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

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Overdrive & Distortion Pedals

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JHS Pedals Hard Drive Distortion Pedal Tan

JHS Pedals Packrat White Distortion Pedal

JHS Pedals 424 Gain Stage

JHS Pedals Kilt 10 Limited Edition

JHS Pedals Sweet Tea V3 (Pre-Owned)

Korg OD-S Nutube Overdrive Pedal Kit

Laney Nathan East Digbeth Bass Pre-Amp

LSL Instruments Lucid OD Transparent Overdrive Pedal

LSL Instruments Original Overdrive Pedal

LSL Instruments Vital Distortion Pedal

Marshall 1959 Pedal

Marshall JCM800 Pedal

Marshall JCM900 Pedal

Marshall JVM Pedal

Marshall DSL Pedal

MXR Wylde Audio Overdrive Pedal (Ex-Demo) #AC72G363

MXR Gran Torino Boost Overdrive

MXR YJM308 Yngwie Malmsteen Overdrive Pedal

MXR 30th Anniversary Deluxe Edition Dookie Drive

MXR Rockman X100 Analog Tone Processor Pedal

MXR Randy Rhoads Distortion+ Special Edition

MXR JGD1 Jail Guitar Doors Overdrive Limited Edition

MXR EVHMHG Modern High Gain Pedal

Neunaber Neuron Preamp Pedal (Pre-Owned)

Neunaber Neuron Preamp Pedal (Pre-Owned)

Marshall The Guv'nor Distortion Pedal

Orange Terror Stamp 20w Valve Hybrid Guitar Amp Pedal

NUX Reissue Steel Singer Drive Overdrive Pedal

Victory Amps V1 Duchess Effects Pedal

Blackstar Dept 10 Dual Drive Pedal

Victory Amps V1 Sheriff Effects Pedal

Wampler Triumph Overdrive

Victory Amps V1 Kraken Effects Pedal

BOSS JB-2 Angry Driver Overdrive

Blackstar LT Boost Pedal

J.Rockett Audio Archer Overdrive

Electro Harmonix OD Glove Overdrive

RYRA The Klone Gold

RYRA The Klone Black Cherry

Origin Effects M-EQ Driver Mid Boost & Drive

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