The NuX Fireman is a Nux distortion pedal, currently around $77.50. Close alternatives include the Mooer Rage Machine and the SONICAKE Black Hammer. It pairs well with the Marshall JCM800 2203 and the Laney RB3 Richter Bass Amp.
NuX Fireman
Nux · pedal
The NUX Fireman is a high-gain distortion pedal from NUX Effects delivering EVH 5150-inspired modern high-gain distortion in a compact enclosure at an accessible price. The Fireman provides thick, aggressive distortion suited for hard rock and metal in NUX's compact format.
What stands out
“The Fireman provides thick, aggressive distortion suited for hard rock and metal in NUX's compact format”
— from the listing
“NUX's EVH 5150-inspired high-gain distortion, providing modern high-gain character at a budget price”
— from the community notes
“Build quality is adequate for the NUX price tier”
— from the community notes
“Modern high-gain character suits metal and hard rock applications”
— from the reviews
“The NUX Fireman is a from NUX Effects delivering EVH 5150-inspired modern high-gain distortion in a compact enclosure at an accessible price”
— from the listing
- hard rock
- distortion
- high gain
- metal
- modern
- aggressive
- thick
Price updated Oct 24, 2026
Genres the NuX Fireman is commonly used in
- Metal
- Hard Rock
- Christian Rock
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag. - Heavy Metal
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag. - Djent
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag. - Death Metal
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag.
Amps that pair well with the NuX Fireman
Marshall JCM800 2203
Marshall
19% matchpushes an already-dirty tonePushes an already-dirty tone harder and tightens it up. (high gain → mid-forward)
Feed a high gain signal into Marshall JCM800 2203 and it comes out closer to mid-forward
Comes later in the signal chain
Laney RB3 Richter Bass Amp
Laney
19% matchpushes an already-dirty tonePushes an already-dirty tone harder and tightens it up. (high gain → mid-forward)
Laney RB3 Richter Bass Amp pushes a high gain tone toward mid-forward
Comes later in the signal chain
Aguilar SL110 Fawn Limited
Aguilar
tonal matchComes later in the signal chain
Aguilar SL110 Fawn Limited takes that high gain character and pushes it toward tight
EBS Magni 502 2x10 bass combo
Ebs
tonal matchComes later in the signal chain
EBS Magni 502 2x10 bass combo pushes a high gain tone toward tight
Gallien-Krueger Legacy 410
Gallien Krueger
tonal matchComes later in the signal chain
Gallien-Krueger Legacy 410 pushes a high gain tone toward tight
Gallien-Krueger Legacy 210 Bass Combo
Gallien Krueger
tonal matchComes later in the signal chain
Gallien-Krueger Legacy 210 Bass Combo takes that high gain character and pushes it toward tight
Gallien-Krueger Fusion 210
Gallien Krueger
tonal matchComes later in the signal chain
Stack Gallien-Krueger Fusion 210 on top and a high gain tone tightens toward mid-forward
Phil Jones BG-400 Suitcase Compact Bass Combo
Phil Jones
tonal matchComes later in the signal chain
Feed a high gain signal into Phil Jones BG-400 Suitcase Compact Bass Combo and it comes out closer to mid-forward
Pedals that stack with the NuX Fireman
Suhr Shiba Drive
Suhr
16% matchpushes an already-dirty tonePushes an already-dirty tone harder and tightens it up. (high gain → mid-forward)
Suhr Shiba Drive takes that high gain character and pushes it toward mid-forward
T-Rex Sweeper 2
T Rex
15% matchsits in the right chain slotPlaced for where it does its job cleanly in the chain, not for a tonal interaction with the anchor. (high gain → lush)
Run T-Rex Sweeper 2 after NuX Fireman in the signal chain, clear of NuX Fireman's own gain stage
Comes later in the signal chain
Soldano SLO
Soldano
15% matchpushes an already-dirty tonePushes an already-dirty tone harder and tightens it up. (high gain → tight)
Soldano SLO takes that high gain character and pushes it toward tight
Comes later in the signal chain
Meris Mercury7 Reverb
Meris
13% matchsits in the right chain slotPlaced for where it does its job cleanly in the chain, not for a tonal interaction with the anchor. (high gain → lush)
Run Meris Mercury7 Reverb after NuX Fireman in the signal chain, clear of NuX Fireman's own gain stage — goes in the amp's FX loop (or last, into a clean amp)
Comes later in the signal chain
Electro-Harmonix Oceans 12
Electro-Harmonix
13% matchsits in the right chain slotPlaced for where it does its job cleanly in the chain, not for a tonal interaction with the anchor. (high gain → ambient)
Keep Electro-Harmonix Oceans 12 after NuX Fireman in the signal chain, clear of NuX Fireman's own gain stage — goes in the amp's FX loop (or last, into a clean amp)
Comes later in the signal chain
Electro-Harmonix Pico Deep Freeze
Electro-Harmonix
10% matchsits in the right chain slotPlaced for where it does its job cleanly in the chain, not for a tonal interaction with the anchor. (high gain → ambient)
Electro-Harmonix Pico Deep Freeze's own ambient character is the real reason this is worth trying
Comes earlier in the signal chain
MXR CAE Wah
MXR
tonal matchComes earlier in the signal chain
Put MXR CAE Wah in front of NuX Fireman: a wah tracks picking dynamics best on the raw signal
JAM Pedals RetroVibe Mk.4
Jam Pedals
tonal matchComes later in the signal chain
JAM Pedals RetroVibe Mk.4 pushes a high gain tone toward mid-forward
Cheaper alternatives
NuX Metal Core
Nux
75% similarityShared character: countless rock and metal players, compact, metal
NuX HG-6 High Gain
Nux
71% similarityShared character: countless rock and metal players, compact, metal
NUX Recto Distortion
Nux
70% similarityShared character: compact, metal, hard rock
Mooer Blade
Mooer
64% similarityShared character: metal, hard rock, distortion
Donner Extreme Driver
Donner
61% similarityShared character: hard rock, metal, distortion
NUX NFB-2 Lacerate FET Boost
Nux
60% similarityShared character: metal, distortion, aggressive playing
Boutique & premium upgrades
Maxon Sm-9 Pro+
Maxon
65% similarityShared character: hard rock, metal, distortion
Wampler Pinnacle Standard V2
Wampler
64% similarityShared character: hard rock, distortion, aggressive playing
Malekko Fetish MKII
Malekko
59% similarityShared character: hard rock, metal, distortion
Providence SDT-2 Stampede Distortion
Providence
58% similarityShared character: countless rock and metal players, hard rock, distortion
Amptweaker Tight Rock 2
Amptweaker
95% similaritysimilar tone character
ISP Technologies Michael Sweet Signature Empyrean
Isp Technologies
94% similaritysimilar tone character
Similar charactersee all similar tone character →
Mooer Rage Machine
Mooer
75% similarityShared character: countless rock and metal players, high gain settings, metal
SONICAKE Black Hammer
Sonicake
73% similarityShared character: compact, metal, hard rock
Roland ST-2 Power Stack
Roland
69% similarityShared character: metal, hard rock, thickness
Mooer Ultra Drive MK II
Mooer
66% similarityShared character: hard rock, thickness, distortion
Matthews Effects The Harbinger Distortion
Matthews Effects
63% similarityShared character: hard rock, distortion, aggressive playing
Matthews Effects The Breaker
Matthews Effects
61% similarityShared character: hard rock, distortion, aggressive playing
See all alternatives to the NuX Fireman (cheaper + boutique) →
Questions people ask
What are good alternatives to the NuX Fireman?+
The closest matches in character are the Mooer Rage Machine, the SONICAKE Black Hammer, the Roland ST-2 Power Stack. Budget picks: NuX Metal Core, NuX HG-6 High Gain, NUX Recto Distortion. Boutique upgrades: Maxon Sm-9 Pro+, Wampler Pinnacle Standard V2, Malekko Fetish MKII.
What pairs well with the NuX Fireman?+
Strong matches from rig and tone-complementarity evidence: Marshall JCM800 2203, Laney RB3 Richter Bass Amp, Aguilar SL110 Fawn Limited — Feed a high gain signal into Marshall JCM800 2203 and it comes out closer to mid-forward.
How much does the NuX Fireman cost?+
Around $77.50 (live listing price, updated Oct 24, 2026).