The Dunlop Rockma Rockman Metal Ace is a Dunlop overdrive pedal, currently around $100.21. Close alternatives include the Horizon Devices Precision Drive and the Fender Mustang Micro Plus. It pairs well with the Port City Merino Head and the Soldano SLO 100R.

Dunlop Rockma Rockman Metal Ace

Dunlop · pedal

The Rockman Metal Ace is a battery powered headphone amplifier and distortion unit released in 1994, part of Tom Scholz's Rockman line famous for compact, processed direct tones. It delivers a heavily compressed, sustaining, biting metal distortion with built in compression, volume control and auxiliary stereo input and output for playing along to music. A semi and heavy button changes the character and intensity of the distortion. Beyond practice, its thick, direct sound led many players to use it as a studio direct box or as a distortion unit in front of an amp. It suits metal and hard rock players who want a quiet practice tool or a distinctive, ultra compressed direct distortion voice.

What stands out

  • “Its thick, direct character is good enough that many players have used it as a studio direct box or as a front end distortion, giving it value beyond practice”

    — from the reviews

  • “Beyond practice, its thick, direct sound led many players to use it as a studio direct box or as a distortion unit in front of an amp”

    — from the listing

  • “It is used for silent practice with its aux input for jamming to music, and many players repurpose it as a studio direct box or a distortion in front of an amp thanks to its thick, sustaining tone”

    — from the community notes

  • “It delivers a heavily compressed, sustaining, biting metal distortion with built in compression, volume control and auxiliary stereo input and output for playing along to music”

    — from the listing

  • “the rockman metal ace is a battery powered headphone amplifier and distortion unit released in 1994”

    — from the listing

  • distortion
  • practice
  • compression
  • headphone
  • studio
  • thick
  • biting
  • quiet

Good for

  • Busking
$100.21View on Reverb

Price updated Oct 22, 2026

Genres the Dunlop Rockma Rockman Metal Ace is commonly used in

Amps that pair well with the Dunlop Rockma Rockman Metal Ace

Port City Merino Head

Port City

33% match
$1899via Reverb

fills a frequency gapFills in a frequency range the other side doesn't cover, instead of piling more onto what's already there. (thin → full)

What Port City Merino Head brings here leans toward full — that's worth building a pairing around

Comes later in the signal chain

Soldano SLO 100R

Soldano

32% match
$4499.99via Reverb

fills a frequency gapFills in a frequency range the other side doesn't cover, instead of piling more onto what's already there. (thin → full)

What Soldano SLO 100R brings here leans toward full — that's worth building a pairing around

Comes later in the signal chain

Friedman Runt 20

Friedman

tonal match

Comes later in the signal chain

Friedman Runt 20 goes after Dunlop Rockma Rockman Metal Ace in the chain

Peavey JSX Mini Colossal Guitar Amp

Peavey

tonal match
$299.99via Reverb

Comes later in the signal chain

Put Peavey JSX Mini Colossal Guitar Amp after Dunlop Rockma Rockman Metal Ace

Laney LV300T 120W 2x12 Combo

Laney

tonal match

Comes later in the signal chain

Laney LV300T 120W 2x12 Combo goes after Dunlop Rockma Rockman Metal Ace in the chain

Mesa Boogie Rectifier Roadster 2x12 Combo

Mesa Boogie

tonal match

Comes later in the signal chain

Mesa Boogie Rectifier Roadster 2x12 Combo goes after Dunlop Rockma Rockman Metal Ace in the chain

Egnater Tourmaster 412B Cabinet

Egnater

tonal match

Comes later in the signal chain

Egnater Tourmaster 412B Cabinet goes after Dunlop Rockma Rockman Metal Ace in the chain

Egnater VN-412A

Egnater

tonal match
$813.65via Reverb

Comes later in the signal chain

Egnater VN-412A goes after Dunlop Rockma Rockman Metal Ace in the chain

Pedals that stack with the Dunlop Rockma Rockman Metal Ace

Catalinbread Elements Distortion

Catalinbread

29% match
$80.65via Reverb

fills a frequency gapFills in a frequency range the other side doesn't cover, instead of piling more onto what's already there. (thin → full)

Catalinbread Elements Distortion leans toward full, and that's a real, usable character to pair with

Comes later in the signal chain

Electro-Harmonix Neo Mistress Nano Flanger

Electro-Harmonix

25% match
$78.77via Reverb

sits in the right chain slotPlaced for where it does its job cleanly in the chain, not for a tonal interaction with the anchor.

Electro-Harmonix Neo Mistress Nano Flanger's full voice goes after Dunlop Rockma Rockman Metal Ace in the signal chain — it's not there to compete with Dunlop Rockma Rockman Metal Ace's own compressed character

Comes later in the signal chain

Amptweaker Big Rock Pro

Amptweaker

23% match
$299via Reverb

fills a frequency gapFills in a frequency range the other side doesn't cover, instead of piling more onto what's already there. (thin → full)

The Metal Ace's compressed practice-level distortion gives Big Rock Pro's fat, modern boost a tighter, gated front end.

Comes later in the signal chain

FoxGear EchoSex

Foxgear

15% match

sits in the right chain slotPlaced for where it does its job cleanly in the chain, not for a tonal interaction with the anchor.

FoxGear EchoSex's ambient voice goes after Dunlop Rockma Rockman Metal Ace in the signal chain — it's not there to compete with Dunlop Rockma Rockman Metal Ace's own compressed character — goes in the amp's FX loop (or last, into a clean amp)

Comes later in the signal chain

Catalinbread Dirty Little Secret Deluxe

Catalinbread

13% match
$139via Reverb

sits in the right chain slotPlaced for where it does its job cleanly in the chain, not for a tonal interaction with the anchor.

Run Catalinbread Dirty Little Secret Deluxe after Dunlop Rockma Rockman Metal Ace in the signal chain, clear of Dunlop Rockma Rockman Metal Ace's own gain stage — goes in the amp's FX loop (or last, into a clean amp)

Comes later in the signal chain

Walrus Audio Mira

Walrus Audio

12% match
$249via Reverb

fills a frequency gapFills in a frequency range the other side doesn't cover, instead of piling more onto what's already there. (thin → full)

Dunlop Rockma Rockman Metal Ace's compressed character and Walrus Audio Mira's dynamic voice sit in the same lane rather than fighting each other

Comes earlier in the signal chain

Mooer Rage Machine

Mooer

tonal match
$69.99via Reverb

Mooer Rage Machine sits in the same chain slot as Dunlop Rockma Rockman Metal Ace

Roland ST-2 Power Stack

Roland

tonal match

Comes later in the signal chain

Roland ST-2 Power Stack goes after Dunlop Rockma Rockman Metal Ace in the chain

Cheaper alternatives

Boss DS-1 Distortion

Boss

46% similarity
$62.99via Reverb

Shared character: metal, simple, gain

ProCo RAT 2

Proco

46% similarity
$86.93via Reverb

Shared character: thickness, simple, distortion

NuX Drive Force

Nux

45% similarity
$46.88via Reverb

Shared character: stereo, metal, gain

DigiTech Metal Master

Digitech

45% similarity
$39via Reverb

Shared character: metal, compression, hard rock

Boutique & premium upgrades

Dunlop Custom Badass

Dunlop

51% similarity
$169.99via Reverb

Shared character: compression, hard rock, thickness

Way Huge Pork Loin

Way Huge

47% similarity
$228.55via Reverb

Shared character: thickness

Friedman BE-OD Deluxe

Friedman

46% similarity
$229.49via Reverb

Shared character: hard rock, thickness, middle

Rainger FX Break Box

Rainger Fx

46% similarity
$239via Reverb

Shared character: thickness, gain, distortion

Abasi Pathos Distortion

Abasi

46% similarity
$189.99via Reverb

Shared character: compression, middle, distortion

Wampler Dracarys

Wampler

45% similarity
$199via Reverb

Shared character: metal, distortion

Similar character

Horizon Devices Precision Drive

Horizon Devices

50% similarity

Shared character: metal

Fender Mustang Micro Plus

Fender

49% similarity

Shared character: practice, simple

Palmer Pocket Amp MKII Portable

Palmer

49% similarity

Shared character: practice, gain

Tech 21 SansAmp Classic

Tech 21

47% similarity

Shared character: practice, distortion

Dunlop MXR Distortion Plus

Dunlop

47% similarity

Shared character: compression, hard rock, middle

NuX NDS-5 Fireman Distortion Dual Brown Sound

Nux

46% similarity

Shared character: volume control, hard rock, gain

See all alternatives to the Dunlop Rockma Rockman Metal Ace (cheaper + boutique) →

Questions people ask

What are good alternatives to the Dunlop Rockma Rockman Metal Ace?+

The closest matches in character are the Horizon Devices Precision Drive, the Fender Mustang Micro Plus, the Palmer Pocket Amp MKII Portable. Budget picks: Boss DS-1 Distortion, ProCo RAT 2, NuX Drive Force. Boutique upgrades: Dunlop Custom Badass, Way Huge Pork Loin, Friedman BE-OD Deluxe.

What pairs well with the Dunlop Rockma Rockman Metal Ace?+

Strong matches from rig and tone-complementarity evidence: Port City Merino Head, Soldano SLO 100R, Friedman Runt 20 — What Port City Merino Head brings here leans toward full — that's worth building a pairing around.

How much does the Dunlop Rockma Rockman Metal Ace cost?+

Around $100.21 (live listing price, updated Oct 22, 2026).

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