Best Overdrive Pedals

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Best Overdrive Pedals

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How to Choose the Best Overdrive Pedal

If you’re in the music industry you want the right equipment to help you along the way. You want to make sure you have tools that will improve the sound and the quality of your music, whether you play for family and friends or even if you play for large venues. With the right overdrive pedal, you’re going to have a really unique experience and you’re going to create some great sound while you’re at it. But first, you need to know the features to look for.

Best Overdrive Pedals

Batteries: Does the pedal use batteries? And if it does use batteries then what kind of batteries does it need to work?

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Dimensions: How large is the pedal? You want something that’s going to be convenient for you to use and not too large.

How to Choose the Best Overdrive Pedal

Color: What color is the pedal? This is big about personal preference and creating the image you want on stage.

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LED Light: Is there a light included with the pedal? This is another personal preference aspect that you’ll want to know.

Best Overdrive Pedals

True Bypass: Does it have a true bypass feature? This isn’t something all players want, but it is something to know about.

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Weight: How much does the pedal weigh? You want to know so you can understand whether it’s going to be convenient to carry.

Top 10 Products

When you’re playing any kind of music you want to make sure you have the right equipment like an overdrive pedal. These pedals are our top picks. We’ve actually found a total of the top 10 overdrive pedals that you can take a look at and you’ll be able to cut things down a lot easier. That way, you can get the right one for you a whole lot faster.

MXR EVH5150 Overdrive

MXR EVH5150 Overdrive
If you’re looking for the best boss overdrive pedal you’re going to want to take a look at this one. It features a true bypass so you can get more authentic sound and it’s made in collaboration with Eddie Van Halen, so you know you’re getting something that you can count on to work and to last. It even gives you multi-stage MOSFET’s and you’ll have a boost switch. If you’re looking for even more features you’ll love that this one also has 3-band EQ and gate so you get to set it up the way you need it. With this overdrive, you just need a 9-volt battery and you’re going to be ready to go in no time at all. It’s even lightweight and has more basic features so you don’t have to deal with all the extras that you don’t want on your stage.
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Behringer TO800 Overdrive Pedal

Behringer TO800 Overdrive Pedal
This is one of the top-rated overdrive pedals and it’s also our budget pick because you don’t have to spend a whole lot of money just to make sure you get something that works for what you need. With this pedal, you’re going to have 2 different options for colors because this one actually lights up. It’s not a true bypass, but the additional features are going to make it fun. In fact, you’re going to have vintage overdrive and you’re going to have the fat tone that you’re looking for. Great for the original 4558 IC, this one also gives you the right level of distortion for your next performance. You get control over everything you want and you get complete capture for even the finest nuances of the experience. There are even dedicated controls for your drive, tone, and level to make sure that you can customize the sound to fit what you want.
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Wampler Tumnus V2 Overdrive

Wampler Tumnus V2 Overdrive
This might be the best cheap overdrive pedal but it’s going to give you plenty of options. In fact, you get to choose between a range of different patterns to get one that matches your personal style. You also get some additional features that you can use with practically any setup you want. There’s the opportunity to use this lightweight pedal with others to make sure you get the best gain or you can use it on its own. There are plenty of different ways to make it work for you, even as a buffer or a dirty boost. Designed to give you a buffered bypass tone, this pedal gives you knobs for volume, gain and tone to make sure that you have the level of control that you want and to make sure you get the sound you’ve been looking for, every time.
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Electro-Harmonix Soul Food Pedal

Electro-Harmonix Soul Food Pedal
This pedal is going to be versatile and high quality and it’s a true bypass so you can get the authentic sound you’re looking for. It’s a little heavier than some of the other options you’ll find out there, but it’s definitely a great pick. It only needs a 9-volt battery to get it up and running and then you get to set up the other features that you need. It’s super responsible and transparent so you get the output you want and it’s easy to connect to your current setup. Even better, if you want a buffered bypass you can actually change the settings on this one to get it. The unique color and style of this pedal make it a great pick on their own and the boosted power rails mean that you get better definition and headroom. You’re going to be all set to play with this pedal and you won’t have to add anything else to your setup.
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Donner Blues Drive Pedal

Donner Blues Drive Pedal
This might be the best overdrive pedal for metal but it’s going to do great for other types of music and other features as well. This true bypass pedal comes in a vibrant blue that’s definitely sleek on its own. It’s also easy to plug directly in so you don’t need to worry about batteries. You’ll get the option for different types of sound and you can change all the settings to make sure it gives you the output you’re looking for. There’s even an LED light that lets you know what the working state is and the fact that it’s small and lightweight means it’s easy for you to take wherever you go. With this pedal, you’re going to be ready to create some great music and you’re going to have fewer pieces needed to do it because you just plug in. It’s even made of aluminum alloy so it’s still durable and ready for anything, even with the light weight.
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TC MojoMojo Overdrive Pedal

TC MojoMojo Overdrive Pedal
This is a unique looking pedal but it’s going to give you all the control that you’re looking for. There are plenty of switches and knobs here to let you control the drive, level, bass, and treble so you can get exactly the sound that you want for any performance. All you need is a 9-volt battery to get it up and running and this system is going to give you completely true bypass. There’s not going to be any loss of tone with this and there’s even a voicing switch that lets you change out wherever and whenever you want. If you’re looking for something that gives you options this is going to be the way to go. It’s a little heavier than some of the others, but that’s only going to matter while you’re transporting it anyway. While it’s in use you’re going to love it.
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Ibanez Tube Screamer Mini

Ibanez Tube Screamer Mini
This may be a little more of a boutique overdrive pedals option. It’s a unique looking unit with controls for tone as well as level and overdrive. Not only that but you get the input and output you need, where they’re most convenient. There’s no need for a battery here as it actually runs directly through electricity and it has a true bypass so you’re going to get the level of sound that you’re actually looking for without suffering from any of the loss. The analog circuitry is great for those who want to get a little more old school and this pedal comes in a vibrant green that’s definitely going to be noticeable sitting up there on the stage with you. All you’re going to need is your instrument and you’re going to be set for anything.
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Catalinbread Sabbra Cadabra Pedal

Catalinbread Sabbra Cadabra Pedal
If you want something that looks unique you’re going to want this one because it comes in several different patterns that are each vibrant and bold. You get to choose something that really works for your style and you get all the features that you’re looking for too. This one isn’t a true bypass, but it does give you options and knobs to control the range, gain, presence, and vol 4 controls. That means you’re going to get the sound that you’re looking for and you’re going to have no problem customizing everything that you have to make sure it’s ready to go when you are. You even get to customize the treble-booster on the circuit to make sure you can even get up to a full-range boost if that’s what you want. Set this one up and get ready for the best of the best when it comes to your guitar effects.
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Joyo JF-02 Ultimate Overdrive Pedal

This is one of those cheap overdrive pedals you definitely don’t want to miss out on. It comes in several different styles so you can choose something that matches your style and personality or the rest of your setup. You’ll also need just a single 9-volt battery to get it up and running. If you want to get a late 70’s sound you’re going to want this overdrive with its true bypass and all the great features. You get to control everything from gain and level to tone and hi-low. It even has an LED light and gives you rich second and third order harmonics. No matter what type of music you want to play you’re going to have no problem getting the right kind of sound and you’ll even have the ability to switch to a brighter top end. All you’re going to need to do is pick out the specific look that’s right for you.
This is one of those cheap overdrive pedals you definitely don’t want to miss out on. It comes in several different styles so you can choose something that matches your style and personality or the rest of your setup. You’ll also need just a single 9-volt battery to get it up and running. If you want to get a late 70’s sound you’re going to want this overdrive with its true bypass and all the great features. You get to control everything from gain and level to tone and hi-low. It even has an LED light and gives you rich second and third order harmonics. No matter what type of music you want to play you’re going to have no problem getting the right kind of sound and you’ll even have the ability to switch to a brighter top end. All you’re going to need to do is pick out the specific look that’s right for you.
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Kokko Acoustic Guitar Knob

If you’re looking for warm and natural sounds then you’re going to want to pick up this overdrive. The true bypass gives you completely lossless sound and the LED light lets you know what the settings are. You even get the knobs you need to control drive, level, and tone so you can customize everything that you’re doing. There are anti-skid pads on the back of the pedal itself so you don’t have to worry about it moving while you’re trying to play and you get to choose between some of your favorite colors to get a great style right off the bat. No matter what type of sound you’re looking for you can set this thing up to do it and you can simply plug it into a wall to get started playing. You’re going to have no problem with this tool and you’re definitely going to enjoy playing when you have it hooked up.
If you’re looking for warm and natural sounds then you’re going to want to pick up this overdrive. The true bypass gives you completely lossless sound and the LED light lets you know what the settings are. You even get the knobs you need to control drive, level, and tone so you can customize everything that you’re doing. There are anti-skid pads on the back of the pedal itself so you don’t have to worry about it moving while you’re trying to play and you get to choose between some of your favorite colors to get a great style right off the bat. No matter what type of sound you’re looking for you can set this thing up to do it and you can simply plug it into a wall to get started playing. You’re going to have no problem with this tool and you’re definitely going to enjoy playing when you have it hooked up.
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About the Author

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Heather Patton

Expert Researcher and Writer

Heather Patton is a lead researcher and writer at GeekWrapped. She has been creating high-quality content for over a decade and covers home, lifestyle, beauty, fashion products and more.

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Article last updated on:

September 29, 2019

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TOP PICK

MXR EVH5150 Overdrive

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