MXR M80 or Blowtorch?

[Clarky72]

Has anyone tried both? Which did you prefer and why?

Apologies if this thread has been done before but I didn't see one existing...

[lemmywinks]

Well they're totally different pedals really so a comparison isn't that useful.

I used to have the Blowtorch, really nice pedal with a good variety of fuzz sounds. Does a synthy, buzzy fuzz really well, i imagine it would be good for Muse type stuff. I could also get a really good, heavy Muff sound out of it at home but it was lost against our old drummer, it struggled to compete with his loud, mid-heavy kit and sounded a bit gutless despite lots of fiddling with the eq. I'd like to try it again although it is a pain to power (18v supply).

The M80 is a different beast, it's a distortion with a switchable 3 band EQ and a DI.
It's been on my pedalboard sonce i bought it ages ago. The drive is great, really ticks all the boxes for me and i'd use this pedal if this was all it did, indeed the drive is the main reason i bought it.
One of the only Distortion pedals i've used that retains all the cut and low end from the clean signal, so you can switch it in without going overboard on volume. By that i mean it sounds like a distorted version of the source, rather than an over-processed sound that smothers the original signal. The blend knob is the key to this pedal i think.

[steviedee]

+1 for the MX80 is awesome I'm toying with flogging mine because i've bought an RBI and am waiting for an RPM to partner with it, but I might just keep the m80 as it's great.

[EskimoBassist]

Totally agree with Lemmywinks on this one. The Blowtorch's silly power requirement was a put-off for me, but I consider my M-80 as an essential part of my sound. Totally different pedals, as he says.

[Clarky72]

Thanks guys. I'm looking for a decent bit of distortion and the M80 was swinging it for me, just wanted to see if anyone really rated the Blowtorch...

[dudewheresmybass]

i currently have both.
The blowtorch is best suited to fuzzy/ synthy sounds. It can do overdrive, but it always has a fuzzy edge to it.

For Distortion, I would most defintiely go with the M80. Judicious use of the blend works wonders, but it can get some lovely drive/ dist sounds.

[lemmywinks]

I'd also add that what works with my rig (and more importantly drummer and his kit) might not work for yours. I found the EBS drive pedal pretty much gutless when i used it, yet my mate has exactly the same pedal (we even A/B tested them at one point!) and loves it in his rig.

The only way to know if a pedal works for you live is to gig it. Fortunately buying and selling pedals on here is quick and cheap with almost no losses as pedals retain their values quite well, so it's also a fun process too!


If you're after a top distortion then i'd also look at the Bogdan Helter Skelter and the Owen Bass Gremlin, i really liked both of those, particularly the Owen.
I've also been looking for a Carl Martin bass OD but they're quite pricey when they come up.

[mcnach]

I tried both, although the Blowtorch I had (brief swap here with another basschatter for my M80) was malfunctioning and only worked in one mode.

The M80 is more versatile. Distortionwise, it's not subtle. It's a pretty fizzy distortion even at low gain, but it works well and you can blend it with the dry sound. It's a good distortion, but it is a distortion, not anything like an overdrive. If you want a mild fat overdrive, the M80 isn't it.
The Blowtorch is entirely different, it's a fuzz, and more suitable for "synth-like" distortion, if you know what I mean. You can get some great sounds out of it, but it's not an overdrive and it's not a standard distortion. If you want something a bit different, check it out. It's a pretty cool pedal.