Score These Distortion Pedals for Under $50

In other fields, the term “distortion” is considered unfavorable, a type of defect, or an undesirable outcome of an end product. In music, however, distortion is arguably the most celebrated sound ever invented. It is a well-received anomaly that revolutionized the entire perspective of how individuals listen to and appreciate music. Perhaps playing the electric guitar will not be as fun and sweet and the rock genre will not be as profound today without the sound of creamy overdrive tones, intense and classic distortion, and the raspier-sounding fuzz, which ignited the saturated sound revolution. Besides the inbuilt distortion or overdrive channel on a guitar amp, the said distorted sounds may be further produced using effects pedals, which differ in the amount of dirt they can dish out to suit a specific rock genre as well as the player’s taste. Is it possible to find a desirable distortion within the price range of $50 or less? Most definitely! Players can pick from a handful of distortion stompboxes that are presented in good built quality and extremely popular for veterans and newbies alike. This list will name some of the most affordable distortion pedals available on Tonebox.

Behringer UM300

Behringer is recognized for its economical audio equipment, manufacturing everything from mixing boards to guitars for a fraction of the cost of its competitors. The UM300 Ultra Metal distortion pedal is in keeping with that ethos, providing a great deal of control for an affordable price tag. The UM300 Ultra Metal is perfect for those chasing extreme metal tones. Aside from delivering that extra-dense tube-esque distortion, this over-the-top, no-holds-barred distortion stompbox offers a ton of tone sculpting power to play with. Hardcore guitarists know that solid EQ is key to achieving a properly scooped metal distortion. Besides the Level and Distortion knobs, the UM300 Ultra Metal carries Low and High EQ controls, as well as a sweepable Mid dial so users can properly shape their tone. With the UM300 Ultra Metal, users get a degree of versatility that only a few pedals at the same price point provide. It yields a genuine 80/90s metal sound evocative of bands such as Metallica. As Behringer puts into words, “In the churning, smoldering world of heavy metal, it’s the middle frequencies that make all the difference between mush and muscle. With the UM300 Ultra Metal, you not only get control over the Mids – you can micromanage them!”

TC Electronic Dark Matter

TC Electronic’s Dark Matter is a versatile offering packaged within an understated but chic black design. Featuring a two-band EQ to join the usual gain and volume controls, this distortion pedal also consists of an interesting Voice toggle switch, which throws it between deeper, contemporary and more retro tones. The Dark Matter is a phenomenal distortion pedal that delivers a tremendous range of rich and gritty distortion tones, covering the spread from subtle fuzz to the sag and roar of a Plexi forced to the breaking point. Setting every knob to 12 o’clock gives an average smooth breakup. Cranking up the gain makes the saturation somewhat muddy. The Dark Matter allows users to EQ the high and low end individually. “Dark Matter is the kind of pedal that you wanna go play for half an hour and end up spending half a day with. It’s musical, covers a super-wide range of sounds but stays true to its base, an all analog-drive circuit that reminisces plexi sounds with both a classic and modern edge. Dark Matter delivers in spades thanks to a very low compression and a lively response that reacts to your playing at every turn,” TC Electronic claims.

Donner Morpher

The Donner Morpher stompbox is somewhat a one-trick pony. It does one thing so well, but it is highly subjective if that one thing could satisfy the user’s needs. This compact yet robust distortion pedal comes in a red metal chassis that consumes minimal pedalboard real estate—perfect for congested boards. It carries Level, Tone, and Gain knobs, as well as a three-position toggle switch for selecting between Classic, Tight, and Natural distortion modes. The Donner Morpher dishes out a distortion effect meant to be a real gut shaking affair. It is capable of making a tiny tube amp sound louder and fuller like a Full Stack, preserving the amp’s original sound structure. Think Suhr Riot stompbox with more options, full meaty mids, and tight bottom. The Donner Morpher features a JRC4558D chip, which is a green pedal staple for lush distortion and overdrive. This well-built yet affordable high-gain distortion is undoubtedly worth every penny.

Danelectro FAB Distortion

Danelectro has long been lauded in the field of flooring for economical and fresh ideas, both in terms of sound and design. With the FAB series, there are once again exciting stompboxes at unbelievably low prices. The FAB Distortion yields the distortion sound of the iconic 1970s. If nothing else, the FAB Distortion bags the award for a most unique appearance. But this unit is not all looks. While it is not quite as smooth as vintage overdrives, it is also not the solidity of new metal aggregates. It is sensitive to the dynamic delicacy and mild overtones, similar to the Japanese unit from the late 70s. When it comes to simple and inexpensive stop-and-play distortion guitar effects stompboxes, the FAB Distortion is regarded as one of the leaders of the pack. Simply connect the amp and guitar, dial in the ideal level of distortion using the controls for Dist, Tone, and Level, and then let ‘er rip. The FAB Distortion serves up warm classic distortion tones that are highly responsive to picking dynamics, plus its straightforward knobs deliver plenty of tone-sculpting flexibility.

GOKKO SonicFire Distortion

As its name might imply, the SonicFire Distortion pedal from GOKKO is a unique “high gain three step rocket of an distortion.” It is capable of delivering a “nice distortion, from crunch to the high gain volume.” The crunch goes from mild overdrive to hard rock gain stage, while the high gain goes from rock gain stages to a total meltdown, with plenty of low end and gain, and all in a tone reminiscent of the early 1980s high gain guitar icons. The SonicFire Distortion pedal emulates the iconic tone of the Marshall amp. It comes with an inbuilt regulated (+-12V) power supply to guarantee the necessary headroom that dishes out an exceptional tone. It is packaged within a red solid metal chassis that sports controls for Gain, Tone, and Level.

Joyo High Gain Distortion

Joyo’s High Gain Distortion pedal has been built to last with tone and features that make it a dream come true. It consists of top-grade components such as a bright LED, input/output jacks, and a 9V battery. It also features a two-band EQ made up of Mid and Treble knobs.

Per Joyo, while the pedal might seem like an “all-out metal” unit, it is far from being a one-trick pony. It claims that users can capture some great “Heavy Metal tones that Tony Iommi himself would be proud of,” but the stompbox can do so much more.” From some blues rock crunch to full-on snarling distortion, the High Gain Distortion is a flexible stompbox. “When used with single coils at lower gain settings, you’d have to look twice to make sure you hadn’t stepped on your Vintage Overdrive! Start winding the gain up towards 12 ‘o’ clock, and all of a sudden you’re Angus Young with a strat. Add a little more gain, and you’re getting into a growling grungey tone reminiscent of some Nirvana. When you’ve finally wound the gain all the way up, you can start to warm up your best Sabbath and early Ozzy impressions,” Joyo detailed. As if that were not enough, the company added, “Once you bring the Humbuckers out, this pedal really starts to live up to its name. At 10 ‘o’ clock on the gain, you’ve got you’re early Sabbath jumping out and some singing lead lines with great sustain. Now at 12 ‘o’ clock, you can start those galloping Maiden-esque riffs. As you keep turning the gain up, you can start doing your best Zakk Wylde impressions as the pinch harmonics start jumping out at you. With the gain all the way up and the mids knob turned right the way down, you’re set for some great modern metal riffage!”

Koogo Plexion

Koogo is making waves in the under-$50 stompbox market, providing compact bass and guitar effects pedals that are reliable and boast exceptional tone that belies their pocket-friendly price points. The Plexion distortion stompbox mirrors the original Plexi amps. It features an intuitive three-knob layout consists of controls for Volume, Gain, and Tone. It also carries a toggle switch for changing between Normal and Bright sounds. The Bright channel takes the user to classic rock to the late 1980s and early 1990s rock territory, depending on the amount of gain they want to apply. Meanwhile, for the Normal channel, simply tweak the knobs to achieve the desired output. The Plexion pedal is solidly constructed and made of high-quality zinc alloy. It also features a true bypass that delivers transparent tone as well as an LED indicator that displays the working state.

NUX Brownie Distortion

The Brownie Distortion by NUX loads the Classical British rock tones of the 70s into a compact box. By leveraging a combination of circuits, NUX crafted revolutionary “pre-amp and power tube distortion characteristics.” It will wow users with the warm, natural tone it reproduced. According to NUX, the Brownie Distortion features “a specially designed BJT input stage causing it to ‘break-up’ when the preamp tube starts to distort. It also has an asymmetrical clipping circuit, letting you simulate some of the characteristics of an actual tube amplifier. It also keeps the bottom-end tight by processing bass frequencies, which can get muddy when distorted.” The Brownie Distortion utilizes a low-pass tone control filter to emulate the Variac effect for rounding-off the tone. Although the range of tone is controlled, it is suitable for setting the high-end response. The power clipping circuit is created from a contemporary low-noise OP-AMP and a pair of red LEDs. It is capable of producing symmetrical clipping that bends both halves of the signal maintaining the smoothness of the sound. True bypass circuits featuring a sturdy TPDP mechanical footswitch provide the bypass with its incredible signal clarity.

**T-Rex Nitros Hypergain **

T-Rex Engineering has been manufacturing quality guitar gear and effects stompboxes ever since the 1990s. Its products are built using top-grade components, including lifetime-use pots, film/foil electrolytic capacitors, and high-quality toggles, footswitches, and connectors. Recommended for those seeking classic hard rock crunch and aggressive metal tones in a box, the T-Rex Nitros Hypergain captures “a very punchy and scooped high gain distortion.” This highly tweakable dirt pedal is also capable of the “‘80´s hair rock’ sound to a T.” The Nitros Hypergain leverages a three-band active EQ section for versatile midrange sculpting to fit any playing style, with loads of gain to get convincing saturation from a clean amp or drive natural tube overdrive into unexplored territory. The Nitros Hypergain’s Treble, Bass, and Mid controls are flat at noon to deliver gobs of tone-shaping options—boost the mids to stake a claim in the mix or boost the bottom end for an authoritative contemporary sound.

CNZ Audio Crossfire Metal

With the CNZ Audio Crossfire Metal pedal, users can transform their clean guitar signal into a warzone of extreme distortion tones. They can capture crazy levels of saturation, sustain, and distortion with the roll of a few simple knobs. The Crossfire Metal carries a toggle switch that allows for a choice between a trio of pedal settings—Hi Boost, Lo Boost, and Boost Off. All three options work well for different effects and genres for any players. The Crossfire Metal also consists of Tone, Distortion, and Volume knobs for adjusting the brightness of the pedal, overall fullness or tone of the effect’s overdriven sound, and pedal output, respectively. It comes in a rugged enclosure with weighted knobs carrying easily readable labels. It sports a sweet cross design and jet black finish. The Crossfire Metal’s compact size enables it to be lightweight, travel-friendly and leaves a lot of room on the pedalboard.