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

JHS Pedals Paul Gilbert PG-14 Signature Distortion

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£189.00

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KMA Machines Logan Overdrive Pedal

£139.00 £159.00

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MXR M233 Micro Amp+

£154.00

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£129.00

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NUX Reissue XTC OD Overdrive Pedal

£39.00 £44.99

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MXR M225 Sub Machine Octave Fuzz

£207.00

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JHS Pedals The AT+ Andy Timmons Overdrive with BOOST

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£219.00

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Fulltone Custom Shop Robin Trower Overdrive Pedal

£199.00

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Catalinbread CB Distortion

£79.00 £119.00

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Dod Gunslinger Mosfet Distortion Pedal

£99.00

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Dod Boneshaker Distortion Pedal

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£149.00

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£119.00 £164.99

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(1)

£229.00

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Ibanez OD850 Overdrive

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£109.00 £119.00

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Keeley Red Dirt Germanium Overdrive

£189.00

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MXR M281 Thump Bass Preamp

£164.00

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MXR M287 Sub Octave Bass Fuzz

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£234.00

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MXR Distortion III M115

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£109.00

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Laney Black Country Customs Blackheath Bass Distortion Pedal

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£119.00

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MXR Wylde Audio Overdrive Pedal

£144.00

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Suhr Riot Reloaded Distortion Pedal

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£189.00

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Seymour Duncan 805 Overdrive Pedal

£269.00

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Revv G2 Overdrive

£169.00 £179.00

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Overdrive & Distortion Pedals

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JHS Pedals Paul Gilbert PG-14 Signature Distortion

KMA Machines Logan Overdrive Pedal

MXR M233 Micro Amp+

Mooer Green Mile Overdrive Mini Pedal

MXR CAE Boost/Overdrive MC402

MXR GT Overdrive

Strymon Riverside Overdrive

RYRA The Klone Silver

Orange Fur Coat Fuzz

Orange Getaway Driver Overdrive

NUX Reissue XTC OD Overdrive Pedal

MXR M225 Sub Machine Octave Fuzz

JHS Pedals The AT+ Andy Timmons Overdrive with BOOST

Fulltone Custom Shop Robin Trower Overdrive Pedal

Catalinbread CB Distortion

Dod Gunslinger Mosfet Distortion Pedal

Dod Boneshaker Distortion Pedal

Wampler Phenom Distortion Pedal

Truetone VS-XO V3 Premium Dual Overdrive Pedal

Way Huge Penny Saver Royale Modulation and Overdrive

Way Huge JD-WM31 Smalls Supa-Lead Overdrive

EarthQuaker Devices Hoof V2 Fuzz

EarthQuaker Devices Arrows V2 Preamp Booster

Darkglass Alpha Omega Photon Overdrive Pedal

Ampeg Scrambler Bass Overdrive

Electro Harmonix Hot Wax Overdrive

Darkglass Alpha Omicron Pre-Amplifier

JHS Pedals Charlie Brown V4

Jam Pedals Tubedreamer Overdrive

Greer Amps Southland Harmonic Overdrive

Ibanez OD850 Overdrive

Keeley Red Dirt Germanium Overdrive

MXR M281 Thump Bass Preamp

MXR M287 Sub Octave Bass Fuzz

MXR Distortion III M115

Laney Black Country Customs Blackheath Bass Distortion Pedal

MXR Wylde Audio Overdrive Pedal

Suhr Riot Reloaded Distortion Pedal

Seymour Duncan 805 Overdrive Pedal

Revv G2 Overdrive

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