The MXR M78 Custom Badass '78 Distortion is a distortion pedal and the first of a new series of pedals from MXR. MusicRadar's reviewer Trevor Curwen described its character plainly: "The '78 puts out a recognisable raunchy distortion with a solid mid-range."1
Circuit and series
MXR has taken a classic distortion circuit, although it is not saying which, and modified it to produce a hot-rodded version1. Pedal of the Day's David O put the series idea this way: "While drawing from a 'classic circuits', the series offers factory-modded pedals to give players new sounds."2
Controls
The Crunch switch is not footswitchable, so it has to be set by hand rather than toggled during a performance. MusicRadar's reviewer called it "too bad it's not footswitchable".1
What reviewers said
Turning up the gain, Pedal of the Day found that "it gives you grit and hair reminiscent of the late '70s rock acts for which it is named", and called the M78 "another example of MXR greatness".2 MusicRadar's verdict was that it is "a really good distortion pedal with plenty to offer", summing it up as "A solid, versatile distortion pedal."1
Videos
Ryan Lutton
Bax-shop | Bax Music Goes
Crank my amp
Questions
What circuit is the MXR M78 Custom Badass '78 Distortion based on?
MXR has taken a classic distortion circuit and modified it to produce a hot-rodded version, but the maker is not saying which circuit it is. Pedal of the Day describes the Custom Badass series as drawing from classic circuits while offering factory-modded pedals that give players new sounds.
Why is the MXR M78 described as not footswitchable?
The pedal's Crunch switch, which boosts the harmonic content, is not footswitchable, so it cannot be changed with your feet while playing. MusicRadar's reviewer called this a shame, since it means the switch has to be set by hand before you play rather than toggled mid-song.
Is the MXR M78 the first in a series of MXR pedals?
Yes. MusicRadar describes the M78 Custom Badass '78 as the first of a new series of pedals, and Pedal of the Day notes that the series offers factory-modded pedals based on classic circuits to give players new sounds.
What does the top end control on the MXR M78 do?
The tone control adds some sharp top end, according to MusicRadar's review. Alongside it, the pedal has a Crunch switch that boosts the harmonic content for a grittier sound.
Sources (2)
- MXR M78 Custom Badass '78 Distortion review, MusicRadar, 2011-11-11
- Dunlop MXR M78 Custom Badass '78 Distortion, Pedal of the Day, 2014-07-17
