What's the difference between distortion pedals and overdrive pedals?

They are essentially the same effect. Distortion is an extreme kind of overdrive. ‘Dynamics’ are the difference between your loudest playing and your quietest playing. Light overdrive will preserve your dynamics whereas distortion will compress them to the point where all your notes are the same volume and have a long, singing sustain.

How to stack overdrive and distortion?

A good starting point is to put the pedal with the least 'Gain' first and the highest fain pedal next. But as with music it's good to experiment! So feel free to move all your pedals around till you find your sound.

Do I need both overdrive and distortion pedals?

Of course not, but it can't hurt to have extra versatility! Your pedalboard is yours and you should load it with pedals you love the sound of.

Should I get an overdrive or distortion pedal?

Without wwanting to say ‘you should get both’, you should get both! Players often use overdrive and distortion in tandem, using distortion for riffs, choruses and solos and using overdrive in verses and lighter songs. Overdrive and distortion pedals work really well when ‘stacked’ in the same signal chain, creating a wider range of gain and tones.

Where does my overdrive and distortion pedals go in a chain?

Overdrive and distortion tend to go near the beginning of the chain - before modulation pedals and time-based effects, like reverb and delay. If you are using both overdrive AND distortion pedals, players tend to stack these in order of gain. Plugging the guitar into the lighter gain overdrive pedal and then into the higher gain distortion pedal works well.

Overdrive & Distortion Pedals | guitarguitar

New Arrival

Catalinbread Dreamcoat Pre-Amp Pedal (Pre-Owned)

£109.00

Get it Sunday, Dec 29

In Stock

The Big Sale

Cornerstone Colesseum Dual Overdrive Pedal

£249.00 £319.00

Get it Sunday, Dec 29

or FREE delivery on Monday

In Stock

Cornerstone Imperium Overdrive Pedal

£349.00 £429.00

Get it Sunday, Dec 29

or FREE delivery on Monday

In Stock

£269.00

Get it Sunday, Dec 29

or FREE delivery on Monday

In Stock

The Big Sale

Analog Alien Alien Tone Dragon

£249.00 £319.00

Get it Sunday, Dec 29

or FREE delivery on Monday

In Stock

Ashdown James Lomenzo Mega Drive Bass Overdrive/Distortion Pedal

£229.00 £287.00

Get it Sunday, Dec 29

or FREE delivery on Monday

In Stock

£299.00 £335.00

Get it Sunday, Dec 29

or FREE delivery on Monday

In Stock

New Arrival

Blackstar LT Dual (Pre-Owned)

£49.00

Get it Sunday, Dec 29

In Stock

Jackson Audio Golden Boy Mini Joey Landreth Overdrive Pedal

£159.00 £189.00

Get it Sunday, Dec 29

In Stock

Jam Pedals Rattler Bass Distortion MK.2

£199.00

Get it Sunday, Dec 29

In Stock

Ibanez Tube Screamer 45th Anniversary TS808 Limited Edition Sapphire Blue

(1)

£199.00

Get it Sunday, Dec 29

In Stock

New Arrival

Ibanez Tube Screamer TS808 Hand Wired V2 Overdrive Pedal

£249.00

FREE Delivery

Available to Order

JHS Pedals Hard Drive Distortion Pedal Black

£199.00

Get it Sunday, Dec 29

In Stock

JHS Pedals Packrat White Distortion Pedal

£229.00 £249.00

Get it Sunday, Dec 29

or FREE delivery on Monday

In Stock

JHS Pedals Colour Box V2 10 Year Anniversary Edition Overdrive/Distortion Pedal

£449.00

FREE Delivery

Available to Order

New Arrival

JHS Pedals Lari Basilio Violet Distortion Pedal Black

£199.00

Available to Order

The Big Sale

£129.00

Get it Sunday, Dec 29

In Stock

Electro Harmonix Pico Triboro Bridge Overdrive Fuzz Pedal

£99.00 £139.00

Get it Sunday, Dec 29

In Stock

Fender Bassman Driver Overdrive Pedal

£94.99

Get it Sunday, Dec 29

In Stock

Eventide Riptide Overdrive Pedal

£274.00 £329.00

Get it Sunday, Dec 29

or FREE delivery on Monday

In Stock

KHDK Electronics Mad Monarch Gary Holt Preamp Pedal

£339.00

Get it Sunday, Dec 29

or FREE delivery on Monday

In Stock

The Big Sale

LSL Instruments Lucid OD Transparent Overdrive Pedal

£99.00 £149.00

Get it Sunday, Dec 29

In Stock

The Big Sale

LSL Instruments Original Overdrive Pedal

£89.00 £139.00

Get it Sunday, Dec 29

In Stock

MXR Gran Torino Boost Overdrive

£149.00 £165.00

Get it Sunday, Dec 29

In Stock

MXR YJM308 Yngwie Malmsteen Overdrive Pedal

£139.00

Get it Sunday, Dec 29

In Stock

MXR M249 Super Badass Dynamic Overdrive

£139.00 £154.99

Available to Order

NUX 63 Diamond Overdrive Pedal

£44.99

Get it Sunday, Dec 29

In Stock

Old Blood Noise Endeavors Beam Splitter Automatic Triple Tracker Distortion Pedal

£229.00

Get it Sunday, Dec 29

or FREE delivery on Monday

In Stock

The Big Sale

Tech 21 Dug Pinnick DP-3X Signature Bass Preamp

£299.00 £349.00

Get it Sunday, Dec 29

or FREE delivery on Monday

In Stock

Stores Nationwide

Free Next Day Delivery

Sell your Guitar

Expert Advice

Extended Exchange

Overdrive & Distortion Pedals

Filter

Catalinbread Dreamcoat Pre-Amp Pedal (Pre-Owned)

Cornerstone Colesseum Dual Overdrive Pedal

Cornerstone Imperium Overdrive Pedal

EarthQuaker Devices Zoar Dynamic Audio Grinder Distortion Pedal

EarthQuaker Devices Blumes Low Signal Shredder Bass Overdrive Pedal

Diamond Drive Two-Stage Guitar Overdrive Pedal

Dod Looking Glass Overdrive (Nearly New)

Dod 50th Anniversary Edition Overdrive Preamp 250

Benson Germanium Preamp Pedal

Analog Alien Alien Tone Dragon

Ashdown James Lomenzo Mega Drive Bass Overdrive/Distortion Pedal

Ashdown Triple Shot 3S VU Drive Pedal

Aguilar Storm King Bass Distortion Fuzz

Aguilar Agro II Bass Overdrive

Aguilar Effects Pedal AG Preamp / DI Pedal

Blackstar LT Dual (Pre-Owned)

Jackson Audio Golden Boy Mini Joey Landreth Overdrive Pedal

Jam Pedals Rattler Bass Distortion MK.2

Ibanez Tube Screamer 45th Anniversary TS808 Limited Edition Sapphire Blue

Ibanez Tube Screamer TS808 Hand Wired V2 Overdrive Pedal

JHS Pedals Hard Drive Distortion Pedal Black

JHS Pedals Packrat White Distortion Pedal

JHS Pedals Colour Box V2 10 Year Anniversary Edition Overdrive/Distortion Pedal

JHS Pedals Lari Basilio Violet Distortion Pedal Black

Keeley Angry Orange Distortion and Fuzz Pedal

Keeley Mk3 Driver Andy Timmons Full Range Overdrive Pedal

Fredric Effects Regent 150 Preamp

Friedman BE OD Brown Eye Overdrive Pedal (Pre-Owned)

Electro Harmonix Pico Triboro Bridge Overdrive Fuzz Pedal

Fender Bassman Driver Overdrive Pedal

Eventide Riptide Overdrive Pedal

KHDK Electronics Mad Monarch Gary Holt Preamp Pedal

LSL Instruments Lucid OD Transparent Overdrive Pedal

LSL Instruments Original Overdrive Pedal

MXR Gran Torino Boost Overdrive

MXR YJM308 Yngwie Malmsteen Overdrive Pedal

MXR M249 Super Badass Dynamic Overdrive

NUX 63 Diamond Overdrive Pedal

Old Blood Noise Endeavors Beam Splitter Automatic Triple Tracker Distortion Pedal

Tech 21 Dug Pinnick DP-3X Signature Bass Preamp

Keep up with our latest offers, news & events