MXR M75 Super Badass Distortion review

Those soldering iron-wielding muthas at MXR have done it again. Not content with one Badass (the M78 Custom Badass '78 Distortion), they've one-upped it with the M75 Super Badass Distortion.

With everything set to 12 o'clock, the Super Badass's basic voicing is tight and crunchy - firmly in the British distortion camp. There's a huge range of output on offer, too - unity volume lies at around 10 o'clock.

The gain range is similarly impressive: three-quarters on the distortion knob yields a thick, chunky growl that will satisfy most genres of rock players.

You can also employ the three-band EQ to up the mids for vintage bite or cut 'em for metal thrills, all with impressive touch sensitivity and low noise levels. Crank the distortion level too much, however, and things get oversaturated - it's great for molten leads, but not so much for complex chords.

On the other side of the coin, the low-gain settings are very usable - sure, the Super Badass might not knock the Tube Screamer off your 'board, but it further highlights this distortion pedal's versatility.

Add in a partiality to both single coils and humbuckers, plus true bypass and solid build quality, and MXR now has a Best Buy Badass on its hands.