Questions? Feedback? powered by Olark live chat software

Distortion Pedals & Overdrive Pedals

Distortion and overdrive pedals will give your bass guitar or electric guitar an edgier, harder tone.
An overdrive pedal will add gain to your electric guitar signal, causing it to break up or distort a bit (or more) depending on how much is used.
A distortion pedal produces more gain and clips the signal even harder.

You will find distortion and overdrive pedals from brands such as MXRCatialinbreadWamplerKeeley, Electro-Harmonix, and Xotic.

If you are looking for similar sounds, check out a fuzz pedal.

  • Emerson Custom Scranton Screamer Overdrive pedal

    Emerson Custom Scranton Screamer Overdrive pedal

    The Emerson Custom Scranton Screamer Overdrive pedal. FREE shipping in the USA! Hand-built in Bixby, Oklahoma USA using some of the finest quality & reliable parts available. This pedal is our take on the classic TS design, but we think it's just...
    $149.99
    Out of stock
  • Emerson Custom Em-Drive Mach 2 Overdrive pedal Emerson Custom Em-Drive Mach 2 Overdrive pedal

    Emerson Custom Em-Drive Mach 2 Overdrive pedal

    The Emerson Custom Em-Drive Mach 2 Overdrive pedal. FREE shipping in the USA! Hand-built in Bixby, Oklahoma USA using some of the finest quality & reliable parts available. This pedal does everything from a slight boost/sparkle to a nice, warm light...
    $129.99
    Out of stock
  • Emerson Custom Em-Drive Origin Overdrive pedal

    Emerson Custom Em-Drive Origin Overdrive pedal

    The Emerson Custom Em-Drive Origin Overdrive pedal. FREE shipping in the USA! The ORIGIN EDITION is a throwback to the Original Classic. We've updated it with an internal buffer, Top Jacks and Soft Touch "Clickless Switching". Sounds better than it ever...
    $99.99
    Out of stock
  • Keeley DDR Drive Delay Reverb pedal Keeley DDR Drive Delay Reverb pedal

    Keeley DDR Drive Delay Reverb pedal

    The Keeley DDR Drive Delay Reverb pedal. FREE shipping in the USA! The DDR combines the most common guitar effects–DRIVE and WET–into one pedal. Choose between two classic overdrives and then pour on some delay or reverb. One pedal, any gig...
    $179.00
    Out of stock
  • Xotic Effects BB Preamp V1.5 pedal Xotic Effects BB Preamp V1.5 pedal

    Xotic Effects BB Preamp V1.5 pedal

    The Xotic Effects BB Preamp V1.5 pedal. FREE shipping anywhere in the USA! The BB Preamp V1.5 features the same classic tone and updated cosmetics. It offers a wide variety of sounds. Capable of a 30dB+ clean boost with an adjustable ±15dB two...
    $180.00
    Add to Cart
  • Mad Professor Royal Blue Overdrive pedal Mad Professor Royal Blue Overdrive pedal

    Mad Professor Royal Blue Overdrive pedal

    The Mad Professor Royal Blue Overdrive pedal. FREE shipping in the USA! The Royal Blue Overdrive is an extremely touch sensitive overdrive. It offers a wide range of tones from light overdrive into distortion and at lowest Distortion knob setting works...
    $169.00
    Out of stock
  • Laney Black Country Customs Steelpark Boost pedal Laney Black Country Customs Steelpark Boost pedal

    Laney Black Country Customs Steelpark Boost pedal

    The Laney Black Country Customs Steelpark Boost pedal. FREE shipping in the USA! A versatile Boost pedal with masses of headroom designed to help you push your amp harder and cut through any mix. Ideal for stacking either before or after other gain...
    $179.99
    Add to Cart
  • Xotic Effects Super Sweet Booster pedal Xotic Effects Super Sweet Booster pedal

    Xotic Effects Super Sweet Booster pedal

    The Xotic Effects Super Sweet Booster pedal. FREE shipping in the USA!Many players favor vintage sounding pickups, however, due to design and age factors, they (more than often) lack enough power to push the front end of the amp. Those who are...
    $130.00
    Add to Cart
  • Nobels ODR-mini Overdrive pedal Nobels ODR-mini Overdrive pedal

    Nobels ODR-mini Overdrive pedal

    Nobels ODR-mini Overdrive pedal FREE shipping in the USA! Finally. A mini pedal version of the immensely popular Nobels ODR-1. This pedal was painstakingly designed to put the original and famous "Natural Overdrive" sound of the ORD-1 into a mini pedal...
    $79.00
    Add to Cart
  • One Control BJF Super Apricot Overdrive pedal One Control BJF Super Apricot Overdrive pedal

    One Control BJF Super Apricot Overdrive pedal

    The One Control BJF Super Apricot Overdrive pedal. FREE shipping in the USA! One Control Super Apricot OD is AIAB (Amplifier-in-a-Box) is designed to capture the tone of mid 60's Supro tube amps.In the 1940's, a new American amp manufacturer with roots...
    $169.00
    Add to Cart
  • One Control BJF Baby Blue Overdrive pedal One Control BJF Baby Blue Overdrive pedal

    One Control BJF Baby Blue Overdrive pedal

    The One Control BJF Baby Blue Overdrive pedal. FREE shipping in the USA! ​FeaturesDesigned by pedal guru Bjorn Juhl (BJF/BJFe), the One Control Baby Blue Overdrive is based on the BJFe creation FUZZ 1 (originally released in 2000), utilizing a discrete...
    $219.00
    Add to Cart
  • Suhr Shiba Drive Reloaded Mini Overdrive pedal Suhr Shiba Drive Reloaded Mini Overdrive pedal

    Suhr Shiba Drive Reloaded Mini Overdrive pedal

    Suhr Shiba Drive Reloaded Mini Overdrive pedal FREE shipping anywhere in the USA! YOUR PEDAL BOARD JUST GOT BIGGER Today pedal board real estate comes at a premium especially when traveling. And lets face it, sometimes having to choose which...
    $129.00
    Add to Cart

What is the difference between overdrive and distortion?

Both overdrive and distortion add distortion to your signal. Overdrive does this by adding gain to your guitars signal. The main difference is the amount of distortion you can get out of each pedal. Overdrive will give you a mild to medium amount of distortion, while distortion gives you a much more intense level. Overdrive will boost your sound, while distortion will alter your sound.

Should I get a distortion or overdrive pedal?

As with all pedals, this is dependent upon the type of sound you are going for. In general, heavier rock and metal music will use distortion pedals, while country, blues, and pop music will favor overdrive pedals.

Of course, there is no right or wrong pedal for styles of music! If you are unsure what type of pedal you should get, we would love to help you decide. Give us a call or use the chat feature!

Can I use gain and overdrive together?

Yes, you can use gain and overdrive together. This is called gain stacking. You will usually want to put your overdrive pedal before your gain pedal in your signal chain.

Can I use distortion pedals on bass?

Yes, you can use distortion pedals on your bass guitar. The distortion pedal will give your clean bass tone some grit and an overall more aggressive tone. Some of our favorites are the Source Audio Bass AfterShock, the Electro-Harmonix Bass Big Muff, and the MXR Bass Distortion.