The Empress S&D Distortion is a distortion pedal sold by Empress Effects under its Scratch and Dent program. The pedal itself works normally: the maker states that "Scratch and Dent pedals are functionally working perfectly." The discount comes from appearance alone, with "small cosmetic flaws such as a smudge on the screenprint, scratches or maybe a powdercoating defect."1
For a player, that means an otherwise standard distortion pedal at a lower price, with the trade-off being purely visual. If you are building a first board around distortion pedals and do not mind a mark on the enclosure, the S&D version is the same working unit as the regular product1.
Price
Empress Effects lists the S&D Distortion at $89.00 USD on its product page dated 2026-10-25. The pedal also carries a 2 year warranty that can be extended to 4 years for free by registering the pedal.1
Warranty
The Scratch and Dent version carries the same coverage as a regular pedal. Empress Effects states: "You still get our awesome 2 year warranty that can be extended to 4 years for free by registering your pedal!"1 Registering the pedal after purchase doubles the coverage at no cost.
Other Scratch and Dent pedals from Empress
The S&D Distortion is one of several pedals Empress Effects sells through the same program, each a working unit with cosmetic flaws at a reduced price1:
- S&D Buffer, a buffer pedal
- S&D Compressor Bass, in Silver Sparkle and Blue Sparkle versions, a compressor for bass
- S&D Fuzz, a fuzz pedal
- S&D Tremolo 2, a tremolo pedal
Sources (1)
- S&D Distortion, Empress Effects Inc.
