The EVH Modern High Gain is an MXR distortion pedal, currently around $269.99. Close alternatives include the Suhr Riot Mini Black Edition and the Amptweaker AT Fatrock. It pairs well with the Laney RB3 Richter Bass Amp and the Roland Cube Street.
EVH Modern High Gain
MXR · pedal
The MXR EVH Modern High Gain is a signature distortion pedal developed in collaboration with Eddie Van Halen, designed to capture the high-gain amp character of the Van Halen 5150 amplifier in a compact stompbox format. The pedal was developed with Van Halen beginning in 2015 and delivers the scooped, tight, high-gain distortion associated with the 5150 amplifier, which became one of the most influential high-gain amp designs in rock and metal history. The EVH Modern High Gain covers modern high-gain hard rock and metal distortion territory with the frequency response and gain character associated with Eddie Van Halen stage tone.
- high gain
- hard rock
- modern
- tight
- scooped
- metal
- production
- classic rock
Price updated Aug 27, 2026
Genres the EVH Modern High Gain is commonly used in
- Classic Rock
- Rock
- Alternative Rock
- Metal
- Hard Rock
- Heavy Metal
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag.
Amps that pair well with the EVH Modern High Gain
Laney RB3 Richter Bass Amp
Laney
25% matchFeed a scooped signal into Laney RB3 Richter Bass Amp and it comes out closer to mid-forward
Roland Cube Street
Roland
24% matchFeed a scooped signal into Roland Cube Street and it comes out closer to mid-forward
Gallien-Krueger Legacy 212
Gallien Krueger
tonal matchFeed a scooped signal into Gallien-Krueger Legacy 212 and it comes out closer to mid-forward
Peavey 112-6 1x12
Peavey
tonal matchPeavey 112-6 1x12 takes that scooped character and pushes it toward mid-forward
Roland Cube Street EX
Roland
tonal matchRoland Cube Street EX pushes a scooped tone toward mid-forward
Phil Jones BG-400 Suitcase Compact Bass Combo
Phil Jones
tonal matchPhil Jones BG-400 Suitcase Compact Bass Combo pushes a scooped tone toward mid-forward
Ceriatone HRM 50
Ceriatone
tonal matchFeed a scooped signal into Ceriatone HRM 50 and it comes out closer to mid-forward
Hiwatt Custom Studio Stage MkIII 20/40W 2x12 Combo
Hiwatt
tonal matchStack Hiwatt Custom Studio Stage MkIII 20/40W 2x12 Combo on top and a scooped tone tightens toward mid-forward
Pedals that stack with the EVH Modern High Gain
Browne Amplification Gritador
Browne Amplification
24% matchStack Browne Amplification Gritador on top and a scooped tone tightens toward mid-forward
Ibanez TS10 Tube Screamer Classic
pedal
23% matchIbanez TS10 Tube Screamer Classic takes that scooped character and pushes it toward mid-forward
Electro-Harmonix Electric Mistress
Electro-Harmonix
18% matchKeep Electro-Harmonix Electric Mistress after EVH Modern High Gain in the signal chain, clear of EVH Modern High Gain's own gain stage
Pigtronix Philosopher's Tone Micro
Pigtronix
14% matchPigtronix Philosopher's Tone Micro's own sustaining character is the real reason this is worth trying
Alexander Pedals Marshmallow
Alexander Pedals
11% matchKeep the Marshmallow's pitch-shifted reverb trailing after the EVH's tight, scooped high-gain distortion, not before, or the reverb just washes out the gain. — goes in the amp's FX loop (or last, into a clean amp)
Walrus Audio Fathom
Walrus Audio
11% matchKeep Walrus Audio Fathom after EVH Modern High Gain in the signal chain, clear of EVH Modern High Gain's own gain stage — goes in the amp's FX loop (or last, into a clean amp)
Cry Baby Dunlop Cry Baby Junior
Cry Baby
tonal matchCry Baby Dunlop Cry Baby Junior pushes a scooped tone toward mid-forward
Browne Amplification Gritador Classic Overdrive
Browne Amplification
tonal matchStack Browne Amplification Gritador Classic Overdrive on top and a scooped tone tightens toward mid-forward
Cheaper alternatives
MXR Super Badass Distortion
MXR
72% similarityShared character: same_pedal, high_gain_settings, classic_rock
Black Country Customs Monolith
Black Country Customs
71% similarityShared character: hard_rock, pedal, high_gain_settings
MXR Distortion+
MXR
70% similarity“Known for landmark designs including the Phase 90, Distortion+, Carbon Copy, and many others”
Airis Effects 51-Filthy
Airis Effects
70% similarityShared character: hard_rock, pedal, high_gain_settings
Fender Hammertone Metal
Fender
70% similarityShared character: hard_rock, pedal, high_gain_settings
Tone City TC-T38 Metal Storm classic British-style high
Tone City
96% similaritysimilar tone character
Similar charactersee all similar tone character →
Suhr Riot Mini Black Edition
Suhr
71% similarityShared character: hard_rock, high_gain_settings, distortion
Amptweaker AT Fatrock
Amptweaker
70% similarityShared character: hard_rock, pedal, classic_rock
Suhr Riot
Suhr
70% similarityShared character: hard_rock, high_gain_settings, distortion
Catalinbread Carbide Purple Gaze
Catalinbread
96% similaritysimilar tone character
Tech 21 XXL
Tech 21
95% similaritysimilar tone character
NuX Brownie
Nux
95% similaritysimilar tone character
See all alternatives to the EVH Modern High Gain (cheaper + boutique) →
Questions people ask
What are good alternatives to the EVH Modern High Gain?+
The closest matches in character are the Suhr Riot Mini Black Edition, the Amptweaker AT Fatrock, the Suhr Riot. Budget picks: MXR Super Badass Distortion, Black Country Customs Monolith, MXR Distortion+.
What pairs well with the EVH Modern High Gain?+
Strong matches from rig and tone-complementarity evidence: Laney RB3 Richter Bass Amp, Roland Cube Street, Gallien-Krueger Legacy 212 — Feed a scooped signal into Laney RB3 Richter Bass Amp and it comes out closer to mid-forward.
How much does the EVH Modern High Gain cost?+
Around $269.99 (live listing price, updated Aug 27, 2026).
Compare
- vs Tone City TC-T38 Metal Storm classic British-style high
- vs Catalinbread Carbide Purple Gaze
- vs Tech 21 XXL