iStingor's Metal Shredder MS-1 is a killer Super High Gain Distortion, Tight and Modern-leaning with Superb Low Noise Floor and Extensive Range

Jul 2, 202612:00 by

Stefan Karlsson

DistortioniStingorMetal Distortion

This is my second iStingor pedal - I’m fully onboard with that brand now, while the first one - the Super OverDrive OD-1 was entirely off my own back. I’ve been really impressed with this range - and there’s no one close to this level of quality at this price point - just $79 across the board courtesy of the iStingor Amazon.com Store. I’ve already commented on the build quality, and the exceptional packaging the pedals come in.

Note that my recently landed Metal Shredder MS-1 and Super Lead SL-1 pedals - are currently awaiting a restock on the Amazon Store. I will be doing further follow-up articles on this brand - so you will get plenty of notice and updates on what is available and where!

There are certain design cues here inspired by Boss and other leading brands - but - simply ’inspired by’ really - as all iStingor circuits are distinct and different from anything they might be reminiscent of. Like the Super OverDrive OD-1 - is nothing really like the Boss OverDrives said naming and enclosure colour evokes - but a still pretty fantastic versatile overdrive in its own right - which is particularly impressive for me in the Turbo Mode.

I believe all / most of the iStingor gain pedals are built on their own proprietary CMOS circuit platform - where each one very much has its own distinct voicing - as is the case with the Metal Shredder MS-1. It’s not specifically reminiscent of any specific well-known high gain pedal - but it overlaps with a few of them in its extended range. It’s nothing particularly like the Metal Zone - which you might think is its nearest match by its similar look and control topology! The MS-1 has a different feel to it, and different EQ taper overall.

I've had quite a number of high gain pedals in of late - and my S-Tier selection typically features pedals by Fortin, Lichtlaerm and Sinvertek - those are particularly fierce and very much at the top of the tree in terms of high gain dynamics. Intriguingly though - these iStingor High Gain pedals run very close - definitely A-tier, and better than the recent REVV duo for my preferences (Volume in particular!) - but not really the same pedals as those - just better balanced, with more even EQ's and more range - especially on the volume side.

My biggest bugbear with some of my high gain pedals is that they just aren't quite loud enough - that's not the case with these iStingor ones at all - I tend to have mine set at 3 o'c - so I still have several further gears to go up the scale - while my settings are already pretty cranked.

Controls - Treble, Middle ± Cut/Boost, Bass, Level, Range (Mid Frequency), Gain.

I'm so impressed by the taper on each of those controls. A criticism of the Boss Metal Zone has often been that the Parametric Mids are a little fiddly (until the somewhat smoother MT-2W) - with some quirks in the Frequency knob taper. Here we have no such issues - the knob action is really even and predictable - and this pedal is really beautifully poised - and a proper delight to dial in.

As mentioned - it very much has its own voicing - whose inherent tightness means that it's somewhat modern-leaning, while the EQ is really expansive and can still deliver more vintage-inspired tones as well as modern tones - just with that inherent tightness throughout. You don't get that vintage sag necessarily, but you can still very much get vintage style tones. The Gain compression is nicely even too - while I find it a little over-compressed for my liking at full tilt - but can happily go as high as 4 o'c.

All-in-all I've been really impressed here - this one and its SL-1 sibling that I will be reviewing next - are both superb - A-tier for sure, and put a lot of far more expensive peers to shame. The MS-1 is the highest gain iStingor to date, but the SL-1 is not too far behind - still somewhat modern - but more kind of adjacent to Modded Plexi and JCM-800 territory - it's not exactly Marshall-y, but kind of inspired by those sounds. As I mentioned up top - each of these iStingor pedals are their own thing - and very decent they are too!

My Preferred More Vintage Style Settings - Treble @ 3 o'c, Middle @ 4 o'c, Bass @ 4 o'c, Level @ 3 o'c, Range (Frequency) @ 10 o'c, Gain @ 4 o'c.

My Preferred More Modern Style Settings - Treble @ 3 o'c, Middle @ 2 o'c, Bass @ 3 o'c, Level @ 3 o'c, Range (Frequency) @ 3 o'c, Gain @ 3 o'c.

In so many ways - the Metal Shredder MS-1 is somewhat unbeatable at this price point - it sounds great - has a huge range and versatility - loads of volume, and a fantastic whisper quiet low noise floor - really superbly executed. This MS-1 will definitely go in on the next Full Metal Racket Rundown - it's really impressive. Obviously with that battery compartment at the front too. There is just nothing comparable at $79. If you're looking for your first or mainstay high gain pedal even - then this one is a really good choice.