*Mxr M104 Distortion +

Randy Rhoads, my favorite ‘80s axeman, used the MXR Distortion + in his guitar rig. ‘Nuff said. That’s why I bought it. It’s an affordable, good sounding distortion that ranges from mild to a good classic rock distortion. It also mixes well with MXR’s Phase 90 Guitar Pedal. It’s a bit lacking, however, when it comes to heavy metal distortion with scooped mids. If that’s the kind of distortion you seek, you may wanna check out Boss’s WAZA Craft Heavy Metal Distortion Pedal (HM-2W), or something similar. That’ll give ya the thick, heavy distortion you seek for metal, and you can scoop the mids with its midrange dials. Or you can crank them like Randy did—but know that Randy used the MXR Distortion +. Overall, the MXR Distortion + is a good sounding distortion pedal ... MoreRandy Rhoads, my favorite ‘80s axeman, used the MXR Distortion + in his guitar rig. ‘Nuff said. That’s why I bought it. It’s an affordable, good sounding distortion that ranges from mild to a good classic rock distortion. It also mixes well with MXR’s Phase 90 Guitar Pedal. It’s a bit lacking, however, when it comes to heavy metal distortion with scooped mids. If that’s the kind of distortion you seek, you may wanna check out Boss’s WAZA Craft Heavy Metal Distortion Pedal (HM-2W), or something similar. That’ll give ya the thick, heavy distortion you seek for metal, and you can scoop the mids with its midrange dials. Or you can crank them like Randy did—but know that Randy used the MXR Distortion +. Overall, the MXR Distortion + is a good sounding distortion pedal that won’t break your bankroll.

I went with 3 stars, but this isn't a bad pedal at all. It's classic, but MXR has since done much better. Once I got the Super Badass Distorion, I never used it again on my main board. Honestly for years I made the mistake of using the Distortion + as a main distortion. It functions much better as an overdrive through a dirty signal. I'd recommend this pedal for a beginner or a hobbyist looking for a simple, user friendly distortion to beef up their sound. The more serious players, I'd say look further down the MXR line.

I would recommend this product.

Adds great low end distortion, its a no-nonsense pedal with 2 knobs (output and distortion), no extra knobs to fool with, its straight forward super easy to set up. The ONLY one thing I don't really like about it is that the 9v. power input plug is on the side (next to the instrument input) and it really crowds the instrument input jack position. So if you are into fancy cable management positioning on your pedal board, you might find this a challenge to get the cables just right. I must add here that the positioning of the 9v input issue has nothing to do with the performance of the distortion pedal itself. The pedal is built rough and rugged and works flawlessly. I just prefer the 9v power input to be at the top of the unit like 80% of the other pedals are. I give ... MoreAdds great low end distortion, its a no-nonsense pedal with 2 knobs (output and distortion), no extra knobs to fool with, its straight forward super easy to set up. The ONLY one thing I don't really like about it is that the 9v. power input plug is on the side (next to the instrument input) and it really crowds the instrument input jack position. So if you are into fancy cable management positioning on your pedal board, you might find this a challenge to get the cables just right. I must add here that the positioning of the 9v input issue has nothing to do with the performance of the distortion pedal itself. The pedal is built rough and rugged and works flawlessly. I just prefer the 9v power input to be at the top of the unit like 80% of the other pedals are. I give it a solid 4 stars.

MXR Dist.+ 1983 & 2013 Models Compared

This is a comparison between the (1983) Series 2000 model and the current Dunlop Re-release. In 1983 I bought the Dist+ after seeing it in the equipment lists of Alex Lifeson and some guy named Randy Rhoads. Upon hearing this wonderbox, I immediately traded away my previous (Ross) distortion pedal. After only thirty years, one of the pots showed signs of dying and I had to find a replacement. I considered Boss, among others, and read countless reviews. The Series 2000 was a superlative product with dual outputs; #1 was pure wet signal, #2 mixed the wet with dry signal. It had silent switching and was built like a tank. Finding a replacement promised to be a pain. I am grateful to the many reviewers of the Dunlop version who gave me the faith to buy the new model. I ... MoreThis is a comparison between the (1983) Series 2000 model and the current Dunlop Re-release. In 1983 I bought the Dist+ after seeing it in the equipment lists of Alex Lifeson and some guy named Randy Rhoads. Upon hearing this wonderbox, I immediately traded away my previous (Ross) distortion pedal. After only thirty years, one of the pots showed signs of dying and I had to find a replacement. I considered Boss, among others, and read countless reviews. The Series 2000 was a superlative product with dual outputs; #1 was pure wet signal, #2 mixed the wet with dry signal. It had silent switching and was built like a tank. Finding a replacement promised to be a pain. I am grateful to the many reviewers of the Dunlop version who gave me the faith to buy the new model. I had to "daisy chain" the two pedals and swap back and forth to get "my sound" as the knobs on the two pedals are marked differently (Series 2000: Level/Drive, Dunlop: Output/Distortion). My efforts were successful and I marked the positions lest the knobs get bumped/moved. The Dunlop model allows for a higher level of distortion and has more gain than the Series 2000 so I am more than happy with the Dunlop version. Whether it will last thirty years remains to be seen but I wouldn't think twice about buying it again. My style is inspired by the psychedelic rock of the late 1960's and the Dist.+ gives a nice fuzzy Yardbirds sound. If you're looking for a metalhead pedal, this may not be the one for you but hey, if it was good enough for Saint Randy... (Note: Randy also used an MXR 10 Band EQ to thicken the bottom end.)

MXR M104 Distortion+

I bought this to replace my old distortion pedal which was good but I wanted something better..And I decided to get the infamous MXR M104 Distortion+ and this thing is very simple with an output knob and a distortion knob but it is so. Damn. COOL! I hooked it up to my amplifier and I instantly got that sound you'd hear on Heavy Metal albums from the mid-to-late 70's to the early-to-mid 80's.. And might I add.. The early-to-mid 80's Metal sound is arguably my favourite tone of all timeUsed by the likes of Glenn Tipton of Judas Priest, Dave Murray of Iron Maiden and last but not least Randy Rhoads who toured with Ozzy Osbourne (When Ozzy went on his solo career) up until his death famously used it too!The MXR Distortion+ is responsible for some of the most ... MoreI bought this to replace my old distortion pedal which was good but I wanted something better..And I decided to get the infamous MXR M104 Distortion+ and this thing is very simple with an output knob and a distortion knob but it is so. Damn. COOL! I hooked it up to my amplifier and I instantly got that sound you'd hear on Heavy Metal albums from the mid-to-late 70's to the early-to-mid 80's.. And might I add.. The early-to-mid 80's Metal sound is arguably my favourite tone of all timeUsed by the likes of Glenn Tipton of Judas Priest, Dave Murray of Iron Maiden and last but not least Randy Rhoads who toured with Ozzy Osbourne (When Ozzy went on his solo career) up until his death famously used it too!The MXR Distortion+ is responsible for some of the most amazing tones out there to ever be heard on record!If it's good enough for those guys it's more than good enough for you!As for the sound.. It's a really nice but smooth distortion and it's the right amount of saturation with the crunch to match.. It's easily my favourite distortion pedal! For me there's no going back to using my old one or even switching to another one!If you want that classic but iconic 80's Metal sound from the early 80's then the MXR Distortion+ is the way to go! It's also great for other stuff!Get one and you won't regret it! I promise you!

Misunderstood gem

Like many other dirt boxes, the Distortion + sounds terrible into a clean amp, and that will be a turn off for novices, players looking for an amp-in-a-box, or someone looking to add a second channel to a clean amp.What it does do, however, is take an amp tone with some grit and add a ton of hair to it. The two knobs are very interactive. You can get a "push" with this pedal, but it works move better giving you a "shove". The tone comes from germanium, so at higher gain levels, you notice a distinct fuzz flavor which takes the brittle edge off the hard clipping stage.Higher volume settings fill in the tone quite nicely, and bring out a warm bottom end without being boomy. Transparent is not in this pedal's vocabulary, and as others have mentioned, it's got a real ... MoreLike many other dirt boxes, the Distortion + sounds terrible into a clean amp, and that will be a turn off for novices, players looking for an amp-in-a-box, or someone looking to add a second channel to a clean amp.What it does do, however, is take an amp tone with some grit and add a ton of hair to it. The two knobs are very interactive. You can get a "push" with this pedal, but it works move better giving you a "shove". The tone comes from germanium, so at higher gain levels, you notice a distinct fuzz flavor which takes the brittle edge off the hard clipping stage.Higher volume settings fill in the tone quite nicely, and bring out a warm bottom end without being boomy. Transparent is not in this pedal's vocabulary, and as others have mentioned, it's got a real 80's vibe to it. I don't think those are bad qualities. This is a unique tone-shaping tool. If you can't find an original sound, blame your ears and hands.

Not the old Distortion + by any means. Inside are things that have the same value on paper for the circit..but are not if the p

Overall:Allright for a person needing a distortion box for their guitar..its not good enought for serious players and pros whom demand and require a perfect signal chain. . It tone sucks on or off. And just dont sound authentic due to its modern garb indide..im giving mine to a kid.. quess i will have to save up 300 bucks and get a real genuine vintage one with the real goodies inside pre Dunlop. Not returning becuse the seller did their part. And its not junk..just its not up to par for a real rig.

Pretty good stomp box

Great little yellow box. The two knobs allow for a range of tonal versatility mix that with the control knobs on your guitar and you get everything from a little dirt for jazz and blues to full on crunch for classic rock and hard rock. Maybe not modern metal "scooped" tones but it has plenty of growl.Keep in mind that it works ok over a clean channel, but if you do that it will still lack a little bite. Put it over a dirty channel and the tones you get out of this thing are incredible. Again not great for more modern metal chugging but for classic rock, heavy rock and lead tones I am very pleased. It doesn't do everything but it does what it is intended to do very well.It does have some downside, it is very limited with what it can do and can get a little noisy ... MoreGreat little yellow box. The two knobs allow for a range of tonal versatility mix that with the control knobs on your guitar and you get everything from a little dirt for jazz and blues to full on crunch for classic rock and hard rock. Maybe not modern metal "scooped" tones but it has plenty of growl.Keep in mind that it works ok over a clean channel, but if you do that it will still lack a little bite. Put it over a dirty channel and the tones you get out of this thing are incredible. Again not great for more modern metal chugging but for classic rock, heavy rock and lead tones I am very pleased. It doesn't do everything but it does what it is intended to do very well.It does have some downside, it is very limited with what it can do and can get a little noisy when it is cranked all the way up but you didn't want quiet now did you?

Using as a booster/Gain+ pedal.

This pedal is PERFECT for adding a lead high gain boost. I have it after a MXR 78 BA in the signal chain. I have a bunch of EQ and EPlex sounds that i didn't want colored up by a pedal with an EQ. For that, this works perfectly. One thing i did notice is that the gain past %75 gives off a loud hiss. Nothing a noise gate wont fix but I've noticed that 3/4 is a perfect blend where it doesn't sound as loud. .

Worth every Penny

This pedal is awesome. So easy to use & very responsive. Goes from a slight breakup to all out Randy-Esque tone. Now I Know why RR used this pedal. I love it. I have this going through the front of both my ENGL & Marshall Head. (Alone or with an EQ pedal) Just a tremendous tone. Works better with the amp gain down and tweaking the OUTPUT / DISTORTION knobs. I'm Sold. MXR Stuff is Great!!