Best distortion pedals 2024: the top 11 high-gain stompboxes for guitarists

Distortion – most of us can't imagine guitar without it. There's something about turning pristine cleans into delicious dirt that still thrills us every time. Luckily then, we live in a golden age of guitar pedals, with all kinds of small-scale boutique stompbox manufacturers facing off against industry titans such as MXR, TC Electronic and Boss, meaning if you're looking for the best distortion pedal to help you achieve tonal bless, there's more choice than ever before. 

You can trust Guitar World Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing guitar products so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.

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