Both are heavy, but they get there differently. Distortion is tight, focused, hard-clipped gain — the sound of modern rock and metal. Fuzz is older, wilder and more saturated — a squared-off, characterful effect that predates it.
| Distortion | Fuzz | |
|---|---|---|
| Voice | Tight, focused, controlled — even saturation with clear note definition. | Thick, woolly, saturated — raw and characterful, often looser and fatter. |
| Clipping | Hard-clipping, voiced for a modern, defined heavy tone. | Extreme near-square-wave clipping — the most saturated dirt there is. |
| Tightness | Tight low end and picking response — great for fast, palm-muted riffs. | Looser and bigger — better for sustain and texture than tight chugging. |
| Best for | Hard rock, metal, tight modern rhythm from any amp. | Psychedelia, stoner/doom, big fuzzy leads and walls of sound. |
| Examples | Boss DS-1, ProCo Rat, Boss Metal Zone. | Fuzz Face, Big Muff, Tone Bender. |
Distortion is tight, focused hard-clipping voiced for a modern, defined heavy tone — ideal for rock and metal rhythm (Boss DS-1, ProCo Rat, Metal Zone). Fuzz uses the most extreme, near-square-wave clipping for a thick, saturated, characterful and often looser sound rooted in psychedelia and stoner rock (Fuzz Face, Big Muff, Tone Bender). Distortion is precision; fuzz is texture.