Stoner/Doom Bassists Thread Pt. 44 Magnum.. the big boys.

[Niff]

hey laz, i'll get my drummer to bring the zoom to practice this week and i'll record ric +flats + el oso into tube head + 215 and show you how i use it. it can dial in a real nice groovy distortion with super defined low end underneath - i know that sounds like a collection of talkbass buzzwords, but that's exactly what it sounds like.

i use the EO as a 'stepping stone' as well - some songs with a super slow build up i'll go clean, then el oso, then bluebeard when parts get heavier and heavier - or when i need extra sustain and a tiny bit of feedback on a note i'll kick on the EO while holding it and it comes out really tasty.

those two pedals are a match made in heaven.

[Lazarus.Bird]

People who see our band for the first time always comment on how face melting it is when we all stomp into overdrive for the massive riffs. One guitarist uses a mojo hand colossus, other the drive channel in his orange amp and mine is the el oso. BB + El Oso is a wicked combo.

[eyeballkid]

theres one in the classifieds... hes now building a different preamp.

[Niff]

i posted in the rickenbacker club thread asking about replacing .047 uF caps (not the .0047 uf cap) in order to get a different tone. posting in the other parts of talkbass is scary, as i feel like that may be one of those 'rickenbacker purist' issues that pops up every now again that erupts into an old man internet flame war.

[bassboysam]

Originally Posted by eyeballkid

theres one in the classifieds... hes now building a different preamp.

looks like it's off the market. not like I had the money for it anyway. need to hoard some cash for my new cabs.

[HydrasBreath]

Originally Posted by Lazarus.Bird

Well it IS a distortion pedal, but the mix knob let's you dictate how much low end is effected.

Also I'll say most demo videos are pretty worthless. I may watch them from time to time but I'll never know if a pedal will work for me until I actually try it.

Yeah I guess I just prefer fuzz and OD over actual distortion. Due to my location though I have to rely on demos a bit more to give me an idea if something will work for me or not. There's just one music store around here and their bass selection is pitiful so most of my effects purchases are sight unseen.

It's worked out for me for the most part now I'm just upgrading and fine tuning the effects I use the most.

[HydrasBreath]

Originally Posted by Niff

i posted in the rickenbacker club thread asking about replacing .047 uF caps (not the .0047 uf cap) in order to get a different tone. posting in the other parts of talkbass is scary, as i feel like that may be one of those 'rickenbacker purist' issues that pops up every now again that erupts into an old man internet flame war.

It should make it sound different. Lower cap value for more bite at the cost of low end. Higher cap value for rounder and bassier sound at the cost of higher frequencies. As far as how drastically different it would sound I don't know. I've never messed with changing cap values in a bass before except bypassing and adding in the .0047 cap in the bridge pup of my ric.

[Niff]

Originally Posted by Niff

i posted in the rickenbacker club thread asking about replacing .047 uF caps (not the .0047 uf cap) in order to get a different tone. posting in the other parts of talkbass is scary, as i feel like that may be one of those 'rickenbacker purist' issues that pops up every now again that erupts into an old man internet flame war.

i feel like a bit of a dick for looking up 0.047 uf caps on the internet, it just seems like blues lawyer anal-retentive guitar voodoo. russian or vitamin Q PIO caps? mullard mustard caps? am i going to notice anything, at all?

i'm only considering replacing them because anything but 'wide open' on my bass & treble tone sounds like someone's just thrown a blanket over it and all the nice harmonics disappear, not just the upper trebly ones.

Originally Posted by HydrasBreath

It should make it sound different. Lower cap value for more bite at the cost of low end. Higher cap value for rounder and bassier sound at the cost of higher frequencies. As far as how drastically different it would sound I don't know. I've never messed with changing cap values in a bass before except bypassing and adding in the .0047 cap in the bridge pup of my ric.

makes sense - although i like the tone and harmonics i get now when they're wide open, i'd like to be able to have some actual versatility out of my tone knobs - at this stage i honestly just keep everything dimed as i don't need volume and rolling the tone back is mud central as described above.

[bassboysam]

Originally Posted by Niff

i feel like a bit of a dick for looking up 0.047 uf caps on the internet, it just seems like blues lawyer anal-retentive guitar voodoo. russian or vitamin Q PIO caps? mullard mustard caps? am i going to notice anything, at all?

i'm only considering replacing them because anything but 'wide open' on my bass & treble tone sounds like someone's just thrown a blanket over it and all the nice harmonics disappear, not just the upper trebly ones.

from what I understand, the type/quality of the capacitor will not play a huge role in this type of application. just find a value where you get the sound you like.

I recently replaced all my pots to 500k pots, and it made a big difference in my 4001. gave it a lot more life, also raised the pups as much as possible (even shaved down the back side of the pickguard to raise the neck pickup) to get more output and bite.

[Ron Now]

Yeah, I knew about the one in the classifieds, super tempting but I have no current need/use for it. Maybe down the line ill have a real use and can justify getting one (or just his full amp when he makes that).

[Niff]

Originally Posted by bassboysam

from what I understand, the type/quality of the capacitor will not play a huge role in this type of application. just find a value where you get the sound you like.

I recently replaced all my pots to 500k pots, and it made a big difference in my 4001. gave it a lot more life, also raised the pups as much as possible (even shaved down the back side of the pickguard to raise the neck pickup) to get more output and bite.

i do believe my pots are 330k (?), maybe that'll have some kind of difference. i'd be keen to have a poke around/experiment with different cap and pot values later when i have a bit more electronics experience.

[HydrasBreath]

Originally Posted by Niff

i feel like a bit of a dick for looking up 0.047 uf caps on the internet, it just seems like blues lawyer anal-retentive guitar voodoo. russian or vitamin Q PIO caps? mullard mustard caps? am i going to notice anything, at all?

i'm only considering replacing them because anything but 'wide open' on my bass & treble tone sounds like someone's just thrown a blanket over it and all the nice harmonics disappear, not just the upper trebly ones.



makes sense - although i like the tone and harmonics i get now when they're wide open, i'd like to be able to have some actual versatility out of my tone knobs - at this stage i honestly just keep everything dimed as i don't need volume and rolling the tone back is mud central as described above.

If you're looking to just replace them with the same value but of a different type I don't think that would affect things too much unless the caps you have now are somehow faulty.

I usually run my Ric wide open as well. Sometimes I'll back off on the neck volume just a bit if I'm jamming along to some old Rush or something. I've also experimented with backing off the bridge pup tone quite a bit while leaving the neck tone up. That's supposedly how Chris Squire of Yes ran his basses. Sounds interesting I guess.

But I agree with you that the overtones you get while running wide open are quite nice and generally what I prefer.

[HydrasBreath]

Originally Posted by Niff

i do believe my pots are 330k (?), maybe that'll have some kind of difference. i'd be keen to have a poke around/experiment with different cap and pot values later when i have a bit more electronics experience.

I think increasing pot value rolls off more high end if I'm not mistaken.

Vintage rics (4001) had 250k pots I believe. Then I think they switched to 500k at some point with the 4003. Then when they introduced the vintage push-pull circuit they went to 330k pots as a middle of the road type solution.

I'm not 100% on that info though so don't quote me on it.

[Niff]

the schematic of 4001 and early 4003s (before the mid 80s when they took out the .0047 uf high pass cap) says 330k, but you never know. i'll have to have a look inside. very interesting!

[HydrasBreath]

Originally Posted by Niff

the schematic of 4001 and early 4003s (before the mid 80s when they took out the .0047 uf high pass cap) says 330k, but you never know. i'll have to have a look inside. very interesting!

Yeah I think the 500k were later in the 4003 cycle but maybe I'm just making stuff up here...the 500k thing was the thing I wasn't sure about haha.

What year is your Ric?

[Niff]

'77, i've never taken a peek inside with the intention of looking at the electronics - may give it a go tonight. i recently purchased an epi EB-0 and getting it into playable condition (electronics & hardware) has spurred me on to really 'customise' all my instruments to my standards.

[dannster]

Originally Posted by eyeballkid

couldnt help it with the title... went to a gun show today.

This is the 44 Magnum I think of...http://youtu.be/kI9feXOK5sw

I'm old. Ha!

[HydrasBreath]

Originally Posted by Niff

'77, i've never taken a peek inside with the intention of looking at the electronics - may give it a go tonight. i recently purchased an epi EB-0 and getting it into playable condition (electronics & hardware) has spurred me on to really 'customise' all my instruments to my standards.

nice yeah I have a '78 and also a 2010 I got new. I have poked under the hood of the '78 but I don't recall what it has for pots.

[Road Bull]

Thanks for the insight and clips guys.

Well, I got a B3K a while back, but I find that it does not dive a much as I would like it to. I like the way the OCD sounds whit the drive maxed. So does the Oh See Demon drive the same way just with more bass coming through?

I think I like the tone, but might want to still have a clean blend. That still seems to be a custom option on the Oh See Demon. So it might be just as easy to get the OCD and a blender (like a wounded paw) to get the drive saturation I an looking for with a clean signal mixed in.

I am having ok results mixing The Elements with my VT, ok results with B3K and VT. I hires that I feel for the amount of money the Darkglass pedal is, that it should kick ass and be exactly what I need.

I might look into trading out the B3K for a Rusty Box. Anybody here have experience with the Rusty Box?

[HydrasBreath]

Originally Posted by Road Bull

Thanks for the insight and clips guys.

Well, I got a B3K a while back, but I find that it does not dive a much as I would like it to. I like the way the OCD sounds whit the drive maxed. So does the Oh See Demon drive the same way just with more bass coming through?

I think I like the tone, but might want to still have a clean blend. That still seems to be a custom option on the Oh See Demon. So it might be just as easy to get the OCD and a blender (like a wounded paw) to get the drive saturation I an looking for with a clean signal mixed in.

I am having ok results mixing The Elements with my VT, ok results with B3K and VT. I hires that I feel for the amount of money the Darkglass pedal is, that it should kick ass and be exactly what I need.

I might look into trading out the B3K for a Rusty Box. Anybody here have experience with the Rusty Box?

I think the B3K is geared more towards the twin guitar need to cut through type of metal bass sound that's pretty popular in alot of metal these days. I know that's what I originally got it for and it does a good job at that.

Now that I'm getting into player stoner stuff I find myself liking the B3K less and less. I find it too harsh for the tone I'm looking to get now. I'm also on the fence on whether or not I'll end up keeping it. I also have a rat tail that I'm not in love with at all either.