found in this pedal! The switch on the side changes the gain structure of the pedal.

When I first played it, the switch was set to low gain. I thought it was a depth function at first. I really liked the sounds it was providing. But I thought, is that really it? Then I used the switch.

The thick gain tones really came to life! I like the range of the EQ, the tone shaping is powerful. This pedal is a great sounding piece of equipment. In some ways, I think it’s their best one. Thanks to the Mid-range control on the side, you can get some good sounds.

Audio Sample

Here is an audio sample that provides the sounds that this pedal is capable of providing.

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Jackson Audio Asabi

Features

• Top mounted jacks.
• Active 3 band EQ.
• True bypass.
• MIDI.
• Weight: .82 lbs.
• Warranty: 1 year.

Build Quality

The Asabi is a well-made pedal. It’s soft touch switches and solid enclosure and a nice feature. At just under a pound, the pedal is a typical weight. It won’t make your board any heavier than other options.

The jacks are all top mounted, which in my opinion is a must. It helps to provide that extra space on a pedal board and keep cables from getting cluttered.

The circuit board contains surface mounted components. Which is normal to find in a product with these capabilities.

Sound

For this demo, I used the Boss Katana amplifier using a clean sound and started with the drive side of the pedal. The guitar was the Fender Stratocaster and right away the crunchy sound was perfect. It has a ton of spank and seemed very tube-like.

For the distortion side, I used a PRS custom 24 and was not disappointed. The pedal was able to get some great rock and metal tones.

It has different clipping modes, and they sound pretty good. Some are more saturated than others. Some were a bit fuzzy, but over all I liked them.

In the video below, you will find a range of tones capable with the Asabi. You will also see how different guitars sound through it.

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Revv G4

Features

• Top mount jacks.
• 3 band EQ.
• True bypass.
• Weight: .71 lbs.
• Revv Warranty: 1 year.

Build Quality

Another home run product by Revv. Just like the G3, you can find a well-designed product with high quality components here. The weight is the same at around .7 lbs. It also uses the same aluminum enclosure that gives it rigidity.

Revv is known for producing good products out of Canada. When I dialed in a sound I liked on the G4, it was apparent to me that they don’t mess around! Great build quality can be found in the G4 as far as I’m concerned!

Sound

Compared to the G3, this sound is thicker and bolder, but less saturated. The pedal features a 3-band EQ and gain-altering switch. It increases bass and mid-content. It’s a great-sounding pedal and when used with the Generator MK3, it is very close to channel 4.

Audio Sample

Here is an audio sample that showcases the range of sounds possible with this pedal. The aggression switch is set to off and the controls are close to half way.

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Vox Cutting Edge

Features

• Side mount jacks.
• Accepts a battery.
• 3 band EQ.
• Cab Simulation.
• Weight: .86 lbs.
• Vox Warranty: 1 year.

Build Quality

The Vox Cutting Edge pedal comes in a custom enclosure that screws together from the top. It’s a nice looking chassis that’s anodized, giving it a metal look.

The quality of the parts are good. They feel robust and are not cheap. It has side mounted jacks though, which is a shame. I prefer top mount.

It even has an oscilloscope screen that measures your signal as you play. Not sure why, but it’s there. It seems to be of good quality, but it’s unique to this pedal, and so I can’t comment on what would happen if it broke. But there is a warranty that will cover you if it does.

Sound

To be honest, when I tried the pedal knowing it was made from Vox, I didn’t expect much. It’s not that the reason is that it’s made from Vox. No, Vox is a great company! It’s that this is a metal pedal and Vox is known for vintage tones.

But I’ll be honest, it’s great! This little pedal does some great metal sounds. It’s thick, tight and has a good mid-range.

The treble has just enough bite without being brittle or harsh. And it saturates really nicely. Here is a video that runs through the tones you can get with this pedal.

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Fender MTG Tube

Features

• Side mount jacks.
• Overdrive on board.
• 3 band EQ.
• Real Tube Inside.
• Weight: 1.2 lbs.
• Fender Warranty: 1 year.

Build Quality

Fender is known for making great gear! This is another wonderful product that is made well! The custom enclosure is a really nice touch. Made from aluminum and anodized. It’s a larger pedal and so it will take up more room on your board.

The knobs light up, making it easy to see your settings in the dark. The switches and potentiometers all feel good. You can tell they are of good quality. I give the pedal 2 thumbs up for build quality!

Sound

This pedal is like a vintage Fender amplifier in a box. I ran it into the front of the Fender Champion 100, and it was the perfect match. The MTG is very tube-like and warm sounding. It has a great vintage feel and sound to it.

The boost was a nice touch, as it can be kicked up in either gain or volume. It also had a good response to the guitar volume control when I wanted to back it off. Check out this video to hear how it sounds. You will also see how it functions.

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Boss DS-2 Turbo

Features

• Side mount jacks.
• Accepts a battery.
• Remote Jack.
• Buffered bypass.
• Weight: 1 lbs.
• Boss Warranty: 1 year.

This pedal is good for anyone who needs a unit that can do many tones. It has a good sound and can be switched on the fly. Good bang for the buck here.

Boss has been around for a long time. They have made some great pedals for many decades, the DS-2 lives up to the legacy.

This pedal has 2 modes that can be controlled even by using an external foot switch. This is great if you are using different sounds live and need hands-free.

It’s capable of low gain that can be great for sounds in blues, rock, and grunge where the settings can be sharp. Then it can dip into metal territory with a sound that is dark and deep. It’s a pretty versatile pedal.

Sounds

I used the DS-2 in front of a Fender Champion 100 amplifier. This was to try and get some bright and clean tones when it was turned off. When set to Turbo 1 mode, the distortion was pretty powerful and had a flat EQ.

This made it darker, which was good for heavier music. I was able to dial in some hard rock and metal tones this way.

In turbo-2 mode, the pedal became spicier in the top end and had more bite. This was great for the lower-gain stuff. I found myself using a Fender Telecaster here as it had some great sounds. Even for stuff like Red Hot Chilly Peppers.

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MXR M75

Features

• Side mount jacks.
• Accepts a battery.
• True bypass.
• Weight: .53 lbs.
• Warranty: 1 year.

Players who need some sort of gain option that can do more than one sound. All at an affordable price will benefit from this one.

MXR has put out a great pedal called the M75 Badass. It’s a pretty versatile little unit that can take you from vintage 70s rock to modern metal. The EQ is very responsive, which is helpful in getting some good sounds.

All jacks are side mounted on the rugged enclosure, and it is a true bypass when switched off. This is a great option when you own an amp that doesn’t have a gain channel. This little pedal can get you all the tones you would need.

Sounds

With this pedal, I used the Fender Champion 100 set to clean. Turning it on with everything set at noon presented a decent rock tone with a PRS guitar with humbuckers. After tweaked the gain and EQ, I was able to get some good heavy sounds and decent rock.

With a Fender Telecaster, I was then able to get more vintage rock sounds and even some blues. It’s a good pedal with a decent tone across the board, and the price is right.

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Boss MT-2 Metal Zone

Features

• Side mount jacks.
• Accepts a battery.
• Buffered bypass.
• Weight: 1 lbs.
• Warranty: 1 year.

Metal players who like thick, heavy distortion will like this. If you need some sustain for leads, this is a great pedal to consider. Especially for the price.

The Boss metal zone is a thick-sounding distortion. Its circuit is designed around a dual-gain concept that gives it tons of saturation. The EQ is a semi-parametric design that allows you to boost or cut frequencies.

This pedal will provide great sustain for leads and a thick mid-range for a chunky rhythm. It’s a very popular pedal and has been used by some well-known artists, one being Prince!

Sounds

If you are typically after old-school metal, this is a great pedal, and it does it well. The EQ is sensitive and so it has very effective controls.

The bass is prominent, but it still has a decent mid-range. I preferred this pedal in the FX loop of the amplifier, as it sounded heavier this way.

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Behringer HM300

Features

• Side mount jacks.
• Accepts a battery.
• Buffered bypass.
• Weight: .51 lbs.
• Warranty: 1 year.

This pedal is intended for guitarists who want a chain saw sound for death metal tones. Nothing more. But it’s quite good at it.

This one surprised me a bit when I tried it the first time. The Behringer HM300 is a super cheap pedal that you wouldn’t expect to sound very good. It is a clone of the HM-2 and so if you are into Swedish death metal tones, this is your one-trick pony.

The controls don’t work as you would intend them to, but the HM-2 was sort of the same way I remember. But if you want a chainsaw sound from your pedal, it does it all day long.