True Bypass Overdrive & Distortion Pedals

The 'true bypass' vs. 'buffered bypass' argument has been debated to death in the depths of guitar forums. While some guitar players like how buffered pedals slightly alter the EQ of their guitar signal, there are many that prefer to keep their unaffected tone intact without any colouration from their stompboxes. On this page, you'll find a large selection of true bypass overdrive and distortion pedals, which can pile on the gain when switched on, yet won't hinder your clean tone when turned off.

If you swear by true bypass pedals, fortunately it seems that more and more companies are making their distortion and overdrive stompboxes with this circuitry. Most modern pedals follow this trend, while older dirt boxes still offer buffered bypass to keep the traditionalists happy. There’s no right or wrong - it’s just down to preference!