Maxon’s Scott Henderson SD-9SH Sonic Distortion updates the “best distortion pedal in the world”

(Image credit: Maxon)

Maxon has unveiled some impressive distortion pedals over the past year, including the Apex 808 and the Robert Keeley-Modded 40th Anniversary OD808.

Now, the company is continuing down the ol’ dirt road with the new Scott Henderson SD-9SH, which updates the SD-9 Sonic Distortion, a unit Henderson has called “the best distortion pedal ever made.”

Thank you for reading 5 articles this month**

Join now for unlimited access

US pricing $3.99 per month or $39.00 per year

UK pricing £2.99 per month or £29.00 per year

Europe pricing €3.49 per month or €34.00 per year

*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription

Join now for unlimited access

Prices from £2.99/$3.99/€3.49

Rich is the co-author of the best-selling Nöthin' But a Good Time: The Uncensored History of the '80s Hard Rock Explosion. He is also a recording and performing musician, and a former editor of Guitar World magazine and executive editor of Guitar Aficionado magazine. He has authored several additional books, among them Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck, the companion to the documentary of the same name.

Latest

“It can be whatever pedal you need it to be”: TC Electronic’s Plethora X1 takes the fight to the Line 6 HX One – and it costs over $100 less

See more latest ►

“It was just full of guitars, and there was no air in it. No spaces, no gaps”: Bill Wyman reunited with his old Rolling Stones bandmates on their Hackney Diamonds album, but didn't like the track he played on

“I went to this very posh house in Regent’s Park in London, knocked on the door and this 16-year-old American kid held it up. I said, ‘It’s a red guitar – I’ll have it!’” How Phil Manzanera got his trademark Roxy Music Gibson Firebird

“I got really sick, and in the hospital, I decided to teach myself how to play guitar. I was playing piano and violin classically, and it was a little intense”: Yvette Young on why choosing the guitar felt “magical” – and what it represents to her

“Gilmour says, ‘I want to play on it’ – like, he doesn’t do this’”: Body Count rip through their Comfortably Numb reimagining on the Tonight Show, as Ernie C does his best David Gilmour

“It’s everything the SLO is, all in a pedal”: Soldano’s SLO Plus could be the new hard rock pedal amp to beat – bringing both channels of the legendary SLO-100 guitar amp to the floor

“Captures the very essence of British rock ’n’ roll”: The Masquerader Standard makes one of cult UK builder Shergold’s most distinctive guitars significantly more affordable

“I hope that’s cleared up any curiosities about how we run the show”: Sleep Token’s guitar tech finally lifts the lid on IV’s entire live guitar rig – right down to his pick of choice

“When she asked me if I would come be her lead guitar player, I just was like, ‘Um, how can I say no to Shania?’” Lindsay Ell on the “pinch me moment” she became Shania Twain's lead guitarist

“This band has allowed me to diversify my playing 10-fold. I would consider myself a one-trick pony prior to joining”: Kiki Wong on how playing with Smashing Pumpkins has made her a better guitar player

“You could tell it was gonna be a good group, but people wouldn’t even book the band”: Long-awaited Becoming Led Zeppelin documentary gets its first trailer – and hints at the band’s early struggles

“An enhanced version of the classic”: Gibson has put an all-new spin on its traditional Les Paul Studio – and it was created in response to requests from players

Get The Pick Newsletter

Most Popular