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Top 5 Best Distortion Pedals - According To Dave!

Are you having difficulties deciding which distortion pedals will produce the tones you want? Do you yearn for the ultimate face-melting distortion that will suit your pedalboard like a glove? Do you wish to be counted among the greats of heavy rock and metal legends such as Dimebag Darrel, James Hetfield, Tommi Iommi, and others by having thundering and scorching guitar sounds that will set you apart from the weak?

Fret not fellow guitarists! For today, we have rounded together the top 5 best of the best distortion pedals as recommended by our man Mr. Dave!

Let's explore these pedals, and we can guarantee that with these fantastic suggestions, you will be roaring ferociously on stage or in the studio whether you are playing hard rock, Swedish metal, black metal, djent, hardcore punk, metalcore, doom, or a variety of other genres.


5 - Mooer 011 Cali Dual Preamp - Dual Rectifier Preamp

"Affordable & makes for an excellent backup pedal in case the main rig fails."

- Dave

Californian classic 100 Watt head, that has been synonymous with the sound of hard-hitting, heavy guitar tones for over 25 years. CALI DUAL was created from a sample MOOER made of an original, first-run specimen of this very popular amplifier. There’s no mistaking the sound of this unique, double-rectified legend. Just like the original, Cali dual has a lush clean channel that’s very versatile and a drive channel that goes from low gain to insane!!! MOOER micro preamps are sonically accurate digital recreations of the preamp sections of popular tube amplifiers. Mooer has developed these by directly analyzing real tube amplifiers using a brand new technology to capture their sound, dynamics, and response. Each Micro Preamp comes complete with dual channels, integrated speaker cabinet simulation, and dual operating modes to suit the needs of all users.

😻 What I like :

  • Massive sound with an affordable price tag
  • Built-in cab sim for direct to-console use
  • Dual channel mode that gives you a clean channel if you need one
  • Onboard memory that saves knob settings Text

😿 What I dislike :

  • Not much, if i had to be nitpicky I wish it could house an XLR out, to split the signal with cab sim & without cab sim. But that would make the price go up.

Watch my demo!


4 - Pro Co Lil' RAT Distortion / Fuzz / Overdrive Pedal

Without a RAT distortion pedal, a pedal collection just cannot be deemed complete. But what if the space between your pedalboard and you is only a couple of inches? No issue. The Pro Co Lil' RAT condenses a full-featured RAT 2 into a tiny stompbox. The traditional 3-knob arrangement, the tough on/off footswitch and the chic "A" status LED are all features of the Lil' RAT that are carried over from its larger predecessor's design and operation. The battery compartment is the only thing that is missing. The RAT has a long history of being known for its versatility, and the little Lil' RAT is no different. It may be used to hot rod your British high-gain head, send your American-style combination into luscious overdrive, or add heavy-duty, fuzz-like grunge to your ultra-clean high-headroom amp. The RAT is renowned for its gritty, hard-clipping distortion and nearly limitless sustain. And now you can fit one onto even the busiest of pedalboards thanks to the Pro Co Lil' RAT.

"Massive tones and versatility in a small-sized pedal."

- Dave

😻 What I like :

  • A plethora of distortion-style tones in a box. Boost, Drive, Distortion, Fuzz, it does it all!
  • Excellent small format size, extremely cute
  • Has a bit more level and more thump than the regular sized RAT 2

😿 What I dislike :

  • The knob settings can be really hard to see in a poorly lit environment

Watch my demo!


3 - EarthQuaker Devices Acapulco Gold V2 Distortion Pedal

"HUGE power amp style distortion tone that just inspires a different level of riffing."

- Dave

Version 2 of the EarthQuaker Devices Acapulco Gold distortion pedal is much better thanks to an improved silent switching technology. The Acapulco Gold v2 is like adding the master volume control of a vintage tube amp to your pedalboard. The single knob control adjusts your tone from quieter to louder and covers a wide variety of unclean tones that are extremely responsive to your guitar's volume and tone controls. It is modelled by the sound of a cranking Sunn Model T amplifier. The power amp component of most renowned amps is what makes them famous, and the EarthQuaker Devices Acapulco Gold v2 brings that aural intensity to your pedalboard.

😻 What I like :

  • IT'S JUST ONE KNOB!
  • Crazy power amp style distortion that melts faces
  • Great for those who want a different style of distortion tone but do not favor a fuzz pedal.

😿 What I dislike :

  • Not really a con, but there's a chance you might blow your amp if cranked all the way up (Watch the Demo)

Watch my demo!


2 - Friedman Dirty Shirley Distortion Pedal

The Friedman Dirty Shirley overdrive pedal crams all the British-style gritsupple touch sensitivityand tonal flexibility of its namesake all-tube amplifier head into a pedalboard-friendly enclosure. Youl be eliciting the same sweetened tone no matter what amp you run it throughthanks to six knobs that mirror the amp controls. On the side of the Dirty Shirley pedalDave Friedman included a Tight switch to reign in your amp low end when being pushed. Put that same sound into your rig with the Dirty Shirley overdrive pedal.

"My #1 go-to distortion pedal for live gigs."

- Dave

😻 What I like :

  • Crazy versatile, able to clean up well with volume knob and roar when it needs to roar
  • T H I C C yet clear, easily cuts through band mix with the Mids knob
  • Gives you the same distortion tone no matter what amp you're plugged into

😿 What I dislike :

  • NONE

Watch my demo!

PRO TIP!

"Most people mistake the amount of gain this pedal has when comparing it to the BE-OD. You have to open up the pedal and crank the gain trim pot all the way up."

- Dave


1 - Friedman BE-OD Deluxe Distortion Pedal

"Blistering high gain pedal with high tweakability and sounds good no matter what amp you plug it into"

- Dave

Guitarists far and wide love Friedman’s original BE-OD overdrive pedal. That said, they’ll love the BE-OD Deluxe twice as much — it gives you the same British-amp-on-steroids sound as its predecessor but ups the ante with a second channel and midrange controls. The dual channels make dialing in separate rhythm and lead sounds a breeze, while the Mid controls give you loads of tone-sculpting power. From smooth breakup to metallic high-gain tones, the Friedman BE-OD Deluxe is the easy way to inject your pedalboard with authentic tube-amplifier sound.

😻 What I like :

  • Dual Channel giving the utmost versatility
  • Has a MID knob, which the smaller version of the BE-OD does not have
  • Allows you to achieve the Brown Eye Amp tone with a much more affordable price tag

😿 What I dislike :

  • Absolutely NONE!

Watch my demo!


Get all these awesome face-melting distortion pedals on our website!

Friedman BE-OD Deluxe

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Friedman BE-OD Deluxe Clockworks Edition

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Friedman Dirty Shirley

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EarthQuaker Devices Acapulco Gold V2

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Pro Co Lil' Rat

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Mooer 011 Cali-Dual

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