I have found that a lot of old pedals, like from the ’70s old, like ME old, really rock. Hard. Today’s pedal is absolutely no exception, and has been used by some of rock and roll’s most famous guitarists as well. The Distortion + from MXR has a bit of a misleading name, as it is definitely more of an overdrive, but can get into relatively chunky territory with ease.
A pretty easy to use pedal, there’s really not much to decipher about the Distortion +. It uses a pair of germanium diodes internally, which actually makes for a nice, smooth range of tones when adjusting the Distortion control. The Volume actually has a lot less oomph than you think it would, and when testing it out, I really had to crank it up to get a decent volume to come out of my amp. That could be considered a downside, but if you’re running a decent boost behind or in front of it, you’ll be just fine, and the overdriven tones are just phenomenal. Now, as with every drive or distortion pedal, everyone’s ears are going to hear different things, but in my experience, this pedal absolutely lives up to the hype.
If you’re a fan of Ozzy Osbourne (in the Randy Rhodes era), the Grateful Dead post-’75 or the ever-present Iron Maiden, you’ve heard and love the tones that the MXR Distortion + puts out. While there have been copies created and other versions reissued, nothing will ever quite compare to this genuine piece of rock history. Plus, they’re pretty cheap (well, the non-script versions, anyway), so pick one up if you can…and ROCK!
Users: Randy Rhodes, Jerry Garcia, Bob Mould, Dave Murray, Thom Yorke
Submitted by Mike B, Website
Demo Rock pedalboard by West Coast Pedalboard
