Dunlop MXR Distortion Plus vs Electro-Harmonix Pico Triboro Bridge

The Dunlop MXR Distortion Plus and the Electro-Harmonix Pico Triboro Bridge are both pedals sharing compressed, saturated. The Dunlop MXR Distortion Plus leans warm and mid-forward. The Electro-Harmonix Pico Triboro Bridge leans fuzzy and gritty.

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.

36% somewhat different

Shared genres
citedGenres both listings are associated with.
  • Alternative Rock
Shared tone character
citedDerived from overlapping tonal signals across both listings.
  • compressed
  • saturated
Citation fame
citedCitation/mention fame — how often this gear is cited across artist rigs and gear discussion.
17%
0%
Price

$98.74via Reverb

Description

The MXR Distortion Plus is the original MXR distortion pedal, introduced in 1973 and one of the most influential hard-clipping distortion designs in the history of the electric guitar. The circuit uses a single op-amp with hard germanium diode clipping to produce a compressed, warm distortion character with a distinctive midrange voice. The Distortion Plus is strongly associated with Randy Rhoads, who used it with Ozzy Osbourne, and with Slash on early Guns N Roses recordings. It delivers moderate-to-high gain distortion with warm, natural compression and a mid-voiced character that cuts well in classic rock contexts. The design has been extensively copied and remains in production as the M104.

The Electro-Harmonix Pico Triboro Bridge is a compact tri-mode drive pedal combining overdrive, distortion, and fuzz in a single pico-sized enclosure. A mode selector switch cycles through the three gain characters, each offering Drive and Volume controls. The overdrive mode provides warm, touch-sensitive saturation; the distortion mode delivers harder, more compressed clipping; and the fuzz mode produces a raw, buzzing gain texture with higher output. The small form factor and versatility make it practical as a utility gain pedal for travel rigs and players who need multiple gain personalities in minimal pedalboard space.

Genres
citedGenres this gear is documented as being used in.
  • Classic Rock
  • Rock
  • Metal
  • Hard Rock
Tonal lean
  • warm
  • mid-forward
  • fuzzy
  • gritty

Related searches

Dunlop MXR Distortion Plus vs Electro-Harmonix Pico Triboro Bridge — Shared Character & Differences — NodeTone