dirty pedals (for dirty slapping)

Devo-lution · #1 03-23-2010, 12:23 PM

Hi folks...

I have been listening to the Primus albums "Antipop" a lot lately and have noticed that he brings in a lot of overdriven, fuzzy, very heavy (mild octave down?) slap tones...

I used to be very much into clean (Markbass amp and cab...), but lately I am starting to appreciate dirtier sounds more and more and...

In my experience... any kind of fuzz/distortion/ovedrive kills my slap tone. What to do in order to make my sound somewhat more dirty and crispy and deep when slapping or eventually also?

So, any advice concerning the amp (preamps, mods,...) or pedals which might give me the ability to make my slap somewhat less clean...

p.s. I do want to keep the ability to go back to very clean when the need arises...

thx

Phatbottom · #2 03-23-2010, 12:41 PM

Les used an ADA MB-1 back in those days. It has an overdrive but i'm not sure about his other effects at the time.

ADA is a versatile preamp from what i've heard. Tube and solid state blend-able channels.

Matt Dean · #3 03-23-2010, 01:16 PM

I use a Bass BB moderately overdriven for a couple songs I slap on... sounds pretty cool.

groooooove · #4 03-23-2010, 09:06 PM

i have a great mixed soundboard/audience mic recording of a gig where i was slapping through a pretty dirty VT bass, into a markbass amp..

PM me your email adress and i'll send you the track so you can get an idea of what slapping into a VT bass can sound like. if you want, that is.

newbold · #5 03-23-2010, 09:16 PM

I play tapewounds and fit slaps and pops in really nicely with my Pigtronix OFO/Disnortion...the octava channel does some great things when it grabs a note and low gain fuzz settings on the 'mid scoop' selection sound like a very dirty preamp.

I doubt I've got the approach you've got when it comes to slap, but I get loads of great tasty tones through my rig, a lot more percussive than I ever expected with trubass88's.

Kromwarp · #6 03-23-2010, 10:03 PM

I know currently Les uses the gold Line 6 Distortion Modeler

Mark Olson · #7 03-23-2010, 11:00 PM

Most distortion pedals seem to be tailored to sounding best when played through with a pick, so lots of them don't quite have the right response for thumbstyle playing.

One overdrive pedal that I've found worked well for thumbstyle playing was the EBS Multi-Drive. It does have an inherent rolloff of extreme highs, but unlike other drive pedals it can retain the growl you need and give you the dynamic response required for decent overdriven thumbstyle tone. Check it out.

Devo-lution · #8 03-24-2010, 05:29 AM

@ Mark Olson

Well, I am not soooo much of a "highs" fan and even when slapping I dial in mostly bass... this is countered, however, by my 2EQ ray, which inherently seems to boosts treble, even with the treble knob only at 40%... I just try to keep things balanced. hmmm, I think it might be wise to check out the EBS.

@ phatbottom

Is this ADA preamp fully analog (heard it has some built in effects)? If that preamp is the key to such balanced tubey slapsounds... I might search for one.

What's the general opinion on slapping through a tube pre-amp here? Is this really dangerous for the tubes like some folks in the local guitar store claim, or are there tube preamps around that might give the necessary beef and growl and also whitstand slapping peaks?

thanks
Kim

Mark Olson · #9 03-24-2010, 05:35 AM

I've played thumbstyle through all kinds of tube amps and tube preamps. Never once harmed a tube from it. The idea that playing thumbstyle is going to harm a tube is bull. If anything is going to harm a tube, that's not it.

Deluge Of Sound · #10 03-24-2010, 05:38 AM

I just wanted to chime in to say that I clicked on this thread hoping the full title was
dirty pedals (for dirty people).

I'm very sad that this was not the case.

Devo-lution · #11 03-24-2010, 05:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mark Olson

I've played thumbstyle through all kinds of tube amps and tube preamps. Never once harmed a tube from it. The idea that playing thumbstyle is going to harm a tube is bull. If anything is going to harm a tube, that's not it.

One of those that especially shined?

Mark Olson · #12 03-24-2010, 06:03 AM

Unfortunately a lot of drive pedals are accurate (to the amps they're trying to emulate) in their incomplete friendliness to thumbstyle playing.

When I make a pedal suggestion I'm speaking from my perspective as someone who's owned over $30,000 worth of pedals, and unfortunately I think the EBS is as good as it gets for a simple one pedal solution when speaking about overdrive, especially if you're still running that Markbass amp. One thing about drive pedals in general, a lot of them sound better going into some tubes. The EBS however is an exception.

Sound Chaser · #13 03-24-2010, 06:47 AM

On Antipop, Les used an Ampeg SVT-5 Pro, which has an incredible distortion channel and a built-in octaver.

Andy Walhor · #14 03-24-2010, 10:17 AM

You might want to look at AMT Electronics’ Slap Bass. I’ve never tried the pedal myself, but their website claims that “[m]usicians playing hard and heavy use Slap Bass as bass distortion with adjustable drive level” (http://amtelectronicsusa.com/productpageslapbass.html). The pedal’s dirtiness is described by others in the following threads:

AMT Electronics slap bass compressor
Low gain overdrive

Phatbottom · #15 03-24-2010, 05:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Devo-lution

@ phatbottom

Is this ADA preamp fully analog (heard it has some built in effects)? If that preamp is the key to such balanced tubey slapsounds... I might search for one.

What's the general opinion on slapping through a tube pre-amp here? Is this really dangerous for the tubes like some folks in the local guitar store claim, or are there tube preamps around that might give the necessary beef and growl and also whitstand slapping peaks?

thanks
Kim

Its not fully analog but the preamp section is i believe. It does have digital effects that some people like and others don't but it does have blend able solid-state and tube sections.
Slapping though a tube amp will not damage the tubes but it might clip your signal depending on the gain. The resulting sound may or may not be to your liking but your just as likely to clip a solid state signal path. I also think most of Les' tone lies in his Carl Thompsons and his fingers

Mark Olson · #16 03-24-2010, 06:11 PM

The clipping in a tube preamp IS the overdrive or dirtiness I think he's looking for.

Phatbottom · #17 03-24-2010, 06:16 PM

I agree and i doubt you'll find such dirtiness in pedal form.

Mark Olson · #18 03-24-2010, 06:21 PM

Well there are tons and tons of pedals that emulate tube clipping, many of them do it fairly well, but no, it's not the same.

My favorite separate tube preamp is the EHX English Muff'n. Great sound and great price. It does wonders for the growl of a Jazz Bass at lower gain settings.

MaxMaps · #19 03-24-2010, 06:26 PM

I would think that the sourcebox audio multiwave distortion would make some great dirty slapping sounds. From the clips I heard you could get what you wanted out of that box plus some.

I don't think I should talk. When I play slap bass I crank out the gnarilest fuzz I have. =D

JimmyM · #20 03-25-2010, 12:06 AM

whatever you get, make sure it doesn't cut lows or has a blend knob. that's why the vt pedal works so well for stuff like that...has enough lows so it doesn't need a blend.