Distortion

The PolySaturator from Pigtronix is an ultra-versatile addition to your rig and comes in an enclosure that easily fits on your pedalboard. It lets you achieve anything from high-gain shred tones to classic tweed-esque git and everything in-between. Between the three-band EQ and Gain/Volume knobs, you can produce a remarkably diverse range of sounds. The true bypass switching allows your signal to remain true while the pedal is switched off. With the PolySaturator, you can add a new channel to your amp or drive your amp’s input.

If you are always ready and on the hunt for the holy grail of pedals, then your grail has come! The Deucetone RAT from Pro Co is the Swiss army knife for analog guitarists. Featuring two individual RAT units, you can use every Deucetone channel independently, in stereo, or in tandem for the craziest distortion yet. On top of that, every channel is switchable between three RAT settings—Dirty RAT, Vintage RAT, and Turbo RAT for Channel A, while Channel B allows you the choice between Clean RAT tones, Vintage RAT, and Turbo RAT.

Meet the most powerful unit among the RAT family—the Pro Co Turbo RAT distortion pedal. It is designed for guitarists who prefer to craft their sound than imitate somebody else’s. Assuming you are brave enough to harness the Turbo RAT’s power, you get an unrivaled palette of distortion. That explains why it has been a fundamental component in the post-punk/indie rock movement of the last two decades. More than doubling the original RAT’s maximum output, the Turbo RAT is hard-clipping, and midrange frequencies are quite scooped.

Coupling the garage’s sound with the spirit of innovation, the You Dirty RAT from Pro Co is the most classic-sounding RAT distortion pedal. Imagine early punk, 60s garage rock, and the bands that transformed the rock ‘n’ roll sound. The You Dirty RAT is the perfect middle ground between fuzz and distortion, merging the warmth of a classic fuzz tone and the characteristic cutting RAT tone. It also gives you 3 dB more compression compared to the original RAT, delivering more tube amp warmth and extra sustain.

Capture searing distortion tones with the Bones Hollywood from Radial Engineering. Bluesy, US-style, and smooth distortion with plenty of sustain. Modeled after American tube amps, the Bones Hollywood features dual-mode for clean, lead and rhythm. It packs Tonebone quality within a more compact enclosure. Connect to one of these bad guys for harmonically lush tones— along the lines of the most legendary tube amps. Slightly roll down, and the Bones Hollywood will clean up like a tube amp. Crank it up for a smooth-but-bitey growl.

Get tube distortion at its finest with the Tonebone Hot British from Radial. Fashioned from a customized Marshall double-stack Plexi, this high-gain double-stack plexi-in-a-box gives you decades of brute power for anything from scooped-out chunky rhythm to searing lead tones. The Tonebone Hot British features a novel design that creates very lush harmonic textures and intensely saturated tube settings less the noise or mud common to other pedals. It places five generations of Marshall tone at your feet.

Experience the brute power of high-gain Plexi-esque distortion with the Hot British V9 by Radial. It is a solid-state upgrade on the classic high-gain Tonebone Hot British tube distortion. By twisting the Hot British V9’s Drive knob, you get searing leads, scooped-out chunk, subtle grit, and more. The Contour control lets you set the character of your distortion. The Hot British V9 also includes two-band EQ, Mid Boost, and Top End switches for shaping your tone. All that and more in a sturdy yet compact package.

Classic British tube tone within a portable format that easily fits on your pedalboard. The Plexitube is a dual-channel tube distortion pedal combining the harmonic generation and natural warmth of a 12AX7 tube with the saturation and control of Radial’s distinct multi-stage solid-state drive circuit. This mix gives you exceptional gain with plenty of overtones, and when blended with the passive-interactive EQ, delivers four generations of Marshall Plexi tones. The Plexitube is versatile, built for the stage, and boasts ultra-quiet operation.

The high gain distortion served up by the LEF-301D Dist IV belies its tiny aluminum alloy casing. This distortion pedal from budget guitar effects pedal maker Rowin can throw out everything from aggressive distortion to even more aggressive distortion, thanks in part to a three-way selector switch that lets you toggle between Original, Extra, and Ultra modes. Dedicated Level, Tone, and Distortion knobs provide precise tone shaping and control while a true bypass footswitch keeps your signal quiet while the pedal is disengaged.

The LEF-305 Holy War pedal serves up classic ‘80s British style distortion. This tiny stompbox from budget guitar effects pedal manufacturer Rowin is all about that big high gain, high-power distortion. Use the Volume, Tone, and Dist control knobs to dial in everything from vintage ‘70s rock to thrash and through to modern metal. Need it louder? The Holy War has a three-position selector switch that controls the boost level; you can switch between Off, Lo Boost, and Hi Boost.

Budget guitar effects pedal manufacturer Rowin’s LEF-324 Plexion is basically a Marshall plexi amp stuffed into a tiny pedalboard- and budget-friendly stompbox. It turns your sound into a British flavored beast, running through the gamut from super subtle dirt to rip roaring edge of breakup overdrive with insane sustain. The LEF-324 also features a two-way selector toggle that lets you switch between the warm and full-bodied Normal overdrive mode and a high heavy Bright mode.

The LN-301A Razor, a high gain distortion pedal from budget guitar effects pedal manufacturer Rowin, does exactly what its name implies: let you cut through the mix with a massive metal shred attack. In Normal mode, the LN-301A Razor serves up everything from chunky riff dirt to screaming lead distortion. Switch over to Boost mode and you get a high gain dirt sound with a uniquely shaped mid range and a sharp frequency boost. This is one of the smallest and loudest pedals you can add to your chain.

The Black Distortion MOD pedal from Sabbadius features different distortion that covers from booster to fuzz. The JFET creates a warm and thick sound evocative of a vacuum tube amp. Treble boost relative to the gain and tone settings, fat boost extruding the mid low range, overdrive, switch to fuzz. The maximum gain value gives you a long sustain that lasts anywhere. For the MOD variant, you can choose MOSFET clipping and diode clipping. It also includes true bypass specification.

The Sabbadius Custom Pedal Effects Black Distortion is an ultra-versatile pedal that you can switch from a booster to a fuzz, passing through the fat booster, distortion, overdrive, treble booster, and fuzz. It leverages a JFET transistor as well as LM308AN or TL061 integrated precision IC. The Black Distortion is a boutique pedal that boasts flexible and classic sounds, capable of providing you with endless sustain in the maximum gain position. Each unit is hand-built and tested for the most excellent tonal production by Nicolas Sabbadin.

The Seymour Duncan Dirty Deed Distortion pedal gives you a variety of edgy distortion tones with some fuzz. This analog dirt pedal consists of elements of distortion, overdrive, and fuzz for anything from tasty rhythm crunch to exaggerated solo tones. It is voiced for classic metal, hard rock, and stoner rock. It is also suitable for distorted and overdriven bass sounds. It can be your always-on pedal if you want a distorted, fuzzy gain. You may also kick it in for a 1974 LA studio-esque lead boost.

Feels and sounds like an outstanding high-gain amp, the Seymour Duncan Palladium Gain Stage pedal seamlessly turns your natural guitar tone into that of a high-gain tube amp. Each component is meticulously picked to provide you with playing feel and experience similar to plugging into your well-loved high-gain amp head. The Palladium is also great if you want to add hair to your already-dirty sound. It is arguably among the most impressive high-gain pedals available.

The Soundblox Classic Distortion from Source Audio loads four tube amp and eight fuzz box overdrive tones along with a Clean Boost/Tone mode into a compact, user-friendly package. Unlike other units that try to clone, emulate, or model vintage gear, the Soundblox Pro Classic Distortion’s natural tones are the outcome of the five-year listening study and iterative algorithm design process that involve extensive artist evaluation and more than 40 classic pedals. The Classic Distortion is also Hot Hand ready for more expressive abilities.