Distortion vs Overdrive: a guitarist’s guide
Overdrive or distortion? Differences, iconic pedals and when to choose each.
Introduction
Guitarists often mix up overdrive and distortion, yet they behave and sound different. Overdrive emulates a hot tube amp—warmth, touch response, mid focus. Distortion is tighter, more compressed and saturated—wall of sound and long sustain.
Overdrive
Classics like the Ibanez Tube Screamer and BOSS SD-1 deliver controllable crunch that preserves dynamics—great for blues and pop-rock or as a boost into an already breaking-up tube amp.
Distortion
ProCo RAT, BOSS DS-1 and MXR Distortion+ compress more and even out the pick attack—perfect for hard rock, punk and classic metal.
Smart stacking
Overdrive → Distortion for more sustain and mid focus; Distortion → Overdrive to tighten lows. Adjust gain and tone to avoid muddiness.
Listening references
SRV Texas Flood (TS + Fender), Nirvana “Smells Like Teen Spirit” (DS-1), Gary Moore Still Got the Blues (OD into Marshall).
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