Distortion v. Fuzz v. OD

[Thylacine Dream]

I'm sure this has been asked before, but a search only brought up...like every thread in the forum because of the ubiquity of the words.

What's happening to the sound of the bass once each of these pedals is engaged? How and why are they normally used? Basically, how do they differ from each other?

Thanks for am make me more smart with the base gitar. Any recommendations for versatile budget units that are easy to dial in would also be vastly appreciated. Retention of low end is also very important to me.

Aaaand, I fricking love the bass sound in Give the Mule What He Wants (YouTube it), I think I've heard this is a TS or similar OD, is that right? I'm aware the bass is hollowbody and part of how he got that tone.

[bongomania]

The FAQ answers your first question. For the second and third questions, look up clips here of the "Badder Bass Monkey".

[IncX]

check out my pedal board tour:

Pedal Board Tour - YouTube

youll know which one is OD, distortion and Fuzz there

[caeman]

They are used for purpose of evil! Run away from this effect!

[ribafish]

Originally Posted by caeman

They are used for purpose of evil! Run away from this effect!

The first sentence I agree with.....the second should be more like: Get as much of it(them) as it's humanly possible!!(especially some fuzzy fluffiness)

[caeman]

I stand corrected.

[Thylacine Dream]

AGH I forgot about the FAQ, sorry and thanks!

[caeman]

Originally Posted by Thylacine Dream

AGH I forgot about the FAQ, sorry and thanks!

May we still mock you as long as we remain nice about it?

[Thylacine Dream]

By all means!

[behndy]

YOU SEEM LIKE A NICE PERSON. IT IS RARE TO HAVE SOMEBODY ADMIT THEY SHOULD HAVE LOOKED AT THE FAQ. THAT IS MUCH APPRECIATED.

consider yourself MOCKED suh.

oooooo..... BURN.

[Thylacine Dream]

That...was out of line

[Thylacine Dream]

[MonetBass]

I don't use any of those effects, but this thread is fantastic. Glad I peeked in. Bravo to you, sirs!

[ggvicviper]

Originally Posted by Thylacine Dream

Basically, how do they differ from each other?

I wanna answer this one: They're all signal distortion in one way or another.

Fuzz is the most distinctive from the rest. It doesn't sound like other distortion pedals as the tone is a bit harsher from a hard clipped signal. Sounds more fuzzy or buzzy (with some fat, depending on which pedal you got). Examples: Maestro would be very buzzy and terbly, Fuzzface is fat and hairy, Superfuzz has a bit of bite, most Tone Benders are a little crunchy, and the Big Muff is Fat and Rich.

Overdrive pedals simulate an amplifier at a higher gain to distort the signal. Sounds more natural, like you cracked up the gain. Also, these can vary from pedal to pedal - some can be warmer, some can be crunchier, etc.

"Distortion" pedals are usually higher gain overdrives. Metal distortions are VERY high gain overdrives. They may vary in tone, but the essence is that it gets distortion from a more natural, overdriven amplifier-like style of clipping rather than the harsh squaring of a fuzz. If someone ever tells you "Distortion is so much better than Overdrive" or something like that , just do this.... - it's all the same thing, just different flavors depending on the manufacturer, or the tone you're after.

My personal favorite (for Bass) is the Electro-Harmonix Bass Blogger. Fuzz and drive rolled into one with the flick of a switch, can be subtle or raunchy. Don't use it engaged much, but when it is, it gets what I need it to.

Bass distortions I like are:
Electro-Harmonix Bass Blogger Distortion
MXR El Grande Bass Fuzz

For guitar, I also like:
Pro Co RAT
MXR Distortion III
Boss FZ-5 Fuzz
Boss OS-2 Overdrive/Distrotion
Fender Starcaster Distortion/EQ (Ultra cheap, but fun!)

Anyway, I hope this helped.

[caeman]

Can it be summarized even simpler?

Signal distortion from: Tube, OpAmp, Diodes or Transistors.

[Toastfuzz]

Took a long time for me to appreciate fuzz, I always wondered why the heck any bass player would want a harsh trebly almost distorted quack out of their instrument, but I have seen the light . Overdrive is used to "add a little grit", pretty much take a smooth natural bass tone and bump it up a notch. Some amps can produce their own overdrive, or certain hot pickups (usually active, but not always) that also produce light overdrive of their own. But a pedal gives flexibility. I consider overdrive a "base" effect.

Distortion and fuzz are like apples and oranges, in that they're both fruit that distort the sound, but in vastly different flavors. But some fuzzes sound like distortion, some distortions sound like fuzz, and some people insist they're one in the same (technically, I think they are, but theres a spectrum that goes from fuzz to distortion to alot of gray area in between, and they're definitely considered different animals around here.)

[Oreomeister365]

Fuzz to me means a much more low end heavy gated type of thing, where as distortion is a higher end er...guitarish tone, but both generally involve some relatively high gain.

Wereas OD is a lower gain thing that retains a lot more of your original tone...just grittier.

[mpdd]

if i would have just bought my d180 head initially i could have saved about 450 dollars on pedals

[caeman]

Originally Posted by mpdd

if i would have just bought my d180 head initially i could have saved about 450 dollars on pedals

And what fun would THAT be? You now have grizzled, hard-won advice and wisdom you can impart to future question askers.

[jakey c]

Originally Posted by ribafish

The first sentence I agree with.....the second should be more like: Get as much of it(them) as it's humanly possible!!(especially some fuzzy fluffiness)

+1
and maybe some wah or flanger or chorus hmmmmm