The Maxon DS Distortion Reissue is a Maxon distortion pedal, currently around $212.26. Close alternatives include the Maxon D&S II Reissue and the Mooer MDS4. It pairs well with the Marshall Origin 50 Head and the Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier Solo Head (Multi-watt).
Maxon DS Distortion Reissue
Maxon · pedal
The Maxon DS Distortion Reissue is a reissue of Maxon's vintage DS-series distortion circuit, making a classic Japanese distortion design available to contemporary players with Maxon's Japanese manufacturing precision. The DS circuit represents Maxon's original distortion design from the vintage era of Japanese effects development.
What stands out
“Players who want vintage Japanese distortion character with modern build reliability find Maxon reissues compelling”
— from the community notes
“The Maxon DS Distortion Reissue is a reissue of Maxon's vintage DS-series distortion circuit, making a classic Japanese distortion design available to contemporary players with Maxon's Japanese manufacturing precision”
— from the listing
“The DS circuit represents Maxon's original distortion design from the vintage era of Japanese effects development”
— from the listing
“A reissue of a classic Maxon vintage distortion design, available with Japanese construction quality”
— from the community notes
“The DS Distortion Reissue delivers vintage Maxon distortion character with Japanese manufacturing precision”
— from the reviews
Trade-offs
“s production standard”
— from the reviews
“build quality is consistent with maxon”
— from the reviews
- distortion
- vintage
- reissue
- vintage era
- modern build reliability
- japanese manufacturing precision
- ds distortion reissue
Price updated Oct 24, 2026
Genres the Maxon DS Distortion Reissue is commonly used in
- Metal
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag. - Hard Rock
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag. - Punk
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag. - 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 Maxon DS Distortion Reissue
Marshall Origin 50 Head
Marshall
11% matchMarshall Origin 50 Head's own high headroom character is the real reason this is worth trying
Comes later in the signal chain
Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier Solo Head (Multi-watt)
Mesa Boogie
11% matchWhat Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier Solo Head (Multi-watt) brings here leans toward transparent — that's worth building a pairing around
Comes later in the signal chain
Gallien-Krueger Fusion 210
Gallien Krueger
tonal matchComes later in the signal chain
Gallien-Krueger Fusion 210 goes after Maxon DS Distortion Reissue in the chain
Ceriatone HRM 50
Ceriatone
tonal matchComes later in the signal chain
Put Ceriatone HRM 50 after Maxon DS Distortion Reissue
EBS Magni 502 2x10 bass combo
Ebs
tonal matchComes later in the signal chain
Put EBS Magni 502 2x10 bass combo after Maxon DS Distortion Reissue
Aguilar SL110 Fawn Limited
Aguilar
tonal matchComes later in the signal chain
Aguilar SL110 Fawn Limited goes after Maxon DS Distortion Reissue in the chain
Ceriatone Overtone Special HRM Bluesmaster 50
Ceriatone
tonal matchComes later in the signal chain
Ceriatone Overtone Special HRM Bluesmaster 50 goes after Maxon DS Distortion Reissue in the chain
Gallien-Krueger Legacy 410
Gallien Krueger
tonal matchComes later in the signal chain
Put Gallien-Krueger Legacy 410 after Maxon DS Distortion Reissue
Pedals that stack with the Maxon DS Distortion Reissue
EarthQuaker Devices Hoof
EarthQuaker Devices
7% matchEarthQuaker Devices Hoof leans toward crunchy, and that's a real, usable character to pair with
Electro-Harmonix Crayon
Electro-Harmonix
7% matchWhat Electro-Harmonix Crayon brings here leans toward bright — that's worth building a pairing around
Comes earlier in the signal chain
Walrus Audio Julia
Walrus Audio
6% matchKeep Walrus Audio Julia after Maxon DS Distortion Reissue in the signal chain, clear of Maxon DS Distortion Reissue's own gain stage
Comes later in the signal chain
Ashdown Studio Compressor
Ashdown
6% matchWhat Ashdown Studio Compressor brings here leans toward compressed — that's worth building a pairing around
Comes earlier in the signal chain
Catalinbread Cloak
Catalinbread
4% matchPut Catalinbread Cloak after Maxon DS Distortion Reissue in the signal chain, clear of Maxon DS Distortion Reissue's own gain stage — goes in the amp's FX loop (or last, into a clean amp)
Comes later in the signal chain
Crazy Tube Circuits Echotopia
Crazy Tube Circuits
4% matchPut Crazy Tube Circuits Echotopia after Maxon DS Distortion Reissue in the signal chain, clear of Maxon DS Distortion Reissue's own gain stage — goes in the amp's FX loop (or last, into a clean amp)
Comes later in the signal chain
Matthews Effects The Pocket Drive Overdrive Boost
Matthews Effects
tonal matchComes earlier in the signal chain
Matthews Effects The Pocket Drive Overdrive Boost goes in front of Maxon DS Distortion Reissue in the chain
EarthQuaker Devices Swiss Things
EarthQuaker Devices
Cheaper alternatives
Tone City Model E Distortion TC-T35
Tone City
59% similarityShared character: distortion
Vox Bullet Distortion Switch
Vox
59% similarityShared character: distortion
T-Rex Tonebug Distortion
T Rex
58% similarityShared character: distortion
Tone City Model S Distortion
Tone City
57% similarityShared character: distortion
TC Electronic Vintage Dual Distortion
TC Electronic
55% similarityShared character: distortion, vintage charm
Walrus Audio Iron Horse V2
Walrus Audio
55% similarityShared character: distortion
Boutique & premium upgrades
Similar charactersee all similar tone character →
Maxon D&S II Reissue
Maxon
71% similarityShared character: modern players, reissue, distortion
Mooer MDS4
Mooer
60% similarityShared character: distortion
Walrus Audio Eras
Walrus Audio
57% similarityShared character: distortion
Vox TG1-V8DS V8 Distortion
Vox
55% similarityShared character: distortion
Roland Core Distortion
Roland
53% similarityShared character: distortion
Ross "Distorsion"
Ross
48% similarityShared character: distortion, vintage charm
See all alternatives to the Maxon DS Distortion Reissue (cheaper + boutique) →
Questions people ask
What are good alternatives to the Maxon DS Distortion Reissue?+
The closest matches in character are the Maxon D&S II Reissue, the Mooer MDS4, the Walrus Audio Eras. Budget picks: Tone City Model E Distortion TC-T35, Vox Bullet Distortion Switch, T-Rex Tonebug Distortion. Boutique upgrades: Third Man Store Third Man Hardware x Gamechanger Audio Plasma Coil, Suhr Eclipse Dual Channel Overdrive/Distortion.
What pairs well with the Maxon DS Distortion Reissue?+
Strong matches from rig and tone-complementarity evidence: Marshall Origin 50 Head, Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier Solo Head (Multi-watt), Gallien-Krueger Fusion 210 — Marshall Origin 50 Head's own high headroom character is the real reason this is worth trying.
How much does the Maxon DS Distortion Reissue cost?+
Around $212.26 (live listing price, updated Oct 24, 2026).