List of distortion pedals

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Distortion pedals are a type of effects unit designed to add distortion to an audio signal to create a warm, gritty, or fuzzy character. Depending on the style of signal clipping, the broader category of distortion pedals is typically divided into fuzz pedals, distortion pedals, or overdrive pedals. Designed for electric guitar and bass and operated by the player's foot, distortion pedals are most frequently placed in the signal chain between the guitar and amplifier.

The use of distortion pedals was popularized by Keith Richard's use of a Maestro FZ-1 Fuzz-Tone pedal on the 1965 Rolling Stones song "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction".[1][2] Later pedals like the Pro Co Rat and Ibanez Tube Screamer have achieved iconic status among guitarists and are a key element in many players' tones. Industry publications often publish lists of influential and popular models.[3][4][5][6][7]

Fuzz pedals[edit]

Arbiter Fuzz Face[edit]

Main article: Fuzz Face

Arbiter Electronics released the first Fuzz Face in 1969, featuring a unique round metal housing inspired by a microphone stand and with the arrangement of volume knob, distortion knob, and logo intentionally resembling a face. The Fuzz Face's first production run lasted until 1976/77, then was reissued from 1986 until 1990. In 1993, Dunlop Manufacturing took over production and has continued to issue several varieties of the pedal. Jimi Hendrix popularized the Fuzz Face and was known to buy multiple copies at a time to identify the best ones; his pedal chain often consisted of a wah-wah pedal into a Fuzz Face, then into a Uni-Vibe.[8] Other notable users include Duane Allman,[9] Stevie Ray Vaughan[10] Pete Townshend,[11] Eric Johnson,[12] and George Harrison.[13][14]

Electro-Harmonix Big Muff[edit]

Main article: Electro-Harmonix Big Muff

The Big Muff Pi (π), often known simply as the Big Muff, is a fuzz pedal produced in New York City by the Electro-Harmonix company, along with their Russian sister company Sovtek, primarily for use with the electric guitar. Released in 1969 and designed with an emphasis on long sustain compared to existing fuzzes, the Big Muff Pi was the first overwhelming success for Electro-Harmonix's line of pedals. Due to its reliability, its low price, and its distinctive sound, the Big Muff sold consistently through the 1970s and was found in numerous guitarists' pedal collections, including David Gilmour[15] and Carlos Santana. The "sustained grind" of the Big Muff was later an integral part of the sound of many alternative rock bands through the 1980s and 1990s, being used extensively by the Smashing Pumpkins, Dinosaur Jr., NOFX, Bush and Mudhoney.

Maestro FZ-1 Fuzz-Tone[edit]

Main article: Maestro FZ-1 Fuzz-Tone

The Maestro FZ-1 Fuzz-Tone was the first widely marketed fuzz distortion guitar and bass effect. Introduced in 1962, it achieved widespread popularity in 1965 after the Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards prominent use of the FZ-1 on the group's hit, "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction". Later in 1965, the design was slightly modified and designated as the model FZ1-1a. In the wake of the success of "Satisfaction," numerous recordings, mostly from 1960s garage rock and psychedelic acts, featured Maestro Fuzz-Tones on guitar. More significant design changes made after 1967 resulted in different renditions of the Fuzz-Tone released over the years. In the 1990s, Gibson re-issued the FZ-1a, but it was later discontinued.

Sola Sound / Vox Tone Bender[edit]

Main article: Tone Bender

Released in 1965, Sola Sound's Tone Bender was a re-creation of the popular Maestro Fuzz-Tone, but with more sustain and intended for the European market. For U.S. distribution, Vox released a version in 1967 based on Sola Sound's MK1.5 Tone Bender update, one of many the pedal went through. With different component values and transistors being used over the years, earlier variants are fuller sounding, while later ones are bright and cutting. Notable examples of the Tone Bender in use include Jeff Beck's sitar-like guitar solo on the Yardbirds' 1965 song "Heart Full of Soul" and Mick Ronson's guitar work on David Bowie's 1972 song "Moonage Daydream".[16]

Univox Super-Fuzz[edit]

Main article: Univox Super-Fuzz

The Univox Super-Fuzz circuit was designed in the late 1960s by the Japanese company Honey, in the form of a multi-effect called the Honey Psychedelic Machine. Later on, Honey was acquired by Shin-ei, who produced the effect separately and imported it to the USA via Unicord, the parent company of Univox. The first Super-Fuzzes were made in 1968, and production continued until the late 70s.[17] The pedal is unique in that the full-wave rectification of the circuit produces an upper octave as well as a slight lower octave. This also gives the sound a lot of compression and a mild ring modulator effect. A second unique feature is a tone switch that engages a 1 kHz filter that "scoops" the mids, giving a fat, bassy tone.[18]

Distortion pedals[edit]

Boss DS-1 Distortion[edit]

Main article: Boss DS-1

Introduced in 1978, the DS-1 was Boss's first distortion pedal, and second pedal release overall, following the CE-1 Chorus Ensemble. The DS-1 uses two hard-clipping diodes for an aggressive edge, similar to the ProCo Rat, released the same year. This type of circuit became known as "distortion," as opposed to the soft-clipping "overdrive" of Boss's later overdrive pedals.[19] The DS-1 uses a preamplifier instead of the conventional op-amp for a gritty, warm tone. When the original Toshiba TA7136AP preamp became scarce, the circuit was redesigned in 1994, introducing several "quirks"—lower volume levels, noise at higher gain levels, and a "waspy" edge due to higher frequencies not being filtered out. These issues led to the pedal being popular among modifiers.[19]

The DS-1 is Boss's bestselling pedal of all time.[20]

Boss HM-2 Heavy Metal[edit]

Main article: Boss HM-2

The Boss HM-2, first issued in October 1983, was manufactured in Japan until 1988, then in Taiwan until 1991.[21] It was designed to emulate the mid-range response of a Marshall stack.[22] Achieving only moderate success in the glam metal scene, the pedal was discontinued in 1991; it was succeeded by the HM-3 Hyper Metal and MT-2 Metal Zone, the latter of which became a commercial success and top-selling pedal for Boss.[22] Following its discontinuance, the HM-2 developed a cult following in the heavy metal scene and is especially associated with Swedish death metal. In 2020, Boss issued a "Waza Craft" edition of the pedal, the HM-2W.[23]

Boss MT-2 Metal Zone[edit]

The Metal Zone was released in 1991, following the discontinuation of the earlier HM-2 Heavy Metal, which failed to sell well during its production run, but was popular among death metal players, since amplifiers of the time were not capable of the amount of distortion players wanted without being boosted with a pedal. With the MT-2, Boss sought to appeal to that market with an improved pedal as death metal's popularity surged.[24] The MT-2 sported a complex design for a distortion pedal, with a dual-stage gain circuit, seven filters for both pre- and post-distortion, and a semi-parametric three-band EQ section. The pedal's thick, saturated, tight tone[20] and the extreme sounds the pedal was able to produce thanks to its powerful EQ controls made the MT-2 divisive both upon its release and throughout its ongoing production. Guitar World characterized the general reaction to the pedal as "inspiring or confusing,"[24] and the pedal is often lampooned on the internet as the worst distortion ever made. Many in the metal community embraced the sound, however, with Nathan Weaver of Wolves in the Throne Room favorably describing the MT-2 as a "fucked-up, corpse-grinding type sound."[24] Despite this, the pedal has found fans like Prince when used on lower gain settings or as a boost.[24]

The Metal Zone has sold over a million units, making it the company's best-selling pedal behind only the DS-1.[20]

MXR Distortion +[edit]

Main article: MXR Distortion +

MXR scored its first success with the Phase 90 and followed quickly with a trio of 1974 releases, including the Distortion +. MXR's pedals were notable for their small footprint, as effects pedals were typically housed in large enclosures at the time, and durability, since MXR was initially founded to address the issue of other manufacturers' pedals' unreliability. The Distortion + has found a wide range of fans, like Randy Rhoads in his work with Ozzy Osbourne,[25] Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead,[25] Bob Mould of Hüsker Dü,[26] Dave Murray of Iron Maiden,[27] and Thom Yorke of Radiohead.

Pro Co Rat[edit]

Main article: Pro Co RAT

Developed in 1978 with mass production beginning a year later,[28] the Pro Co Rat was the first mass-produced distortion pedal. In the Rat, Pro Co's engineers sought to improve upon the earlier Fuzz Face and ultimately designed a pedal with, as Guitar World wrote, a "hard, aggressive sound and tight, focused clipping" that set the template for modern distortion circuits.[4] Pro Co has released numerous versions of the Rat since its initial release, and its enduring popularity has spawned numerous clones and tributes from other pedal manufacturers like JHS Pedals and Wampler Pedals.

Overdrive pedals[edit]

Analog Man King of Tone[edit]

The King of Tone, released in 2005, was designed by Analog Man founder Mike Piera and Jim Weider to recreate the tone of the then-discontinued Marshall Bluesbreaker pedal with its settings maxed to the point the original pedal took on a different character. A two-sided pedal with independent controls and internal DIP switches to choose between boost, overdrive, and distortion modes, the King of Tone quickly developed a strong following and a years-long waiting list. Vintage Guitar dubbed the pedal one of a few "holy grail" overdrives.[29] To satisfy demand for the pedal, Analog Man later developed a single-sided variation, the Prince of Tone, that could be produced faster. Analog Man subsequently partnered with MXR to release a smaller format, mass-produced version, the Duke of Tone.

Boss BD-2 Blues Driver[edit]

In 1995, Boss released the BD-2, an overdrive pedal aimed at blues players who sought to add distortion while maintaining their amp's signal clarity and dynamics.[30] At the time, blues was experiencing a resurgence thanks to Eric Clapton and Gary Moore. The pedal has a clear, punchy tone and features a flatter EQ-curve for a more amp-like tone than similar pedals, like the Ibanez Tube Screamer.[31]

Notable players who use the BD-2 include Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine and Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day.[31]

Boss OD-1 OverDrive[edit]

With the 1977 release of the OD-1 OverDrive, Boss coined the term "overdrive," a reference to the pedal's asymmetrical-clipping, tube-like distortion[30] in comparison to the brash sound of "fuzz" pedals available.[32] The OD-1's layout was simple—with only "Level" and "OverDrive" controls. The OD-1 was an immediate success, as the pedal afforded players more amp-like distortion at lower volume levels no matter what amp was being used. Within a few years, however, the pedal's voicing was considered overly "sweet" as rock music became more aggressive and the fixed frequency limited its versatility. With the surging popularity of the OD-1-influenced Ibanez Tube Screamer and its addition of a tone control, Boss began including a "Tone" knob on its pedals with the 1981 SD-1 and the OD-1 was discontinued in 1985.[32]

Boss SD-1 Super OverDrive[edit]

The Super OverDrive was released in 1981 as Boss's second overdrive pedal, adding a tone control to the earlier OD-1 design, while continuing to replicate the sound of tube amp-style overdrive[20] via an asymmetrical clipping circuit and an inherent midrange-focus, but with less bass roll-off.[30] The asymmetrical clipping lent the pedal a more aggressive character compared to the rival Tube Screamer, and it became popular in the growing hard rock and heavy metal subgenres with guitarists frequently using it to boost already-overdriven amplifiers like the Marshall JCM800 into higher-gain sounds.[32]

In 2021, Boss released a 40th anniversary edition of the pedal,[20] with the original circuit having remained unchanged since its introduction. Guitar dubbed the pedal one of only a handful to ever achieve "truly iconic status."[33]

Fulltone OCD[edit]

In 2004, Fulltone released the Obsessive Compulsive Drive (OCD), which was designed as "an open-sounding distortion pedal with decent headroom to more faithfully emulate a driven tube amp,"[34] with a circuit similar to the earlier Voodoo Labs Overdrive, itself a variation of the Ibanez Tubescreamer.[34] An op amp-based pedal, the OCD has gone through multiple iterations, with changes from versions 1.1 to 1.7 being generally subtle alterations of the pedal's EQ response. Version 2 brought more noticeable changes, with a new output buffer, a 2N5457 JFET transistor input stage, and the option to use a new type of switching, enhanced bypass, instead of true bypass.[34] After the first iteration, the drive pot's value was increased for a more "dramatic" distortion, and an asymmetric 1N34 germanium diode was later added to shift the character of the clipping.[34]

The OCD was dubbed by Music Radar "one of the most legendary overdrives ever made."[35]

Hermida Audio Zendrive[edit]

Alfonso Hermida released the Zendrive in 2004 to acclaim as the overdrive pedal that most successfully emulates the breakup and response of the Dumble Amplifiers Overdrive Special, a famously expensive and exclusive amplifier—just as the Zendrive would become, with used prices reaching over a thousand dollars, and having fans like Overdrive Special-owner Robben Ford. Struggling to keep up with demand, Hermida partnered with the company Lovepedals in 2013 to take over Zendrive manufacturing. Despite this, the Zendrive remains rare on the pedal market.[36]

Ibanez Tube Screamer[edit]

Main article: Ibanez Tube Screamer

The Ibanez Tube Screamer (TS808/TS9) was designed in the late 1970s by Susumu Tamura of Maxon. It has a characteristic mid-boosted tone popular with blues, rock and metal players. The Tube Screamer has been used by many guitarists to create their signature sound, and is one of the most successful, widely copied, and custom-modified ("modded") overdrive pedals in the history of the electric guitar.[37][38]

Klon Centaur[edit]

Main article: Klon Centaur

The Klon Centaur, made by American engineer Bill Finnegan, was released in 1994 with the aim of recreating the harmonically rich distortion of a guitar amplifier at a high volume.[39] Finnegan wanted a "big, open" sound, with a "hint of tube clipping", that would not sound like a pedal was being used.[39] He was quickly overwhelmed with orders, each taking 12–14 weeks, as Finnegan handmade the pedals himself. Deciding the profit margin was not sustainable, Finnegan discontinued the original Centaur in 2008, having produced 8,000 units, but later contracted out the manufacturing of a revised design, the Klon KTR. By 2019, used Centaurs sold for between $1,900 and US$2,500.[40] According to Guitar.com, which named the Centaur one of the industry's greatest effect pedals, "The Klon Centaur is either the greatest, most useful overdrive ever made, or the worst example of guitarists losing all sense of perspective about how much good tone should cost."[40]

The Klon Centaur has been used by guitarists including Jeff Beck, John Mayer, Joe Perry (of Aerosmith), Nels Cline (of Wilco), Matt Schofield, and Ed O'Brien (of Radiohead).[39][41]

Marshall Bluesbreaker[edit]

Launched in 1991, the Bluesbreaker overdrive was Marshall's first attempt at recreating the tone of a specific amp in a pedal—Marshall's own 1962 "Bluesbreaker" combo, nicknamed for its use by Eric Clapton when he played with John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers. While exceeding at adding subtle grit to a clean amp, the pedal failed to capture the tone of its namesake amp and was not a success during its limited initial production run. This changed years later when John Mayer started using a Bluesbreaker on his pedalboard, reigniting industry interest in it. Many pedal makers developed modified recreations of the original circuit, most notably Analogman's King of Tone. Marshall reissued the Bluesbreaker in 2023.[42]

Nobels ODR-1[edit]

The ODR-1 was created for the German brand Nobels by Kai Tachibana, who was dissatisfied with the strong increase in middle frequencies and decrease in bass common in other overdrive pedals. Sometimes referred to as "the other green overdrive," the ODR-1, with its fuller sound, became a favorite pedal for Nashville session players like Tom Bukovac and Tim Pierce. Besides its unique, more balanced EQ curve, the ODR-1 eschews the conventional tone knob, which cuts or boosts treble frequencies, for a "Spectrum" control that simultaneously boosts/cuts both highs and lower-mids as the knob is turned.[43] Original '90s ODR-1s have been listed on the secondhand market for as much as $2,000.[44]

Paul Cochrane Timmy[edit]

Cochrane first produced the Tim overdrive, one of the first boutique overdrive pedals, which became popular for its open, uncompressed tone with expanded EQ options. However, as the pedal was quite large, Cochrane released a smaller, four-knob option, the Timmy, which quickly surpassed the Tim in popularity. Guitar World places the Timmy in the Tube Screamer "family tree," while noting it does not have the Tube Screamer's characteristic mid-hump and is less compressed at lower gain levels. In the boutique market, the Timmy's transparent character and Volume/Gain/Bass/Treble control layout has been widely copied. Despite the pedal's success, Cochrane has continued to build the pedals himself and sells them at a reasonable price-point; Cochrane additionally assists the DIY community in creating Timmy-style pedals.[45]

In 2020, Cochrane partnered with MXR to release a smaller format, mass-produced version of the Timmy.

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "The Art of the Stompbox". 2010. Retrieved 13 September 2010.
  2. ^ "FuzzEffect: The Fuzz Story and Photos". Retrieved 13 September 2010.
  3. ^ Murphy, Bill. "10 Stompboxes That Changed the World". premierguitar.com. Premier Guitar. Retrieved 12 May 2024.
  4. ^ a b Horsley, Jonathon. "Best distortion pedals: the top 11 high-gain stompboxes for guitarists". guitarworld.com. Guitar World. Retrieved 11 May 2024.
  5. ^ Astley-Brown, Michael. "Best distortion pedals: our pick of the top gain stages for guitar". musicradar.com. Music Radar. Retrieved 11 May 2024.
  6. ^ Thompson, Art. "The Best Guitar Effects Pedals of All Time". guitarplayer.com. Guitar Player. Retrieved 11 May 2024.
  7. ^ Dickson, Jamie. "That Pedal Show rate the most legendary pedals of all time: the deserving, the overrated and the total sleepers". guitarworld.com. Guitar World. Retrieved 11 May 2024.
  8. ^ Shapiro, Harry; Glebbeek, Caesar (1995) [1990]. Jimi Hendrix: Electric Gypsy (New and Improved ed.). St. Martin's Press. ISBN 978-0-312-13062-6. p. 689.
  9. ^ "Duane Allman Guitar Gear Rig". Uberproaudio.com. Retrieved 5 November 2023.
  10. ^ Hopkins, Craig. Stevie Ray Vaughan – Day by Day, Night After Night: His Early Years, 1954–1982. Backbeat Books; September 15, 2010. p. 327. ISBN 978-1-4234-8598-8
  11. ^ "Dallas Arbiter Fuzz Face fuzz box | Pete Townshend's Guitar Gear | Whotabs". Thewho.net. Retrieved 5 November 2023.
  12. ^ "Eric Johnson Interview". Archived from the original on 2007-10-22. Retrieved 2007-10-23. Modern Guitars - Eric Johnson Interview
  13. ^ "Get Back" by the Beatles; Apple, London, 1969
  14. ^ "Beatles Gear" by Andy Babiuk and Tony Bacon; Backbeat, 2002
  15. ^ Tolinski, Brad (September 1994). "Welcome to the Machines". Guitar World. Archived from the original on 24 July 2011. Retrieved 2011-07-29.
  16. ^ Livingstone, Christian (13 December 2018). "Fifty Years of Filth: The Story of the Mighty Tone Bender Fuzz". Premier Guitar. Retrieved 5 February 2024.
  17. ^ Hughes, Tom (2004). Analog Man's Guide to Vintage Effects (First ed.). USA: For Musicians Only Publishing. pp. 117, 119. ISBN 0-9759209-0-1.
  18. ^ Hughes, Tom (2004). Analog Man's Guide to Vintage Effects (FIRST ed.). USA: For Musicians Only Publishing. p. 25. ISBN 0-9759209-0-1.
  19. ^ a b Lynham, Alex. "Boss DS-1W Waza Craft Distortion Review". guitarplayer.com. Guitar Player. Retrieved 31 July 2023.
  20. ^ a b c d e Laing, Rob. "Boss announces anniversary versions of the SD-1 Super Overdrive and MT-2 Metal Zone pedals". musicradar.com. Music Radar. Retrieved 31 July 2023.
  21. ^ "Boss shares images of new Waza HM-2W cosmetic prototype on Facebook". Gearnews. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
  22. ^ a b "BOSS Cult Classics". rolandcorp.com.au. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
  23. ^ Seah, Daniel. "Here's a First Look At The Boss Hm-2 Waza Craft Reissue". guitar.com. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
  24. ^ a b c d Horsely, Jonathon. "How the Boss MT-2 Metal Zone conquered the world and inspired a new generation of metal guitar players". guitarworld.com. Guitar World. Retrieved 31 July 2023.
  25. ^ a b Gill, Chris. "Out of the Box: Guitar World Celebrates the Time-Honored History of MXR Effect Pedals". Guitar World. Future plc. Retrieved 2018-07-31.
  26. ^ Cochran, Kevin. "Gear Blog: Bob Mould". Austin City Limits. KLRU-TV, Austin PBS. Retrieved 2018-08-01.
  27. ^ Bosso, Joe. "Iron Maiden: Out of Thin Air". Premier Guitar. Premier Guitar Magazine. p. 2. Retrieved 2018-07-31.
  28. ^ Williams, Stuart (2 August 2010). "Pro Co Reissue '85 Whiteface RAT". MusicRadar. Future Publishing. Retrieved 29 January 2012.
  29. ^ Jordan, Oscar. "Analog Man's King of Tone". vintageguitar.com. Vintage Guitar. Retrieved 10 May 2024.
  30. ^ a b c Brakes, Rod. "Boss analog overdrives: what you need to know about the iconic drive pedals". guitarworld.com. Guitar World. Retrieved 31 July 2023.
  31. ^ a b Robertson, Daryl. "Ibanez Tube Screamer vs Boss Blues Driver: which is better?". guitarworld.com. Guitar World. Retrieved 31 July 2023.
  32. ^ a b c Colic, Jamie. "Gear Icons: Boss SD-1 Super Overdrive". mixdownmag.com. Mixdown Magazine. Retrieved 9 May 2024.
  33. ^ Watts, Michael. ""I could have done 90 per cent of my career with an SD-1": why the BOSS overdrive has been the pro guitarist's secret ingredient for 40 years". guitar.com. Guitar Magazine. Retrieved 31 July 2023.
  34. ^ a b c d Lynham, Alex. "The FX files: Fulltone OCD". musicradar.com. Music Radar. Retrieved 28 April 2024.
  35. ^ Sharma, Amit. "Warm Audio ODD Box V1 Hard-Clipping Overdrive Pedal review". musicradar.com. Music Radar. Retrieved 30 April 2024.
  36. ^ Oleszko, Ed. "Warm Audio Warmdrive review – bringing the Zendrive vibe to the masses". guitar.com. Guitar Magazine. Retrieved 10 May 2024.
  37. ^ Hunter, Dave (2004). Guitar Effects Pedals: The Practical Handbook. Hal Leonard. pp. 68–71. ISBN 978-0-87930-806-3.
  38. ^ "Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer Review". Guitar Verdict. 6 June 2017. Retrieved 27 January 2021.
  39. ^ a b c "Builder Profile: Klon's Bill Finnegan". Premier Guitar. 2014-01-21. Retrieved 2022-12-13.
  40. ^ a b "The top 20 effects of all time". Guitar.com. 2019-03-04. Retrieved 2021-08-28.
  41. ^ Owen, Matt (2022-05-26). "Radiohead's Ed O'Brien is selling his Klon Centaur and other effects for charity". Guitar World. Retrieved 2022-12-13.
  42. ^ Purvis, Richard. "Marshall BluesBreaker review: can this much-copied drive pedal pick up right where it left off?". guitar.com. Guitar Magazine. Retrieved 10 May 2024.
  43. ^ Curwen, Trevor. "Nobels ODR-1 BC & ODR-mini review". guitarworld.com. Guitar World. Retrieved 10 May 2024.
  44. ^ Laing, Rob. "Is the Nobels ODR-1 the real holy grail overdrive pedal?". musicradar.com. Music Radar. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
  45. ^ Lynham, Alex. "Classic gear: Paul Cochrane Timmy". guitarworld.com. Guitar World.
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