We’re living in the golden age of distortion. There are numerous types of overdrive, distortion, fuzz, and boost available, and guitarists love them all. Our picks for Best Overdrive Pedals 2023 demonstrate the many ways to achieve an overdriven guitar tone. Our picks represent all time legends as well as new takes on classic sounds.
What Is Overdrive?
There are different types of overdrive, distortion, fuzz, and boost, and guitarists love them all. Regardless, the goal is the same: Create musical tones that are not clean! Ways to do this include:
- Overdriving an amplifier’s output circuit to induce “clipping”
- Using an amplifier’s built in gain stage(s) (Preamp distortion)
- Stomping on an overdrive/distortion pedal
A distortion pedal’s purpose is to replicate these methods in some manner. And, despite the relentless march of digital processing, the appeal of analog overdrive in a physical pedal form endures! Our picks for Best Overdrive Pedals represent all time drive pedal legends, as well as new takes on classic sounds.
Overdrive vs. Distortion vs. Clean Boost
First let’s talk about distortion vs. overdrive. Though these terms are often used interchangeably, there is a difference between the two. Distortion occurs naturally in an amplifier when the input signal “overdrives” the amplifier beyond its capacity to reproduce the sound accurately. This is also referred to as “clipping”. The sound we know as guitar distortion was accidentally invented in the late 1940s and early 50s when guitarists cranked up their small amps, pushing them into overdrive.
Legend also has it that some of these distorted “happy accidents” were the result of amplifiers with damaged tubes that were pressed into service, producing a fuzzy, unconventional sound that guitarists realized they liked! Though there are countless flavors of guitar distortion, they can be broadly categorized in three ways:
1. Overdrive
Overdrive is a type of distortion, and a subtler effect than the modern distorted guitar tones we associate with hard rock and metal. With overdrive, more of the original guitar signal is maintained, and the sound is perceived as warmer and smoother. In addition to warmth, players often describe overdrive as adding “hair” to the notes. The term “natural break-up” is used to describe a basically clean tone that has subtle distortion. Overdrive ranges from being a barely perceptible volume boost to edge-of-saturation tones.
2. Distortion
In the most simple terms, distortion is a more aggressive form of overdrive. It’s a saturated and heavy sound that substantially alters the original signal of the guitar. Guitarists rely on heavily distorted tones to create the signature sound of hard rock and metal. Adjectives used to describe distorted guitar tones include crunchy, saturated, and liquid.
3. Clean Boost
Boost, often referred to as “clean boost” in pedal terms, means that the pedal amplifies the incoming signal to the amp. This has the effect of overdriving the amp. Clean boost is used to create overdriven tones, and many guitarists feel that achieving overdrive this way has a more open, realistic quality.
Ten flavors of overdrive
Here are 10 overdrive pedals we feel represent the Best Overdrive Pedals in 2023. They range from all out classics to new variations on the overdrive formula.
1. Ibanez TS-9 Tube Screamer
If you play guitar, you know the Tube Screamer. If you don’t have one, you’ll probably get one. The TS-9 is the “original reissue” of the original TS-808. It has long been considered one of the best overdrive pedals. The Tube Screamer sound is the sound of SRV and sizzling Texas-style overdrive, mid-heavy and smooth. However, it can also get a harder rock sound with the drive cranked up. The Tube Screamer is one of the best ways to “goose” the input signal of your amp and push it into a natural-sounding overdrive.
2. Maxon OD-808
Maxon was the original inventor of the TS-808, which eventually became the TS-9. In other words, when you are talking about Tube Screamers, the Maxon OD-808 is the OG! This Maxon OD808 is faithful to the original, and capable of the smooth, open overdrive that the 808 is known for. It has fewer “sharp edges” than the TS-9, sounding a little rounder. Go for it if you want the TS-9 sound tweaked for a tad more vintage smoothness.
3. Fulltone OCD
The Fulltone OCD has been around since 2004, and has long been considered one of the best overdrive pedals. It has benefitted from some minor upgrades along the way, marked by version designations (v1, v2, v3, etc…). It’s basically the same pedal though. The OCD is known for its touch sensitivity, which Mike Fuller, the pedal’s creator, likens to a good tube amp.
Indeed, the OCD does just this, reacting differently based on how hard you hit the strings. The OCD’s overdrive is musical and organic, with noticeably good string-to-string definition. One thing I always notice about the OCD is that the overdrive can have a trace of fuzz sound to it. Depending on the setting, you can get an overdrive where the notes have a faint fuzz “outline”. This isn’t a bad thing, and it’s a very musical sound. This is arguably Fulltone’s best known and most popular pedal, and for good reason.
Mike Fuller, the founder of Fulltone, has recently retired, so the OCD is out of production. Fortunately, Fulltone made a lot of them, and various versions are available on the used market. While many guitarists feel the different model versions produce slightly different OCD flavors, there is no consensus on the best version.
4. Mesa Boogie Flux Drive
The Flux drive is an overdrive/distortion pedal that can cover a range of sounds that Boogie is known for. If I have to describe the Boogie sound, it revolves around Boogie’s signature midrange: liquid and harmonically rich. Boogie’s amps and pedals always produce tones that are harmonically dense and musical. You’ll find this signature tone with all of their gear.
Compared to the OCD, the Boogie is more midrange focused, with a little bit of honk. In true Boogie style, the Bass & Treble Controls offer sensitive tone shaping, providing +/- 12dB of EQ boost or cut, which makes the Flux Drive feel like a preamp. True Bypass On/Off Switching ensures there is no passive tone loss. With the Flux Drive, Mesa offers a cost-effective way to get Boogie-infused overdrive sounds.
5. Keeley OxBlood Overdrive
Keeley is best known for their famous Keeley Compressor pedal, which has become the standard for compression in a standalone pedal. The Oxblood is loosely based on the Klon Centaur sound, but Robert Keeley clearly states that the Oxblood is an original design. The Oxblood is able to get a wide range of overdrive, from moderate just barely there to crushing gain.
The voicing of the Oxblood is drier than some pedals, but with great harmonic content. To achieve this, the Oxblood features two different diodes for distinct overdrive tones, and a “Phat” switch that cuts midrange. One of my favorite sounds from the Oxblood is a sweet, mid-gain sound that isn’t too saturated while still sounding smooth. Keely is one of the pedal manufacturers who brings real creativity to the pedal game.
6. Boss Blues Driver
The Boss BD-2 Blues Driver is so well known that it’s almost taken for granted. The Blues Driver’s specialty is low-gain, bluesy overdrive. It’s not a flashy pedal, and compared to some of our other selections, you could say it is one-dimensional. That’s ok, because the BD doesn’t need to be all things to all people. With the gain cranked you can get a violin-type tone on the neck pickup, but this isn’t in the BD-2’s sweet spot.
The BD-2 cleans up well when you back off your guitar volume, and the low to medium gain range is where the BD-2 shines, and this is how most people use it. The BD-2 Waza version adds premium discrete analog components, but both versions do the job of getting you classic, bluesy overdrive sounds. If you are looking for bluesy overdrive, you absolutely cannot go wrong with the Boss BD-2.
7. Barber Direct Drive
The Direct Drive has been around the block, but the newest model is the “compact” version. The Direct Drive is tailored to get classic amp tones, and can cover both high and low gain tones. The voicing is British-inspired and chimey, but stays musical throughout the gain range. The Direct Drive also offers an adjustable internal bass control that lets you tailor it to your amp.
Though Barber doesn’t classify its pedals as “boutique”, the Direct Drive is hand built and very reasonably priced, considering it uses top-shelf components. We love seeing this kind of value in a pedal. Unfortunately, it has been discontinued, but the Direct Drive can be found on Reverb.com for a reasonable price.
8. MXR Sugar Drive
Built into a super-compact form factor, the MXR Sugar Drive plays it right down the middle with crunchy, rich overdrive and distortion tones. The Sugar Drive is based on an unusual circuit design. The Sugar Drive blends your clean signal into the overdrive signal, which replicates the smoothness heard in an amplifier as it transitions from a clean to an overdriven tone. If you are accustomed to the passive tone roll-off that you get with many classic pedals, the Sugar Drive offers switchable buffered/true bypass modes, giving you a choice of a traditional buffered circuit, or a modern true bypass. The blending of clean and dirty tones results in a pedal known for its headroom.
9. Boss SD-1 Super Overdrive
The SD-1 needs no introduction. Before the boutique pedal boom, rock guitarists were blasting the input signal of their amps with the SD-1 Super Overdrive. Compared to the TS-9 Tubscreamer, the SD-1 is a little bit tighter sounding. Compared to the BD-1 Blues Driver, the SD-1 has more saturation available, and is voiced for harder rock sounds. However, the SD-1 isn’t without versatility; it can get milder overdrive tones with the gain rolled down, and can be used as a clean boost to push an already distorted amp. Buy the SD-1 over the BD-1 if you’re looking to get a rock tone with added gain. Trust me when I say you’ll recognize the SD-1 sound from hundreds of records you’ve listened to! Like the Blues Driver, the SD-1 is available in Waza configuration.
10. Voodoo Lab Sparkle Drive MOD
The Sparkle Drive MOD is based on the original Sparkle Drive pedal, but with the extended functionality of Voodoo’s “MOD” switch. The Sparkle Drive MOD maintains the signature feature of the original Sparkle Drive, which is a “clean” knob that allows you to blend a boosted clean tone back into the signal path. This allows for an open sound that is not found in other mid-heavy pedals.
The Voodoo Lab Sparkle Drive is based on the original TS-808 Tube Screamer. How do we know this? Well, the first setting on the MOD switch selects a stock TS-808 circuit! The Mod 1 setting is optimized for extra gain, with a thick low end, and smooth highs. Mod 2 delivers an open mid cut” sound that works well for rhythm tones, rock power chords and funk riffs. Finally, Mod 3 setting ventures into high gain territory. Think of the Sparkle Drive as a Tube Screamer that allows for extra tone shaping with the clean knob, as well as the additional overdrive and distortion colors provided by the MOD switch.
