Overdrive vs Distortion: What’s the Difference?

Overdrive and distortion are arguably the two most well-known guitar effects. From jazz and country to rock and metal, these effects have been used in just about every type of music imaginable. And for many, the two terms are used interchangeably.

However, overdrive and distortion are not the same. They may result in a somewhat similar sound, but these two effects are distinctly different from each other and serve different purposes. Knowing the difference between the two is key if you want to use them both to their fullest. 

In this post, we’re going to break down the similarities and differences between overdrive and distortion, what they are, and why you’d want to use one or the other (or both). So plug in, warm up the tubes, and get ready to learn more about what separates overdrive and distortion. 

The Technology

First, let’s look at the technology that is responsible for overdrive and distortion. It might get a little technical, but don’t worry; it’ll all make sense by the end.

Overdrive 

Overdrive has existed since tube amps were invented. Overdrive is simply the sound of pushing a tube amp to the point of break-up, creating that classic overdriven sound. Technically speaking, it’s a bit more complicated than that though. 

Overdrive and distortion are both created via clipping. Clipping, in simple terms, is when the sine wave that is your signal has its high and low peaks cutoff, aka clipped. This changes your sound by adding extra harmonic frequencies to its fundamental (the undistorted/overdriven note). However, they both clip the wave in different ways. We’ll get to distortion in just a second, but let’s stay focused on overdrive for now. 

When a tube amp is pushed and clips, it does so in a way called soft clipping. It very gently clips the top and bottom of the sine wave in a smooth way, adding harmonic frequencies but still maintaining smooth peaks and valleys. Sonically, this results in a smooth, responsive, and slightly dirty tone. 

This process is what overdrive pedals are based around. On a tube amp, they can push the tubes to create that classic overdriven sound. They can also be used on tube amps to recreate those overdriven sounds without making you and your neighbors go deaf (sort of like an attenuator). For solid state amps, they can simulate the sound of a tube amp being pushed to the point of breakup. 

Distortion

Moving onto distortion, it is created via the same process as overdrive—clipping. However, distortion clips differently than overdrive. Instead of clipping gently and leaving nicely rounded peaks and valleys, distortion clips more aggressively. With distortion, the top and bottom of the sine wave are completely flattened, only leaving the angles between. 

So what does that actually mean? Basically, your signal is getting even more harmonic frequencies added, making it sound even dirtier than overdrive. It’s like overdrive, but taken up a notch. 

In terms of pedals, they function similarly to overdrive pedals. On tube amps, they can even further push the tubes and create even more dirty and distorted sounds. And for solid state amps, they create a similar distorted sound, but without the element of tubes being pushed. 

Fuzz

While we’re here, we might as well explain how fuzz works too. Fuzz is just like overdrive and distortion, except it gets clipped even more heavily than distortion. Instead of clipping the tops and bottoms to be flat and leaving the angles between intact, fuzz turns the whole thing into a square wave. And for the result, you get an even dirtier and “messed up” sound, which makes sense given what we’ve covered so far. 

The Sound

With the technical details covered, let’s move on to what really matters—how they sound. Though they may sound similar to the untrained ear, these effects sound as different as they function.

Overdrive

Generally speaking, the overdrive sound is more of that classic rock and roll kind of sound. Think more Cream or AC/DC and less Metallica or Slayer. Like mentioned earlier, overdrive is more gentle and smooth than distortion. It has less of an impact on your signal, so it’s closer to a clean signal than distortion, but it’s also not clean either. It’s a nice balance between super crunchy distortion and a plain, clean tone. 

Sonically, overdrive can be used in just about any context. It works great for adding a little dirt and power to riffs, especially power chords. It also works great for leads, as it can give you that boost and edge you need for the solo to really stand out. 

Another common use is to use it to even further push an amp that’s already overdriven, similar to Tony Iommi of Black Sabbath. Many also use them as a clean boost with the overdrive completely turned down, solely to further push their tube amps.

One last thing to note is that overdrives tend to be very responsive to player dynamics. Since the signal is being clipped less, it’s more reactive to the nuances in your picking than distortion. This is especially true when paired with a tube amp, which is partially why many players swear by overdrive. 

Distortion

Moving onto distortion, it’s a much more aggressive sound than overdrive. Distortion is more heavy metal than classic rock. It very heavily clips your signal, so it changes your overall tone a lot more than distortion does by adding many more harmonic frequencies. It’s significantly more aggressive and dirty than overdrive. 

As far as usage goes, distortion is a little bit more limited since it’s a more extreme effect. However, it can still be used in nearly any context. It’s great for songs you want to feel heavier, more powerful, and more aggressive. It’s also great at creating those searing and soaring leads common on metal and fusion records. 

And as mentioned above, distortion is less responsive to player dynamics. Since the signal is so heavily clipped, a lot of those nuances get lost in the process.

Using Both Together?

So what about using both together? Well, that’s very common too. Randy Rhodes famously used a distortion pedal to push his already overdriven Marshall Plexi even harder, creating his iconic guitar tone. In general, stacking both together just creates an even more saturated and dirty tone. 

As far as which should go first, that’s a matter of preference and use. Some prefer overdrive first, while others prefer distortion first. Putting overdrive first results in more saturation and compression, while putting the distortion first tends to provide more of a boost than more crunch. Either way, it’s a matter of opinion and something you should experiment with yourself. 

Overdrive vs Distortion: Which is Best for You?

Though many people think they are the same, overdrive and distortion are distinctly different from each other. Overdrive is created via soft clipping, resulting in a smooth, responsive, and slightly dirty sound. Distortion on the other hand utilizes heavy clipping to create a heavily distorted and crunchy tone. 

Each effect has its own place in the world of guitar and its own uses. Which one is best for you depends entirely upon your preferences, gear, and the music you’re playing. We recommend experimenting with both to find the ideal sound for you. So put on some Stringjoys and start trying out some pedals!