Do you know what really grinds my gear? The Boss Mega Distortion MD-2 pedal.
If you love 7-string guitars, drop tuning, and Nu metal, and at the same time hate your neighbors, and the top three strings on your guitar, this pedal is a great choice.
However, I do like using the top three strings on my guitar (I don’t necessarily love my neighbors). And I totally hated this pedal when I first bought it.
Here’s why I have a love-hate relationship with this pedal.
Why did I buy this pedal in the first place?
It was a cold night in January back in 2018, and I saw that pedal for a good price on a Facebook group for buying and selling music equipment.
The guy selling it happened to be my friend’s cousin, and I happened to be an amateur guitarist who thought gear would make his playing sound better and that Boss pedals are the best out there, no matter what.
I wanted to use a distortion pedal to get that creamy, sweet blues tone in The Doors’ “Roadhouse Blues” solo. And boy, did I make a big mistake.
In short, I was ignorant; it was an impulsive purchase, I didn’t think it through, and I didn’t do my research.
Why the f*** did I keep this pedal?
Well, it’s not really a bad pedal, and I happen to be one of those guys who once wore a homemade Slipknot mask to a Halloween party. Yeah, I might be the only one.
But this pedal absolutely rocks for drop tuning and playing some heavy Nu Metal riffs, triplets, and chugs!
So what am I bitc**** about then?
This pedal is so freakin inconsistent. Sometimes it delivers a tone that blows my mind, and sometimes, it just really grinds my freaking gear!
The short answer is that this pedal’s tone is really dependent… Dependent on what? On literally everything! The guitar you’re using, the amp, the room, other instruments, the pedals you stack it with, each and every freakin knob you can think about, and so on.
Now I know that this applies to most distortion pedals if not all. But I can assure you that this pedal, in most scenarios, will frustrate the shit out of you.
The pedal is amazing for low frequencies and bassy, distorted noise. But the high frequencies don’t sound good to me, and very often, the guitar sound almost disappears in the mix when there are other instruments.
Should you buy this pedal?
Always remember, buying a new piece of gear is never a bad idea!
If you like headbanging, breakdowns, chugs, triplets, and wearing Slipknot masks, it’s a no-brainer. You will love this pedal!
I think the guitar community agrees that this pedal is made for drop tuning and 7-string guitars, even basses!
But if you’re on a tight budget, play “Wonderwall” at house parties, or want to get that sweet Tash Sultana tone, don’t. You’re not going to vibe with it.
That pedal was gathering dust on one of my shelves until, one day; I discovered that it sounded great with my tube screamer or when I drop-tune my guitar.
Ever since then, I learned that distortion pedals are different and we should respect them all and buy them all if possible.
Thanks for tuning in! And never save a penny in your bank account. We’re going to die anyway! Have a great one.
