The MXR M104 Distortion+ is an MXR distortion pedal. Close alternatives include the Boss SD-1 Super OverDrive and the MXR Distortion+. It pairs well with the Revv Generator 100R MkIII 3-Channel Head and the Friedman Dirty Shirley.

MXR M104 Distortion+

MXR · pedal

The MXR Distortion+ is a simple two-knob distortion pedal built around an op-amp gain stage and diode clipping, dating to the mid-1970s and among the earliest dedicated distortion pedals made. It produces a thick, buzzy, somewhat fuzzy-edged distortion rather than a smooth, amp-like overdrive, with a straightforward Output and Distortion control set that keeps it simple to dial in. It suits players wanting a raw, vintage-voiced distortion or a boost pushed into another drive or amp for added grit, and has remained a budget-friendly staple for rock, metal, and hard rock tones for decades.

  • distortion
  • simple
  • gritty
  • metal
  • boost
  • gain
  • raw
  • classic tones

Genres the MXR M104 Distortion+ is commonly used in

  • Metal
  • Blues
  • Hard Rock
  • Rock
  • Punk
    citedInferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag.
  • Alternative
    citedInferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag.

Amps that pair well with the MXR M104 Distortion+

Revv Generator 100R MkIII 3-Channel Head

Revv

30% match

MXR M104 Distortion+'s gritty character and Revv Generator 100R MkIII 3-Channel Head's smooth voice sit in the same lane rather than fighting each other

Friedman Dirty Shirley

Friedman

30% match

Friedman Dirty Shirley leans toward saturated, and that's a real, usable character to pair with

Orange Little Bass Thing

Orange

tonal match
$708.76via Reverb

Orange Little Bass Thing warms up and rounds off a bright tone

Fuchs ODS II Custom 25/50 Combo

Fuchs

tonal match

Fuchs ODS II Custom 25/50 Combo warms up and rounds off a bright tone

Fender Dual Showman

amplifier

tonal match
$1100via Reverb

Fender Dual Showman tightens a saturated voice

Gallien-Krueger GK Fusion 112 Bass Combo

Gallien Krueger

tonal match

Gallien-Krueger GK Fusion 112 Bass Combo tightens a saturated voice

EVH 000

Evh

tonal match

EVH 000 pushes a higher-gain pedal harder

Dumble Steel String Singer

Dumble

tonal match

Dumble Steel String Singer smooths a bright tone's top end

Pedals that stack with the MXR M104 Distortion+

ZVEX Fuzz Factory

Zvex

26% match
$199via Reverb

ZVEX Fuzz Factory leans toward fuzzy, and that's a real, usable character to pair with

Shin's Music Dumbloid

Shins Music

25% match

Shin's Music Dumbloid's own tight character is the real reason this is worth trying

Crazy Tube Circuits Golden Ratio

Crazy Tube Circuits

23% match

Crazy Tube Circuits Golden Ratio's own tight character is the real reason this is worth trying

Anarchy Audio Flutterby Tremolo

Anarchy Audio

20% match

Keep Flutterby's asymmetrical tremolo after the Distortion+'s gritty metal boost — the pulse chops a settled tone.

Boss DD-3 Digital Delay

Boss

16% match
$139via Reverb

Boss DD-3 Digital Delay's transparent voice goes after MXR M104 Distortion+ in the signal chain — it's not there to compete with MXR M104 Distortion+'s own gritty character — also used together by 2 artists — goes in the amp's FX loop (or last, into a clean amp)

Cusack Music Delay TME

Cusack Music

13% match
$169.99via Reverb

Cusack Music Delay TME's tight voice goes after MXR M104 Distortion+ in the signal chain — it's not there to compete with MXR M104 Distortion+'s own gritty character — goes in the amp's FX loop (or last, into a clean amp)

Suhr Eclipse

Suhr

tonal match

Suhr Eclipse drives a saturated tone harder

Dunlop Echoplex Preamp

Dunlop

tonal match
$135via Reverb

Dunlop Echoplex Preamp smooths a bright tone's top end

Alternativessee all similar tone character →

Boss SD-1 Super OverDrive

Boss

73% similarity
$59via Reverb

Shared character: other_distortion_pedals, classic_tones, pedal

MXR Distortion+

MXR

73% similarity
$169.99via Reverb

Shared character: only_two_knobs, 1960s, raw

Boss DS-2 Turbo Distortion

Boss

72% similarity
$85.48via Reverb

Shared character: ds_1, classic_tones, pedal

Boss DS-1 Distortion

Boss

72% similarity
$49.99via Reverb

Shared character: other_distortion_pedals, distortion, ds_1

Mad Professor Mad-Rbo

Mad Professor

71% similarity
$188.58via Reverb

Shared character: pedal, grit, wide_range

Vertex Steel String MkII Clean Drive

Vertex

71% similarity
$149.99via Reverb

Shared character: pedal, boost, bright

Maxon OD808

Maxon

71% similarity
$118.63via Reverb

Shared character: pedal, hard_rock, middle

Univox UD-50 Uni-Drive

pedal

71% similarity

Shared character: pedal, hard_rock, thickness

Wampler Paisley Drive Deluxe

Wampler

71% similarity
$220.97via Reverb

Shared character: pedal, lot, grit

Boss HM-2 Heavy Metal

Boss

71% similarity
$99.99via Reverb

Shared character: metal, guitar_tone, durable_construction

Ibanez TS9DX Turbo Tube Screamer

Ibanez

71% similarity

Shared character: pedal, durable_construction, wide_range

Peavey Joshua Homme Decade Preamp

Peavey

70% similarity

Shared character: amp, pedal, grit

See all alternatives to the MXR M104 Distortion+ (cheaper + boutique) →

Questions people ask

What are good alternatives to the MXR M104 Distortion+?+

The closest matches in character are the Boss SD-1 Super OverDrive, the MXR Distortion+, the Boss DS-2 Turbo Distortion.

What pairs well with the MXR M104 Distortion+?+

Strong matches from rig and tone-complementarity evidence: Revv Generator 100R MkIII 3-Channel Head, Friedman Dirty Shirley, Orange Little Bass Thing — MXR M104 Distortion+'s gritty character and Revv Generator 100R MkIII 3-Channel Head's smooth voice sit in the same lane rather than fighting each other.

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