MXR M193 GT-OD Overdrive Pedal Reviews

This is one of the most underrated boxes out there. It's extremely even sounding. It can go from low levels of drive to really saturated lead tones. (Myles Kennedy uses this as his go-to, and you'll see why.) I like it best for rhythm playing. Especially nice for power chords. I don't see it coming off my board.

Man o' man, I picked this up as a demo last year on a lark and so glad I did - excellent overdrive! I'm old, so I'm a fan of those early to mid 70s guitar tones like Thin Lizzy, Sweet, Zeppelin and the like, and this pedal really nail it - even covers some early VH tones at higher drive settings. I love MXR pedals, but they have never been my go to company for dirt pedals until now - this product has totally changed my mind (along with the Timmy clone they now offer).
I've been stacking the Timmy pedal in front of the GT-OD and really love it - I keep the drive setting on the GT pretty low (a shade under 9 o'clock) and use the Timmy to push it for main gain during solos and riffs - it's a great combo IMHO.

Really solid pedal - this thing is a brick really well built. Love the level of overdrive gives you a nice 70's sound.

It's good analogue overdrive if you want to get 70's rock sound.

This pedal is awesome for metal chugging, not as a stand-alone though. I put a tube screamer or use a boost with gain control in front of it and it pumps out the best tone I've heard from a pedal for chugging. Turn the boost or ts off and it still sounds great it's just not quite as heavy. Thing is built like a brinks truck too, I'd be amazed if someone somehow broke it.

This pedal has always found a spot in my rig, whether boosting another OD to create rich saturation with great texture, or to just push a head overboard. It simply seems to have nailed one of the most versatile tones available. Like everyone, I have a stack of OD pedals that I'm constantly rotating and combining because the struggle is real. Yet, this lil' guy has always found a spot. Great pedal, especially if you mod it with an external switch, to control the internal switch.

This pedal is just what I wanted for my Marshall Studio JCM 800 Head. I was totally happy with the Marshalls tone but wanted to try out a overdrive pedal to boost the front end of the amp. The tone I'm getting with this pedal is very impressive, Similar to the Zakk wylde tone I really love. I'd honestly pay twice as much for the tone I'm getting and still think it's a bargain!

This pedal is one thick overdrive, if you are boosting an amp than this is great, does the same thing as a tube screamer but better. You can also use it as a traditional overdrive and it sounds great, but it's not really my sound for an overdrive, I much prefer to boost other overdrives with this one.

Another cool thing you can do with this is turn the volume all the way up and the gain most of the way up and put it into a gained out amplifier, you'll get a very fuzzy thick tone, sounds pretty cool.

Also don't forget to try the dip-switch hidden inside the pedal, I prefer the stock sound but you can try the switch for something a little different.

One of the best od pedals ive used holds up great to my maxon od

Just bought this pedal and was blown away by it's sound. It made me get my sound that I've been wanting back again. Love the way it gives the smooth distortion/overdrive without being to muddy. I've also got my harmonic squeals back again too. Thanks MXR.

This pedal is as simple as it gets yet sweet and smooth sounding as ever. I LOVE this pedal. I wanted to clean up a muddy sound I was getting through my Orange Jim Root and it cleaned it! Nice and chunky and punchy tone. Even on clean, turn it on on a clean tone to get a crispy clean or add some drive. You can't go wrong with this pedal.

When I got this pedal I thought that it would simply do what the tube screamer does, but I was completely wrong. It is both a better booster pedal and a pedal stand-alone drive pedal than most Overdrives in this price range. I found it really easy to get a variety of great gain sounds, and it boosted my amp well without coloring it in a bad way. If you're looking for a overdrive pedal that can do both, this is the one for you.

Totally cleans up mud, and boosts my Mk V with a good, clean signal. It doesn't add a ton of hiss as long as you don't abuse the level/output knob. Inside, there's a switch pn the PCB that allows you to change modes between it, and the Zakk Wylde OD. Just an amazingly flexible, and well made tool. I can't believe this thing hasn't been discovered yet. I have many ODs from Maxon and Ibanez, but I've actually purchased two more of these because I can't do without it if it dies.

Awesome pedal, better sounding than most boutique pedals. I highly recommend it. I run it through a Fender Supersonic 60 with some grit ( both gains at 12 o'clock ) EQ however I like at the time then run this pedal with the output and tone controls at 12 o'clock and the gain at 3 o'clock and I get a very punchy heavy tone that cuts right through the mix. Perfect!

I've had many an opportunity to demo this pedal. I like my gain high, but just on the verge of over clipping. If you go too hi gain on a gains amplifier that distortion can start to distort itself, which can kill note definition and create unwanted noise. You can have all the gain you want, but if it kills your dynamics and the character of your playing style it ain't worth it.

That's where this green beauty comes in. It is completely transparent will adapt to any playing style. I like the gainy sounds of hair metal the most, it was not as gainy but retained character and dynamics at higher distortion levels. My personal tone taste is (as of late) a Hughes and Kettner Grand Meister 36 (which is worth well more than $1.2k) with the bass dialed at three o clock, the mid and treble at max and the distortion at high noon on the lead. I turn this green pedal on (I usually dig the output and tone maxed and the gain only at about nine o clock) and my guitar turns into a buzz saw of harmonics but without over distorting the amp beyond my taste. It adds muscle and harmonics to your tone that bring out the characteristics of your playing without coloring your tone, and that is why this is still (from my perspective) the best overdrive pedal MXR offers.

I had originally bought a fulltone OCD to use as a clean boost, but it just colored my mesa boogie mark v the wrong way. I started reading the reviews for this pedal and was a bit skeptical. I started looking up who uses this pedal and I found that Mark Morton of Lamb of God uses it. So I ordered it and I'm very happy I did! It makes my mark v scream! Thanks sweetwater for the super fast delivery and excellent customer service!

As far as I'm concerned, this is the best overdrive pedal you can buy for the money. I've tried a bunch of Ibanez ODs, Maxons, Bad Monkey, Boss's, ect., and the MXR GT-OD is by far my favorite. It's got great selection of controls so you can really dial in your favorite tones, and what I love about is it seems to have more bit than say, an Ibanez TS9, which is great for me because I play a lot of hard rock and alternative metal. Plus the color just looks totally awesome. So I would definitely recommend this to anybody who wants an awesome OD pedal.

I was looking for an overdrive distortion for rhythm parts that would sound good at low gain levels that would keep the chords clear without breaking up and not muddy as many distortion pedals can be. After watching several videos online, I decided to try GT-OD and I am really happy with it. A great effect exactly what I was looking for. This pedal for rhythm, my Marshall Jackhammer for leads - nice!

I bought this pedal in the hopes that it would let me push my favorite gain pedals into another realm. I won't give specifics (sorry, I've worked hard to find my 'voice'), but let me tell you, this little piece of kit will cleanly push any pedal that you have (no matter the gain level involved). It's unreal how high-end this hundred-dollar pedal is. I would easily pay twice the price for it. It will not distort your dry signal at all, even maxed out in front of two more drive pedals (both of them maxed out, as well); what you end up with is a complex tone full of possibility.
It also sounds super-sweet on its own. You could run a Les Paul through it and convincingly play most anything you want.
This is, without a doubt, a permanent member of the crew now.

I really like the product line that MXR has. With the exception of my tuner, my board is all MXR. Quality built, durable, great sounding analog effects that get the job done. This OD has an internal switch that changes the voicing and gives you a wide range of tone. Pretty high gain for an od as well. I've got my switch set to the Zakk Wylde side and my gain set around 9'oclock. This gives me the boost I need to go from crunch to liquid lead with a little more volume. By itself into a clean channel, it gives me a nice sparkle for those tunes that don't need so much crunch. Wide open, this pedal reminds me more of a distortion pedal than an od. Built well, attractive, durable and a great value for the money, this pedal will stay on my board. I have a TS9 and an 808. This pedal does more for me than either and features a standard foot switch that activates every time.

What a great overdrive pedal. Nice round smooth transparent overdrive. Plenty of gain without the fizzy fuzzy edges of some other pedals. Sounds a ton better than a Ibanez TS9 which to me sounded like nothing but mids no matter what you do with it. For an overdrive pedal you can't go wrong. You can turn the gain all the way down and use it as a clean boost. Turn the gain up and get classic rock tones. Great for blues. This is not a distortion pedal. You want a high gain colored edgy tone get a distortion pedal not an overdrive.

This Pedal is a very very nice overdrive....It's very comparable to the Fullone OCD and gives the Tubescreamer a run for it's money....it is up there with the top OD pedals around and for half the price...You can use it conjunction with you amps overdrive and get a smooth thick sounding overdrive..or you can use it with you dry clean signal and get a crunchy blues tone out of it.. a little feature most people don't know about is that if you open it up and take the circuit board out...there is a hidden switch on it...if you switch it over..it turns the circuits into a ZW-44 pedal....used more for boosting and more gain out an overdriven channel already...that's how I use it...so for the price you get two pedal out of it....SCORE!!!!

This thing is sweet! I bought it because I'd seen video demos and loved the sound! I've only used it on low volume settings as I live with several other people but it gives my guitar a creamy sort of grit that I love! The sound I've got dialed in is Output 9:00 Tone 12:00 and Gain 3:00. Also on the pedal the lines on the knob glow in the dark!

I needed an overdrive pedal to use with my 5 watt tube amp. I narrowed my search to three pedals but leaned towards the MXR GT OD. I disscussed my tone needs with my Sweetwater Sales Rep and he also thought the MXR would do it. I was really amazed when I received it and hooked it up. With a touch of gain my neck pickup gets more warm and bluesy. Crank the gain on the pedal full and the bridge pickup sings. With the amp and pedal gain set to max along with the pedal output, the distortion is unreal. The pedal adds no tone coloration and has lots of sustain with a warm, creamy tone. Very versatile tone machine. Makes my good sounding amp a great sounding amp.

I have had many overdrive pedals, TS, BOSS, Danelectro, but this one by far is a beautiy. It aids as a boost in the front without coloring your signal or guitars tone. Turn it up and the crunch gets earthy. It has just the right amount of gain if I want to go over the top. When I use it to boost my MXR Distortion III, I get a creamy, down and dirty distortion, and still maintain my rigs voice. Dial in just below the crunch and you can do wonders with just your pick attack. It also cleans up well when you roll of the guitars volume, its tone is still in the mix as you go lower.

I was looking for a girthy overdrive sound for my PRS S2 Custom 24 bridge pickup. The pickup is hot and bright (HFS) and this box brings the girth I was seeking. The tone nob is very usable from about 12:00 to 5:00. I have the gain set at about 9:00 for a nice crunch sound.

I wasn't sure what OD pedal to buy that would work well with my rig. I did a lot of online research and listened to audio demos and video demos. There are a ton of TS type clones out there, but I think this one stands out from the crowd. It was a nice warm OD tone and works well as just a low gain volume boost. I was suprised at the amount of gain this little guy has. Way more than I need, but it's nice to have the variety if need. This works well with my Explorer, Les Paul and 335. I bought it as a front end boost for a custom Carvin Bolt I am expecting soon and I am sure it will push the single coils enough to get me that SRV growl I am hoping for.

I wanted to like this pedal. It is built tough and cosmetically it looks great. However, the tone is too stale. The gain and tone controls are overall diverse in what you can dial in, but the tone of GT OD as a stand alone pedal is not that good. It is either too muddy or brittle. Hard to find a good sweet spot. It does work well if you are looking to tighten up a high gain amp or pedal, but plenty of other pedals can do that. Based on all the 5 star reviews I expected a 5 star pedal.