BJFE Blueberry, Comparisons?

JMD730 · #1 04-29-2008, 12:41 PM

Hey Everyone.

Im really infatuated by the BJFE Blueberry but I can never find one for sale. And when I do, it's already sold.

My question is: What are some comparable pedals to the blueberry?

My current rig is a 70's fender P into an aguilar 750. I have a little big muff and a shin-ei fuzz that i use as well.
I want a good od for some of the stuff thats not super heavy but needs that little extra growl to it.

Thanks for all your help.

Jimmy

John C. Reilly · #2 04-29-2008, 12:44 PM

unfortunately it has the sound you describe a bubbling, grinding cauldron of molasses. it does roll off some top end though. i have two because i love it so much.

bongomania · #3 04-29-2008, 12:45 PM

The Blueberry is for super-heavy sounds. It can go from heavy as in vintage-fat to heavy as in metal, but it does not do "light OD". Also if you search on it there are loads of threads, including one very good one with lots of sound samples comparing it against similar competing pedals.

John C. Reilly · #4 04-29-2008, 12:46 PM

i found i can get low od sound by keeping the drive at 9oclock tone between 7-9 oclock and the volume at 12:00 with a passive instrument

Ryan Mohr · #5 04-29-2008, 01:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bongomania

The Blueberry is for super-heavy sounds. It can go from heavy as in vintage-fat to heavy as in metal, but it does not do "light OD". Also if you search on it there are loads of threads, including one very good one with lots of sound samples comparing it against similar competing pedals.

The clips in this thread seem like it is a very mild OD - BJFE Blue Berry v. Fulltone Bass-Drive MOSFET v. H.B.E. Hematoma - even the clip with the tone flat and the drive cranked is very mild - http://www.boogeresque.com/mp3samples/3BOD02-02.mp3

Max Roberts · #6 04-29-2008, 01:42 PM

It isn't mild at all IMO. I has just the right amount of drive in it for me at least. I would call the Mojo Hand Cream Pie mild, but I'd call the Blueberry medium to high gain, for an overdrive that is.

JMD730 · #7 04-29-2008, 04:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AqueousView11

The clips in this thread seem like it is a very mild OD - BJFE Blue Berry v. Fulltone Bass-Drive MOSFET v. H.B.E. Hematoma - even the clip with the tone flat and the drive cranked is very mild - http://www.boogeresque.com/mp3samples/3BOD02-02.mp3

These are the clips I heard that make me want this thing. I would say that they are pretty mild compared to other pedals like the big muff or wooly mammoth and even my shin-ei is pretty nasty, in such a good way though.
To get back to my question, is there any good comparable pedals to it. Or am I just going to have to wait until I can find one, hopefully sometime soon.
Thanks for everyones replies.

Jimmy

bongomania · #8 04-29-2008, 07:02 PM

Again though you are not comparing it to overdrives, you are comparing it to extreme fuzzes. Unfortunately there's nothing quite like it on the market.

Swift713 · #9 04-29-2008, 07:53 PM

I think that "mild overdrive" can be hardly noticeable, not quite clean or maybe "just breaking up." The blueberry is a little heavier than that at it's lowest setting. I actually like it better with my active bass than my passive.
I used to get a somewhat similar kind of tone with the sansamp model on my B2, gain at about 1/3, tone (may translate to treble on a real sansamp?) at 0, and blend at 50%. But this is really nowhere close because of the mid-scoop and the way they break up is pretty different.
The blueberry can get this brutal ear pummeling sound with the tone knob turned down that doesn't seem like a lot of gain but is almost scary.
The last part of the Electronix Messdrive Hybrid + clips on their site are kind of similar even though it's a "fuzz." I think the gain and tone are both set toward the bottom of their ranges.

manmountain8 · #10 04-29-2008, 10:29 PM

I really want a Blueberry too. I only know what I've read about these pedals, or heard sound clips, it's not the same but there are a lot of comparisons to the HBE Hematoma. I don't think of either of them as being subtle though. I would say creamy. I have tried an EBS Valve Drive and I really liked the sound. It could be subtle if you want it to be. Lush, natural, and tubey is how I would describe it. Way better than a Sansamp IMO. It is just as expensive as the blueberry, and I've read some complaints about reliability, but I thought it sounded great and I want one anyway. I am fairly picky about what sounds good to me too. I have also heard good things about an Analogman Ibanez tube screamer mod on bass. Not exactly subtle though.

manmountain8 · #11 04-29-2008, 10:48 PM

EBS Valve drive. I took it off of my gas list because of the reliability issues I read about, but this just made me remember how much I liked the sound. It's going back on my list. Now I just need to score 20 grand on a scratch off. This is my choice for subtle overdrive on bass. Check it out.

http://www.ebs.bass.se/2007/valvedrive.htm

jucas · #12 04-29-2008, 11:26 PM

I don't think that I quite agree with the mid to heavy OD thing, but I'd call it light to mid OD.

I find that the lower settings I just barely get the pedal to start breaking up, and the higher settings there's just enough dirt that is definately there on soft notes too. Still retains some of the dynamics though, hasn't totally overdriven everything. With the tone knob rolled way down it starts to get into my idea of higher OD gains, but I wouldn't have called it a "high gain" OD until you run a boost into it.

I do agree with bongo's "heavy" comment though... I assumed he was refering to that thick, dark character the drive has even at lower gain settings. It really colors your tone, and heavy is a good way to describe it, but I think that we can have heavy without lots of grit coming through... and I'd call that mild OD if there's not a lot of definate dirt. (I guess at this point its just a matter of terminology though, and pretty much entirely subjective )

JMD730 · #13 04-30-2008, 12:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by manmountain8

EBS Valve drive. I took it off of my gas list because of the reliability issues I read about, but this just made me remember how much I liked the sound.

http://www.ebs.bass.se/2007/valvedrive.htm

Does anyone play live with this thing? It looks like an accident waiting to happen. However im kind of interested in how it sounds. can anyone point me in the direction of some clips.

I've listened to the Hematoma clips before. Im not the biggest fan of it. IMO it doesn't sound anything like the berry.

Thanks for everyones responses.

Jimmy

KarateKid25 · #14 04-30-2008, 01:07 AM

Being mild or heavy is a hard one with the Blueberry IMO. I have to admit that its extremely low sounding, on pretty much any setting, so it does affect your sound a lot, but it can still do a 'light' OD in my opinion. Its very hard to describe without contradicting yourself. Its not always crunchy, but there is always a boost of low end.

At the end of the day, its the dogs bollocks and thats all that matters! We can split hairs all day over it. Im yet to find anything else quite like it. I love mine!

bongomania · #15 04-30-2008, 06:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jucas

II do agree with bongo's "heavy" comment though... I assumed he was refering to that thick, dark character the drive has even at lower gain settings. It really colors your tone, and heavy is a good way to describe it, but I think that we can have heavy without lots of grit coming through...

That is exactly what I meant, I just didn't articulate it well. I meant heavy as in massive-sounding and dark, not heavy as in "more clippy".

manmountain8 · #16 04-30-2008, 12:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JMD730

Does anyone play live with this thing? It looks like an accident waiting to happen. However im kind of interested in how it sounds. can anyone point me in the direction of some clips.

I've listened to the Hematoma clips before. Im not the biggest fan of it. IMO it doesn't sound anything like the berry.

Thanks for everyones responses.

Jimmy

First of all, I don't think the EBS Valve Drive sounds like a blueberry, nothing does, except for maybe a Dredge-tone Angler which is even harder to find. It is a subtler overdrive though and I think it sounds great for adding a little extra bite. It can be nasty too if you want. I would say that is sounded fairly transparent. It doesn't color the tone a lot. All of your original frequencies are still there and the decay is very natural sounding. It's not nearly as creamy as the Blueberry though. As far as reliability goes, for every one that had a problem there are 5 that have used it for years with no problems. It's just something to be aware of. I haven't found any clips and it can be tough to find one in a store to try because they are made in sweden and they don't have many retailers in the US.

If what you really want is a Blueberry, then you have to get a Blueberry, that's all there is too it. You'll find one eventually.

manmountain8 · #17 04-30-2008, 12:37 PM

This is interesting. He said he would post some clips but he never did. I found threads all over the place begging for Valve Drive clips but I still can't find any. I'll keep looking.

Distortion Mega-Thread! User submitted Distortion reviews

manmountain8 · #18 04-30-2008, 01:04 PM

I found this on Harmony Central.

An EBS Valve Drive is the best bass overdrive/distortion I have ever heard. No low end loss & nice tubey sound. It made the FUlltone BD sound like a toy in comparison. It's expensive, but it sounds great! I love mine... It goes from very mild overdrive to warm up your tone (the reason why I use it) to full on distortion. It's not a quick couple of millimeter adjustment either...there is a good amount of play. Using a tube DI (like my DB900) helps as well, but when I play with my Markbass (clean SS sounding), I'll use that pedal to make it sound tubey. It doesn't suck any low end either...it adds some. If I had clips I'd post them, but the best I can offer is listen to the 3 songs on my bands myspace page...they were all recorded:

bass-->EBS Valve Drive-->Demeter Opto Compulator-->Aguilar DB900 DI

The Aggie DB900 on it's own is very quiet, clean, and colorless. I needed the EBS to add some meat and tone. Of course it's all EQ'd as well, but that is the basic tone that you hear."

http://www.myspace.com/severancemusicct

JMD730 · #19 04-30-2008, 03:11 PM

Thanks Manmountain for all the info.

It looks like im just going to have to wait it out until i find a blueberry. I wish Bjorn still made them. I know that he is making BJF/Mad Professor pedals now...if only he made one for bass....

KarateKid25 · #20 04-30-2008, 04:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JMD730

Thanks Manmountain for all the info.

It looks like im just going to have to wait it out until i find a blueberry. I wish Bjorn still made them. I know that he is making BJF/Mad Professor pedals now...if only he made one for bass....

Check out custom sounds. They still offer the blueberry for sale. I have e-mailed Bjorn in the last year and he says he is still doing them.

In another recent thread, I posted this link. Apparently, you order one and the order is passed on. They work out to be about $400 I think.