The art of distorting a guitar's sound to produce the growl heard in popular rock and metal music has been around for more than seventy years.
That being said, the technology of overdriving has long been improving and choosing the best pedal couldn't be more difficult.
Take a look at our selection of exceptional overdrive pedals to decide which would be your preferred purchase.
At a Glance: Our Top Picks for Guitar Overdrive Pedals
- OUR TOP PICK: Fulltone OCD
- BEST BUDGET OPTION: BOSS SD-1
- Ibanez TS9
Table of Contents
What is an Overdrive Pedal and What Does it Do?
An overdrive pedal is an audio signal processor used to alter the smooth sounds of an electric instrument to produce distorted buzzy or growling tones. It was first discovered by electric blues guitarists who had to 'overdrive' their amplifiers to produce the dirty resonances of the music associated with artists like Junior Barnard. It remains popular among modern guitarists who pushed the genre of grit guitar to the heights that it enjoys today.
How Does an Overdrive Pedal Work?
Overdriving is achieved by pushing the valves of an amplifier beyond its maximum. In other words, the amount of energy added to a sound wave to increase its signal strength, ultimately amplifying the volume or gain, is pushed further than the normal rate. This makes it change its original waveform and produces a distorted sound. The best guitar overdrive pedals use modern, solid-state technology that is not only energy-efficient but also allows better overdriving control.
What is the Difference Between Overdrive and Distortion?
Some might believe that distortion and overdrive are the same. That could not be further from the truth. Distortion is far more aggressive than overdrive, and the pedals used to produce each unique tone vary by design. Distortion is better applied to genres such as heavy rock and metal, whereas overdrive is more suitable for softer genres like country and blues.
How to Choose an Overdrive Pedal
As most musicians know, an artist will only sound as good as the quality of the instrument they are playing. Therefore, it is essential to buy the best equipment available to progress your creativity to its maximum potential.
Choosing the best, however, may not be the easiest decision to make, especially if you are a little uninformed on the quality of available brands and manufacturers. Having a prescribed list of features to be looking for in an overdrive pedal can be handy, but keep in mind that your needs and preferences may vary. No artistic vision is ever the same.
Durability
The first thing to do when buying an overdrive pedal would be to consider how often it is going to be used and if it has sufficient durability. For limited functions, the casing can be softer, but for industrial use, a stronger pedal will be more efficient.
Quality
The most important feature to consider is the sound quality you want to produce with your pedal. Choose a pedal that offers better noise reduction and isn't noisy by itself. Go for a pedal that is more sensitive over pick attack, a feature more common in a few exclusive models, as this improves responsiveness. The change in the tone quality you want is influenced mostly by what you play, so keep this into your considerations, as well.
Compatibility
If you already have a setup, you would want to choose a pedal that would best fit in with the guitar and amplifier you already have. You should also consider the stacking potential of the pedal you want to buy if you are going to add it to other pedal effects.
Price
The most expensive option is perhaps not always the best choice, nor is it the cheapest. Choose price according to what you can budget and don't be fooled by fancy gimmicks that only increase the cost but do not provide the correct sound.
Comparison Chart of the Best Overdrive Pedals
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Review of the Best Overdrive Pedals
Choose your pedal according to your creative needs and what the pedal offers you. If budget influences choice, attempt to choose according to what's the best option for the price without sacrificing the sound quality.
Best Overall and Best for Tube Amps:
Fulltone OCD Obsessive Compulsive Drive Pedal
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PROS
CONS
What Recent Buyers Report
Recent buyers of the Fulltone OCD Obsessive Compulsive Drive Pedal have had good things to say about it. One reviewer even described it as the finest-sounding overdrive in existence. Users have been impressed with how easy it is to use and how great it sounds. Many music lovers swear by this drive pedal and would use nothing else.
Why it Stands Out to Us
For its price, you’d be hard-pressed to find a drive pedal as smooth and as popular as this one. There has been a lot of excitement around this pedal, and for good reason -- the quality of the sound is impeccable. It is a favorite with pedal users and has been for years.
Who Will Use This Most
Anyone who enjoys making music and applying changes to their music would likely benefit from using Fulltone OCD Obsessive Compulsive Drive Pedal. Music makers that are especially obsessed with tone would really love this drive pedal.
Bottom Line
All in all, the Fulltone OCD Drive Pedal is made for people who are ‘obsessive-compulsive’ about getting great tone and quality for their buck. It has been a trusted product for many, many years and remains one of the most recommended drive pedals you’ll find.
Runner-up:
BOSS Compact Guitar Pedal (SD-1)
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PROS
CONS
What Recent Buyers Report
According to buyers of this pedal, the amp you have doesn’t really matter -- whether it’s tube or solid-state, if you require sufficient tube-driven overdrive sound with amazing sustain, this pedal is right for you. The quality of the pedal is awesome, and it will last for a very long time without problems.
Why it Stands Out to Us
This pedal stands out because it works so well when put in a ‘chain’ with other guitar effect products, and it can create an impressive ‘full sound’ with astounding distortion effects. Because it is made so solidly, it will last for years and years.
Who Will Use This Most
Guitar players who want a rough and dirty sound when they’re jamming or playing their solos will fall in love with this pedal. It is a great choice when stacked with a distortion guitar effect. Additionally, if you are in a rock, blues, or country band and you are looking for some extra sizzle for your music, take a look at this one.
Bottom Line
The BOSS Compact Guitar Pedal is a fine pedal on a lower quality amp, but it can actually be ‘harmful’ to the deep tube tones. In general, this pedal is smooth and round, not too shrill or harsh; so, if that’s what you’ve been looking for, this could be perfect for you.
Best for the Money:
Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer
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PROS
CONS
What Recent Buyers Report
Recent buyers of this particular pedal have found that it offers them a lot, considering that it is not super expensive. They loved the selection of effects that the pedal offers so freely and the quality of the sound it produces.
Why it Stands Out to Us
The Ibanez offers a classic tone that any guitar lover would appreciate. Its tone, drive, and level controls are impressive. Thanks to its versatility, you can use it for years without getting tired of it. Plus, you can fiddle with each of the effects to find just the sound you want, which is handy when you get bored of hearing the same effect over and over.
Who Will Use This Most
This pedal is really popular with blues players, garage rockers, super-church power groups, and classic rock enthusiasts. It won’t be as popular for metal players or country lovers, though, so if you are looking at playing those genres, give this one a skip. Additionally, if you are a beginner, you will find this one easy to use, which is a big bonus.
Bottom Line
If you’re looking for a responsive pedal, today is your lucky day -- it is a great sounding pedal that doesn't destroy your tone and, instead, lets your tone and technique shine through as you use it. You can use it easily, no matter what skill level you have, and the quality is evident - both in the physical build and the effects that you receive.
Best Overdrive Pedal for Blues:
Ibanez Tube Screamer Mini
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PROS
CONS
What Recent Buyers Report
Overall, buyers of the Ibanez Tube Screamer Mini are very happy with it. One said it made his acoustic-electric sound great, and it had a good amount of grit to it. It is believed that this pedal provides a lot of bang for your buck; it sounds awesome and is well made with a nice and balanced tone.
Why it Stands Out to Us
The compact size of this pedal sets it apart from other similar products. Despite being smaller, it’s still very effective and offers the same value as its bigger counterparts. Plus, it’s much cheaper than similar models, making it a really good choice as a backup pedal or a pedal for beginners.
Who Will Use This Most
Any guitar player with a fondness for blues, rock, or country will adore this pedal. It’s perfectly suited to the amazing tones of blues music and enhances the sound greatly. If you’ve been looking for a drive pedal to complement your blues, rock, or country music -- whether solo or with a band -- this is the pedal to go with.
Bottom Line
For blues players, this drive pedal is a must-have. It is compact, but it doesn’t sacrifice efficiency for size. Although you’ll need to have it plugged in at all times because there’s no place for a battery, it’s still a great choice that is offered at a cheaper price than most of the bigger pedals out there.
Best Overdrive Pedal for Worship:
JHS Morning Glory V4 Overdrive Guitar Effects Pedal
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PROS
CONS
What Recent Buyers Report
Buyers have commented that this pedal is an awesome-looking product that has a nice, clear sound. If the volume pot was louder, this would be the perfect pedal, according to one user. Another has deemed it to be the most transparent OD ever and that it is great on the dirty channel for boost.
Why it Stands Out to Us
This pedal has really great tone and touch sensitivity -- a superb feature for a pedal to have. It will add ‘dirt’ to your tone without actually changing it fundamentally. It is very easy to dial your sound with this pedal because its layout is straightforward.
Who Will Use This Most
The JHS Morning Glory is a great pedal for blues and rock style music, so any guitar player who wants to focus on these genres and use a pedal that will give their sound a boost will appreciate this product. It can be used whether you are a solo performer, part of a duo, or the lead guitarist in your band.
Bottom Line
You can achieve your preferred level of overdrive with this pedal thanks to its drive control, which is very effective. It is a transparent pedal that will leave you satisfied and spending hours playing your instrument. Although the pedal can cause a lot of noise when used with other overdrives, it is still a favorite with music lovers.
Pros and Cons of Overdrive Pedals
When looking at the best guitar overdrive pedal, you need to make sure you consider both the pros and cons. Let’s look at a few:
Pros
Sound Quality
An overdrive pedal pushes your valves to distortion point, or mimics the sound it would make if you were using a solid-state amplifier. This is a safer option that actually pushing your valve amp to distortion point. Plus, because it has been created to sound a certain way, it has good sound quality rather than just noise.
Dynamics
An overdrive pedal responds when you touch your guitar strings. If you play softly, you will barely notice any gain, but if you play hard, you can hear how the signal breaks up. It provides a soft-clipping sound rather than a hard crunch, adding to the dynamic, smooth sound instead of making a noisy sound that your neighbors will hate you for.
Uses
Contrary to what many believe, an overdrive pedal is not just for heavy metal guitar players. In fact, rock, country, and blues players can enjoy the boost of gain that has some flavor and flair that does not affect the overall tone of their favorite guitar.
Cons
Playability
Unfortunately, because of its construction, the purpose of an overdrive pedal is to drive up the gain. This means that if you play too softly, you will not be able to notice the gain. You have to play hard before unleashing the sound you desire.
Conclusion
Overdrive pedals are great for enhancing and complimenting the sound from an amp. It adds ‘color’ to your tone and boosts the quality of your music. You can better control the sound you produce. There are many different pedals to choose from, and your specific needs will determine which one you end up choosing. In the end, the most important thing is that you enjoy using your pedal -- that’s the point of making music.
