OD/Distortion unit for Grand Funk jb tone

premiumplus · #1 08-14-2009, 04:12 AM

Hi all,
I really dig Mel Schacher's tone on the early Grand Funk album, the one with the red cover. In fact, I bought my first bass last weekend because of it.
Is there an overdrive or distortion/fuzz tone that is out there that would approximate that type of 'tube amp on 11' tone? I've got a ton of guitar pedals that I'm working my way though with the bass but I haven't found anything yet. Tonight I'm going to try the Tech 21 GT-2 that I have in the closet somewhere. I think it sucks for guitar but might do something interesting for the bass...
Oh by the way, right now my rig is a Squire VM Jazz through a vintage Acoustic 150 head, with a 2x12 loaded with EVM12L drivers. I need a bass cab...but that's for the next thread!

RCCollins · #2 08-14-2009, 05:47 AM

get a tube amp, and if it's a "modern" one with seperate master volume, turn the master volume up ALL THE WAY and adjust the gain to suit.

Failing that, get a bass-designed tubescreamer type pedal and crank it. Or maybe a sansamp VT (though I didn't really like mine much!)

Mark Olson · #3 08-14-2009, 06:46 AM

I've got a friend that's working on an old West Amp, the kind of amp that I believe Mel used to use. Does anyone know if those are valuable? Or how hard to find they are?

Anyways, those amps seemed to give Mel a pretty fuzzy tone... as well as fat and round. Pretty funky too. Another possible alternative might be a bass fuzz pedal. Maybe something like a Music Electronix Messdrive, or a Frantone Lo Tone, or something along those lines.

premiumplus · #4 08-14-2009, 07:22 AM

Hey Mark, I just read your thread about the Orange Tiny Terror. I just happen to own one of those, and I'm going to try it out tonight when I get home. I have a Marshall 4x10 guitar cab that might work with that amp...it sure sounds great with guitars!
As far as the West amps go, I saw one of those in a little shop in Flint a few months ago. What a beast of a transformer set those have! I'm sure that those would get the tone, but I don't want to play that loud. Loud, but not richter-scale loud...

BassBrass · #5 08-14-2009, 09:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RCCollins

...get a bass-designed tubescreamer type pedal and crank it. Or maybe a sansamp VT (though I didn't really like mine much!)

in other words, a Humphries modded Bad(er) Monkey.

JimmyM · #6 08-14-2009, 03:29 PM

I can cop a pretty good Mel-tone with the VT.

Mark Olson · #7 08-15-2009, 06:20 AM

Cool! Let me know how it goes! I don't think my Tiny Terror gets very Mel-like, but you might find a tone you like anyways!

MAMMOTHvolume · #8 08-15-2009, 04:30 PM

just had a listen and i have to say my yamaha trbII into my bassman into both channels on about 3/4 very similar to his tone