10 Best Overdrive Pedals Under $50 Review

The overdrive pedals on this list are some of the best on this price range to offer beginners and seasoned players alike, a cost effective way to enjoy playing the classic up to a modern overdriven sound without having to dig deep on their pockets.

Arguably at their best, the overdriven sound these pedals produce has little to hardly noticeable difference with their predecessors to be considered a worthy cheap alternative to popular expensive effects pedal units.

The only concern on this affordable pedals especially on the most cheapest one’s is the quality of components inside. This is actually were it takes a big hit and criticism on how reliable these pedals can be and if they can last long.

But other than that, they are decent overdrive pedals to use or at the least to be back-up overdrive pedal for practice and gigs. Many still gravitates on using this overdrive pedals mainly because of the price. Then followed by the overall clean boost to overdriven sound it provides, and again also for having a decent built quality for the money.


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Kokko FOD3

Kokko FOD3 Mini Overdrive Pedal
  • Mini overdrive pedal
  • Compact pedal format to place on a pedalboard
  • Controls are drive, level, tone and footswitch
  • True bypass, enclose in a aluminum chassis for durability and with heavy duty footswitch
  • Powered by an AC adapter delivering 9V or with pedalboard power supply

For its impressive low price point, this pedal has a true bypass, enclose in a aluminum chassis for durability with heavy duty footswitch and the knobs for the tone, level and drive are all in appropriately size. In regards on how it sounds, this overdrive pedal can deliver a great deal of vintage warm overdrive sound for blues and classic rock.

Adding to that, anti-skid rubber pads on the back for the Kokko FOD3 overdrive are placed for stability and to avoid friction between the effects pedal to the ground. LED indicator is present for status and the unit is powered by an AC adapter delivering 9V or with pedalboard power supply.


Donner Blues Drive

Donner Blues Drive Overdrive Pedal
  • Mini overdrive pedal
  • Overdrive pedal has the blues sound similar to a Boss BD-2 Blues Driver
  • Controls are heavy duty footswitch, tone, gain, level knobs and a toggle switch for hot and warm settings
  • Small and compact to carry on a gig bag
  • True bypass pedal on a aluminum chassis

Donnerdeal is one of the best brands when it comes to affordable guitar gears on the market today. This brand is much well known for the pedalboards they make together with the wide variety of guitars effects on an affordable price range.

The Donner Blues Drive is a mini overdrive pedal that runs on 9V AC adapter and also compatible to use with any pedalboard power supply. This overdrive pedal has the blues sound similar to a Boss BD-2 Blues Driver just on a lower cost. It is a true bypass pedal on a aluminum chassis, has heavy duty footswitch, a tone, gain, level knobs and a toggle switch for hot and warm settings for tonal control.


ENO TC-16 Trouble

ENO TC-16 Trouble Overdrive Pedal
  • Mini overdrive pedal
  • Small and affordable alternative overdrive pedal to the Fultone OCD overdriven sound
  • Has an easy to use level, tone, drive knobs for tone control and a 2-way toggle to switch from high to low peak sound
  • True bypass design made of aluminum chassis with heavy duty footswitch
  • Runs using an 9V AC adapter or with the power supply on a pedalboard

Here is small and budget wise overdrive pedal to reproduce the Fultone OCD overdriven quality sound. The ENO TC-16 Trouble overdrive pedal is in true bypass design made of aluminum chassis with heavy duty foot switch. Has an easy to use level, tone, drive knobs for tone control and a 2-way toggle to switch from high to low peak sound.

The stombox runs using an 9V AC adapter or with the power supply on a pedalboard. It also has a LED indicator that lights up when the pedal is functional and anti-skid rubber pad is placed at the back for stability.


Behringer TO800 Vintage Tube Overdrive

Behringer TO800 Vintage Tube Overdrive
  • Vintage tube overdrive without breaking the bank
  • Offers a tube like sound with a smooth sustain that never goes out style
  • To turn on and tweak it has simple controls consisting only of drive, level, tone and footswitch
  • Heavy duty housing and footswitch to last
  • Status LED for effect On/Off and battery check

Awesome sounding overdrive pedal for beginners without emptying their pocket and for gigging players looking for an affordable pedal to include in their growing stompbox collection is the Behringer TO800. This pedal in a nutshell offers the kind of vintage tube sound that never goes out dated and the overdrive sound that many crave to achieve when not using a crank up valve amp.

To carve overdriven tones, this effect pedal has simple controls consisting only of drive, level, tone and footswitch. The Beringer TO800 runs on a 9V battery or with a pedal power supply to chain with your other effects.


Caline CP-18 Orange Burst

Caline CP-18 Orange Burst Overdrive Pedal
  • One of the best overdrive pedal for its price
  • Standard size pedal with a rugged metal housing and smooth knobs
  • Controls are gain, volume, treble, bass and footswitch
  • Overdrive pedal to go from a very pristine clean to a very smooth, compressed overdriven sound.
  • Has a true bypass design and with a LED status indicator

Probably thie Caline CP-18 Orange Burst is one of the best overdrive pedal for its price, great when used as a clean boost and has a very smooth overdriven sound. It features a road worthy aluminum chassis in orange color, heavy duty footswitch, has a true bypass design, LED status indicator and extra switch knobs for treble and bass for optimal tonal control.

Upon using the pre-gain stage, you’ll experience the overdrive pedal go from a very pristine clean to a very smooth, compressed, overdriven sound. It is easy to operate even for beginners to find a sweet spot transitioning from a clean boost to overdriven sound.


TC Electronic MojoMojo Overdrive

TC Electronic MojoMojo Overdrive
  • Specifically made to sound like a crank up tube amp as much as possible
  • Controls are drive, level, bass, treble, 2-way toggle voice and footswitch
  • Stack well with other pedals or along side with the TC Electronic Dark Matter distortion pedal
  • Chassis is made of aluminum with heavy duty footswitch assuring the pedal can withstand continuous use and the road
  • Powering this pedal is with the use of a 9V battery or with a power supply

The TC Electronic MojoMojo Overdrive is specifically designed to sound like a crank up tube amp as much as possible. It has four easy to use control knobs, the level for how hard the effect hits the amp, drive for the amount of overdrive, bass and treble knobs for cutting and boosting the bass and treble frequencies independently to dial-in a perfect tone. Another control to look forward too on using this effects pedal is the toggle switch for changing the voice which adds more tonal control.

The chassis is made of aluminum with heavy duty footswitch assuring the pedal can withstand continuous use and the road. A true bypass overdrive pedal with a warm overdriven sound that stack well with other pedals or along side with the TC Electronic Dark Matter Distortion Pedal. Powering this pedal is with the use of a 9V battery or with a power supply.


NUX OD-3 Overdrive

NUX OD-3 Overdrive
  • Vintage sounding overdrive pedal
  • Sound almost closely the same to the famous Ibanez tube screamer
  • Simple controls to operate consisting of an effects level, drive, tone and footswitch
  • Green color aluminum chassis and vintage voicing
  • Run using a 9V battery, an AC adapter or with a power supply

The green color aluminum chassis and vintage voicing of the Nux OD-3 Overdrive unit arguably suggest that it is a good affordable substitute to the famous Ibanez tube screamer. Even for its control it has the classic tone, level and gain knobs which are easy to use and pretty straight forward. Another great feature on this stompbox is the robust footswitch that some may actually prefer than the original.

For power, the unit can run using a 9V battery, an AC adapter or with a power supply. LED status indicator is place on the middle for visibility that turns red when the unit is functional. The overdriven sound coming from this stompbox has a classic vibe which is great for playing blues, classic rock and to be use on other forms of music as well.


Joyo Overdrive Pedals

Joyo JF-01 Vintage Overdrive
  • Joyo JF-01 Vintage Overdrive
  • Classic vibe overdrive sound just like of a tube screamer
  • Controls are drive, volume, tone and footswitch
  • Road worthy metal housing and heavy duty footswitch to step on
  • Powered by 9V battery, or either with a AC adpater and power supply on a pedalboard
Joo JF-02 Ultimate Overdrive
  • Joyo JF-02 Ultimate Drive
  • Resembles the sound of the Fultone OCD Overdrive Pedal
  • Controls to tweak are gain, level, tone and footswitch
  • Road worthy metal housing and heavy duty footswitch to step on
  • Powered by 9V battery, or either with a AC adpater and power supply on a pedalboard

Joyo Tai Chi Overdrive
  • Joyo Tai Chi Overdrive
  • The crunch is close to becoming a distortion pedal for a more metal overdriven sound
  • Controls to tweak and find your sweet spot are drive, volume, tone and footswitch
  • Road worthy metal housing and heavy duty footswitch to step on
  • Powered by 9V battery, or either with a AC adpater and power supply on a pedalboard

Joyo offers three overdrive pedals on this price range and each one delivers a different punch of a true bypass overdriven sound. All are made from aluminum chassis with heavy duty foot switch top of by an easy to use gain/drive, tone and volume knobs for tonal controls. Every effects unit is powered by 9V battery, or either with a AC adpater and power supply on a pedalboard.

First on this list in green is the Joyo JF-1 Vintage Overdrive Pedal that has the classic vibe overdrive sound of a tube screamer while the Joyo JF-2 Ultimate Drive Pedal got its base sound on a Fultone OCD Overdrive Pedal which is more heavier with a high and low peak sound controlled by a two way toggle switch.

Last but not the least is the Joyo Tai Chi Overdrive Pedal which is more hairy when compared with the other two, adding more crunch close to becoming a distortion pedal for the metal vibe overdriven sound it bring to the table.

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