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If more bassists used distortion the world would be a better place


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Not if you run a bi-amped rig like I do...I run my distortion and chorus on the top end amp into a pair of 2x10's and I run my low end amp with no effects into either a 2x15 or a 1x18.


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Is the cat essential?

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I play mostly guitar, but in my last two bands I play(ed) bass. And I must say I agree with the thread title. :)

But I don't get the love for the Boss ODB-3, that's really a terrible sounding pedal... Pick any guitar pedal with good equalization (bass boost!), and it will most likely sound better on bass than the ODB-3.

And as much as I like high gain for guitar, on bass it doesn't work so well IMO.

My favorite kind of overdrive for bass is a tubescreamer-like low gain sound, with a bass boost. For bass, low gain sounds much heavier and aggressive than for guitar. I use the tubescreamer model from my digitech DF-7 for that (the DF-7 has excellent EQ). I guess a Bad Monkey could also work, or another tubescreamer variant with a bass knob. If the base sound is good (unlike the ODB-3), I don't really need a blend knob...

I mostly play fingerstyle, but when using overdrive or distortion, using a pick sounds a lot better.

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I agree with the play it like a bass, not a guitar comments.

Love the Supercollider/Beast on bass, it has so much low end, if you're looking for a Muff to fuzz up your low end, it's a good place to start.

Another fuzz box I've had much success with is the Noise Swash. It has lots of lows, but it will also pump out some gnarley frequencies that can easily over power the band if used in the wrong hands, plus it has a clean blend. It works really well if used properly, or if you want a massive wall of sound.

I've heard great things about the Small Sound/Big Sound Team Awesome Fuzz Machine, for both bass and guitar.

old school -

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new school -

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But I don't get the love for the Boss ODB-3, that's really a terrible sounding pedal... Pick any guitar pedal with good equalization (bass boost!), and it will most likely sound better on bass than the ODB-3.

 

 

Actually I'm glad someone's said this, because I wasn't sure where all the love was coming from. I didn't like it when my bassist used one, and I was relieved to find out he hated it.

 

I actually used it on guitar briefly and it's got quite a cool tone.

 

Mah bassist uses an ashdown pedal. It's got different drive controls for the low and high end which I think he enjoys because it means you can dial in exciting crunch without it getting farty.

 

I made him get a bass big muff too. He almost always hates it until we make him use it in an appropriate bit, then he goes "oh yeah!"

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I've found that one pedal that works amazing as a bass OD but gets absolutely no love is the MI Audio Blues Pro (at least the older versions, don't know about the new one). Sounds good with or without the fuzz switch on, and the tone knob seems to boost the bass frequencies as you turn it down, giving a really nice rumbly sound.

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tips for a really nice inexpensive fuzz that's made by one of our beloved forumites.

i love my Melx V2 Fuzz on bass (as well as on guitar), rolling the volume knob on the bass slightly down. sounds {censored}ing godly. it's more of a dirty dirty distortion than a fuzz.

my Black Arts Pharaoh also {censored}ing slays with bass... made a Big Muff sound like a joke.

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