Bass fuzz-ish...debate

Dr. Lobotomy · #1 05-17-2009, 03:40 PM

Looking for something aggressive, bone crunching, snarling dragon kinda sound.
Been scouring Grygrx's site (phenomenal), and I've come down to...
Supercollider
vs.
Attack Goat
vs.
Fulltone Bass Drive (not on the site, but a pedal I've heard years ago and thought sounded great).
vs.
??? (suggestions welcome)

Any advice about the 3? Anything that could tip me in one direction or another?

Why hasn't Grygrx given the Fulltone Bass Drive a test drive? A very famous pedal if I remember correctly. Would think he'd have given it a go by now. Something about it I don't know?

Spacelordmother · #2 05-17-2009, 04:08 PM

If you're thinking of the Attack Goat, why not drop another $25 and get the Battering Ram?

Jared Lash · #3 05-17-2009, 04:08 PM

The only one of the three I've tried is the Fulltone and if you're really looking for fuzz, it doesn't fit the bill. It's a gritty to heavy overdrive.

Thunderscreech · #4 05-17-2009, 04:13 PM

Supercollider is okay. Get the one with the Mids knob instead of the switch.

Dr. Lobotomy · #5 05-17-2009, 04:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheBigO

The only one of the three I've tried is the Fulltone and if you're really looking for fuzz, it doesn't fit the bill. It's a gritty to heavy overdrive.

To be honest, I'm not sure I understand the distinction between fuzz and overdrive. In fact, I'm not always sure I understand the distinction between overdrive and distortion. (full disclosure, I'm acting a bit dumb on the topic because it's been years since I've looked at this stuff and wouldn't mind some refresher on the topic)
I have a BlueTube that gives me a nice warm overdriven (i think) tone.
I want something nastier, more aggressive sounding. Kinda like the first initial snarling notes from Flea at the opening of All Around the World (not exacty that sound...I'm pretty sure that's a Boss ODB3)...along those lines though.
I heard the Full Tone pedal years ago and though it was killer for that deep, bone-crunching, sparks flying tone. I was pretty new to bass at that time so my naivety could be exaggerated over the years in my memory. If those descriptors make any sense, though, that's the kind of tone I'm looking for.

Dr. Lobotomy · #6 05-17-2009, 04:36 PM

Looked up the Battering Ram, I think I like it more than the Attack Goat...thanks for the recomendation.

What other good stuff you all got to teach me?

nad · #7 05-17-2009, 04:40 PM

If you have a nice overdrive already, I would definitely go with an aggressive fuzz to complement it, such as the the Attack Goat or perhaps a silicon B:Assmaster.

Check the Wiki link up top for many sound samples of a lot of pedals to add to your knowledge/confusion. Determining between fuzz and distortion gets easier when you start to use/abuse a lot of pedals, but honestly between overdrive and distortion I think the differences are subtle at best.

Jared Lash · #8 05-17-2009, 04:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dr. Lobotomy

I want something nastier, more aggressive sounding. Kinda like the first initial snarling notes from Flea at the opening of All Around the World (not exacty that sound...I'm pretty sure that's a Boss ODB3)...along those lines though.
I heard the Full Tone pedal years ago and though it was killer for that deep, bone-crunching, sparks flying tone. I was pretty new to bass at that time so my naivety could be exaggerated over the years in my memory. If those descriptors make any sense, though, that's the kind of tone I'm looking for.

The Fulltone definitely can get you an aggressive, almost crunchy sound. It's basically a modded Tube Screamer circuit so the Xotic BB is probably worth checking into too. (BryanTyler posted a video review of it here a day or two ago)

There aren't any hard and fast rules governing the difference between OD/distortion/fuzz, just a general sense of the degree of clipping.

As for "Around the World", it's done live with the Boss ODB-3 (and I think it sounds terrible) but on record I believe that was a bass through a cranked Marshall guitar amp. I've used the Tech 21 XXLB for that sound, but it's not a versatile pedal at all. It's pretty much all high gain distortion all the time.

Quote:

Originally Posted by nad

If you have a nice overdrive already, I would definitely go with an aggressive fuzz to complement it, such as the the Attack Goat or perhaps a silicon B:Assmaster.

The Assmaster is a solid recommendation. For a cheap aggressive fuzz solution, the Guyatone TZ-2 is a great little buzzsaw.

Thunderscreech · #9 05-17-2009, 05:22 PM

You might also want to try out the Tech 21 XXL Bass Edition. That thing can be quite the monster.

rcubed · #10 05-17-2009, 05:32 PM

Sounds like you want something more in your face than a Big Muff and it's derivatives (so through out the Supercollider - a mids knob helps but won't quite get you there). Along with the Attack Goat, look into Fuzz Face, Super Fuzz, Brassmaster and Tone Machine clones.

bobbass4k · #11 05-17-2009, 06:11 PM

This week I'm mostly reccomending the ZVex Mastotron, I've had mine a week and I haven't stopped playing with it, tons of low end, and the tone knob only deals with treble so you can get a scooped muffish kind of sound or a really aggressive trebly bite but not affect the lows at all. And if you play active basses the source impedance blend is a godsend, all for a very reasonable price

gm jack · #12 05-17-2009, 06:53 PM

I have the Supercollider and the Fulltone and will recommend both. It simply boils down to it you want an overdrive pedal or a fuzz pedal. Both can get some pretty aggressive tones out of it, possibly with the Fulltone in the lead, but the Supercollider has a lot more gain on tap and can get a lot heavier.

jumbo_steelie · #13 05-17-2009, 07:07 PM

I've got a silicon assmaster and it is pretty in your face. The 3xfx fatman can get pretty wild too. Not only is the oscillating channel cool, but the distortion channel can feedback like a mofo.

Chronicle · #14 05-17-2009, 07:14 PM

My favorites so far are the Supercollider ans B:ASSMASTER Germ pedal. I wasn't too impressed by the Attack Goat.

**grygrx** · #15 05-17-2009, 07:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dr. Lobotomy

Why hasn't Grygrx given the Fulltone Bass Drive a test drive? A very famous pedal if I remember correctly. Would think he'd have given it a go by now. Something about it I don't know?

I'd love to say I had some systematic method, but really... it's a flow between things that are pointed out to me, GAS, random purchasing opportunities, loans, and gifts. I'm sure I'll get to it eventually!

Spacelordmother · #16 05-17-2009, 08:44 PM

Oh.... and then there's this too: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=me-175v_DwY

rcubed · #17 05-17-2009, 08:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spacelordmother

Oh.... and then there's this too: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=me-175v_DwY

The footswitches are ass backwards. Not the greatest demo so it's hard to hear what that pedal can really do.

Spacelordmother · #18 05-17-2009, 09:06 PM

True.

Perhaps it doesn't actually sound like a screaming clown stabbing his way into a launching space shuttle with a rusty screwdriver.

Bummer.

warwick.hoy · #19 05-17-2009, 09:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rcubed

The footswitches are ass backwards. Not the greatest demo so it's hard to hear what that pedal can really do.

+1

Sounds like a really cool pedal though.

I love my Supercollider but have no comparison since it is the 1st fuzz I've ever owned. I love it however and I find the amount of aggression to be satiscactory (

).

I want to buy others just to experiment and experience...but I can't justify the cost at the moment. I'd really like a little more synthy sounding fuzz which I have yet to coax out the SC.

Joe Gress · #20 05-17-2009, 09:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by warwick.hoy

I want to buy others just to experiment and experience...but I can't justify the cost at the moment. I'd really like a little more synthy sounding fuzz which I have yet to coax out the SC.

B:assmaster. Trust me.