Best Distortion Pedals for 2013
Looking for the best distortion pedal? The reviews on this site are written for musicians, by musicians. We've tested all of the top distortion pedals, spoken with other musicians, read all of the relevant forums, blogs, and manuals, and put all of our findings in one convenient place. There is no perfect distortion pedal for all guitarists in all situations, but here are a few of our top picks for 2013:
Fulltone Plimsoul Overdrive Distortion Pedal
The Fulltone Plimsoul is an extremely versatile distortion pedal in a surprisingly small enclosure. Its fancily named controls allow a mixture of smooth overdrive and heavier distortion with extremes available at either end. The lighter distortion is controlled by the sustain knob, and the heavy distortion can be mixed in using the miniature stage 2 knob, which is [more]
Keeley Fuzz Head Distortion Pedal
The Keely Electronics Fuzz Head is a Fuzz Face style distortion pedal housed in a small red enclosure. Some impressive tones can be coaxed out of the Fuzz Head using its simple array of enigmatically named controls. The two major external knobs, labeled “Fuzz” and “Head,” are dirty and clean gain controls, respectively. There is also a [more]
The Fuzz Factory is ZVEX EFFECTS's flagship pedal. This unique little box makes sounds ranging from ripping Velcro to screaming self-oscillation, and whatever lies in between. It is not a subtle pedal. Rather, it is a temperamental noisemaker that can become an inspiring playground of over-the-top distortion with a little practice. [more]
The Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer has been an extremely popular distortion for many years. For many guitarists it finds just the right balance between price and build quality, while providing pleasing overdrive style distortion that is easy to dial in. Many makers offer pedals that copy or expand upon the TS9's circuit, but few can match the economy [more]
MXR M116 Fullbore Metal Distortion Pedal
Ouch! Here’s one for the Nu-breed of metal players. MXR might be best known for it’s subtle overdrive and distortion stompboxes, but the M116 Metal Distortion pedal has been designed to obliterate the most solidly built rehearsal rooms. There are a lot of dials on this pedal; six in total, but the ones to focus on are ‘frequency’ and ‘mid’, [more]
Blackstar HT-Dual Tube Distortion Pedal
Blackstar need little introduction. The manufacturer is well known for the superior quality of their amps, so there’s no reason they shouldn’t have a go at producing a pedal for those that can’t afford one of their big ticket amplifiers. And with the Blackstar HT Dual Tube Distortion, they’ve made an excellent start. It’s the valve at the heart of [more]
The BD-2 delivers the creamy, slightly crunchy sound associated with great blues guitar. This popular pedal provides instant access to the kind of warm overdrive and emotive distortion usually reserved for 30-year-old tube [more]
