Best bass fuzz?

saturnbythree · #1 05-09-2008, 03:18 PM

I'm looking for a great fuzz for bass, any suggestion, recommendations?

EricF · #2 05-09-2008, 03:27 PM

"Best" is highly subjective due to each person's preferences. There are more flavors of fuzz than you can imagine, and what sounds great to me might be crap for you. Also, fuzz is a highly-discussed issue in this forum. If you take some time to look around, you'll find plenty to read about.

Now that I've spewed all that crap...
I really enjoy the Prescription Electronics Depth Charge. It gives me everything I found lacking in the EHX Little Big Muff.

saturnbythree · #3 05-09-2008, 03:33 PM

i agree there isn't a "best" its all personal taste.

colorsound bass fuzz
woolly mammoth
foxx fuzz
big muff
analogman sun face
ect etc etc....

these are all great fuzz pedals but which one do i choose hahaha!

Deluge Of Sound · #4 05-09-2008, 03:34 PM

You choose the one that sounds best to you.

saturnbythree · #5 05-09-2008, 03:38 PM

take a look at this!!! http://www.analogman.com/graphics/fuzzes.jpg

EricF · #6 05-09-2008, 03:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Deluge Of Sound

You choose the one that sounds best to you.

+1

bonzo4880 · #7 05-09-2008, 04:10 PM

a lot of folks have been raving about it but Ill mention it again: Electronix MessDrive and MD Hybrid. Go to their website and check the samples. I'm saving up for the hybrid at the moment. From listening to the samples it seems like it has a ton of possibilities. And 130 bucks for a handmade pedal seems like a good deal.

Valerus · #8 05-09-2008, 04:18 PM

I have a MessDrive Hybrid. It's pretty sick. Give me a while and I'll put up a review

Darkstrike · #9 05-09-2008, 04:30 PM

I love my MXR Blowtorch, get that!

Or you know, whichever one you like................................

OptimusPrime · #10 05-09-2008, 05:05 PM

Sanford and Sonny Bluebeard

JanusZarate · #11 05-09-2008, 05:08 PM

Any particular tone or sound you have in mind, saturn? Otherwise, people are going to keep throwing suggestions at you like there's no tomorrow.

I use and love an MXR Blowtorch, but I'd be hesitant to recommend it to everyone because it's a very unusual-sounding fuzz pedal. Very synthy, and definitely not in "vintage sound" territory.

Is there a particular fuzz tone that has caught your interest? Perhaps we could suggest pedals that would achieve a specific sound that you had in mind.

Darkstrike · #12 05-09-2008, 05:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MysticBoo

Any particular tone or sound you have in mind, saturn? Otherwise, people are going to keep throwing suggestions at you like there's no tomorrow.

I use and love an MXR Blowtorch, but I'd be hesitant to recommend it to everyone because it's a very unusual-sounding fuzz pedal. Very synthy, and definitely not in "vintage sound" territory.

Is there a particular fuzz tone that has caught your interest? Perhaps we could suggest pedals that would achieve a specific sound that you had in mind.

+1

Just get the Blowtorch!

bonzo4880 · #13 05-09-2008, 05:19 PM

+2

hate to sound like a broken record, but the samples of the MessDrive hybrid are so enticing. I liked both the vintage and modern settings, it's nice to have both options on the same pedal. But then again I dont have one (yet) so maybe I should stop talking about 'em. Wow. I think this is the first documented case of true GAS for me. Crazy. I've already got 30 bucks saved towards the cost, so I'm not too far. Maybe by the end of the month?? We'll see ...

rcubed · #14 05-09-2008, 05:20 PM

I built General Guitar Gadget's Big Muff Pi clone and it sounds great with bass. If you're familiar with the band Fu Manchu, their bass player has started building pedals under the name Creepy Fingers: http://www.myspace.com/creepyfingerseffects

**DosiYanarchy** · #15 05-09-2008, 05:50 PM

hey, well really id say 'use the search function - this has been discussed so many times'

however i do also have some personal input as i have quite a few fuzz pedals:
a green sovtek/electro harmonix Big Muff
an Ampeg Scrambler
an MXR Bass Blowtorch
and an Electronix MessDrive Hybrid+

and id say that in my experience that if you just want bass fuzz, then the Messdrive hybrid+ is the way to go (or even the original MessDrive-but ive never owned it) people say that the websites soundclips are so enticing, but personally i think it sounds much better through a real bass amp, its essentially just one fuzz sound, but the Vintage setting is a little more restrained and less bright than the Modern setting and the Tone control is very effective too. and the pedal is TINY like the small MXR phase 90s i think, its true Bypass and it ideally runs off 9v power supply, but u can power it with batteries (which means unscrewing the bottom plate) and for me, this is the definition of bass fuzz. It almost made me want to sell my Muff, which i got at the same time, but the muff i feel is a little more aggressive.

i love my Blowtorch too, but i use it for a synthy distortion - thanks to Mystic Boo and others who helped me pick it when i wanted a synth fuzz. honestly id say that its not really traditional enough to be lumped in with 'standard' bass fuzzes.
The Scrambler is good too, but due to its nature as predominantly a guitar pedal (even tho its made by ampeg) the clean blend (titled 'Balance') is best kept at about 11 o'clock while the texture is best kept at minimum to work well in any sort of heavy band setting. in some respects it can sound similar to the BrassMaster/B:Assmaster that gets alot of love round here.

also, is money an issue? i mean i would love a B:assMaster but im not paying that price (£185) although i didnt pay far off that for my muff, but hell thats pretty much a piece of history. (and ill just pretend that the scrambler gets close enuf

)

seriously though if you do consider the Electronix MessDrive/Hybrid + you can just email the guys, they sell their pedals on ebay, and they're really helpful and friendly. they use this forum abit too and are very approachable.

my opinions, of course, are only based on what ive used and own, there may be a better fuzz pedal but i think ive got my fuzz tastes covered.

kevteop · #16 05-09-2008, 08:12 PM

I've got a Blowtorch and a reissue Big Muff. The Muff is the wilder of the two, the Blowtorch never seems to produce enough mental.

The Blowtorch is more useable though. Its onboard EQ and the blend pot are immensely valuable, and it generally "plays nice" with other pedals. But maybe a bit too nice. It's an ideal bassist's pedal, but if they'd given it 1000x more bzzt! I would've been happier.

The muff, meanwhile, I have to run through a Boss LS-2 to blend it with my clean signal because otherwise it loses too much bottom end, which means I've got two boxes hogging space on my board for basically one basic fuzz tone.

But it's such a good fuzz tone I'm planning on re-housing it in a smaller enclosure with a homebrewed blender circuit. And I'll probably sell the Blowtorch.

OK, short answer: If you've got a beard - even if it's just a "laziness beard" - the Muff is probably for you.

svp · #17 05-09-2008, 08:20 PM

Pro Co Juggernaut

The Lurker · #18 05-09-2008, 11:03 PM

pox on 'best.' I have 'many.'

I win

Wren and Cuff · #19 05-09-2008, 11:28 PM

hmmm....

GavinScott · #20 05-09-2008, 11:33 PM

colorsound bass fuzz gets pretty fuzzy while retaining much bottom...