The MXR Distortion+ is an MXR distortion pedal, currently around $169.99. Close alternatives include the MXR M104 Distortion+ and the Dunlop MXR Distortion Plus. It pairs well with the Fender Prosonic and the Dumble Steel String Singer.
MXR Distortion+
MXR · pedal
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.
- distortion
- compression
- gritty
- hard rock
- tube
- thick
- juicy
- overdrive
Price updated Aug 27, 2026
Genres the MXR Distortion+ is commonly used in
- Hard Rock
- Rock
- Metal
- Punk
- Alternative
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag. - Garage Rock
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag.
Amps that pair well with the MXR Distortion+
Fender Prosonic
amplifier
72% matchThe Prosonic's warm, responsive breakup gives the Distortion+'s thick, gritty gain a tube-driven amp voice to push into.
Dumble Steel String Singer
Dumble
42% matchThe Dumble's already-organic breakup gives the Distortion+'s thick, gritty gain a boutique amp voice to push into.
Peavey MiniMAX 600 Watt Bass Amp Head
Peavey
15% matchThe MiniMAX's own gain stage gives the Distortion+'s germanium clipping something bigger to push against on a bass rig.
Mojotone Lite Classic Style 1x12 Extension Cabinet
Mojotone
15% matchWhat MXR Distortion+ brings here leans toward compressed — that's worth building a pairing around
PRS HDRX 20 20-Watt Guitar Amp Head
PRS
15% matchStack the Distortion+'s germanium grit ahead of the HDRX 20's own modern, driven breakup for two distinctly different flavors of saturation.
Phil Jones Compact 2 (C2 Black)
Phil Jones
15% matchEven through the Compact 2's articulate monitoring platform, the Distortion+'s gritty compression still cuts through clean.
Line 6 PowerCab CL 112
Line 6
15% matchPush the PowerCab's modeled amp signal with the Distortion+'s thick, gritty compression for extra saturation.
Gibson GA-50
Gibson
tonal matchGibson GA-50's warm balances out the bright tone
Pedals that stack with the MXR Distortion+
Behringer Chorus Symphony
Behringer
34% matchRun the Chorus Symphony after the Distortion+ so the liquid modulation colors an already-gritty signal instead of thinning it out.
Catalinbread SFT
Catalinbread
33% matchStacking the SFT's thick, compressed British voicing with the Distortion+'s own gritty compression pushes toward a heavier, more saturated wall of gain.
Caroline Guitar Company Meteore
Caroline Guitar Company
32% matchThe Distortion+'s gritty clipping gives the Meteore's own spring-voiced reverb pedal a genuine gain stage to sit after, not just ambience. — goes in the amp's FX loop (or last, into a clean amp)
Caroline Guitar Company Icarus
Caroline Guitar Company
31% matchBoost first with the Icarus, then hit the Distortion+'s germanium clipping harder — you get thicker, more compressed gain than either pedal alone.
Crazy Tube Circuits Golden Ratio
Crazy Tube Circuits
29% matchAhead of the Distortion+, the Golden Ratio's punchy optical compression keeps the attack even before that gritty, hard-rock gain ever colors it.
Donner Lax Comp
Donner
29% matchRun the Lax Comp before the Distortion+ to smooth out pick attack before the gritty clipping exaggerates it.
Maxon AD-9 Pro Analog Delay
Maxon
29% matchRun the Distortion+ before the AD-9 in the chain, so the analog delay repeats stay clean instead of getting re-triggered by fresh clipping. — goes in the amp's FX loop (or last, into a clean amp)
One Control Lingonberry Overdrive
One Control
27% matchStack the Lingonberry's warm, musical blues overdrive with the Distortion+'s own gritty, compressed hard-rock gain for two very different flavors of dirt.
Cheaper alternatives
Dunlop MXR M104 Distortion+
Dunlop
74% similarityShared character: 1960s, hard_rock, simple
Dunlop Distortion III
Dunlop
72% similarityShared character: high_end, treble, hard_rock
Electro-Harmonix Flatiron Fuzz
Electro-Harmonix
71% similarityShared character: extreme_settings, compression, thickness
Tone City TC-T37 Mad Stone Classic Germanium Diode
Tone City
70% similarityShared character: warm, high_end, distortion
Boss DS-1X
Boss
70% similarityShared character: high_end, raw, presence
MXR YJM308 Yngwie Malmsteen Overdrive
Dunlop
70% similarity“Based on the MXR Distortion+ circuit topology, the YJM308 delivers tight, harmonically rich overdrive with a buffer and Gain”
Boutique & premium upgrades
Univox Super-Fuzz
Univox
72% similarityShared character: 1960s, hard_rock, raw
EVH Modern High Gain
MXR
70% similarity“Known for landmark designs including the Phase 90, Distortion+, Carbon Copy, and many others”
Dallas Rangemaster Treble Booster
Dallas
95% similaritysimilar tone character
ProCo Sterling Vermin
Proco
95% similaritysimilar tone character
Caroline Guitar Company Wave Cannon Zero
Caroline Guitar Company
95% similaritysimilar tone character
Similar charactersee all similar tone character →
MXR M104 Distortion+
MXR
73% similarityShared character: only_two_knobs, 1960s, raw
Dunlop MXR Distortion Plus
Dunlop
72% similarityShared character: 1960s, compression, hard_rock
Dunlop PSF30
Dunlop
71% similarityShared character: warm, raw, presence
Dunlop MXR M78 Custom Modified OD, also known as the Bad Ass Modified OD
Dunlop
70% similarity“is a vintage-voiced overdrive from MXR by Jim Dunlop based on the 1978 MXR Distortion Plus circuit”
MXR Distortion II
MXR
70% similarity“The distortion II provides a harder, more saturated clipping character than the MXR Distortion+ while sharing the op-amp topology”
Walrus Audio Fundamental Series Distortion
Walrus Audio
95% similaritysimilar tone character
See all alternatives to the MXR Distortion+ (cheaper + boutique) →
Questions people ask
What are good alternatives to the MXR Distortion+?+
The closest matches in character are the MXR M104 Distortion+, the Dunlop MXR Distortion Plus, the Dunlop PSF30. Budget picks: Dunlop MXR M104 Distortion+, Dunlop Distortion III, Electro-Harmonix Flatiron Fuzz. Boutique upgrades: Univox Super-Fuzz, EVH Modern High Gain, Dallas Rangemaster Treble Booster.
What pairs well with the MXR Distortion+?+
Strong matches from rig and tone-complementarity evidence: Fender Prosonic, Dumble Steel String Singer, Peavey MiniMAX 600 Watt Bass Amp Head — The Prosonic's warm, responsive breakup gives the Distortion+'s thick, gritty gain a tube-driven amp voice to push into..
How much does the MXR Distortion+ cost?+
Around $169.99 (live listing price, updated Aug 27, 2026).