Lovetone Meatball & Cheese -OR- EH Micor Q-Tron & Big Muff PI

[g4string]

Which combo would you prefer, and why?

[Jared Lash]

Originally Posted by g4string

Which combo would you prefer, and why?

I'd take the Lovetone because I could get a whole lot more when I traded or sold them.

Price/rarity aside and just focused on sound, I'd still take the Meatball/Big Cheese by a country mile. To be fair, I'm not a fan of the QTron, but I think the Meatball is a far better filter.

I like both the Big Muff and the Big Cheese, but while the latter can cut some lows, the former gets lost in a mix. I think both benefit greatly from a clean blend. I like the Big Cheese a bit better, if only because it's more versatile and because I love gated fuzzes.

And paired together, the Lovetone gives a wider range of fuzz/filter tones IMO.

[fightthepower]

The Lovetone combo will cost about $1000 and take you a little while to even source them as they are discontinued and highly sought after. The Lovetone stuff is also voltage controlled.

The Micro Qtron is EHX's cheapest filter and the Big Muff Pi cuts lows... but you could find them pair used for about $100. It's hard to even compare them because there's probably only one or two people (BigO included) who have even tried the Meatball and Big Cheese.

If I had 100 to spend: EHX
1000 to spend: Lovetone.


I'd recommend doing some searching and listening to as many clips of pedals as you can and start narrowing down your search. I saw that you posted this question in the Oysterhead thread, and I'd say that even if you could find the Lovetone stuff, you may or may not be able/want to afford it. For that Oysterhead song, I think the Qtron would do you a lot better because it has an effects loop-- with something really gainy like a muff, you'll want to put it in the loop if the filter so that you're still controlling the opening and closing of the filter with your bass's signal, not the high-gain muff signal which will hold it open in most cases. The Qtron is also pretty wet and would do a decent job of that tone I assume-- though much of it really is in his fingers.

[Jared Lash]

Originally Posted by fightthepower

The Micro Qtron is EHX's cheapest filter and the Big Muff Pi cuts lows... but you could find them pair used for about $100. It's hard to even compare them because there's probably only one or two people (BigO included) who have even tried the Meatball and Big Cheese.

I never really thought the Big Muff cut lows nearly as much as it did scoop your tone. For a long time I had tplyon's bass modded NYC Muff, but even the LBM seemed to handle the lows better than most fuzzes. Outside of being the envy of pedal geeks, I don't see any reason to get true Lovetone stuff when clones are available for less. I didn't A/B them, but the OLC Chunky Cheese sounds just like I remember the Big Cheese. And while I've only played the original Meatball, the clones all seem to capture it's sound well.

markjazzbassist is another TBer who has tried the Big Cheese and Meatball and unlike me, actually had them on his board rather than borrowing them from a friend. Toasted had the pair too I believe.

Originally Posted by fightthepower

I'd recommend doing some searching and listening to as many clips of pedals as you can and start narrowing down your search. I saw that you posted this question in the Oysterhead thread, and I'd say that even if you could find the Lovetone stuff, you may or may not be able/want to afford it. For that Oysterhead song, I think the Qtron would do you a lot better because it has an effects loop-- with something really gainy like a muff, you'll want to put it in the loop if the filter so that you're still controlling the opening and closing of the filter with your bass's signal, not the high-gain muff signal which will hold it open in most cases. The Qtron is also pretty wet and would do a decent job of that tone I assume-- though much of it really is in his fingers.

I didn't realize the OP wanted to get Les' Oysterhead tone. From the title track with the fuzz, filter and delay? I'm guessing Claypool was just using his Korg.

Regardless of the actual effect, his tones are very hard to replicate. The CT basses I'm sure are part, but I think the biggest thing beyond his touch (which is fairly individual), is the strange gauge strings he uses. As I recall, on his four strings he uses a normal A string gauge for both the E and A and a normal G string gauge for the D and G.

A big part of his "rubbery" sound I'm sure.

[g4string]

Originally Posted by fightthepower

The Lovetone combo will cost about $1000 and take you a little while to even source them as they are discontinued and highly sought after. The Lovetone stuff is also voltage controlled.

The Micro Qtron is EHX's cheapest filter and the Big Muff Pi cuts lows... but you could find them pair used for about $100. It's hard to even compare them because there's probably only one or two people (BigO included) who have even tried the Meatball and Big Cheese.

If I had 100 to spend: EHX
1000 to spend: Lovetone.


I'd recommend doing some searching and listening to as many clips of pedals as you can and start narrowing down your search. I saw that you posted this question in the Oysterhead thread, and I'd say that even if you could find the Lovetone stuff, you may or may not be able/want to afford it. For that Oysterhead song, I think the Qtron would do you a lot better because it has an effects loop-- with something really gainy like a muff, you'll want to put it in the loop if the filter so that you're still controlling the opening and closing of the filter with your bass's signal, not the high-gain muff signal which will hold it open in most cases. The Qtron is also pretty wet and would do a decent job of that tone I assume-- though much of it really is in his fingers.

I was doing a search and just realized how much the LT stuff costs I am new to the fx' world, so please bear with my fx' ignorance. I know its just on-line clips at you-tube, but I can tell a difference in the sound between the LT stuff and EH stuff. I am sure the LT gear was probably double what the EH gear costs when it was in production. If one was going to try to get as close to the LT meatball/cheese combo tone as possible, what clone would you recommend? Surely there is a good, albeit cheaper, alternative to the LT stuff?


BigO.......yes, I am sure that a good deal of that sound is 'finger' related

[markjazzbassist]

lovetone meatball and cheese source. they play SO well together and the sounds that can be created are amazing and endless. i used this combo for a while and it was excellent.

the Chunk Agent 00Funk and Brown Dog are similar as well.

[whoatherechunk]

it all depends on the bills you have.

[g4string]

Originally Posted by whoatherechunk

it all depends on the bills you have.

lets say about $200-$300 per pedal........which clone will get me closest to the meatball-cheese combo

[JimmyM]

I could never pay $500 to make my bass go "quack quack" so the Micro Q-Tron is a no-brainer. Never tried the Cheese, but I used to have an old Big Muff Pi and hated it on bass.

[whoatherechunk]

olc chunky cheese + 3leaf groove regulator seem like a good combo.

[rasthedoctor]

Originally Posted by whoatherechunk

olc chunky cheese + 3leaf groove regulator seem like a good combo.

I really need to learn how to assemble a pedal kit. I've never done any electronic work, so I wouldn't want to grab a kit like the Chunky Cheese and try to throw it together right now, but man... $90 for a pedal that fully built is $170 based on a pedal that runs for $500. That's insane. Could grow my board with quality effects save a ton of money and have the satisfaction of having built something all at the same time... gah!

[RCCollins]

Originally Posted by rasthedoctor

I really need to learn how to assemble a pedal kit. I've never done any electronic work, so I wouldn't want to grab a kit like the Chunky Cheese and try to throw it together right now, but man... $90 for a pedal that fully built is $170 based on a pedal that runs for $500. That's insane. Could grow my board with quality effects save a ton of money and have the satisfaction of having built something all at the same time... gah!

keep in mind that there is hours of frustrating work involved and your build might not even work, not to mention the expense of equipment for tools etc... that $80 you saved doesn't seem like so much anymore

[rasthedoctor]

Originally Posted by RCCollins

keep in mind that there is hours of frustrating work involved and your build might not even work, not to mention the expense of equipment for tools etc... that $80 you saved doesn't seem like so much anymore

Heh - true. However, I've been known to enjoy a bit of self-flagellation while trying to rise to a challenge...


...surely there's a better I could have put that?

[RCCollins]

Originally Posted by JimmyM

I could never pay $500 to make my bass go "quack quack" so the Micro Q-Tron is a no-brainer. Never tried the Cheese, but I used to have an old Big Muff Pi and hated it on bass.

ever checked out the Bass Big Muff, Jimmy? It is all kinds of cool, slays most every other ehx muff

[markjazzbassist]

Originally Posted by g4string

lets say about $200-$300 per pedal........which clone will get me closest to the meatball-cheese combo

Chunk Agent 00FUnk II and Brown Dog.

Granted i'm an endorsee, BUT let me just say this. I wanted to eventually get another Meatball/Cheese Source combo going because the sounds were just so amazing. Literally magical, i mean they worked together so well. After getting the Chunk Stuff I have no want or need for them anymore. They do the same thing and cop very similar tones. The brown dog doesn't do OD, and the Agent has less knobs, but the tones are there. The Envelope connector between the 2 also brings some great tones too.

I've owned both, and many other filter/fuzz combos (mutron, qtron, muff, fuzz face, superfuzz, overdrives). The lovetone and chunks work the best together.

The only muff filter combo (mutron) that i've seen work is Bootsy, and he's got a multi-tiered rig. Not really achieveable by mortal man.

[JimmyM]

Originally Posted by RCCollins

ever checked out the Bass Big Muff, Jimmy? It is all kinds of cool, slays most every other ehx muff

Nope, haven't. Would like to, but I'm afraid I'll like it, then I'd have to buy it

[Jared Lash]

Originally Posted by markjazzbassist

Granted i'm an endorsee, BUT let me just say this. I wanted to eventually get another Meatball/Cheese Source combo going because the sounds were just so amazing. Literally magical, i mean they worked together so well. After getting the Chunk Stuff I have no want or need for them anymore. They do the same thing and cop very similar tones. The brown dog doesn't do OD, and the Agent has less knobs, but the tones are there. The Envelope connector between the 2 also brings some great tones too.

For that matter, the Big Cheese doesn't do OD either.

Even with the gain all the way down it's a pretty gnarly beast. Of course, you had a "Cheese Source" so that's a horse of a different color.

I'm kind of interesting in trying a Brown Dog with a Meatball now since I'm really digging the 00Funk with the Chunky Cheese.

Mark, when and how did you become a Chunk endorsee? Just curious.

Side note on the OLC Chunky Cheese. If you want one assembled, be prepared to wait a good long while.

[Gashaponcito]

Originally Posted by TheBigO

Mark, when and how did you become a Chunk endorsee? Just curious.

=O congrats!! Mark I'm curious too, I'm also curious on how you use your pedals with Kate I've heard very little of her music but I would like to hear more (any links?) and if it includes some funky basslines way better!