My Assmaster doesn't sound like my Brassmaster

dave88 · #1 07-21-2010, 12:30 PM

Sure, the layout's the same and they both combine a distorted and a clean signal but that's about where the similarities end for me. I tried A/Bing multiple settings last night and didn't get anything close tonally.

I know, I need to record this. Working on it, traded my Toneport for the Assmaster... Gift of the Magi right?

Anybody else agree? I'd been looking forward to the Assmaster for quite some time and I'm kind of let down. I dig the Depth Charge more, still need to get that Black Cat pedal though.

Oh yeah, and this is an early Silicon version.

dave88 · #2 07-21-2010, 12:33 PM

I realize I should probably go into more detail about how they sound different but I'm going to try to record first before I give the old vocab a work out.

vegas532 · #3 07-21-2010, 12:45 PM

subscribed and extremely interested. I have the B:Assmaster and Depth Charge which have very few similarities, IMHO, I've always wanted to try an actual Brassmaster and never had the opportunity.

Pandafist · #4 07-21-2010, 12:54 PM

d180fuzz · #5 07-21-2010, 01:28 PM

DEPTHCHARGE!!!

...sorry...i just REALLY love it...

but have no idea if it actually sounds like a brassmaster.

**TheMutt** · #6 07-21-2010, 01:40 PM

Interesting. I actually like the B:Assmaster, but I have also always wondered what the original Brassmaster sounded like. From the sound clips that I have heard in the past, I don't really like the way that the PE Depth Charge sounds but would like a direct comparison to the other clones and the original.

CliftonBonney · #7 07-21-2010, 01:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dave88

Sure, the layout's the same and they both combine a distorted and a clean signal but that's about where the similarities end for me. I tried A/Bing multiple settings last night and didn't get anything close tonally.

I know, I need to record this. Working on it, traded my Toneport for the Assmaster... Gift of the Magi right?

Anybody else agree? I'd been looking forward to the Assmaster for quite some time and I'm kind of let down. I dig the Depth Charge more, still need to get that Black Cat pedal though.

Oh yeah, and this is an early Silicon version.

You are one of the lucky ones who possesses such a coveted pedal. A comparison of the three would be much welcomed by the masses.

jetofuj · #8 07-21-2010, 02:06 PM

MORE THAN WELCOMED!!!

dave88 · #9 07-21-2010, 02:08 PM

I'm going to try with my digital camera now, it's got some weird noise gate/filter stuff so this probably isn't going to be pretty

Fishyfan · #10 07-21-2010, 02:10 PM

this thread does not bode well for my wallet...if only i had a TARDIS i could see the end of it and be without suspense...

**TheMutt** · #11 07-21-2010, 02:10 PM

If you lived closer, I'd offer to help you record.

rcubed · #12 07-21-2010, 02:20 PM

From the schematic I saw of the Depth Charge, it's a good deal different.

**DosiYanarchy** · #13 07-21-2010, 02:37 PM

is your B:AM silicon or germ? The two sounded completely different to me. From what I understand, the Silicon is the the one that should sound most similar to the Maestro

Smurf-o-Deth · #14 07-21-2010, 02:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dave88

Oh yeah, and this is an early Silicon version.

^

bovine mind · #15 07-21-2010, 02:59 PM

Hey, that's my old Depth Charge!

Glad you're digging it Dave88. It suited me very well for about a year, but I eventaully started craving a more raspy oriented fuzz. what a collection.

dave88 · #16 07-21-2010, 03:53 PM

Yeah man, thanks again bovine for the great deal on it and the FX25

I finally managed to record something with the Brass and it sounds like I'm playing an Electric Upright Bass (instead of a 70's pbass) due to all the compression from the camera...I might have to rethink how to attempt this...on the other hand it will show that they sound different even though the recordings aren't accurate

dave88 · #17 07-21-2010, 05:21 PM

Just spent quite some time ABing the two using the same settings and the things that strike me the most are the sensitivity, the Brass/Ass volume, and the overall actual tone.

The sensitivity knob on the Ass doesn't really work at low settings. My favorite thing to do with the Brassmaster is to set Brass and Bass volume on full, set the Brass Switch to "1" and the Harmonic switch to either "1" or "2", and then to just slightly turn up the sensitivity to emulate a driven tube amp. If you try this with the Assmaster you get a peaky/spiky volume mess.

The Brassmaster has pretty even volume on all settings but the Assmaster can jump from LOUD to quiet with different flicks of the two switches.

Overall tone of the Assmaster is clearer then the Brassmaster, but it's also more searing and more "distortion pedal" sounding overall.

Those are just a few observations, if you due some objective comparisons with settings like putting everything on full and switching between the toggles you get very different sounds between the two for most settings. Some times you can adjust the sensitivity and Ass volume of the Assmaster to get closer but a lot of the times you can't get even near the sound of the other.

RCCollins · #18 07-21-2010, 05:25 PM

interesting. i always found the volume controls on the Barker unmanageable

CliftonBonney · #19 07-21-2010, 05:27 PM

Thanks for the review. If you get some clips up, send me the settings you are using. I can post some clips of the Black Cat (another clone) to see how it compares. I already have some clips up. You can check those out and give us your thoughts.

ccpbass · #20 07-21-2010, 05:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RCCollins

interesting. i always found the volume controls on the Barker unmanageable

That was the sole reason why I ended up selling mine. With the sensitivity in the extreme settings (pass 12o'clock) I would have to set the ass volume at 9 o'clock or less in order to prevent my face from melting off. I never played a real Brassmaster so I can't offer a comparison on the tone. But in Malekko's defense I'm not sure if their intention was to make an exact clone of the Brassmaster.