The Benson Amps Portable Distortion 424 MKII is a Benson Amps distortion pedal, currently around $199. Close alternatives include the K Pedals Vintage Preamp and the Colorsound Power Boost. It pairs well with the Marshall Bluesbreaker and the Magnatone Twilighter Stereo 22W Head.
Benson Amps Portable Distortion 424 MKII
Benson Amps · pedal
The Benson Amps 424 MKII is a preamp and distortion pedal designed to recreate the saturation and harmonic character of the input stage of the Tascam Portastudio 424 MkII cassette four-track recorder. The circuit captures the non-linear behavior of cassette-era input electronics, spanning from subtle coloration and clean boost through compressed broadband distortion and unstable breakup. A switchable front-end buffer fundamentally alters the gain structure: engaged, it presents a high-impedance guitar input with tighter low end and increased headroom; bypassed, the circuit returns to a darker, fuzzier low-impedance cassette response. Four controls -- gain, trim, bass, treble -- cover a wide EQ range. Internal 18V operation provides increased headroom. Made by Benson Amps in Portland, Oregon.
- preamp
- compressed
- saturation
- breakup
- high gain
- headroom
- electronic
- consistent
Price updated Aug 27, 2026
Genres the Benson Amps Portable Distortion 424 MKII is commonly used in
- Electronic
- Experimental
- Indie
- Indie Rock
- Alternative
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag. - Rock
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag.
Amps that pair well with the Benson Amps Portable Distortion 424 MKII
Marshall Bluesbreaker
Marshall
23% matchMarshall Bluesbreaker leans warm right where the bright tone needs it
Magnatone Twilighter Stereo 22W Head
Magnatone
21% matchWhat Magnatone Twilighter Stereo 22W Head brings here leans toward modulated — that's worth building a pairing around
Gretsch 6160 Chet Atkins Amp
Gretsch
tonal matchGretsch 6160 Chet Atkins Amp's warm balances out the bright tone
Magnatone Super Fifteen 15W Head
Magnatone
tonal matchMagnatone Super Fifteen 15W Head adds modulation over a wall of fuzz
Magnatone Super Fifteen 15W 1x12 Combo
Magnatone
tonal matchMagnatone Super Fifteen 15W 1x12 Combo adds modulation over a wall of fuzz
Pedals that stack with the Benson Amps Portable Distortion 424 MKII
MXR Micro Amp
MXR
21% matchMXR Micro Amp's own clean boost character is the real reason this is worth trying
Z.Vex Super Hard On
Zvex
21% matchZ.Vex Super Hard On leans toward clean boost, and that's a real, usable character to pair with
Walrus Audio Julia
Walrus Audio
21% matchPut Walrus Audio Julia after Benson Amps Portable Distortion 424 MKII in the signal chain, clear of Benson Amps Portable Distortion 424 MKII's own gain stage
Wampler Cory Wong
Wampler
18% matchWampler Cory Wong leans toward clean boost, and that's a real, usable character to pair with
Cusack Music Delay TME
Cusack Music
16% matchKeep Benson Amps Portable Distortion 424 MKII's compressed voice out front: Cusack Music Delay TME goes after Benson Amps Portable Distortion 424 MKII in the signal chain so its tight voice doesn't muddy it — goes in the amp's FX loop (or last, into a clean amp)
Electro-Harmonix Canyon
Electro-Harmonix
14% matchRun Electro-Harmonix Canyon after Benson Amps Portable Distortion 424 MKII in the signal chain, clear of Benson Amps Portable Distortion 424 MKII's own gain stage — goes in the amp's FX loop (or last, into a clean amp)
Laney TI-Boost
Laney
tonal matchBenson Amps Portable Distortion 424 MKII leans into a clean amp's front end, precisely the platform Laney TI-Boost wants
Mooer Flex Boost
Mooer
tonal matchInto Benson Amps Portable Distortion 424 MKII, Mooer Flex Boost is right at home: it's built around a clean amp's front end
Cheaper alternatives
JHS Morning Glory
JHS Pedals
73% similarityShared character: high_gain_settings, 8_impedance, bright
Behringer OD300 Overdrive Distortion
Behringer
73% similarityShared character: wide_tonal_range, clean_amp, circuit
67Audio Harry Balz
67audio
72% similarityShared character: boost, treble, headroom
Dunlop Echoplex Preamp
Dunlop
72% similarityShared character: high_gain_settings, signal, circuit
Maxon OD808
Maxon
72% similarityShared character: dark, boost, response
Catalinbread Sabbra Cadabra Blackout
Catalinbread
72% similarityShared character: preamp, high_gain_settings, dark
Boutique & premium upgrades
JAM Pedals TubeDreamer MK2
Jam Pedals
73% similarityShared character: high_gain_settings, circuit, treble
JHS Colour Box V2
JHS Pedals
73% similarityShared character: boost, treble, headroom
JHS Colour Box V2 10th Anniversary
JHS Pedals
72% similarityShared character: signal, treble, fuzz
Analog Man King of Tone
Analog Man
96% similaritysimilar tone character
Similar charactersee all similar tone character →
K Pedals Vintage Preamp
K Pedals
75% similarityShared character: clean_amp, high_gain_settings, boost
Colorsound Power Boost
Colorsound
74% similarityShared character: dark, boost, treble
Xotic BB Preamp V1.5
Xotic
74% similarityShared character: circuit, boost, treble
Tru-Fi The Newton
Tru Fi
74% similarityShared character: high_gain_settings, circuit, boost
Crazy Tube Circuits Heatseeker Pre-Amp
Crazy Tube Circuits
73% similarityShared character: clean_amp, signal, circuit
Caroline Guitar Company Icarus
Caroline Guitar Company
73% similarityShared character: dark, circuit, boost
See all alternatives to the Benson Amps Portable Distortion 424 MKII (cheaper + boutique) →
Questions people ask
What are good alternatives to the Benson Amps Portable Distortion 424 MKII?+
The closest matches in character are the K Pedals Vintage Preamp, the Colorsound Power Boost, the Xotic BB Preamp V1.5. Budget picks: JHS Morning Glory, Behringer OD300 Overdrive Distortion, 67Audio Harry Balz. Boutique upgrades: JAM Pedals TubeDreamer MK2, JHS Colour Box V2, JHS Colour Box V2 10th Anniversary.
What pairs well with the Benson Amps Portable Distortion 424 MKII?+
Strong matches from rig and tone-complementarity evidence: Marshall Bluesbreaker, Magnatone Twilighter Stereo 22W Head, Gretsch 6160 Chet Atkins Amp — Marshall Bluesbreaker leans warm right where the bright tone needs it.
How much does the Benson Amps Portable Distortion 424 MKII cost?+
Around $199 (live listing price, updated Aug 27, 2026).
Compare
- vs Electro-Harmonix Nano Operation Overlord
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