Dunlop MXR Distortion Plus vs Electronic Audio Experiments Surveyor Instrument Voicing Preamp
The Dunlop MXR Distortion Plus and the Electronic Audio Experiments Surveyor Instrument Voicing Preamp are both pedals. The Dunlop MXR Distortion Plus leans warm and mid-forward.
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Blended 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.34% — somewhat different
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Genres both listings are associated with.- Alternative Rock
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Citation/mention fame — how often this gear is cited across artist rigs and gear discussion.$249via Reverb
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 Electronic Audio Experiments Surveyor Instrument Voicing Preamp is a compact reinterpretation of EAE's discontinued rackmount preamp, applying transformer-based "Tube Voice" distortion after a 2-band Baxandall EQ, so bass and treble shaping happens before the clipping stage rather than after. Level, Gain, Bass, and Treble controls are joined by a Hi/Lo gain-range switch, giving both subtle preamp coloration and more overtly driven tones from the same circuit. As the original-generation Surveyor, it predates the V2 hardware revision that added the Hi/Lo toggle and a new enclosure format.
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Genres this gear is documented as being used in.- Classic Rock
- Rock
- Metal
- Hard Rock
- Electronic
- warm
- mid-forward
- saturated
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Occasions this gear suits — judged per model, or derived from its wattage, connectivity and category.- Live
- Silent Recording
- Studio