Dunlop MXR M78 Custom Modified OD, also known as the Bad Ass Modified OD vs Visual Sound V3 VS-XO Premium Dual Overdrive

The Dunlop MXR M78 Custom Modified OD, also known as the Bad Ass Modified OD and the Visual Sound V3 VS-XO Premium Dual Overdrive are both pedals sharing mid-forward. The Dunlop MXR M78 Custom Modified OD, also known as the Bad Ass Modified OD leans saturated and high gain.

Similarity
citedBlended from circuit-archetype lineage, dynamic feel, tone-signal overlap and tone-vector distance — the tone vector itself is derived from editorial description text, not a measured acoustic signal, so this reflects how similarly the catalog copy describes the two, not a lab measurement. Shown only within a gear class, and only where there's enough evidence to be meaningful.

30% — somewhat different

Shared genres
citedGenres both listings are associated with.
  • Rock
Shared tone character
citedDerived from overlapping tonal signals across both listings.
  • mid-forward
Citation fame
citedCitation/mention fame — how often this gear is cited across artist rigs and gear discussion.
0%
0%
Description

The MXR M78 Custom Modified OD, also known as the Bad Ass Modified OD, is a vintage-voiced overdrive from MXR by Jim Dunlop based on the 1978 MXR Distortion Plus circuit with additional Tone and Filter controls added to increase tonal flexibility. The 1978 vintage Distortion Plus is known for its warm, smooth clipping character and distinctive compressed saturation that works well into an already-driven tube amplifier. The M78 extends the original circuit with front-panel EQ control that was not available on the vintage unit, allowing players to shape the midrange and frequency balance without requiring external pedals. It bridges the original vintage MXR sound with modern usability.

The Visual Sound V3 VS-XO is a premium dual overdrive with two distinct, independently voiced channels rather than two copies of the same circuit. The right channel is Tube-Screamer-like but without the nasal midrange hump, keeping the mids present but easy on the ear, and adds a 3-way clipping-diode switch, a 3-way Bass switch, and a Clean Mix knob for blending in dry signal. The left channel is less compressed with more low end and gain on tap, closer to an OCD-style drive but without scooped mids or fizz, staying flat-mid and amp-like with its own Bass control. Both channels run through a low-noise circuit that stays clear and detailed even at extreme settings. It suits players wanting two genuinely different, high-quality overdrive voicings, from Tube-Screamer-adjacent midrange push to open, amp-like gain, in one box.

Genres
citedGenres this gear is documented as being used in.
  • Classic Rock
  • Alternative Rock
  • Blues Rock
  • Blues
Tonal lean
  • saturated
  • high gain
  • warm
  • full
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