Group Test: Blues overdrives

An overdrive pedal is an overdrive pedal, right? Well, while that is generally about the size of it, the truth is that not all overdrives are created equal – and some lend themselves better to particular styles of music than others. For example, what works for high-octane classic rock won’t necessarily cut it in a blues context, and vice versa. And with so many overdrives on the market – from both obscure boutique builders working in a shed to the big mainstream names – there’s an awful lot to choose from, so how do you know what to pick? Well, here we’ve rounded up four sub-£100 pedals that are ideally suited to the task – they’re all no-nonsense overdrives that can push your amp harder for that extra bite coupled with the sweet sustain that blues players crave.