Dunlop MXR Distortion Plus vs MXR Badass Variac

The Dunlop MXR Distortion Plus and the MXR Badass Variac are both pedals sharing compressed. The Dunlop MXR Distortion Plus leans warm and mid-forward.

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.

28% — somewhat different

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

$159.99via 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 MXR Badass Variac Fuzz is a premium fuzz pedal from MXR's Badass line that simulates the tonal effect of running a vintage fuzz circuit through a variable-voltage transformer, a technique known as variac-ing. Varac-ing reduces the operating voltage of fuzz circuits to produce a starved, compressed, dying battery-style fuzz sound. The Badass Variac captures this specific manipulated fuzz character in a reliable pedal format.

Genres
citedGenres this gear is documented as being used in.
  • Classic Rock
  • Rock
  • Alternative Rock
  • Metal
  • Hard Rock
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Tonal lean
  • warm
  • mid-forward
  • saturated
—
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Dunlop MXR Distortion Plus vs MXR Badass Variac — Shared Character & Differences — NodeTone