Boost, Overdrive, Distortion & Fuzz: A Beginner’s Guide to Gain Pedals

• What causes Distortion?
• Boost Pedals
• Overdrive Pedals
• Distortion Pedals
• Fuzz Pedals
• Which Drive Pedal Should You Buy?

What is distortion? You may have heard a lot of jargon surrounding distortion: like “gain” or “drive”. Technically speaking, distortion is a type of gain, and gain pedals can generally be categorised into 4 different types: Boost, Overdrive, Distortion and Fuzz. I will explain the differences and characteristics of each so that by the end of this guide, you’ll have a better understanding of which type of pedal to go for.

What causes Distortion?

It’s helpful to have a basic knowledge of how distortion works to work out what type of pedal is right for you, so let’s break that down. When you strum your guitar, the string vibrations are converted into electronic waveform signals by the pickups which are sent to your amp. Beyond a certain point an amp can no longer get louder as the waveforms get bigger. Once the waves exceed this point (known as the “headroom” of the amp), the peaks of the waves get squashed down, or “compress”.

It is this compression that causes distortion and how these waveforms are compressed will influence how your sound distorts. To get your clean signal to distort naturally from the amp may require you to turn the volume up far beyond a reasonable level. Distortion pedals can simulate this distortion at far more reasonable volume levels by using amplification and clipping circuits.

What is Clipping?

In gain pedals the circuits will clip the waveform as an amp would do past its headroom. There are essentially two types of clipping: “soft-clipping” and “hard-clipping”. This refers to how the peaks of the waveform are compressed, which affects how the distortion sounds. Soft-clipping will squash the peaks just as a cranked valve amp would, whilst hard-clipping will simply cut off the signal as it exceeds the headroom, which produces a more aggressive, harsh sound.

Generally speaking, overdrive pedals use soft-clipping to get an amp-like distortion that is dynamic and responsive. It will generally distort more the harder you strike the strings and it’ll clean up the softer you pick – this is great for jazz, blues, Americana and indie rock. Distortion pedals’ gnarlier hard-clipping is more immediately harsh regardless of your pick attack, so this might be useful in full-throttle hard rock and metal music.

There is another option: fuzz pedals amplify and clip the signal to such extremes that the waveform becomes a square-wave, which can sound fuzzy and woolly, or spitty and nasty, and it can get completely wild – it’s a very fun effect to sculpt! This has been used most prominently throughout the early days of rock music (think Jimi Hendrix tones), punk, doom metal, stoner rock and shoegaze.

Boost Pedals

Unlike the other types of pedals on this list, boost pedals don’t contain any clipping. As the name suggests, it simply boosts the volume of your guitar going into your amplifier. But the way it interacts with valve amps or other types of gain pedals can be used in creative ways. Using a boost pedal into a valve amp can provide enough of a volume boost for the guitar signal to exceed the headroom of the valves, causing them to overdrive and bring out those sweet and crunchy classic rock tones. Into a solid-state amp or a very high-wattage amp, it will simply boost the volume without adding any appreciable amount of gain. This can be useful to bump up the volume of your guitar for a solo if you just need that extra volume to cut through the band mix.

Boost pedals can also be used in combination with other types of gain pedals to produce different gain levels – this is known as gain stacking, and is a great way to add more variation to your sound. Adding a boost pedal before another gain pedal such as an overdrive or distortion in your signal chain will produce more gain without much more volume. Placing it after a gain pedal will produce more volume without much increase in gain.

The Tone City All Spark is a popular boost because it is affordable and simple, as it only features three dials: fat, bright and gain. It’s also in a mini pedal, meaning it’ll fit snugly on your pedalboard. The Xotic SSB Super Sweet boost and EP boost are excellent midrange options that are simple to use but boasting outstanding quality components. The Jam Pedals Boomster is a great high-end option as you can set it either in true bypass or buffered mode – the latter keeping your guitar signal strong if it is passing through a lot of pedals before it reaches your amp.

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Overdrive Pedals

Overdrive pedals come in all different shapes and sizes, and there are probably more different types of drive than any other types of gain pedals out there. A quality, versatile overdrive is a necessity on any pedalboard. Overdrives generally produce a moderate amount of gain and are therefore used for low to mid-gain sounds, like blues, rock and its many subgenres.

Usually (but not always), this effect is achieved by using a soft-clipping circuit, mimicking the characteristics of a slightly over-driven amp. The quintessential electric guitar sound was built on this effect. Although there are countless different types of overdrive pedals, I will cover three of the most popular styles: the Tube Screamer, Bluesbreaker, and Klon.

Tube Screamer Style Overdrive

The Tube Screamer is the most famous of overdrive pedals and is characterised by its distinctive EQ curve. Most stompboxes based on this style of overdrive will be soft-clipping, cut the bass and add lots of mid-range, which can add thickness to a clean sound, or tighten up a high-gain metal sound. It boosts the perfect frequencies right around 700-1K Hz to cut through any mix. So whether you play in a metalcore band and you’re looking to create fast staccato attack, or you’re pining for that famous Stevie Ray Vaughan blues sound, look no further than the Tube Screamer.

The Tube Screamer was made by Ibanez in 1979 but was first sold under the Maxon label. You’ll find most Tube Screamers referred to either as an OD-808 or a TS9 – the difference being the JRC 4558D integrated circuit (IC) chip in the former and TA75558 IC chip in the latter. In layman’s terms, the 808 sounds smoother and the TS9 a little brighter and harsher. There have been dozens of iterations of the design over the years, including the TS9DX Turbo which adds “Hot”, “+” and “Turbo” modes.

As one of the most famous drive pedals ever created, other companies have had their go at putting their twist on the iconic sound. That includes the ideal budget choice, the Tone City Kaffir Lime, the gorgeously unique Earthquaker Devices Plumes and the all-encompassing JHS Pedals Bonsai, packing nine different types of Screamer circuits into one pedal.

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Bluesbreaker Style Overdrive

Like the Tube Screamer style circuit, Bluesbreaker style overdrives also use soft-clipping to create a smooth, compressed style of overdrive. They are ideal for adding a little bit of extra dirt or stacking with other pedals. But unlike a Tube Screamer, it won’t imprint its own character onto your tone. It is designed to be “transparent”, meaning that it has a balanced frequency range, so you can keep the core tone of your guitar and amp and just layer on some sizzle.

The Bluesbreaker type pedal is a great option for blues rock tones as it is a low-to-medium gain overdrive that adds smooth sustain as you increase the gain. Favoured by John Mayer, this type of pedal is perfect for someone who loves their current guitar tone, but is looking to push it with a bit more gain.

Marshall created the original Bluesbreaker and nothing beats it based on simplicity and effect. The Mooer Blues Crab achieves transparent gain at a small expense, while the Snouse Blackbox is a more refined high-end take on the sound, adding boost and presence controls with top quality components.

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Klon Style Overdrive

Arguably the single most revered pedal of all time and one of the most expensive on the used market. When the Klon Centaur was invented in 1994, its design was unlike any previous overdrive as it utilised a hard-clipping circuit. However, it doesn’t sound harsh like a distortion because it is blended with a clean boost circuit which has no clipping. The result is a harmonically rich, stacked tone that retains an echo of the natural sound of your guitar and amp.

Although Klon style pedals are often described as transparent, they do impart a subtle upper-mid-boost to the EQ yet avoid cutting the bass as a Tube Screamer would. Because of the hard-clipping style, a Klon style overdrive is a great option for a getting a crunchy rock rhythm sound, but it is more commonly used with the gain turned down as a clean boost to add a bit of sparkle and clarity to your sound. This type of pedal is very versatile and great for players who value quality above all else in their playing.

Check out our deeper dive on the Klon and its Centaur clones. More briefly, have a listen to the TC Electronic Zeus Drive if you’re shopping for a Klon style pedal on a budget as it delivers on the highly sought-after tones without busting the bank. The Wampler Tumnus mini pedal is one of our favourites if you want the straight-up Klon sound without any tone dialling. Seeing as though the original Klon Centaur is all-but out of reach for most of us, the Vemuram Spiritone should be next on the list as your premium pedal choice, made in collaboration with Japanese guitarist Char and packed with two custom circuits.

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Distortion Pedals

If overdrive pedals are meant to sound like valve amps turned up to 9 or 10, then distortion pedals are meant to sound like an amp searing at 11. While some overdrive pedals are transparent in keeping your original tone intact, distortion pedals fundamentally alter your sound to get that harmonic, gritty sustain that you’ve heard on countless rock and metal songs. If you’re looking to master your Metallica riffs or Satriani solos, then distortion is for you. Because distortion adds more level (volume) to the signal and generally uses hard-clipping, it compresses your signal to an even level, ensuring that whether you’re chugging or tapping, you’ll always be heard.

Distortion comes in all forms, but some of the industry standard staples include: the MXR Distortion +, a gritty vintage to colour your tone; the Boss DS-1 unleashing a guitar hero-esque harmonic sustain; and the versatile ProCo RAT, which ranges from dial a light, crunchy overdrive, to thick and heavy distortion and all the way to fuzzy obliteration. All of these are classic designs that have been used widely in rock music since the late 1970s.

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Fuzz Pedals

In the words of the great Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin fame, the job of a fuzz pedal is “overdrive the sound, and make it sound pretty rude”. Fuzz has been an integral part of many great guitarists’ sound, from Jimi Hendrix and Eric Johnson with the Fuzz Face, to Billy Corgan (Smashing Pumpkins) with the Big Muff to Jimmy Page with the Tone Bender.

Fuzz can be pushed to the most extreme style of gain pedal, but when tamed, it is musically rich and an inspirational tool that has been integral to lots of trendsetters’ sounds. Much like the other types of pedals mentioned today, there are many variations of fuzz pedals, but the three pillars of fuzz are the Tone Bender, the Fuzz Face and the Big Muff.

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Tone Bender Style Pedals

Tone Bender style pedals have a really aggressive distortion characteristic, but remain clear even at high gain because the bass is cut in the EQ so the sound doesn’t get muddy or sloppy. This type of fuzz pedal is perfect for chunky power chords and driving hard rock riffs. It also pairs especially well with humbucker-equipped guitars as they will fatten the bass-end without getting bloated. The most famous user of the Tone Bender is Jimmy Page, and without it, Led Zeppelin would never have had their legendary sound! A classic style Tone Bender is very easy to use with just 2 controls: ‘level/volume’, and ‘attack/fuzz’. Some versions will also have a tone control to tweak your sound to your exact liking.

Original Sola Sound Tone Benders are only available to buy second-hand now, but lots of current brands make their own versions of the original with their own take on it. The Behringer Fuzz Bender has a fun elongated shape like the classic pedal, and sounds like it too, with modern and original settings. The Catalinbread Katzenkonig is a more premium and unusual choice, combining singing fuzz tones with the best elements of a RAT distortion.

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Fuzz Face Style Pedals

Most famously used by Jimi Hendrix, the Dunlop Fuzz Face is one of the seminal sounds of early psychedelic rock, but it does so much more. Fuzz Face style pedals are unique in how they react with the volume pot on your guitar. At full volume, it can produce a thick hair-raising rumble for mighty lead playing, but roll the volume back to 6 or 7 for a smooth, warm overdrive that’s perfect for chords. Take the volume back again to 3 or 4 for sparkly crystal cleans.

The fuzz face was not only responsible for Hendrix’s monstrous lead tones on the likes of the Purple Haze intro and All Along the Watchtower, but it was also at the core of his beautiful chimey clean tones on Wind Cries Mary. Because of the thick bass and soft attack of the fuzz face, it pairs especially well with Strat style single coil guitars, which remain more percussive and dynamic than higher-powered humbucker guitars. So, whether you’re looking for that Hendrix sound or just something new, there are few pedals out there more fun than the Fuzz Face!

The original, legendary Jim Dunlop Fuzz Face is a fun circular shape – maybe not ideal for your pedalboard but quirky enough to get your attention. Take your pick of germanium or silicone transistors, the former being warmer in sound and the latter a touch harsher. The Boss FZ-5 gets you a similar tone for less and in a more conventional rectangular package.

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Big Muff Style Pedals

Perhaps the most controllable of the three fuzzes but the most distortion-like in sound, the Big Muff acts as if you could keep turning up the gain on a distortion pedal. It’s great for creating a massively thick and heavy rock rhythm sound. Because of the huge amount of bass and mid-scooped characteristic it will happily sit in a band mix. Try stacking a Tube Screamer after it to bring forward a more prominent midrange. It also pairs well with other gain pedals, more so than the Tone Bender and Fuzz Face. Most Big Muff style pedals include a tone control and unlike its fuzzy counterparts allows for additional tone tweaking with attitude.

The Electro Harmonix Big Muff is the OG – a hugely popular pedal that has defined rock guitar, used lots of bands from Pink Floyd to The Smashing Pumpkins and My Bloody Valentine to The White Stripes. They offer several iterations on the classic circuit, such as the super bassy Russian Big Muff and the feature-packed, versatile Deluxe Big Muff.

Tone City’s Matcha Cream does a great job bringing the Big Muff spirit on a fraction of the price, while the Browne Amplification T4‘s flattened EQ curve pushes a stronger oomph in the midrange frequencies.

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Side Note: As a general rule, if you’re using multiple pedals, always put your fuzz first because a lot of fuzzes don’t play well with others. Read more about this here.

Which Drive Pedal Should You Buy?

Now that you have a better understanding of how gain pedals work, hopefully you can narrow down your drive choice to find the perfect one for you and your style.

As a quick summary: boost pedals will raise the volume of your amp, but put in front of a valve amplifier you may get a nice, juicy driven tone. Overdrive pedals’ soft-clipping makes them great for dynamic crunchy rock, blues, jazz, indie and alt tones. Famous iterations include the mid-range heavy Tube Screamer, the transparent Blues Breaker or the luxurious Klon Centaur style stompboxes.

Distortion pedal hard clip the soundwaves and create a menacing bite in your guitar tone – ideal for hard rock, metal and any chaotic or aggressive sound. The RAT pedal, Boss DS-1 and MXR Distortion + are all diverse picks.

Fuzzes can be both classic and extreme depending on how you dial them in. A Fuzz Face will bring the Hendrix bluesy rock goodness, while the Tone Bender is closer aligned to the Zeppelin sound. The Big Muff is more ferocious and beefier in the low-end.

But why only choose one drive pedal? Try experimenting with different combinations to find a sound that is truly unique to you!

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