The Morley Man FX Distortion Boost is an analog overdrive-style distortion pedal with a built-in boost, made by Morley. Guitar Interactive Magazine described it as "a classic analogue, overdrive style distortion pedal with boost," and in an earlier review of the same pedal noted that it "very much works like a classic tubescreamer," putting it in the same family as the Ibanez Tube Screamer approach to drive rather than the heavier distortion end of the spectrum12.
The pedal is built into what the reviewer called the "typically tank-like Morley casing," and its exterior is plain: input, output, a 9 volt adapter input, and a 9 volt battery housing2. The boost is the headline feature, but it comes with a limitation players should know about before planning a pedalboard around it.
The boost function can only be activated when the distortion is engaged. It cannot be used on its own as a clean level boost1.
A Tube Screamer-style drive with a solo boost
Guitar Interactive's 2014 review framed the pedal's purpose clearly: "this Morley is designed as a real distortion pedal, as opposed to a signal booster, and it offers the user a nice clean" platform for drive sounds2. The boost sits on top of that distortion rather than beside it. As the review put it, the boost "can only be activated when the distortion is engaged. This provides a volume boost which is useful for solos and cutting through a dense mix"2.
That design puts the pedal in a different category from a dedicated boost pedal like the Morley Buffer Boost or the Morley Volume Boost, which exist to raise signal level rather than to add grit. Here the boost is a solo push: you set your rhythm drive sound, then step on the boost to jump out front2.
The drive range is broad for a Tube Screamer-style circuit. In a 2024 Guitar Interactive review of the pedal under the Man MDB FX name, the reviewer found "the drive control allowing you to go from Bluesy crunch up to Rock lead" territory1.
The controls
The control set is the classic four: Boost, Drive, Tone, and Level3.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Drive | Controls the amount of distortion, how saturated the tone sounds2 |
| Tone | Shapes the brightness of the drive sound |
| Level | Sets the overall output volume |
| Boost | Engages a fixed volume push for solos, active only while the distortion is on2 |
One point the 2014 reviewer raised about the knobs: "I find that the parameters of the drive, tone and level controls on this pedal are quite subtle compared to some of its" contemporaries, naming the Ibanez Tube Screamer as a comparison point2. In practice that means each knob sweeps through a smaller range than some players may expect, so dialing in a sound takes finer adjustments.
Power and connections
The pedal runs on either a 9 volt battery or a 9 volt adapter, with both a battery housing and an adapter input on the casing2. The related Morley Man FX Dual Boost Distortion is listed the same way, with operation on a 9V battery or an optional power supply unit, and it is a mono design with no stereo routing3.
Connections are simple: one instrument input, one output, and the 9 volt power input2.
The True Tone Buffer
Inside the pedal is what Morley calls its True Tone Buffer. Guitar Interactive described it as "similar to true bypass" in that "it ensures your original guitar signal is kept intact and also" helps drive longer cable runs1. The 2014 review made the same point in more detail: the pedal "has its own 'true tone buffer' which helps keep the guitar signal consistent through long cable runs without losing the guitar's tone and level"2.
For a player with a long cable run or a large pedalboard, that buffer means the pedal is not simply silent when bypassed; it is actively helping preserve your clean tone. The Dual Boost Distortion listing confirms the True Tone Buffer circuit carries across the Man FX line3. You can read more about the concept on the buffer pedals page.
What reviewers said
Guitar Interactive reviewed the pedal twice, and both reviews were measured rather than glowing. The 2014 review praised the concept but flagged the control range as subtle next to the Tube Screamer, and the reviewer "would also have liked the option of being able to turn on just the Boost side to up your clean level, but the boost only works with the distortion on"12.
"I would also have liked the option of being able to turn on just the Boost side to up your clean level, but the boost"ly works with the distortion engaged.
The 2024 review, covering the pedal alongside other Morley Man FX releases, summed it up as "a classic analogue, overdrive style distortion pedal with boost" with a drive range from bluesy crunch to rock lead1.
The Dual Boost Distortion variant, listed by Music Store, is described as packing "a booster and a distortion pedal in a compact case" that "convinces with a versatile sound between crunchy blues and juicy rock," with two channels and an LED display3.
Availability
Music Store lists the Morley Man FX Dual Boost Distortion as "no longer available in our product range," as of October 20263. Players looking for a new Man FX drive pedal may need to search the used market, or consider Morley's current wah and volume offerings such as the Morley Cliff Burton Power Wah Boost.
Videos
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Questions
Can you use the boost on the Morley Distortion Boost without the distortion?
No. The boost function can only be activated when the distortion is engaged, so it works as a solo volume push on top of the drive sound rather than as a clean level boost. Guitar Interactive's reviewer wished it could also be used alone to raise a clean level, but the pedal does not offer that.
What is the Morley True Tone Buffer?
It is a buffer circuit Morley builds into the pedal that Guitar Interactive describes as similar to true bypass. It keeps the original guitar signal intact and helps drive longer cable runs without losing the guitar's tone and level, so the pedal does not load down your signal chain.
Does the Morley Man FX Distortion Boost take a battery?
Yes. The pedal has a 9 volt battery housing alongside a 9 volt adapter input, so it can run on either a battery or a power supply. The related Man FX Dual Boost Distortion is likewise listed as operating on a 9V battery or an optional power supply unit.
Is the Morley Man FX Distortion Boost discontinued?
The closely related Morley Man FX Dual Boost Distortion is listed by Music Store as sold out and no longer available in its product range, as of October 2026. That listing suggests the Man FX line is no longer in current production, though used examples may still be found.
Sources (3)
- Morley M2 Mini Volume, Power Fuzz Wah, Morley Man FX Boost and Accu-T, Guitar Interactive Magazine, 2024-05-05
- Morley Buffer Boost & Morley Man FX Distortion Boost Pedals, Guitar Interactive Magazine, 2014-02-03
- MORLEY Man FX Dual Boost Distortion, Music Store (www.musicstore.com)
