Is a BSW What I'm Looking For?

HarderTheyFlo · #1 01-04-2008, 07:31 PM

Hey guys,

Ive read a lot of talk about this effect from this forum and i totally want one. But im not totally sure if it is what im looking for... The tone i want is like that of Mike Gordon, from Phish, during songs like Free and Down with Disease. So i would be basically useing it as a filter.

Im also interested with incorparting it and the synth into my band. We play mostly hard rock and every so often, at least one a jam, we do a trippy song and im thinking synth or a Filter would do it justice.

Ive narrowed it down to either that or a EXH bassballs. So of the two which one would be what im looking for? Its an hour ride to the closest place who has the BSW and they dont carry the bassballs so i cant really just go there to try a pedal unless im sure im going to get it.

Thanks

jgsbass · #2 01-05-2008, 05:38 AM

BSW>bassballs anyday. Bassballs does 1 sound: BSW does 7 different sounds, all tweakable

HarderTheyFlo · #3 01-05-2008, 01:37 PM

Yeah but its like jack of all, master of none in my mind. But im going to try the BSW as soon as possible

Swimming Bird · #4 01-05-2008, 01:48 PM

You're both right about both -- In your situation I would go with neither. The Ibanez AW-7 is a far better filter than the BSW and you can push it in weird synthy directions with the built in distortion. I've never really gotten into the Bassballs, but some here love it.

If you're willing to spend a little more, I think the EH Tube Zipper is great option (though maybe a bit much for the Phish sounds).

HarderTheyFlo · #5 01-05-2008, 03:28 PM

Hey thanks, i never even heard of that. Im checking it out now.

Oh btw can you hook me up with soundclips? I just want to compare with the others on the filters and more importantly the synth sounds.

HiFi · #6 01-05-2008, 03:31 PM

I dug the filter setting on the BSW....

....however, it's not very good for gigging because the knobs will easily move around and you can't really spend the time tweaking at a gig, so it's good for one sound only in a live situation. May as well get something designed for one specific effect and that won't be jostled to another setting easily.

HarderTheyFlo · #7 01-05-2008, 03:39 PM

Man that would suck if all the knobs would move when im jamming but i can always just put the pedal on my amp so i wouldnt screw with it plus with my band the synth setting would definately be a backround music. Im planning on recording some synth backround and play them back and just jam out to them. Im thinking along the lines of Kyle's Song by moe.

The filter though, im thinking im going to use it when i do some fills. Like Mike Gordon lol.

But yeah i can find any recordings of the ibanez and the recordings of the bassball i absolutely love so i really dont know what im going to do lol.

Swimming Bird · #8 01-05-2008, 11:24 PM

Get them all from a guaranteed return place and return the ones you don't like.

Sorry, I have no soundclips, but check the BP envelope filter review as that will have the BSW and AW-7 under similar circumstances: BP Envelope Filter Review

Anyway, the Tube Zipper is amazing, but I have never owned one. I don't know what I'd do with that much funk.

jgsbass · #9 01-06-2008, 06:49 AM

[quote=HiFi;5119284]I dug the filter setting on the BSW....

....however, it's not very good for gigging because the knobs will easily move around QUOTE]

Not true. Not true at all. I'm gigging my BSW 4 years and it has never given me a problem like that.

HiFi · #10 01-06-2008, 09:56 AM

[quote=jgsbass;5121660]

Quote:

Originally Posted by HiFi

I dug the filter setting on the BSW....

....however, it's not very good for gigging because the knobs will easily move around QUOTE]

Not true. Not true at all. I'm gigging my BSW 4 years and it has never given me a problem like that.

Anytime I put my pedalboard in the bag and took it somewhere, the knobs on the BSW would tend to move some because of any slight contact with the top of the bag, I assume. Slight contact that hasn't affected my other pedals.

Maybe the confusion is that I meant that the knobs move around in transit so you have to reset them each time you setup, which is something I didn't want to deal with while gigging it--I always check my settings, but since the BSW's hard to use for more than one setting during a gig and it requires regular knob turning after transit, it wasn't for me. If you can deal with that, it's not a big deal. While it's actually in use, the knobs didn't move. Hopefully that clears it up.

HarderTheyFlo · #11 01-06-2008, 10:41 AM

That shouldnt really be a problem for me. Im going to try that pedal out today hopefully.