Can the Wooly Mammoth play nice?

amfmsb · #1 04-03-2008, 10:51 PM

So i'm diggin the Woolly Mammoth clips big time. After some research though, it seems my Stingray wouldn't get along with it, with active electronics and all (this post is all about feedback from you guys, so feel free to comment on that last statement). So, if that were true, and I used a passive bass, will other, non-true bypass pedals on my board,like the Whammy, have a simmilar negative effect on the Mammoth?

Is the only acceptable set-up with this pedal (and pretty much all other fuzzes out there) Passive bass>Woolly Mammoth (or other fuzz)>all the my other pedals>amp?

I noticed Justin M-J uses one with other pedals before it, and he uses multiple basses (I didn't check to see that they were all passive), maybe I should ask him. I'll see what you guys say first.

JanusZarate · #2 04-03-2008, 11:19 PM

YMMV.

Having a buffered pedal before it could solve the problem, but having never used a Mammoth with my current board, I couldn't tell you for certain.

If it's that much of a concern, there are other fuzz pedals which can approach that tone...

Mark Olson · #3 04-03-2008, 11:19 PM

Well, when it comes to fuzz pedals, any sort of buffer (including a buffered bypass) has the potential to alter the tone of the fuzz. In some cases the fuzz tone is altered for the worse, but there are also some cases where it is altered for the better (at least I think so). If I am to believe what I've read, the Wooly Mammoth is one fuzz pedal that probably won't sound better with a buffer in front of it.

ehque · #4 04-03-2008, 11:24 PM

Well a variable-output-impedance buffer like the GLZ-1 from Barge Concepts should make any signal look like one from a passive bass, if i read the literature correctly.

bongomania · #5 04-04-2008, 12:39 AM

We've just recently had a few posts from somebody who specifically attempted to use a GLZ with their WM and did not get the results they hoped for.

Another thing worth mentioning- lots of people love the sound of a WM with an active bass or a buffered pedal in front. JMJ, whoever else- that's cool, we all have our own ears and tastes. It's just that a passive bass plugged directly into the WM is a different sound, and if you happen to like that sound, there is no other way to get it AFAIK.

So use the WM with an active bass or other pedals in front, it's not "wrong" or "lower quality" that way at all; it's just a different sound, and you like it or you don't.

amfmsb · #6 04-04-2008, 12:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bongomania

We've just recently had a few posts from somebody who specifically attempted to use a GLZ with their WM and did not get the results they hoped for.

Another thing worth mentioning- lots of people love the sound of a WM with an active bass or a buffered pedal in front. JMJ, whoever else- that's cool, we all have our own ears and tastes. It's just that a passive bass plugged directly into the WM is a different sound, and if you happen to like that sound, there is no other way to get it AFAIK.

So use the WM with an active bass or other pedals in front, it's not "wrong" or "lower quality" that way at all; it's just a different sound, and you like it or you don't.

Best resonse ever.

EricF · #7 04-04-2008, 01:02 PM

Most (maybe all) of JMJ's basses are passive.

nad · #8 04-04-2008, 01:08 PM

With actives it is an incredibly compressed sound. Sounds horrible to me, and I normally like horrible sounds. It wasn't readily apparent until I tried it in a band situation, everyone turned and looked at me angrily: "that sounds like ****!"

There are other fuzzes out there that work fine with actives. MI Audio Neo Fuzz is the one I use.

bongomania · #9 04-04-2008, 01:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EricF

Most (maybe all) of JMJ's basses are passive.

Except he specifically stated in recent post that he keeps other buffered pedals between the bass and the WM. In terms of results, buffered pedal = active bass preamp.

Ryan Mohr · #10 04-04-2008, 02:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MysticBoo

YMMV.

Having a buffered pedal before it could solve the problem, but having never used a Mammoth with my current board, I couldn't tell you for certain.

If it's that much of a concern, there are other fuzz pedals which can approach that tone...

Which pedals?

bassterix · #11 04-04-2008, 03:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nad

With actives it is an incredibly compressed sound. Sounds horrible to me, and I normally like horrible sounds.

Bass and treble completely turned down and boosted mids doesn´t sound that bad at all, but I still choose a passiv over an active bass though.

ZombiCrow · #12 04-04-2008, 04:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ehque

Well a variable-output-impedance buffer like the GLZ-1 from Barge Concepts should make any signal look like one from a passive bass, if i read the literature correctly.

I JUST tried this last week, and it just didn't keep the Mammoth "Mammothy" enough for me, at any GLZ setting. Barge Concepts was uber-helpful and cool to deal with, though.

Haha, I should have read the whole thread; someone already mentioned me/this.

jucas · #13 04-04-2008, 08:20 PM

Lots of good points so far, but they also seem pretty finicky about what will sound "good' in front of them. I like its sound with a passive bass first, so that's my reference for sounding "good".

I've tried a bunch of different pedals in front (2 boss eq's, english muff'n, etc), and most give different degrees of bad sounds, to the point that I pretty much gave up on the idea. My boss CS-3 actually worked really well in front of it for some reason... not identical to a passive, but pretty close. Also, my piezo fretless is pretty close too, if I turn the volume to a normal level.

Try one out if there's any way you can, and maybe an mxr blowtorch too... I've never tried one, but theres a few people on here that claim to get pretty similar sounds from theirs.

JohnDavisNYC · #14 04-04-2008, 11:13 PM

mine is cool with a boss oc2 in front. that is buffered, right? i dunno. i posted some clips, and i think i have plenty of mammoth bottom on that clip... i will do some a/b..

john

dubsymmetry · #15 04-05-2008, 05:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by amfmsb

Quote:
Originally Posted by bongomania
We've just recently had a few posts from somebody who specifically attempted to use a GLZ with their WM and did not get the results they hoped for.

Another thing worth mentioning- lots of people love the sound of a WM with an active bass or a buffered pedal in front. JMJ, whoever else- that's cool, we all have our own ears and tastes. It's just that a passive bass plugged directly into the WM is a different sound, and if you happen to like that sound, there is no other way to get it AFAIK.

So use the WM with an active bass or other pedals in front, it's not "wrong" or "lower quality" that way at all; it's just a different sound, and you like it or you don't.

Best resonse ever.

+1

BassMonstrum · #16 04-09-2008, 01:57 PM

When I have other pedals before the WM, like a tuner or Octavpedal, it sounds like the Mammoth is having troubles tracking correctly. Anyone experienced this?

JanusZarate · #17 04-09-2008, 02:01 PM

Distortion pedals don't "track"... but as discussed before, active buffers (or basses) + Mammoth =

What you're hearing is what many Mammoth fans complain about.

emjazz · #18 06-05-2008, 06:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JohnDavisNYC

mine is cool with a boss oc2 in front. that is buffered, right? i dunno. i posted some clips, and i think i have plenty of mammoth bottom on that clip... i will do some a/b..

john

John, did you ever check this out? I love the Mammoth sound but my bass is active and I've read enough to steer me elsewhere.

Colonel Monk · #19 06-05-2008, 08:20 PM

I currently have my mammoth 4th in line:

pitchblack > Serano picoso > Octabass > Mammoth .....

If I'm not mistaken only the Octabass isn't hard bypass.

I haven't played it alot with Active basses, but I think it sounds good where it is.

Octabass plus Mammoth = cross between a dirty synth pedal and an absolutely kickass low down dirty fuzz.

WoollyMammoth · #20 06-05-2008, 08:33 PM

OK I have as you can tell by the name used this pedal a couple of times.... passive bass = great sound now to the active bass problems. Just use an impedance device either a plug like the imp or a dragster and voila problem solved. some people use a buffered pedal to do this it does not work well using a pedal like the super hardon before it can do it some good as it has mega impedance I actualy mentioned this in an email to Zac Vex and he said it was a good idea he hadn't thought of before but hey it might sell some more pedals so how could it be bad right actualy I have done it and the dragster both can work well depending on what bass you have. This pedal has tons of low end and its worth trying out a solution I recomend the dragster inverted as it is variable hower a fixed one might work for you. check it out let me know how it goes