Members Phantasm Posted March 31, 2008 Members Share Posted March 31, 2008 I've spent a good bit of time over the past few years trying pedal after pedal that provides various levels of gain. If anyone's interested, here is a little review of what I've tried and what I've learned. I'm not done and my study is far from complete, but for anyone else wanting to go on that journey I'll try my best to explain what it's like. The first hurdle was learning the difference between overdrive, distortion, and fuzz. Basically, to me, the terms denote the amount of clipping where overdrive is very light clipping, distortion is more clipping, and fuzz is a lot of bombastic clipping. I really set out on my quest thinking I wanted a great light overdrive. Along the way I figured out that sometimes a really bombastic fuzz is nice also. I also figured out that an active bass with a lot of output is a gain pedal's worst enemy... I had to control the signal level to make the pedals useable. And finally, if you're not using a pick, you can pretty much say goodbye to the bite or attack on the top end of what you're playing (at least to my ears) which gets worse as the clipping increases. Here are the pedals I tried with a little review: Fulltone Bassdrive: As this is a big favorite around here, I went for the bassdrive early on in my search. Basically the Fulltone Bassdrive is a Tube Screamer for bass that doesnt' lose low end and has several clipping options. The Comp Cut mode was my favorite as I prefer a light overdrive (that was my big goal as I set out) but there was something about the clipping that I just didn't care for after trying a lot to like it. The other settings were less subtle and sometimes useful, but while there was no low end loss I had trouble EQ'ing things to where the sound would not drop out or be too boomy when I kicked on the gain channel. EBS Multidrive: This was a great subtle OD that never really got very nasty, and that was a good thing. I like that the pedal has an active/passive switch on the side, this made it very useful with my active basses (where most gain pedals HATED my active basses.) This would have been a winner hands down except for the problem that it would lose high end when you kick the pedal on, enough that it was a notceable problem for me and again, I didn't have a way to EQ the amp such that the pedal was useful both on and off. Sansamp BDDI: The BDDI has a great overdrive, especially if you watch the blend knob and leave it between 40-60%. There's a mid notch at 725hz that I have a love/hate relationship with. Sometimes I think if that notch was adjustable I'd love the pedal unconditionally, but that animal doesn't exist. I've heard a lot about the GT2 being better/good for bass, and I'll try one of those when I can pick one up for $100 or less. Guyatone Sustainer-D and Aphex Bass Xciter: I really loved the fuzz sounds that you hear on the Jimmy Chamberlin Complex album, and I read that Billy Moheler used this combination to get them. I really need to do some more experimenting with this one, because I hear the heart and soul of the sound is in there. I got derailed from my study of this combo because I couldn't think of a place to use it in my current bands, but if you haven't listened to that disc check it out. They have some GREAT rock bass sounds on there. Ibanez Tubescreamer: After the Fulltone, I tried the regular Tubescreamer on a whim. If it wouldn't suck out so many lows, it wouldn't be half bad to be honest for light OD or moderate distortion. If there was a pedal between the Ibanez Tubescreamer and the Fulltone Bassdrive, it would probably be awesome. UPDATE: Jazz Ad points out that the Jacques Tube Blower fits the bill for this task (according to his personal experience, he owns one.) Jazz Ad generously has recorded a quick soundclip: http://www.jazzad.org/Musiques/tubeblw.mp3 ProCo RAT: Loved the distortion, the texture of it reminded me of all those Failure albums I loved so much. Unfortunately it lost low end and the bass version I saw is available just sounds dreadful on the sound clips on the ProCo website. UPDATE: I tried putting a graphic EQ after the RAT model in my Bass Pod XT with very pleasing results. Now I'm thinking about duplicating this "outside the box" to see if the results in the "real world" are similar. I have a Turbo Rat on the way in the mail. Here's a soundclip of what I was able to get "in the box": http://www.menagerieband.com/stuff/TA_Sample.mp3 Turbo Rat: Inspired by Rootdogg, I bought a Turbo Rat from Ebay and tried to replicate what I was getting with the RAT model in the Bass Pod xt. With the Turbo Rat, I didn't use the Graphic EQ because I percieved less low end loss. Here's a sample, you be the judge: http://www.menagerieband.com/stuff/TA_Sample_Turbo_Rat.mp3 Big Muff: Just lots of BZZZZZZZ. I didn't get this one at all. I suppose it does one thing and does it well, just I don't need that thing. Flipster: At this point, I started building my own pedals trying to figure new things out more by myself, to see if I could alter parts to make something that was in my head. I tried the Flipster first because it promised JFET OD similar to an Ampeg VT-22 amp pre. The result is very ampeg sounding, but the pedal only has bass/treble controls and no midrange control. To me that's the weakness of the pedal. You can adjust the trimpots inside the pedal to control the action of the drive knob which is a huge help, but there is some plinky midrange somewhere in there that needs a little attenuation. I could probably add an EQ to the pedal and be a lot happier with it (and I may in the future.) Doom Fuzz: Guttermouth's Doom Fuzz intrigued me, as it was very similar to a fuzz that I was already building. The magic really happend for me with the Doom Fuzz which surprised me; it was a very much more intense effect than I had been trying. The real "aaaahhh" moment was when I engaged one of the tweeter cut switches and it just made the pedal SING. Not sure why the high attenuation of the doom fuzz is okay but the multidrive was not, but it just is. I actually use the doom fuzz with my band now for when I just want to get tough and bruise people with the sound. Update 12/16/2008: Here's a link to a clip of the Doom Fuzz in a recording: http://www.menagerieband.com/stuff/doom_fuzz.mp3 Woolly Mammoth: I spent some time with this pedal and really thought it would be the "fuzz bass" winner. The Doom Fuzz still had some scratchy, throaty thing when I kicked in the treble cut that beat it out. I definately can find some useful stuff in this pedal though, and the EQ knob actually works pretty well. If you turn the drive knob all the way down, the pedal turns into a heavy overdrive. I have seen "pedal boards of the stars" where one is full up or close to full up and the second is all the way down on the drive, so apparently this is a common observation of those who use the pedal. Definately a very nice fuzz to my ears if you have the $. I tried using the Pinch but it didn't work out that great for me unless I wanted the synth-y vibe that it added. Usually I just had it to the disable position. Crowther Hotcake: This is my most recent experiment, and it's got a lot of potential. The Hotcake was the first pedal that was just an honest light overdrive to mild distortion, and even my wife was able to hear that "this one sounds good." It doesn't overpower the soul of your bass sound and replace it with a signature sound, it enhances what you have and makes things thicker and fatter. Unfortunately, my guitar player was intrigued with it and I haven't been able to pry it out of his hands yet! I am curious to see how different IC's change the sound of the Hotcake. Thinking about it, I should probably try different IC's in the Fulltone Bassdrive to see if that fixes what bothers me about the clipping. The Future: I'm thinking about either buying some graphic EQ pedals and wiring up some loopers to put an EQ after the pedal to put back what's lost (this would make it easier for me to change channels live without having to change amp EQ.) The other possibility would be for me to build a bass EQ pedal that has a few simple controls to see if that will solve my problem. I have thought about a blender, but my experiments with using an outboard mixer haven't produced the kind of result I want. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members takeout Posted March 31, 2008 Members Share Posted March 31, 2008 Excellent thread. I may add to it with my own reviews at some point, if that's cool with you. Pedals not already covered, that is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members t3ch Posted March 31, 2008 Members Share Posted March 31, 2008 Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Incubitabus Posted March 31, 2008 Members Share Posted March 31, 2008 The Future: I'm thinking about either buying some graphic EQ pedals and wiring up some loopers to put an EQ after the pedal to put back what's lost (this would make it easier for me to change channels live without having to change amp EQ.) The other possibility would be for me to build a bass EQ pedal that has a few simple controls to see if that will solve my problem. I have thought about a blender, but my experiments with using an outboard mixer haven't produced the kind of result I want. *coughcoughParaLoopercough* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Phantasm Posted March 31, 2008 Author Members Share Posted March 31, 2008 *coughcoughParaLoopercough* It's on my list to build, but so far by testing with two mixer channels and trying to blend stuff together I'm not 100% sold. I do like the blend on the sansamp, though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members guitargod0dmw Posted March 31, 2008 Members Share Posted March 31, 2008 Very nice! Something I really want to try is a Rat in a blender pedal. I always hear about the low end loss, but the awesomeness of the pedal in general. I do believe that would solve the problem. I'll see if I can get my hands on a decent used one... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members lug Posted March 31, 2008 Members Share Posted March 31, 2008 No Korg PX3B Pandora on the fuzz setting? I'm highly disappointed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Renfield Posted March 31, 2008 Members Share Posted March 31, 2008 Will read this later from home. Very curious. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Phantasm Posted March 31, 2008 Author Members Share Posted March 31, 2008 Very nice! Something I really want to try is a Rat in a blender pedal. I always hear about the low end loss, but the awesomeness of the pedal in general. I do believe that would solve the problem. I'll see if I can get my hands on a decent used one... They aren't very expensive, I think new a Rat is $90. I know that when Failure used one they had a Boss EQ pedal after it. In fact, they seemed to use the Boss EQ pedal to fix any guitar effect that didn't have enough low end for bass. Hrm... Maybe I should learn my lesson from that! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Phantasm Posted March 31, 2008 Author Members Share Posted March 31, 2008 Excellent thread. I may add to it with my own reviews at some point, if that's cool with you. Pedals not already covered, that is. The more the merrier... OD/Distortion/Fuzz is a very popular subject around these parts and I'm sure everyone would appreciate your views. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Renfield Posted March 31, 2008 Members Share Posted March 31, 2008 Something I really want to try is a Rat in a blender... This post is worthless without pics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members BottomHeavyKate Posted March 31, 2008 Members Share Posted March 31, 2008 That was some awesome information - and it reminds me that I really need to take more time playing with my sounds.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members James Hart Posted March 31, 2008 Members Share Posted March 31, 2008 Teh quick fix Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members James Hart Posted March 31, 2008 Members Share Posted March 31, 2008 I should add that I had my Flipster tweaked to have significantly less gain, it works much better as a 'vintage grit' kinda tone box.... the 2 band EQ suits it nicely IMHO/E. My 2 favorite dirt boxes are my Analog.man King of Tone (I run it almost 24/7) and my OLC / ROG Thor as always FWIW and YMMV Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators ThudMaker Posted March 31, 2008 Moderators Share Posted March 31, 2008 I have a Visual Sound Route 66 sitting on my guitar pedal board. It is very reminisient of a Tubescreamer only more defined (less flabby). This pedal includes a bass boost switch, so I thought I might as well give it a test drive on the bass. I really didn't find much low end loss when setting up the in/out gain structure appropriately. It was warm and provided some bottom end while presenting enough dirt in the mids to hear in a band situation (on the right songs of course). The Route 66 is really 2 pedals in one, as it also has a compressor that can be kicked in. It is very clear to me that the comp is for guitar and not the bass. Don't use the comp if you're trying the pedal for bass. Also, it looks like Visual Sound has this same overdrive as an individual pedal called the Route 808. I also have a Marshall Guv'nor that can be tamed fairly well for bass, although it is a bit more buzzy than the Route 66. The Guv'nor includes a deep/low/mid/high eq controls, so finding a tone where bass isn't lost is fairly simple, provided that the OD gain is not over the top. It is a bit more cold sounding than the Route 66. I wouldn't sell either pedal, but to copy James Hart's disclaimer, FWIW and YMMV. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Phantasm Posted March 31, 2008 Author Members Share Posted March 31, 2008 I should add that I had my Flipster tweaked to have significantly less gain, it works much better as a 'vintage grit' kinda tone box.... the 2 band EQ suits it nicely IMHO/E. I ended up with a higher drain voltage as well, I think I've got it at 7v right now. The EQ is very Ampeg and very well suited for the pedal, just I'd like a midrange control of some sort to find the plinky thing I don't like and remove it a little. I have looked at the Thor and considered building one. I'd also like to try the Dr. Watt but OLC Circuits isn't responding to my multiple requests to buy a kit from them... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members PrestiaRules Posted March 31, 2008 Members Share Posted March 31, 2008 I recently tried the Valve Drive from EBS. Pretty neat pedal with some great sounds....pricey as all get out too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members James Hart Posted March 31, 2008 Members Share Posted March 31, 2008 I have looked at the Thor and considered building one. I'd also like to try the Dr. Watt but OLC Circuits isn't responding to my multiple requests to buy a kit from them... Please email once more... I know Mark has had some serious email issues and growing pains. He's got a secretary on staff now too, so hopefully it'll smooth itself out soon.(PM me your email address and I'll make sure he gets back to you) I'm waiting on a custom blender (just bought the Barge to tide me over, I'll flip it when mine comes in), and Orange Peel and a Phase 45 clone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members The Real MC Posted March 31, 2008 Members Share Posted March 31, 2008 Two contenders are the Tubeworks Blue Tube rackmount preamp and the Ampeg SVP-Pro. Both feature subtle overdrive that works really well for bass. I dial the SVP-Pro so that during normal playing it isn't overdriving, but when I slap-n-pop it overdrives the tubes and adds some nice harmonics that make it stand out in the mix. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Guttermouth Posted March 31, 2008 Members Share Posted March 31, 2008 Very nice! Something I really want to try is a Rat in a blender pedal. I always hear about the low end loss, but the awesomeness of the pedal in general. I do believe that would solve the problem. I'll see if I can get my hands on a decent used one... i've got a used rat and english made guv'nor enroute for tweaking purposes.i can let you know how they come out if you like Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Phantasm Posted March 31, 2008 Author Members Share Posted March 31, 2008 i've got a used rat and english made guv'nor enroute for tweaking purposes.i can let you know how they come out if you like If you can find a way to put low end back in AFTER the clipping/distorting is done on a RAT (make a four-knob rat, perhaps) then I am VERY interested in how your experiments progress. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members guitargod0dmw Posted March 31, 2008 Members Share Posted March 31, 2008 i've got a used rat and english made guv'nor enroute for tweaking purposes.i can let you know how they come out if you like Yes please! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Captain Fathead Posted March 31, 2008 Members Share Posted March 31, 2008 i've got a used rat and english made guv'nor enroute for tweaking purposes.i can let you know how they come out if you like OOOOO let me know how the guv'nor turns out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Jazz Ad Posted March 31, 2008 Members Share Posted March 31, 2008 Cool test. If there was a pedal between the Ibanez Tubescreamer and the Fulltone Bassdrive, it would probably be awesome.There is my friend, there is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mark7171 Posted March 31, 2008 Members Share Posted March 31, 2008 i like the guyatone HD-2 harmonic type distortion on the bass Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.