These are my picks for best distortion pedals for under $50. Note that these are distortion pedals and not overdrive pedals. If you’re looking for killer metal distortion or grunge sound to add to your guitar tone and want to spend less than $50, you’re in the right place.
If you’re looking to add some classic rock snarl or blues overdrive, then check out The Best Overdrive Pedals for Under $50.
Also, as an added bonus, each of these distortion pedals sells for less than $50 and includes cables and picks!
DigiTech DDM Death Metal Distortion
When it comes to distortion pedals, the DigiTech DDM Death Metal Distortion leads the pack. The DigiTech DDM pedal does one thing and one thing well – extreme distortion!
In a nutshell, the DigiTech DDM delivers killer metal tone with tons of distortion and a 3-band EQ.
DigiTech DDM Controls:
- Level
- Low
- Mid
- High
The level knob allows you to control the amount of Death Metal Distortion to add, while the 3-band EQ (high, mid and low) lets you dial in the right amount of tone shaping and ensure your guitar always cuts through the mix.
The DigiTech DDM Death Metal Distortion is some of the most extreme distortion on the market, especially it the under $50 price range. DigiTech says they’ve “turned the gain up to “eleven” and ripped the knob off,” and I believe them!
Here’s a demo of the Digitech DDM
DigiTech Grunge Distortion
Anyone looking for a more flexible distortion pedal should check out the DigiTech Grunge Distortion Pedal. This puppy is great for blues, rock and metal. It’s not nearly as heavy as the DDM, but the DigiTech DDM really only does Death Metal Distortion, If you play metal but also some less heavy stuff like blues or hard rock then the DigiTech Grunge Distortion is an excellent pedal to have.
The DigiTech Grunge Distortion has the following controls:
- Loud
- Low
- High
- Grunge
The DigiTech Grunge Distortion Pedal was designed for guitarists who want everything from chunky rhythm to heavy grind to amazing sustaining leads. The DigiTech Grunge Distortion gets you these and everything in between, and all for less than $50!
Here the DigiTech Grunge in action
DigiTech Hot Head Distortion
So what if you’re looking for a distortion pedal, but don’t play death metal and don’t even need that Grunge level of distortion?
This is where the DigiTech Hot Head Distortion Pedal comes in. The Hot Head Distortion is a multi-purpose pedal for any music style where light to moderate distortion is needed.
The controls are simple and straightforward, but allow for flexible tone shaping:
- Level
- Low
- High
- Gain
Whether you need just a little more dirt in your tone or you need your amp to sound like a full stack, the DigiTech Hot Head Distortion Pedal gets the job done, at a good price.
Here’s an excellent demo of the Hot Head from Robert at Dolphinstreet