Dunlop MXR FullBore Metal

The MXR FullBore Metal (model M116) is a compact high-gain distortion pedal from MXR, the effects brand owned by Dunlop. It is aimed squarely at metal players: Dunlop says it "turbo-charges your guitar signal with lethal amounts of ultra high gain," and the pedal pairs that gain with a three-band EQ, a sweepable midrange control, a Scoop switch and a switchable noise gate¹².

The noise gate is the feature that sets the FullBore apart from most distortion pedals. Extreme gain settings bring hiss and hum along with the distortion, and the built-in gate is there to knock that noise out while adding definition and tightness to syncopated riffs¹. Dunlop unveiled the pedal in September 2009, describing it as a "compact but powerful device that provides guitarists all they'll need to unleash the most devastating contemporary metal guitar tones ever heard"³.

A metal distortion with a built-in noise gate

The FullBore Metal is built around one idea: a single compact box that covers what a metal guitarist needs from a distortion pedal. The manual calls it a "super high gain distortion" with a "three band EQ with sweepable mid frequencies"². The gain on tap is deliberately extreme, and the gate exists because of it. Dunlop's product page describes the combination as a built-in Noise Gate "to knock out the noise associated with extreme gain levels while also adding" definition and tightness to syncopated metal riffs¹.

The gate is switchable, so it can be taken out of the signal path entirely when it is not wanted, and an internal sensitivity control sets the threshold at which it engages¹. In Premier Guitar's demo video, Chris Burgess explained that the "internal gate threshold control lets you set the noise gate's sensitivity"⁵.

MusicRadar's 2023 round-up of distortion pedals for metal, written by Alex Lynham, characterized the pedal's two signature features plainly:

The Scoop switch is a one-touch midrange cut, the kind of scooped-mids voicing associated with classic metal rhythm tones, and it sits alongside the full EQ section rather than replacing it⁶.

The pedal is all-analog. Dunlop described it that way at launch³, and Premier Guitar's demo video noted it "includes an all-analog circuit path"⁵. It also uses true-bypass switching, so the clean signal passes through untouched when the pedal is off³.

The controls

The control set is straightforward for anyone who has used a distortion pedal, with the EQ section doing more work than most. MusicRadar lists the controls as Volume, freq, gain, low, mid, high, gate switch and scoop switch⁶.

The sweepable midrange is the detail that gives the EQ its range. Rather than a fixed mid band, the Freq knob moves the center frequency that the Mid knob boosts or cuts, which lets a player hunt down the specific midrange character they want, from honking presence to the flat, scooped rhythm sound the Scoop switch delivers in one step²³.

Power and connections

The FullBore Metal runs on the standard MXR power arrangement. Dunlop's product page states it can be powered by a 9-volt battery, a Dunlop ECB003 9-volt adapter, or the DC Brick, Iso-Brick and Mini Iso-Brick power supplies¹. MusicRadar's buying guide lists the same requirements: a 9V power supply or 9V battery⁶. The battery option means the pedal works on a board without a dedicated power feed, though a supply is the practical choice for a pedal designed to sit at high gain for long sets.

Where it came from and what it costs

Dunlop Manufacturing unveiled the FullBore Metal Distortion in September 2009 as its latest MXR offering³. At launch it carried a list price of $169.99 with a $99.99 street price in the US³. Dunlop's current product listing shows $125.99⁴. In the UK, where the pedal was distributed by JHS⁷, MusicRadar's 2010 review listed it at £149⁸.

MusicRadar's 2010 round-up of distortion pedals called it "the compact FullBore Metal" from "effects guru [MXR]"⁸, and its 2023 metal distortion guide still included it among the pedals worth considering for the genre⁸. Dunlop also sells internal parts for the pedal under the M116-PARTS designation, which supports repairs for units already in use⁹.

For players comparing MXR distortions, the FullBore Metal sits at the high-gain, metal-specific end of the range, where alternatives like the MXR M78 Custom Badass '78 Distortion and the MXR M69 Prime Distortion take more classic-leaning directions²¹.

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