Best Distortion Pedal

This pedal is designed to focus on mid-range tones mostly, so if you are looking to add distortion to your mids, this compact pedal may be an ideal option to consider, especially if you want to do solos in this range.

The power adaptor is not included with this pedal, so you will need to purchase one separately to keep it charged. In addition, batteries cannot be used, so this purchase is mandatory.

You can customize the sounds that you get from this pedal quite a bit, and if you want your performance to match, the LED lights can change to let you know which mode you are using.

Verdict

Whether you are a new guitarist or a professional, you will find that the sounds that you can get from this pedal are great. It offers classic distortion, but you can also get so much more with three little buttons on this pedal. It is also a compact model that is ideal when you have limited space.

Buyer’s Guide

What is a Distortion Pedal?

Do you know that fuzz sound that you hear in music? Well, that is distortion. Many guitarists like to add a bit of crunchiness to their sound in certain genres of music.

This allows you to turn a clean sound into something that is more colorful and unique to your specific music. In effect, a distortion pedal blends the notes so that they are more difficult to hear alone in the music, which adds character to the song that makes it more memorable with your fans.

Is Digital or Analog Best?

Both of these types of pedals are used by musicians in multiple genres, and both can work for you. The main difference between the two is the way that the distortion effect is achieved. This can change the overall tone of the music that you are creating, so it is crucial that you know which type of distortion pedal works best for your sound.

If you prefer a warmer sound, then you are going to like an analog effect better, but if you are looking for a brighter sound that has a bit of bite, then a digital pedal is going to be the best option for you.

What is the Difference Between a Distortion Pedal and a Multi-Effects Pedal?

Well, simply put, a distortion pedal is only going to give you a distorted effect, while a multi-effect pedal will have more than a few effects that you can choose from when you are performing. One is not going to be better than the other; it is merely a matter of what you need for your setup.

When you have a pedal, you can connect it to other pedals that you need for your music as well, so you are not limiting your options. One of the main benefits that using a pedal gives you is that when you want to purchase a higher-end pedal, you can easily swap it out and plug in the new one. You can make your pedalboard as complex or as simple as you want. On the other hand, having multiple pedals on stage with you can take up a lot of space.

Multi-effect pedals are easy to set up, and they have presets that you can use when you are just learning to use a pedal, but they also have major disadvantages that you will need to consider. One of the biggest reasons that you may not want to consider a multi-effects pedal is that the effects are all connected, so if something goes wrong, you will not have any effects to use.

This may not be a big issue when you are jamming at home, but when you are in the middle of a gig, and you don’t have another pedal, you are playing clean music for the rest of your songs. If you have separate pedals, then you can at least still have the majority of the effects. In fact, you may even be able to pull a bit of distortion from your amp.

In addition, if your distortion is a bit harsher than you intended, you will not be able to lower it as easily as you would with a single pedal. Have you ever heard the term “jack of all trades, but master of none?” Well, it’s true here; a single pedal is designed to create a wide range of distorted effects, and while a multi-effects pedal can create distortion, it will not be as varied.

Are There Different Levels of Distortion?

Yes, there are different levels of distortion that you can introduce into your music with a pedal, so you will need to find the level of distortion that works for your music and make sure that the pedal that you select reaches that range. Some of the more common types of distortion include:

• Saturation – This what many think of when they hear the word distortion. It is when the signal that is being sent from the guitar to the amp overloads the circuit, which clips the sound waves that you hear.
• Fuzz – Fuzz is what you hear when the sound waves clip. This is the sound that a low-grade speaker may create, but it is also an intentional sound created by great musicians like Jimi Hendrix and Jethro Tull.
• Tube Distortion – This is a warm sound with a bit of a crunch that is more common in rock music. This form of distortion can also be heard in blues music.
• Tape Distortion – This type of distortion is more of a warm flat sound. A great song that features this type of sound is “Go Now!” by the Moody Blues.

How do You Connect a Distortion Pedal to an Amp?

Connecting a distortion pedal to an amp is fairly simple. Before you connect anything, make sure that the amp is completely turned off so that nothing gets damaged as you connect the components.

The guitar is going to connect to the input jack on the pedal, and the output jack on the pedal is going to connect to the input jack on your amp. Once everything is properly connected, turn on the amp and start jamming.

Can a Distortion Pedal be Used with a Bass Guitar?

Yes, you can connect any instrument that can be connected to an amp to a pedal, but the question that you are going to need to ask yourself is whether or not you want a distortion effect on the bass.

It could be an excellent sound for some songs that you may enjoy playing, but it is not going to sound great with all basslines, especially if it is a heavy bass sound that enhances the song. Too much distortion on your bass is going to make your music sound muddy, so you will have to decide whether this is a sound that you want for your band or not.

What are the Best Distortion Pedal Brands?

There are quite a few brands that stand out in the music industry when it comes to pedal effects, but remember that the brand is not going to be the determining factor of which pedal is best for your set up. Before you make a purchase, there are a few worth considering:

• Boss
• Ibanez
• Behringer
• Electro-Harmonix
• MXR
• Weehbo

Final Thoughts

As you can see, there are quite a few options that you can consider to add a bit of distortion to your guitar, but the option that gives you the best value is a distortion pedal. In this guide, we have reviewed eight different pedals that may fit your needs, but if we were to select one that stands out above the rest, it would be the Donner Morpher Distortion Pedal Solo Effect Guitar Pedal True Bypass. It is highly responsive as a pedal, and it can distort a full range of lows, mids, and highs, which means that it will work well with most of the music that you will play.