The MXR Prime Distortion is an MXR distortion pedal, currently around $76.69. Close alternatives include the MXR Distortion II and the MXR M69P Prime Distortion. It pairs well with the Dumble Steel String Singer and the Fender Prosonic.
MXR Prime Distortion
MXR · pedal
The MXR Prime Distortion is a classic hard-clipping op-amp distortion pedal from MXR delivering aggressive, harmonically rich distortion suited to rock, blues, and heavy playing. The Prime Distortion uses the hard-clipping op-amp topology that defines MXR's distortion character, providing the bright, cutting, aggressive quality that made MXR distortion designs influential since the 1970s.
- distortion
- clipping
- cutting
- bright
- reliable
- aggressive
- rock
- consistent
Price updated Aug 27, 2026
Genres the MXR Prime Distortion is commonly used in
- Blues
- Rock
- Punk
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag. - 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. - Alternative
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag.
Amps that pair well with the MXR Prime Distortion
Dumble Steel String Singer
Dumble
28% matchWhere this leans bright, Dumble Steel String Singer answers back smooth
Fender Prosonic
amplifier
25% matchFender Prosonic leans warm right where the bright tone needs it
Gibson GA-50
Gibson
tonal matchRun Gibson GA-50 after it and the bright edge settles into something more warm
Orange BT1000H Terror Bass 1000-Watt Bass Amp
Orange
tonal matchRun Orange BT1000H Terror Bass 1000-Watt Bass Amp after it and the bright edge settles into something more warm
Orange Terror Bass
Orange
tonal matchOrange Terror Bass's warm balances out the bright tone
Orange Little Bass Thing
Orange
tonal matchOrange Little Bass Thing leans warm right where the bright tone needs it
Fuchs ODS II Custom 25/50 Combo
Fuchs
tonal matchFuchs ODS II Custom 25/50 Combo leans warm right where the bright tone needs it
Blackstar Artisan 15H Handwired 15W Tube
Blackstar
tonal matchRun Blackstar Artisan 15H Handwired 15W Tube after it and the bright edge settles into something more warm
Pedals that stack with the MXR Prime Distortion
Catalinbread SFT
Catalinbread
20% matchCatalinbread SFT leans warm right where the bright tone needs it
Behringer Chorus Symphony
Behringer
19% matchBehringer Chorus Symphony's smooth voice goes after MXR Prime Distortion in the signal chain — it's not there to compete with MXR Prime Distortion's own bright character
Rocktron Big Crush Compressor
Rocktron
18% matchRocktron Big Crush Compressor leans toward smooth, and that's a real, usable character to pair with
Cusack Music Screamer
Cusack Music
17% matchCusack Music Screamer's smooth balances out the bright tone
Caroline Guitar Company Kilobyte
Caroline Guitar Company
12% matchKeep Caroline Guitar Company Kilobyte after MXR Prime Distortion in the signal chain, clear of MXR Prime Distortion's own gain stage — goes in the amp's FX loop (or last, into a clean amp)
Line 6 DL4 Delay Modeler
pedal
12% matchRun Line 6 DL4 Delay Modeler after MXR Prime Distortion in the signal chain, clear of MXR Prime Distortion's own gain stage — goes in the amp's FX loop (or last, into a clean amp)
Orange - Vintage Distortion
Orange
tonal matchOrange - Vintage Distortion's warm balances out the bright tone
SolidGoldFX Commodore Breaker Overdrive
Solidgoldfx
tonal matchRun SolidGoldFX Commodore Breaker Overdrive after it and the bright edge settles into something more smooth
Cheaper alternatives
Boutique & premium upgrades
Maxon FF10 Fuzz Elements Fire
Maxon
70% similarityShared character: aggressive_playing, bright
Wampler Phenom Distortion
Wampler
68% similarityShared character: bright, distortion
ProCo Sterling Vermin
Proco
67% similarityShared character: aggressive_playing, distortion
JHS Ross Distortion
JHS Pedals
94% similaritysimilar tone character
MXR Distortion+
MXR
93% similaritysimilar tone character
Black Country Customs Monolith
Black Country Customs
93% similaritysimilar tone character
Similar charactersee all similar tone character →
MXR Distortion II
MXR
88% similarityShared character: aggressive_playing, bright, distortion
MXR M69P Prime Distortion
MXR
83% similarityShared character: aggressive_playing, bright, distortion
RHC Rat Turbo Rat Distortion
Rhc Audio
75% similarityShared character: aggressive_playing, distortion
Aria Lil' RAT Distortion
Aria
68% similarityShared character: aggressive_playing, distortion
Ibanez Tube Screamer
Ibanez
68% similarityShared character: distortion, blues_players
Mooer Grey Faze Fuzz
Mooer
66% similarityShared character: bright
See all alternatives to the MXR Prime Distortion (cheaper + boutique) →
Questions people ask
What are good alternatives to the MXR Prime Distortion?+
The closest matches in character are the MXR Distortion II, the MXR M69P Prime Distortion, the RHC Rat Turbo Rat Distortion. Budget picks: Donner Dark Mouse. Boutique upgrades: Maxon FF10 Fuzz Elements Fire, Wampler Phenom Distortion, ProCo Sterling Vermin.
What pairs well with the MXR Prime Distortion?+
Strong matches from rig and tone-complementarity evidence: Dumble Steel String Singer, Fender Prosonic, Gibson GA-50 — Where this leans bright, Dumble Steel String Singer answers back smooth.
How much does the MXR Prime Distortion cost?+
Around $76.69 (live listing price, updated Aug 27, 2026).