MXR M115 Distortion III

The MXR M115 Distortion III has a really nice tone quality to it and is usable for other genres besides blues. I have only use this with guitar and I probably wouldn't recommend it for use with any other instrument, although it would work fine. I just think the specific tone this has it probably best with guitar. It is great for playing blues lead lines and also works great as an all around rhythm guitar overdrive.

UTILIZATION

The general configuration and set of the M115’s couldn't be easier. It has three knobs - one for level, one for tone, and one for gain. After a few minutes of playing around with this, you should be able to figure out what everything does exactly and get a quick good sound from it. It is easy to get a light, subtle overdrive or to get a nice thick tone. I don't have a manual for this, but like most MXR manuals, it is probably pretty thorough. This being said, the pedal is easy to figure out and most probably won't need a manual.

SOUND QUALITY

very very clean sounding.

OVERALL OPINION

I've been using the M115 for about four or five years. While I don't use it all the time, when I am looking for a specific type of overdrive, this can work like a charm. Boss has a reputation for make quality products, and this pedal definitely fits that bill. It would be hard to break and has a great overall tone quality. The price, like most Boss pedals like this one, is quite cheap and players on all budgets could probably afford one of they wanted it. If you play blues and are looking for an overdrive that isn't too heavy, I definitely recommend taking a look at this. They aren’t expensive and they sound great, that’s a definite buy right there in my opinion.

This is a pretty standard distortion pedal. No frills nothing fancy. It is analog, it has true bypass. There's a simple input and output, as well as a spot to plug in a 9V adapter.

UTILIZATION

The setup is very simple. It has three knobs. The Output knob acts like a booster. You can set it so that when you turn on the pedal on it not only adds distortion but boosts the sound as well. Very useful if you're using this for solos. The next knob is a Tone knob. This is kind of like a treble knob. This one should usually be cranked most of the way unless you play stoner rock. The final knob is the Disortion. You can just add a little bit for a nice crunch or crank it for solo's or any type of hard rock.

Overall this pedal is very easy to use and you don't even need the manual to tell you how it works. All you need is about 5 minutes and you're good to go.

SOUND QUALITY

This is a great sounding distortion pedal. Not only is it simple but you can get a distortion for whatever you want. It sounds good no matter what you're using it for. If you just turn the Distortion on a little bit and crank the Tone all the way you get a nice bite to your clean tone. Perfect overdrive. Nice and clear with single coils. Dirty and buttery with humbuckers. If you want some power crank it up halfway for hard riffs or a dirty blues solo. With experimentation you could get any type of distortion save for thrash metal.

I mainly use this as an overdrive pedal with my Gibson SG Standard through a Fender Blues Deluxe. Sounds great. When I add my fuzz pedal over it I get a great juicy solo tone reminiscent of Brian May.

OVERALL OPINION

I've had this pedal for about 5 or 6 months now and I love it. When I record I go from the guitar to the pedal to my computer. Works great. I love everything about the pedal. It's simple, very useful, it sounds great, it doesn't break the bank, and you can easily dial in your own tone with it. I tried a few Boss and Digitech pedals but none of them really stuck out like this one. Like I said, its not too expensive either. I got mine for $80.00. I'd buy another but I don't see this one having any problems for a long time.

(Originally written by fantomas197/translated from Audiofanzine FR)

Analog distortion pedal.
Three controls: level, distortion and tone

UTILIZATION

Ultra easy to use and it sounds good with every setting.

SOUND QUALITY

High-quality sound and good reproduction of the tonal character of the guitar (I have a Gibson BFG). You can play all styles of music from blues to hard rock, but you'll hardly be able to play heavy metal because of the limited gain, which is a real pity. Given its versatility, it could become a must-have pedal if it had a wider gain range (it's the only reason I grade it 8 out 10). The tone knob is very effective.

OVERALL OPINION

I've been using it for a very short time to replace my old DS1 (and there is no comparison whatsoever). I will keep it in spite of the limited gain because it's a real good effect pedal. Perhaps I will buy a more transparent booster and plug it just before this pedal.
The value for money is very good when it comes to the sound. I already tried plenty of pedals of all makes (Maxon, Boss, Proco, Ehx....) and I like this best.

It svre crunch!
It respects the sound of your guitar that we recognize.
It is dynamic and responds your attack style.
Easily found (s) sound (s) that is sought, me anyway - the sharpness of Blood Sugar Red Hot!
I play on a strat.

USE

This is not a Big Disto!
Overdrive, Crunch and Disto.
For me, it's a Idale pedal for rhythm.

SOUND QUALITY

Buy 110 without battery, adapter possibilities. (9v)
Very good sound quality.
The accuracy of all Tone is, like the rest.

NOTICE GLOBAL

I do not know what to say, go try it!
Completely satisfied.
Simple and effective, it is worth more than the 100.

I hesitated with RAT, the MXR is me and my Start breathable.

Big fans of sounds, I do not think it will suit you but try the with dual microphones, you never know.