MXR Distortion+ vs Walrus Audio Fundamental Series Distortion
The MXR Distortion+ and the Walrus Audio Fundamental Series Distortion are both pedals sharing compressed, full. The MXR Distortion+ leans gritty. The Walrus Audio Fundamental Series Distortion leans crunchy.
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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.48% — somewhat different
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Derived from overlapping tonal signals across both listings.- compressed
- full
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Citation/mention fame — how often this gear is cited across artist rigs and gear discussion.$169.99via Reverb
The MXR Distortion Plus is a classic, simple two-knob dirt box first released in the late 1970s, built around germanium diode clipping with only Output and Distortion controls. It produces an old-school, gritty distortion with juicy, tube-like compression and a raw, dirty character that defined many 1970s and 1980s hard rock and punk tones, famously associated with Randy Rhoads and Dave Murray. It ranges from light, gritty overdrive to a thick, saturated distortion that is not overly piercing, with a treble lift that helps it cut. As gain rises it tightens by rolling off some low end. Beloved for its raw simplicity and vintage warmth, it suits players who want an aggressive, no-frills classic distortion rather than a flexible, EQ-laden modern one.
The Walrus Audio Fundamental Series Distortion is a three-mode distortion pedal covering dark and doomy tones through sharp, cutting lead sounds. Three clipping voices are selectable: Dark uses asymmetric silicon clipping with an added high-frequency cut for a dark, dynamic character; Si uses classic silicon hard clipping for a compressed, crunchy sound; and LED uses LED hard clipping for a dynamic, crunchy and noticeably louder output. Slider controls cover volume, tone and gain in a compact, affordable enclosure. Reviewers place it as a straightforward, reliable distortion that trades some of the character of Walrus Audio's higher-end drives for simplicity and price, describing the voicing as clean and usable rather than distinctive.
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Genres this gear is documented as being used in.- Hard Rock
- Rock
- Metal
- Punk
- alternative
- punk
- rock
- gritty
- crunchy