My thoughts on the mxr distortion iii

[paultheoneyoulove]

Well, i finally got my loud box, so I thought I'd share my thoughts. Built well (not easy to access battery though) and very amp like overdrive.

It's definitely a softer clipping overdrive/distortion. Gain wise, it has a touch more than the visual sound route 66 when maxed (though being a tubescreamer, it's tone does not work with this much gain). Tonally, it's very warm and fat, with a nice, springy quality about it. It also has loads of volume, even more than the route 66. Unity is at just over half way, then it climbs fast from there!

I found my preferred setting very quickly. Max gain, unity and a bit volume and tone at 10 o clock. Unlike tubescreamer types, it maintains a warmth and fatness at full whack (where a tubescreamer prefers to give a bit of a kick). Would suit classic and harder rock, though metallers need not apply. For lead tones with tons of sustain, I chucked volume boosted tubescreamer with a brighter tone right after it. It also worked before it, but the tone control seemed more powerful after the distortion.

Even on neck humbucker (a jazz), tone rolled off on both guitar and pedal, it maintains a nice, fuzzy clarity. Lovely.

It's a nice, useable overdrive and distortion that would suit anyone but a metaller. Even then, it could do the tubescreamer type thing in front of a driven amp, too, so perhaps it does have its use. As it stands, I could approximate a Randy roads rhythm sound with the gain maxed through a slightly (very slighrly) driven Mooer little monster amp, though live, Randy seemed to have a bit more gain on tap.

So, bad stuff. It's got lots of volume, but the taper isn't perfect, with a point after unity when it gets very loud very quick. Suits me okay, but others may mod this. No battery flap. So stupid... And it's true bypass, which means it has a slightly audible pop when switching on and off when there is no signal from the guitar (a minor point).

All in all, it's a pedal most people could use. Very responsive to pick attack and volume. Not too pricey, either! Look elsewhere if you want a Marshall in a box (mooer cruncher, plexistortion).

[Dave_Mc]

^ nice

Never tried one but i've heard what you've said before- that's it's more of an overdrive than a distortion.

[Mike.L]

Agree, I love mine, but I do use it for "metal".

I'm not a fan of harsh dist. sounds, so it's (for me) perfect.

[paultheoneyoulove]

I'm with you on that. It has enough gain and volume to work with the amp to give a pretty sweet crunch. It's lovely, I just wish they were as cheap here as they are in the states!