The harder the style you play in, the heavier the distortion that you’re likely to use. That doesn’t mean a distortion effect is only for metal or punk players, though. Guitarists of any style can use a touch of fuzz to add some extra color to their sound. We’ve picked out some of our favorite distortion pedals across genres and styles below.
Here are our recommendations for the 4 best distortion pedals for Telecasters on the market:
Boss DS-1 Distortion Pedal
If you’re looking for a great all-purpose effect at a mid-range price, the DS-1 from Boss is a versatile pedal that, like the Tele itself, can transcend boundaries of style and genre. It has a simple, classic interface, with knobs to adjust the tone and level of distortion as well as the overall level of the pedal.
However you set it, the end goal of the Boss DS-1 is to enhance your guitar’s natural sound rather than cover it, letting its underlying color shine through even when you crank up the effect level. This makes it ideal for a Telecaster since most players want some of that distinctive tone to shine through.
The construction of Boss pedals is also top notch. They’re ruggedly built and the size and simplicity of the pedal mean it can work well with an array of other effects without crowding your pedal rack. This is in our opinion the best budget pedal you can get for the money.
Electro-Harmonix Soul Food Distortion Pedal
Like Boss, Electro-Harmonix pedals are known for being both rugged and versatile. It has a durable, compact casing and an intuitive 3-knob interface. The tone of the effect is also very transparent—you’ll still definitely be able to tell you’re playing a Tele when you use it.
The Soul Food (see full specs) was designed as a more affordable clone of the iconic Klon Centaur pedal. It gives you the same powerful boost and high headroom as you’ll find with the Centaur, as well as a very similar effect sound, but for a lot less money (and in a much smaller package).
We especially love the Electro-Harmonix Soul Food for blues guitarists, but that definitely doesn’t mean it’s limited to players in that genre. Depending on how you set the treble and drive knobs, this can function as a distortion or more of an overdrive pedal, and it can fit into pretty much any set-up or tonal preference. Hands down, this is among the best distortion pedals for Telecasters.
Donner Morpher Distortion Pedal
This little pedal from Donner might be just the best distortion pedal for Telecasters if you’re on a serious budget. It’s a high gain pedal, meaning you’ll love it if you play punk or metal. Gigging guitarists will love the size, too—slim, lightweight, and compact, making it super easy to transport.
We don’t only love the Donner Morpher because it’s cheap. Like other options on the list, we’re a fan of it because it gives you a bigger, badder tone without losing your core sound. It’s a well-balanced effect that’s just as appealing on the low end of your range as it is for the highs and mids—perfect for a guitarist who does more than just solos.
With a 3-way toggle as well as tone, gain, and level knobs, the Morpher gives you a surprising degree of effect versatility for the price. It’s a powerful little stompbox to make a Tele tone really shine in any genre, and for players of any budget.
Blackstar HT-METAL Distortion Pedal
Metal players are perhaps more likely to be seeking out distortion pedals than any other genre. If that’s your style, you can’t go wrong with the HT-METAL from Blackstar. It’s a beast of a pedal with a full array of effect customization options—whatever distortion you’re going for, you can find it here. It’s likely the priciest pedal on this list (though price fluctuations do happen), but players who use one will tell you it’s well worth the investment if you want a heavy distortion sound that’s still sonically and tonally pleasing.
There are two different channels on the HT-METAL. This unique feature gives you a lot more options in terms of your effects configuration. It also comes with some nice extras thrown in, including tone shaping functions like a 3-band EQ. The speaker emulation output makes it great for the studio, too. Even when it’s plugged straight into the mixer it’ll give you a sound like you’re playing through an amp.
The HT-METAL is a lot of pedal. With so many customization options, dialing in to your perfect tone will probably mean spending some quality time with the pedal figuring out how each knob affects your tone. Once you find it, though, you’ll be blown away by the sound of this beast.
Choosing the Right Distortion Pedal
In our mind, when you’re shopping for a distortion pedal for your Telecaster it really comes down to two big factors: how much effect you want and how much you want to spend. Transparency is a word you’ll see coming up a lot with effects. The more transparent the pedal, the more subtle it will be and the more of your underlying tone will shine through. If you just want to add a bit of color, a simpler pedal is probably going to be more up your alley.
Generally speaking, the more expensive the pedal, the more customization options you’ll have for the effect. Most pedals will give you a 3-knob array but if you want to go more in depth than that, a larger pedal like is probably where you want to look.
Like any part of your set-up, effects are a very personal choice. Only you know what sound you’re going for. Listening to the pedals in action is the best way to figure out which one will give you what your tone needs. Hopefully these reviews have helped to guide you to the best distortion pedal for Telecasters. Good luck on your continuing quest for your perfect sound!
