Which drive?

iassael · #1 09-04-2007, 08:32 AM

Hello i want to buy a drive pedal for my bass...
These are my choices.... which one do you suggest?
BIG MUFF Pi EH
BASS BLOWTORCH MXR
RAT PROCO
MULTIDRIVE EBS
The thing is i dont want to be happy with my drive when i am solo but i want to be as well when the guitar comes...
thanks!

bongomania · #2 09-04-2007, 08:38 AM

Whoa there, chief. What kind of sound are you trying to get? Have you tried any of these pedals in a store? Why do you say "these are my choices", are they the ones available in a store near you? Have you read the threads about each of those pedals in this forum yet? And most importantly, what kind of sound are you trying to get?

Please be as specific as possible, like "I want to sound like the chorus and bridge of X song by Y artist" or "I want to sound like the bit from 1:20 to 3:15 of this Youtube clip"... Then we can help you choose.

iassael · #3 09-04-2007, 08:47 AM

i am not actually sure i play rock and alternative mainly...
Because i liked them most... and i heard the best for all of them.
I want a massive thread.
I will go and test them i just need another oponion...

eyvindwa · #4 09-04-2007, 09:08 AM

One question that I have found important when using effects is: do you play an active bass? If so, is it 9V or 18V? I have found that some distortion sound very cool with passive and crap with active (especially my 18V), and some sound good (but often different) with both.

bongomania · #5 09-04-2007, 09:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by iassael

i am not actually sure i play rock and alternative mainly...
Because i liked them most... and i heard the best for all of them.
I want a massive thread.
I will go and test them i just need another oponion...

The thing is, each of those pedals sounds completely different. So there is no point to asking which one is best, or which one you should get, or even "another opinion", since they are for different sounds.

ChorusPedal88 · #6 09-04-2007, 09:37 AM

I'd go with the Big Muff Pi, it has a thickness/chunkyness to its sound which just packs out a great punch combined with with distortion, and you don't lose your low end, another tip, if you have a wah, use it with this pedal, and put it first in order, you'll like it.

**Thor** · #7 09-04-2007, 09:43 AM

I'd go with the carrot option, but there isn't one.

Major poll violation.

Crabby · #8 09-04-2007, 09:52 AM

I find that one overdrive pedal is not enough as I like to have a very light drive and a heavier sound as well. Actually, I could likely make due with just my Fulltone bassdrive as is has two channels and both are very usable.

In your case, you may want to start with with either a light overdrive (like the EBS), a distortion (like the Blowtorch), or a full out fuzz (like a Big Muff).

They are all very different and have different applications. Only you can decide what kind of sound you want. The pedals you mentioned are all good choices but they can hardly be comared to each other as they are totally different.

JanusZarate · #9 09-04-2007, 10:06 AM

I'm with Bongomania on this one. A poll is useless for this since you don't know what you really want yet.

These pedals go in four very different directions - only one of which may be what you're looking for.

Plus, without knowing what your rig happens to be (bass, amp, cabinets, etc.), it's difficult to make a good suggestion. I mean, if you're using a cheap combo, what good is a pedal going to do you? The heart of any good bass tone always starts at your rig; pedals won't fix that.

In fact, a majority of the classic overdrive tones you hear in alternative rock are typically produced with just the amp and cabinet - no pedals at all. So... what are you looking for in your sound?

I'll give you a start, but if you want to know more, you'll need to start going through the wide variety of threads already started on those four pedals you mentioned:

The Big Muff pedals have multiple variations out there... and they all have their differences. But no matter what, they're FUZZ pedals - NOT overdrive pedals. You can't get overdriven tones out of those pedals. Generally, the American versions (NYC Big Muff and Little Big Muff) produce a smoother, "creamy" thick fuzz that can get pretty crazy when cranked. The Russian and Sovtek versions tend to be harsher.

The Blowtorch produces a midrange-focused aggressive fuzz, designed to cut through the mix. However, it doesn't do the "over-the-top" fuzz of the Big Muff, and it sounds nothing like it. It can get some overdrive-like tones, but IMO, it's best suited for its fuzz tones.

The ProCo RAT is a distortion pedal which is nothing like the previous two. It's crunchy, aggressive, and a nice choice for grind. It also lacks a lot of low end, which is a problem for most people. That's why it's a popular choice for people who can afford to use two separate rigs together (one for the clean, one for the RAT), and it's not so popular with those of us who have just one rig to work with.

And the EBS MultiDrive? That's aiming for tube-emulated overdrive in a compact package. Again, nothing like the others. However, if what you really want is something along the lines of classic Ampeg overdriven tones, this is a pedal to consider. But it certainly isn't the only one by any means - there are a lot of overdrive pedals to look at that work great on bass.

Figure out what you're looking for first; you seriously need to research each of your options before even considering which one to buy. Test them out in stores if you can, and be sure to look into more than just these four pedals - those aren't the only good pedals out there!

EricF · #10 09-04-2007, 10:10 AM

Based on my personal experiences, I'd go with ANY of them but the Rat. The low end loss makes it unusable unless you're running it through a blend loop (IMO).

Now that the list is narrowed down, go test them all and find out what sound YOU like. Dirt pedals are very much about personal preference.

iassael · #11 09-04-2007, 11:30 AM

thank you all first of all my bass is passive....
Also what i do care is that when i m playing the guitar does not make me tiny :P

bongomania · #12 09-04-2007, 12:10 PM

You need a powerful amp, not any sort of drive pedal. A drive pedal through a wimpy amp will still sound tiny, and you will feel tiny, and shrivel up in the cold. Invest every penny you have in a better amp. I don't even know what kind of amp you have, but if you're feeling tiny, you need a better amp. No pedal will help you.

iassael · #13 09-04-2007, 12:37 PM

i feel tiny when the guitar distortion comes.... its not the volume..

bongomania · #14 09-04-2007, 12:43 PM

What amp are you using?

JanusZarate · #15 09-04-2007, 01:10 PM

If it's not the amp and cab, it's probably going to be the EQ.

But let's do this one step at a time!

Webtroll · #16 09-04-2007, 02:10 PM

I don't know that a distortion pedal is what you need to avoid sounding tiny (I'm partial to the Fulltone Bass Drive myself). Maybe a bit of chorus would thicken your sound up a little? If you are playing metal maybe some active pickups like EMGs would give you the tone you seek.

JanusZarate · #17 09-04-2007, 02:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Webtroll

If you are playing metal maybe some active pickups like EMGs would give you the tone you seek.

That could work against him as easily as a passive pickup could. That's why I'm more curious about his amp and EQ settings than anything else.

sikamikanico · #18 09-04-2007, 02:33 PM

man, be careful - what sounds good alone might kill you in a band situation! you can do overdrive with guitars "around" you, it's actually pretty nice (preferably it's your amps overdrive...), but the more space the guitars take, the less space there is for your distortion or fuzz...

unless you're bi-amping that is, but turning another rig on can be a bit of an overkill if your music doesn't ask for it... if you play metal or have one or no guitarists, that might actually sound good (read: huge), but 90% of the music today only demands a good clean bass tone...

what I'm basically trying to say is - what do you want to achieve with the pedal? or is it just for fooling around?
edit: I see, you feel tiny... as the guys said, what equipment are you already using? + if you feel tiny when dist.guitar comes in, distortion or fuzz are not a solution for you, imo...

nastyn8c · #19 09-04-2007, 02:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MysticBoo

That could work against him as easily as a passive pickup could. That's why I'm more curious about his amp and EQ settings than anything else.

+1 I would definitely start small. IMO, Effects should only be added AFTER your sound is perfect. Effects ought to make you sound better than perfect, not just mask imperfections.

iassael · #20 09-04-2007, 03:47 PM

i dont remember the model but as an amp in the studio i use a Behringer with a head.
i just want something different for my bass...