10 Best Overdrive Pedals 2020
Getting the very best tone out of your electric guitar can often become a complicated task. You’ll have to try out a variation of different pedals before you find the ones that suit your playing style the best. However, one pedal that seems to fit with most genres is the overdrive pedal. This pedal pushes your guitar to benefit from a sort of distortion that can easily be adapted to any music style.
Whether you want to play blues, rock, metal or even country, a good overdrive pedal will help you achieve the tone that you’re looking for. However, finding the best overdrive pedal requires a lot of patience because there are hundreds of different types of overdrive pedals available on the market. Fortunately, we have already done all of the research so you can quickly find the top rated overdrive pedals currently available on the market.
Top 10 Overdrive Pedals Overview Chart
How to Find the Best Overdrive Pedal
If you plan on adding an overdrive pedal to your guitar setup, you’ll have a ton of different options to choose from. With hundreds of different models and brands available to choose from, the option can quickly become overwhelming. Knowing exactly what to look for isn’t always easy, so we have created a list of features that you’ll want to consider when searching for the best overdrive pedal for your specific needs.
- Construction. As with most guitar pedals, you’ll likely be stomping on it all night long. Making sure that the construction is solid and durable is of utmost importance.
A guitar pedal should always be made from a tough metal chassis in order to make it solid and capable of withstanding years of heavy wear.
- Portability. Getting an overdrive pedal that can easily fit in your gig bag is a great idea. Overdrive is one of the pedals that guitarists rely on the most, so if you have to choose just one, it will likely be this one.
Making sure that it’s small and portable will allow you to quickly bring this pedal with you to every practice session and gig that you attend.
- Battery & Power Supply. Getting an overdrive pedal that provides you with both types of power is great. You want the power supply to be sure that you can always have power even if the batteries run out.
However, you want the batteries in case no more free electrical outlets are available and you really need your pedal.
- Control Knobs. Being able to control your tone and get the most out of your overdrive pedal can easily be achieved with the knobs. Most of the common knobs include level, gain and drive.
However, some overdrive pedals come equipped with tons of additional knobs, giving you the ability to really create unique tones.
Top 3 Overdrive Pedals Reviews
1. Maxon Reissue Series OD808
At the top of our list is the Maxon Reissue Series OD808 Overdrive pedal, which is one of the best choices available on the market. Equipped with an overdrive, balance and tone knob, this pedal gives you the ability to quickly attain the exact overdriven tone that you seek. This pedal provides a transparent type of overdrive that allows your guitar’s natural tones to pierce through.
This pedal is one of the most imitated overdrive pedals in the world due to its impressive tone and control. It’s a favorite for many celebrity musicians and continues to be one of the best overdrive pedals to offer dynamic and responsive tones. Built from a durable metal chassis, this pedal can handle years of intensive wear. If you’re looking for an overdrive pedal that you will love, you should definitely look into the Maxon Reissue Series OD808 Overdrive pedal.
2. Fulltone OCD Pedal
Another amazing option to choose from when searching for an overdrive pedal is the Fulltone OCD Obsessive Compulsive Drive Pedal. This pedal is built into a solid metal chassis frame so you can be sure that your pedal will remain intact even during transportation and heavy use. This pedal delivers a unique overdriven tone that cranks up your tone without getting rid of your guitar’s original sound.
Many different control knobs are available to choose from including a drive, volume and tone knob. Additional HP and LP flick switches are integrated onto this pedal for even more control over the resulting tone. If you’re looking for an impressive overdrive pedal that lets you benefit from overdrive while staying true to your guitar’s tone, you’ll love the Fulltone OCD Obsessive Compulsive Drive Pedal.
3. Fulltone Fulldrive2 MOSFET
Last but not least is the Fulltone Fulldrive2 MOSFET Overdrive Boost Pedal, which allows you to really see what overdrive is meant to sound like. This pedal offers a clean boost that you can achieve over two independent channels. With tons of control knobs including overdrive, boost, volume and tone, you will quickly be able to reach the tone that you’ve been searching for.
The 16-guage steel enclosure is super durable and allows you to put this pedal through the harshest conditions without it getting damaged. This overdrive pedal also offers true bypass so you can really get the truest of sounds. With amazing overdrive tones and a super durable construction, you should definitely consider the Fulltone Fulldrive2 MOSFET Overdrive Boost Pedal.