MXR Distortion +

By the early 70's several manufacturers were producing fuzz-boxes and noise making devices that were becoming popular with guitar players. After awhile many people were looking for a "distortion-free sustainer" without all the fizz or bee-in-a-can buzz. Any guitar player will tell you that the only pure form of distortion comes from a cranked tube amp that produces clipping of the sound wave. The MXR product was simply more than distortion.... it had that extra plus people were looking for. For starters, they didn't simply use the harsh treble boosting ICs or silicon transistors that other boxes contained. Instead, they used a germanium 1N270 clipping diode for a gentler breakup. This effect, along with the better sounding hi-fidelity tube amps that were being produced created a more natural sounding tube sound even with solid state transistors. Randy Rhodes found this unit pleasing through his Marshall stack and a staple of his sound when triple-tracking solos because of it's clarity. For more on this unit please see...http://www.jimdunlop.com/