El Grande Clipping

[Plays_For_Dog]

Was super stoked to get my El Grande Bass Fuzz after hours of you tube reviews that made it sound awesome. I buy a brand new one and it clips really bad.

It can't hold low end at all. Anything on my B or E cause the pedal to go flat and clip out. Higher notes come through amazing though.

Anyone else have this problem? I hate to think a quality product like MXR would allow a flawed pedal out of the factory, but I guess it happens.

If there's a thread some where in the archives already addressing this issue, I'm more then happy to read there if someone can direct me to it. I couldn't find it.

Long time reader, first post.

[Mark Olson]

What bass are you using? What are the EQ settings on your bass if any? If you're playing a bass with active EQ and you've got the knobs full on I highly recommend you leave them more flat. If that's not the case either your bass is inherently has a very, very high output or you've got a lemon.

[Plays_For_Dog]

Originally Posted by Mark Olson

What bass are you using? What are the EQ settings on your bass if any? If you're playing a bass with active EQ and you've got the knobs full on I highly recommend you leave them more flat. If that's not the case either your bass is inherently has a very, very high output or you've got a lemon.

I have an Ibanez BTB-505 with active pickups. The EQ on my bass is relatively balanced. They're not flat, but not even close to being full on. All my other effects sound great and the bass plugged dry into the amp sounds good. I'll try turning the EQ's lower and see if that helps. Thanks for the response!

[Plays_For_Dog]

Nope. Still clipping out. I read your post and listened to your El Grande. Yeah, mine doesn't sound nearly as clean and sustained. I think I got a lemmon.

[MohawkHarry]

I wasn't able to get any sort of smooth distortion out of the one I had. It sounded raspy and notes got lost in speedy scales. My GGG green russian clone is the same way.
I am having a great time with a Pro Co Turbo Rat and Von Rutter El Raton.

[Mark Olson]

Well, since it is a fuzz pedal, it's also quite possible that it just isn't active friendly. Active basses really mess up your sound with a lot of fuzz pedals because of the impedence buffer. A lot of gear, either old in design or based on vintage designs (which the El Grande is) weren't designed with active guitars in mind, they are meant for passive instruments.

Apart from that I've owned several active basses and I've hated the way every single one of them sounded with every single effect I've owned. Not saying you're in for the same disappointment (that depends on your tastes) or trying to discourage you from trying effects, that's just my two cents.

[bongomania]

Wait, wait, waitjustagoddamminute. Your FUZZ is clipping??? Say it isn't so!

Er, sorry about that. Maybe you can explain to us what you mean by clipping? It is a fuzz after all, which is by definition one of the most extreme forms of clipping possible. If it wasn't clipping, then you'd have a bad pedal.

So what are you hearing, exactly? Can you post a recording of it?

[MohawkHarry]

I think he means it's dogging out and falling on it's face, like a peaked out cheap amplifier. My Sterling does it to the green muff big time overdriving the input.

[Plays_For_Dog]

Originally Posted by MohawkHarry

I wasn't able to get any sort of smooth distortion out of the one I had. It sounded raspy and notes got lost in speedy scales. My GGG green russian clone is the same way.
I am having a great time with a Pro Co Turbo Rat and Von Rutter El Raton.

I'm on my way to youtube those now! Thanks for the lead.

[Plays_For_Dog]

Originally Posted by Mark Olson

Well, since it is a fuzz pedal, it's also quite possible that it just isn't active friendly. Active basses really mess up your sound with a lot of fuzz pedals because of the impedence buffer. A lot of gear, either old in design or based on vintage designs (which the El Grande is) weren't designed with active guitars in mind, they are meant for passive instruments.

Apart from that I've owned several active basses and I've hated the way every single one of them sounded with every single effect I've owned. Not saying you're in for the same disappointment (that depends on your tastes) or trying to discourage you from trying effects, that's just my two cents.

Thanks for the input. I've been woodshedding for years and played with various local bands throughout the years. However, I've just recently taken an interest in pedal and am going hog wild with them. That being said, I have a lot to learn about the dynamics of such, and appriciate all the feedback I'm getting as well as all the valuable insight I'm reading in other post. Talkbass really rocks!

[Plays_For_Dog]

Originally Posted by bongomania

Wait, wait, waitjustagoddamminute. Your FUZZ is clipping??? Say it isn't so!

Er, sorry about that. Maybe you can explain to us what you mean by clipping? It is a fuzz after all, which is by definition one of the most extreme forms of clipping possible. If it wasn't clipping, then you'd have a bad pedal.

So what are you hearing, exactly? Can you post a recording of it?

I'll try tomorrow. Clipping may not be the best definition of tone failure. The sound goes flat in low tones. E and B string sound uneffected by the fuzz and also sound as if I'm muting the string when I'm not. Higher pitched notes sound clean, fuzzed and f'ing awesome. Lower notes sound like sh*t.

Basically my El Grande doesn't sound like the numerous ones I hear on youtube and the MXR website. I know every rig is unique and has it's own sound. However, my fuzz simple falls out and fails to hold tone at low notes. I'm thinking it's a lemmon...

or maybe my dumb @ss just doesn't know how to use it yet. Time will tell......