The MXR EVH 5150 Overdrive Distortion is an MXR distortion pedal, currently around $179. Close alternatives include the Strymon Riverside and the Suhr Riot Mini Black Edition. It pairs well with the Laney DBC410 Digbeth 4x10 Cabinet and the Traynor BB115.
MXR EVH 5150 Overdrive Distortion
MXR · pedal
The MXR EVH 5150 Overdrive is a signature high-gain overdrive and distortion pedal created in collaboration with Eddie Van Halen, designed to capture the specific high-gain Marshall and 5150 amp tones associated with Van Halen's iconic playing across the band's catalog. The circuit provides powerful, articulate high-gain saturation suited to hard rock and heavy metal lead and rhythm playing, with controls for gain, tone, and volume in a compact enclosure.
- high gain
- articulate
- hard rock
- reliable
- saturation
- overdrive
- expressive
- consistent
Price updated Aug 27, 2026
Genres the MXR EVH 5150 Overdrive Distortion is commonly used in
- Hard Rock
- Metal
- Heavy Metal
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag. - Rock
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag. - Progressive Rock
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag. - Alternative
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag.
Amps that pair well with the MXR EVH 5150 Overdrive Distortion
Laney DBC410 Digbeth 4x10 Cabinet
Laney
26% matchLaney DBC410 Digbeth 4x10 Cabinet pushes a high gain tone toward tight
Traynor BB115
Traynor
tonal matchStack Traynor BB115 on top and a high gain tone tightens toward tight
Egnater Renegade 65 4x10 Combo
Egnater
tonal matchFeed a high gain signal into Egnater Renegade 65 4x10 Combo and it comes out closer to tight
Gallien-Krueger Legacy 410
Gallien Krueger
tonal matchFeed a high gain signal into Gallien-Krueger Legacy 410 and it comes out closer to tight
Gallien-Krueger Legacy 210 Bass Combo
Gallien Krueger
tonal matchStack Gallien-Krueger Legacy 210 Bass Combo on top and a high gain tone tightens toward tight
Gallien-Krueger MB210-II
Gallien Krueger
tonal matchGallien-Krueger MB210-II pushes a high gain tone toward tight
Phil Jones X4C NanoBass 35W 1x4 Combo
Phil Jones
tonal matchPhil Jones X4C NanoBass 35W 1x4 Combo takes that high gain character and pushes it toward mid-forward
Gallien-Krueger Fusion 210
Gallien Krueger
tonal matchGallien-Krueger Fusion 210 takes that high gain character and pushes it toward mid-forward
Pedals that stack with the MXR EVH 5150 Overdrive Distortion
Xotic EP Booster
Xotic
22% matchThe EP Booster's fat preamp push gives the EVH 5150's already-saturated distortion more push into the front end, not just more volume.
Klon Centaur
Klon
22% matchPush the EVH 5150's articulate high-gain drive with the Klon's midrange boost for extra saturation without losing clarity.
Electro-Harmonix Deluxe Electric Mistress
Electro-Harmonix
21% matchRun the Deluxe Electric Mistress' shimmering, subtle flange sweep after the EVH 5150's articulate, hard-rock saturation and the modulation has serious harmonic content to color.
Wampler Cory Wong
Wampler
20% matchThe Cory Wong's funky optical compression evens out attack before the EVH 5150's articulate high-gain drive takes over.
TC Electronic Triple Flashback Delay
TC Electronic
17% matchPut the Triple Flashback after the EVH 5150 in the chain so its repeats trail the distortion's saturation instead of getting reamped through it. — goes in the amp's FX loop (or last, into a clean amp)
Cusack Music Delay TME
Cusack Music
17% matchRun the Delay TME's repeats after the 5150 OD's articulate high-gain crunch so the echoes trail a defined, hard-rock-ready tone. — goes in the amp's FX loop (or last, into a clean amp)
Spaceman Effects Atlas IV
Spaceman
tonal matchSpaceman Effects Atlas IV takes that high gain character and pushes it toward clean boost
Orange Two Stroke
Orange
tonal matchOrange Two Stroke takes that high gain character and pushes it toward mid-forward
Cheaper alternatives
Wampler Phenom Distortion
Wampler
70% similarity“loosely inspired by the popular MXR EVH 5150-style high-gain tones at a lower price point”
EarthQuaker Devices Cranker Distortion Enhancement Device
EarthQuaker Devices
67% similarityShared character: pedal, high_gain_settings, metal
EarthQuaker Devices Special Cranker
EarthQuaker Devices
67% similarityShared character: pedal, high_gain_settings, overdrive
NuX Drive Force
Nux
67% similarityShared character: high_gain_settings, metal
Boss OD-3 Overdrive
Boss
66% similarityShared character: high_gain_settings, overdrive
Matthews Effects The Harbinger Distortion
Matthews Effects
93% similaritysimilar tone character
Boutique & premium upgrades
Similar charactersee all similar tone character →
Strymon Riverside
Strymon
69% similarityShared character: pedal, high_gain_settings, overdrive
Suhr Riot Mini Black Edition
Suhr
68% similarityShared character: hard_rock, high_gain_settings, metal
Sola Sound Tone Bender MkII
Sola Sound
66% similarityShared character: hard_rock
JHS PG-14 Paul Gilbert Signature Distortion
JHS Pedals
95% similaritysimilar tone character
REVV G3 Distortion
Revv
94% similaritysimilar tone character
JHS Pedals JHS Hare Drive
JHS Pedals
94% similaritysimilar tone character
See all alternatives to the MXR EVH 5150 Overdrive Distortion (cheaper + boutique) →
Questions people ask
What are good alternatives to the MXR EVH 5150 Overdrive Distortion?+
The closest matches in character are the Strymon Riverside, the Suhr Riot Mini Black Edition, the Sola Sound Tone Bender MkII. Budget picks: Wampler Phenom Distortion, EarthQuaker Devices Cranker Distortion Enhancement Device, EarthQuaker Devices Special Cranker. Boutique upgrades: Mad Professor Mighty Red Distortion.
What pairs well with the MXR EVH 5150 Overdrive Distortion?+
Strong matches from rig and tone-complementarity evidence: Laney DBC410 Digbeth 4x10 Cabinet, Traynor BB115, Egnater Renegade 65 4x10 Combo — Laney DBC410 Digbeth 4x10 Cabinet pushes a high gain tone toward tight.
How much does the MXR EVH 5150 Overdrive Distortion cost?+
Around $179 (live listing price, updated Aug 27, 2026).