Prescription Electronics Experience Octave Fuzz SOUNDCLIPS

Mark Olson · #1 12-03-2008, 04:28 PM

Okay, so as much as I like Jimi Hendrix, I didn't have high expectations of this pedal on bass. Which is why the second I kicked it on I was suprised as I was rewarded with the most badass bass fuzz, period. This fuzz is THICK. Perfect for bass. And yet, somehow, it magically has great definition even on my shortscale bass, with it's puny and dead spaghetti strings, and in dropped C# tuning = sludge. This fuzz just plain rocks. And on top of that is has a totally sweet octave that you can kick on along with the fuzz if you wish. Probably the most badass octave fuzz I've tried too. The swell mode would be swell, but for some reason I haven't figured that mode out yet, not getting it to work how I'd like but I'm really not concerned because of how well the rest of the pedal works and sounds.

Anyways, here's the clips. First off just the fuzz, dropped C# sludge with my SG Bass, both pickups with the neck pickup rolled off a bit. I have the tone down on the fuzz for a nice, thick, bassy tone. I think it's incredible:

http://media.putfile.com/EXP1-81

Next I kick on the octave with the fuzz. Pretty nice octave effect, even though I'm playing all low on the neck. That's really rare with octave fuzzes to work this well:

http://media.putfile.com/EXP2-9

Let's try the octave starting at above the 12th fret for some really psychedelic octave fuzz tone:

http://media.putfile.com/EXP3-52

So I think this sounds totally awesome.

What do you think?

Kooldac · #2 12-03-2008, 04:34 PM

grrrrrr you are single handedly increasing my GAS coefficient exponentially

Swift713 · #3 12-03-2008, 04:43 PM

That sounds very similar to the COB to me. They both seem to have a real Marshall kind of tone - very crunchy edge. Very impressive. I like it.

Mark Olson · #4 12-03-2008, 04:52 PM

Thanks! I added a private poll to this thread so again you can all vote on how you think this pedal sounds.

Mark Olson · #5 12-03-2008, 05:29 PM

So I guess the deal is you have to have the octave on to make use of the swell. If anyone would be curious as to how that sounds, or if there's anything else anyone would want to hear me try with this pedal, I'll do that when I can, just let me know.

And thanks to those of you who've voted so far I appreciate the feedback.

Swift713 · #6 12-04-2008, 12:00 AM

Yeah, lets hear the swell!

Listening to the COB clips and these again I think the experience is a little more gourmet, crunchy, and different from the lo tone than the COB.

RCCollins · #7 12-04-2008, 07:59 AM

I like this but the COB is sexier to me.

bassman1185 · #8 12-04-2008, 09:27 AM

Sounds amazing to my ears, but I don't think I'll ever really be able to swing the $300 for one.

Mark Olson · #9 12-04-2008, 05:54 PM

Yeah, I'll be honest I picked mine up on eBay in like mint condition for $150. It was really a steal. I think this pedal sounds completely awesome, it's going on my board. Unlike the COB the Experience is daisy chain power friendly so that's part of the deciding factor, but another thing is I kind of like the Experience's fuzz better than my Frantone Lo Tone, which is saying something, so I'll probably be running:

Wilson 12 Position Bass Q Wah -> PE Experience -> Z. Vex Box of Rock -> Voodoo Lab Tremolo -> MXR Carbon Copy

Covers my needs I think. We'll see. But the COB is useful for getting just a little bit of that octave and having a meatier overall tone from the clean blend, but it also gets much greasier and more nasty than the Experience. Both keepers though.

Anyway, enough rambling, more clips are coming soon.

Kevin Wilson · #10 12-04-2008, 06:05 PM

Nice. I really like the 2nd and 3rd clip.

Mark Olson · #11 12-04-2008, 06:46 PM

Thanks! Here's some more clips. This is the one I put in the other thread with the EXP and COB running:

http://media.putfile.com/EXPCOB

Then I got one with some Trem just for fun:

http://media.putfile.com/EXPTrem

And of course I tried the swell, but it's pretty weak on bass, I've heard guitar players get better sounds with it:

http://media.putfile.com/EXPSwell

And I've gotten some more cool tones that are too cool to share, sorry, I have to keep some of my sounds secret, at least until I put 'em down on the new album we're working on (gonna go work on that some this weekend) which is going to be produced by Grammy winner P.J. Olsson (of no relation to me), you probably haven't heard of him but he sings with the Alan Parsons Project and does some cool stuff of his own too and he's a cool guy to work with so we're all excited to start on this stuff and thanks to these PE pedals I've got some of the tones I think I'll be wanting in the studio.

Mark Olson · #12 12-05-2008, 02:19 PM

So no one has anything to say about the new clips? I kind of like the first ones better too I guess.

But thanks for the feedback those who've voted. It seems about 4 out of 5 bass players can dig my tone with this pedal, and that's something I can definitely live with, that's awesome. Thanks!

4stringmangler · #13 12-05-2008, 04:15 PM

i like the first clips, and i thought the clip of the trem sounded really cool.

Mark Olson · #14 12-06-2008, 12:52 AM

Yeah, I'm with you on that one. The swell really doesn't work as great on bass as it does on guitar, and the two octave fuzzes stacked is a little much, but the other clips are pretty sweet.

I've got some new riffs featuring the Experience pedal that are definitely going to show up on my bands next album. It's dorky, but I'm really stoked that my music is going to be produced by the guy who produced the guy and sings for the guy who produced Dark Side of the Moon. I used to listen to that album all the time on vinyl when I was like 5 years old. Obviously it really blew my mind then.

nbtone · #15 12-06-2008, 10:44 AM

I agree with you about the experience pedal. It's the only fuzz tone worth having for bass or guitar.

Kevin Wilson · #16 12-06-2008, 12:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mark Olson

Thanks! Here's some more clips. This is the one I put in the other thread with the EXP and COB running:

http://media.putfile.com/EXPCOB

Then I got one with some Trem just for fun:

http://media.putfile.com/EXPTrem

And of course I tried the swell, but it's pretty weak on bass, I've heard guitar players get better sounds with it:

http://media.putfile.com/EXPSwell

And I've gotten some more cool tones that are too cool to share, sorry, I have to keep some of my sounds secret, at least until I put 'em down on the new album we're working on (gonna go work on that some this weekend) which is going to be produced by Grammy winner P.J. Olsson (of no relation to me), you probably haven't heard of him but he sings with the Alan Parsons Project and does some cool stuff of his own too and he's a cool guy to work with so we're all excited to start on this stuff and thanks to these PE pedals I've got some of the tones I think I'll be wanting in the studio.

Definetly like the 2nd one with the trem. the other 2 kind of sound almost like an octave with guitar. Not much low end. But then again it is an octave up pedal right??

Mark Olson · #17 12-07-2008, 08:51 AM

Yeah, up high on the neck that octave is quite shrill, and unfortunately the octave does cut a lot of bottom, which kind of comes with the territory of octave fuzzes. It is a cool sound low on the neck, and if I were to use it on record I would probably multi track the bass, one layer with the octave, one without to have that bottom there. If I say, added the second track with the octave only during the choruses or whatnot, it would make for a nice and big sounding chorus, could be cool for a rock band setting.

And I suppose that high mosquito-y sound could be handy for a psychedelic breakdown... we do some of those in my band....

Mark Olson · #18 12-07-2008, 06:28 PM

I came up with a new riff using the Fuzz section of the Experience where I do this very synthy yet heavy fuzz tone on the low dropped C# string. My band and I spent some time ironing that stuff out today it's on the front burner for our next album, so when I can I'll post how this sounds in a full band mix. Right now I use it cranked really loud just to cut through the two guitars.

Swift713 · #19 12-07-2008, 06:53 PM

The Lo Tone is more my cup of tea but the Experience is really wicked, I bet they would be great blended or double tracked.

Mark Olson · #20 12-08-2008, 11:44 AM

I may have to try that in the studio. I do love my Lo Tone.

And I hate to say it because I don't really want to sound like anyone else but me, but the sound I'm using the Experience pedal for in my band has a certain Tim Commerford vibe.... kind of sucks. But the riff is a little different, so hopefully I will still sound like me.