Fulltone bass drive vs. full drive...

gregmon79 · #1 03-13-2013, 08:25 PM

I really want to acquire the fulltone bass drive. I've noticed they are hard to find/get a hd of especially due to the fact they don't make it anymore. And I can barely find any for sale. Anyway, I can find a FULL drive like nothing and I want to know is this almost the same pedal? Can it do the same things the bass drive can? If I buy the full drive can I get the same kind of distortion/overdrive/sounds as the bass drive does??

vegas532 · #2 03-13-2013, 08:58 PM

To my ears, it doesn't have nearly as much low end nor will it get as dirty. You can always try it, though. Hell, you may dig it.

gregmon79 · #3 03-13-2013, 09:01 PM

Dang, that's exactly why I wanted it, for the low end and dirt. I'll try it anyway though. There's one at GC down the street from my house, might as well. Thanks! Seems like some of the pedals I want the most, they stopped making them dangit!!!

johnk_10 · #4 03-14-2013, 12:50 AM

the fulldrive doesn't have as much low end as the bass drive. one tb member sent me his fulldrive and I modded it into a bassdrive by changing four components.

vegas532 · #5 03-14-2013, 01:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by johnk_10

the fulldrive doesn't have as much low end as the bass drive. one tb member sent me his fulldrive and I modded it into a bassdrive by changing four components.

Let's not forget that this is an option!

liveburning274 · #6 03-14-2013, 04:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by johnk_10

the fulldrive doesn't have as much low end as the bass drive. one tb member sent me his fulldrive and I modded it into a bassdrive by changing four components.

Andddddd John with the pedal-modding WIN!!!!

gregmon79 · #7 03-14-2013, 05:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by johnk_10

the fulldrive doesn't have as much low end as the bass drive. one tb member sent me his fulldrive and I modded it into a bassdrive by changing four components.

Do you do this for a living? And how much would something like that run me?? I'd def be interested. I'm going to the music store today to try out the full drive.

gregmon79 · #8 03-14-2013, 06:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vegas532

Let's not forget that this is an option!

Yes, I completely understand this. I never take what anyone says on here as set in stone. We're all very opinionated and that is fine. I just like to hear peoples opinions on the gear in question especially if they've worked with it for a long time. Most suggestions I get on TB are well informed. MOST of them mind you. I've been playing for 14 years now but for many years I just plugged in and went. I've only recently got into the effects big time and purchased an amp and cab with some balls and tone to match.

skulletwhip · #9 03-14-2013, 06:40 AM

I may be mistaken, but isn't the HBE Hematoma pretty much a Bass Drive? Also the Xotic BB is similar too, but without the boost switch.

I could be wrong. I just wanted to present some in production options. Best of luck.

gregmon79 · #10 03-14-2013, 07:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by skulletwhip

I may be mistaken, but isn't the HBE Hematoma pretty much a Bass Drive? Also the Xotic BB is similar too, but without the boost switch.

I could be wrong. I just wanted to present some in production options. Best of luck.

Awesome, I will be looking into that as well. Oh man, its like one pedal after another!! I hate GAS!!!! dang it

BawanaRik · #11 03-14-2013, 12:50 PM

I have the Bass Drive and the Hematoma. Maybe it because I use them different. The bass drive has this thing it does before it distorts that sounds "Tubey", I never tried that with the Hematoma.

Thanks for the suggestion.

Quote:

Originally Posted by skulletwhip

I may be mistaken, but isn't the HBE Hematoma pretty much a Bass Drive? Also the Xotic BB is similar too, but without the boost switch.

I could be wrong. I just wanted to present some in production options. Best of luck.

ersheff · #12 03-14-2013, 12:56 PM

So glad I picked up a Bass Drive 10 or so years ago.
Had no idea they were discontinued until very recently.
I remember reading on Fulltone's website at one point that the Bass Drive was essentially the Full Drive with an extra octave of low-end extension. This implies to me that the Full Drive has some kind of high-pass built-in, which of course makes it less ideal for bass.

EDIT: I should add that I use my Bass Drive as my main guitar drive pedal as well and really like it for that! LOVE multi-taskers!

Laurent · #13 03-14-2013, 01:14 PM

There are plenty of Fulltone bass drive on ebay.

If the price is an obstacle, I would recommend the HBE Hematoma or the feature rich (and more expensive) Rodenberg GAS 728B. Tone wise they are very close to the Fulltone.
If you own a boost as a separate pedal, the Pork Loin with a boost in front of it will sound in the same ballpark too.

The Rodenberg is an amazing pedal. The features are some of the most extented and smart features I have ever seen on a pedal.

gregmon79 · #14 03-14-2013, 04:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Laurent

There are plenty of Fulltone bass drive on ebay.

If the price is an obstacle, I would recommend the HBE Hematoma or the feature rich (and more expensive) Rodenberg GAS 728B. Tone wise they are very close to the Fulltone.
If you own a boost as a separate pedal, the Pork Loin with a boost in front of it will sound in the same ballpark too.

The Rodenberg is an amazing pedal. The features are some of the most extented and smart features I have ever seen on a pedal.

I already have and run the sansamp VT bass. The smaller one. So that would be my pusher. I also have the fulltone OCD. I'm pretty happy with this overall but still want more. In the same direction as the bass drive. Someone commented to me that the OCD was very similar to the bass drive as far as tone goes just more options. Opinions?? I didn't go and try the full drive today, maybe this weekend. I'm still pretty set on getting a B3K or the vintage tube though. I hear they're glorious.

xray · #15 03-14-2013, 04:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Laurent

There are plenty of Fulltone bass drive on ebay.

If the price is an obstacle, I would recommend the HBE Hematoma or the feature rich (and more expensive) Rodenberg GAS 728B. Tone wise they are very close to the Fulltone.
If you own a boost as a separate pedal, the Pork Loin with a boost in front of it will sound in the same ballpark too.

The Rodenberg is an amazing pedal. The features are some of the most extented and smart features I have ever seen on a pedal.

+1 they were here up to about 6 months ago then they became a collectors item to the ones that have them. But I see them on ebay all the time.

FWIW: i bought one and sold it as it really wasn't my cup of tea and invested in an all tube amp (Bassman 100T). Now that tone is there all the time!

gregmon79 · #16 03-14-2013, 05:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xray

+1 they were here up to about 6 months ago then they became a collectors item to the ones that have them. But I see them on ebay all the time.

FWIW: i bought one and sold it as it really wasn't my cup of tea and invested in an all tube amp (Bassman 100T). Now that tone is there all the time!

Can you get just as much volume out of that 100 watts as some solid state amps that push out, let's say a 500 600 watt amp??

bray101 · #17 03-14-2013, 05:25 PM

I got my hands on an original full tone bass drive about a year ago. Not the MOSFET version of later production, but one of the first 750 off the line I believe (not certain), as it is hand written serial on a full tone sticker on the underside.

I love the drive function and find it works very well across multiple amps, with just a simple turn of the tone knob. I keep every other knob about the same regardless of amp or other pedals I run it with. It seems like that tone knob just has an infinite range of dialing bass in or out.

That being said, I am not a huge fan of the boost on it. Seems like it wants to be a muff, but just doesn't quite get there. So, I really only use the drive on mine. My big muff is getting repaired and modded at the moment, so I've been using the boost for a few weeks, but I could live without it if necessary.

So, my opinion would be to take the advice of some here and go with the pork loin or the bb xotic that get really close to the full tone. Then if you really want a fuzz option, just snag a big muff or something to throw on top. I personally have not used the pork loin or the BB, but have heard repeated praises of them.

depalm · #18 03-14-2013, 06:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by johnk_10

the fulldrive doesn't have as much low end as the bass drive. one tb member sent me his fulldrive and I modded it into a bassdrive by changing four components.

And your BassDrive clone sounds amazing too.

RickenBoogie · #19 03-14-2013, 06:26 PM

I had the mosfet version and thought is was an ok pedal, but preferred the EBS Valve Drive for lighter o/d, and the TRex Bass Juice for the heavier dirt. And I also agree, the OCD has a very similar tone to the BassDrive, with less options overall. Maybe the op wants to step into fuzz territory(?)

gregmon79 · #20 03-15-2013, 06:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RickenBoogie

I had the mosfet version and thought is was an ok pedal, but preferred the EBS Valve Drive for lighter o/d, and the TRex Bass Juice for the heavier dirt. And I also agree, the OCD has a very similar tone to the BassDrive, with less options overall. Maybe the op wants to step into fuzz territory(?)

Thanks for the opinion on the OCD as to the Bass Drive. I am not really a fuzz fan too much. Fuzz, to me, wont cut through the mix like I'd like it to. I've own the MXR bass fuzz deluxe and could never seem to find a tone that would cut through with it. By myself it sounds great, live, no dice. For me anyway. I still hold on to it in case I'm ever in need of it though. Although I will probably take it back at some point and get something I'll use regularly. The last couple of days I have dialed in a tone and levels with my ATK, my GK and my pedals and I am very very pleased with it. I CANT STOP PLAYING!! Do you guys ever get that, when you find a killer tone with your gear and you just keep picking it up to play every second your around it?? Im thinking about it at work for Gods sake!!