Boss MT-2-3A Metal Zone

The Boss MT-2-3A Metal Zone is a limited-edition 30th anniversary version of the Boss MT-2 Metal Zone, the high-gain distortion pedal that Boss first released in 1991 and has kept in production ever since¹². Announced in May 2021 alongside the SD-1-4A anniversary edition of the SD-1 Super Overdrive, it carries the same analog circuit and controls as the standard pedal but dresses them in an all-black finish and commemorative packaging³⁴.

The MT-2-3A has all the high-gain distortion of the non-limited MT-2, built on the same internal analog dual-gain circuit tuned for pre- and post-distortion filtering, with the three-band active EQ that includes a semi-parametric midrange⁴. What sets it apart is the look and the run: it was sold only during 2021⁵.

The 30th Anniversary edition of the MT-2

Boss launched the MT-2 Metal Zone in 1991, and the pedal has been in continuous production ever since²⁷. To mark 30 years, Boss issued the MT-2-3A as a limited edition available throughout 2021 only⁸⁵. Guitar World's Jonathan Horsley described the anniversary as "a feat celebrated with the launch of the limited MT-2-3A"².

The edition was announced together with the SD-1-4A, a matching anniversary version of the Boss SD-1 Super Overdrive, both released for June 2021³⁹⁴. MusicRadar's Rob Laing called the MT-2-3A "a special none-more-black 30th Anniversary Limited Edition MT-2-3A version for 2021"⁶¹⁰.

Under the anniversary paint, the pedal is the same circuit as the standard MT-2. Pedal of the Day noted that "the internal analog dual-gain circuit remains intact, giving you mid-focused clarity and aggressive character"⁴. The same review pointed to the EQ as the working heart of the pedal: "the active EQ section with semi-parametric midrange allows this effect to work well with all types of amps, both clean a bit dirty"⁴. MusicRadar likewise credited the EQ, noting "it's three-band active EQ lies at the heart of its depth"⁶.

For players weighing the alternatives within Boss's own line, the standard MT-2 Metal Zone carries the same sound in the traditional finish¹.

Black finish and anniversary packaging

The MT-2-3A's visual changes are the point of the edition. Where the standard MT-2 ships in Boss's familiar colors, the anniversary model goes all black⁸¹³:

• All-black finish with gray lettering and black knobs, a nod to the original⁸
• Vintage silver thumbscrew for the battery compartment³
• Commemorative box with the 30th Anniversary logo printed on it³⁹

Guitar World's Alex Lynham summed up the look as "a none-more-metal grey-on-black colorway"⁵. Premier Guitar's announcement described the same details: "The commemorative MT-2-3A features a black body with gray lettering and a vintage silver thumbscrew for the battery comp"³.

Price and availability

The MT-2-3A carried a US list price of $112.99 when it launched in June 2021, alongside the SD-1-4A at $59.99¹³⁴. The run was strictly time-limited: Gearnews reported the edition would be "available throughout 2021 only"⁸¹¹, and Guitar World confirmed the pedal was "available now, but only for the remainder of 2021"⁵.

Where the Metal Zone came from

The original MT-2 Metal Zone debuted in 1991⁷ and has stayed in Boss's catalog continuously since². Electric Druid's technical analysis of the circuit credits "those clever Boss engineers of the 1980's" for the design's underlying approach¹³. Guitar World's history of the pedal notes that Boss "did so in 1991 with the launch of the MT-2 Metal Zone" as its entry into high-gain distortion².

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