[HELP] Gt6b distortion.

Keefeology · #1 05-08-2011, 10:18 AM

I am a bassist covering Muse songs. No, I'm not trying to ask you for help covering Chris effects. But rather, I'm here to ask for help with my GT6b's distortion..

I'm currently using an MIM fender jazz bass deluxe.

The problem is whenever I'm playing a Muse song, my bass distortion gets too bright! Extremely bright and too crispy. I tried increasing the compression and lowering the treble for the distortion but it makes it worse! I wanna retain a very low end distortion but at the same time have some trebly tone without sacrificing any distortion... but I always seem to fail to do that... when I turn the compress too high the tone gets too muffled and horrible.

Would really need help from you guys.

Oh, I'm also using a Boss Ls-2 to blend in some clean tone to my efx.

drewdunkin · #2 05-08-2011, 11:00 AM

What distortion patch are you using?
What's your eq look like?

For muse.... I use the guvnor ...(marshall)...patch, gain at 65. Bass -2 ...treb/tone. -3. Dry signal at 40.......wet at 60

Keefeology · #3 05-09-2011, 12:15 AM

I'm using a gt6b. The Muff Fuzz distortion. It always comes out too bright. I'm trying to get a distortion that is not too distorted and yet low end at the same time.

ga_edwards · #4 05-09-2011, 04:05 AM

I used to use the GT6B (still have one gathering dust under my bed). IMO the biggest weakness of the unit is the drive sounds. I found it impossible to dial in a natural, warm overdrive or distortion. High gain sounds weren't too bad, but to get that just on the edge of breaking up 'furr' just can't be done. It seems to just add on digital clipping, and not in a pleasant way. I'd turn down the treble to reduce the artifacts, but then lose top end.

The only suggestion I can think of is to dive into the instruction manual and set up a custom distortion. IIRC, you can choose drive type (TS, DS1, Muff etc), 2 band eq, and crucially, how much drive in the bass and treble areas. This way you should be able to reduce the drive in the top end (and increase in the low end) but retain treble.... if that makes sense. Almost like a 2 band clean blend.

It's a shame the GT6B never had an effects loop. I would have stuck an overdrive pedal in there and used it a lot longer.

gastric · #5 05-09-2011, 07:38 AM

It'd been a while since I had a GT-6B. But I have owned one, plus most other BOSS multieffects, and I currently own a BOSS VF-1, BOSS GT-10B, and Roland GR-55. Unfortunately the BOSS drive effects in their multi's are usually poor sounding. The trick is to stack a lot of EQ after them. Don't be scared to stick a bass amp sim after the drive effect even if you're still running a physical amp you like. Simply leverage the bass amp sim as an EQ to help further shape the drive tones.

Keefeology · #6 05-09-2011, 09:54 AM

Do you guys think that lowering the gain would actually help me get rid of that extremely buzzy distortion?

gastric · #7 05-09-2011, 10:10 AM

Most of the drive effects sound very digital and buzzy with annoying high end qualities, and rarely full and lush. You have to heavily sculp the sound with EQ and amp sim. For example, muff fuzz in real life is usually mid scooped, but with the BOSS effects it's not. So stick a low gain Ampeg sim after the fuzz and apply some gross mid scoop with it. Experiment with the speaker on/off, different speakers, yadda yadda.

Keefeology · #8 05-10-2011, 12:26 AM

Thanks Gastric. I'm new to eqing so what does mid scoop mean? Increasing or lowering?

Downunderwonder · #9 05-10-2011, 03:39 AM

Scoop as in take out, lower. The "ampeg" model must have some built in mid scoop.

gumtownbassman · #10 05-10-2011, 05:30 AM

GT-6B wow, it's been a while too :-)
I agree with all above, i too have since progressed up from GT-6B >>> GT-10B >>> GR-55.
Use a cleaner Distortion type (Bass OD) but turn up the gain, bass boost and cut the treble -3

Keefeology · #11 05-10-2011, 11:40 PM

Okay I managed to scoop the mids. It sounds much better and the riffs are much clearer now. However, when I lowered the treble the distortion sounds horrible. There is no tone to it.

gastric · #12 05-11-2011, 05:05 AM

I usually run the distortion tone at flat or lowered, but rarely above 0. Then adjust the high end with my amp sim and parametric eq. Try a parametric EQ HI-MID in the 1.5-3KHz range, +3db boost, and then play with the Q as you move the frequency in that range. It'll help your ears determine where the sweet spot is. Than you can add HI CUT and adjust HI as well. I almost always use HI CUT at 6-8K to help trim off the harshess, and may lower the overall HI if I'm going for a deeper/smoother Ampeg or deeper fuzz sound.