UPDATED: Wow, I think I got a "bad" B:assmaster

**TheFantod** · #1 10-31-2009, 01:26 PM

Got a brand new one in the mail today from Malekko. Put in a battery, pulled out the teeth, and plugged it in.

All the clips I've heard here, on Malekko's site, and YouTub, play a very cool fuzz. That is NOT the sound I'm getting. What I'm getting is a god awful, envelope-like distortion. It screeches & rattles and cuts out like a Tremolo. There is absolutely no fuzz at all.

I know it's not "just me" because I A/B'd it next to my EHX BBM. They sounded nothing alike.

Oh, and there is also an INCREDIBLY loud volume spike. I'm talking a window rattling, make the cats run away, sounds like it's going to blow my 15" Black Widow out of the cabinet. I recall reading that a volume spike is typical with these, but I wasn't expecting this.

I tried it with both my EB Musicman and my Peavey T-40, and get the same result. I also tried a 9 volt power supply (from a PP2) and a new battery, both with the same sound.

I would call Josh directly but they're closed on the weekend. I seem to recall someone here once posting they got a lemon, but Malekko fixed it up right away.

Any help here?

Tim

gnasher1993 · #2 10-31-2009, 01:28 PM

Josh is normally great about that kind of thing so don't worry about.

That's really annoying that you haven't even had a chance to play it though...

rratajski · #3 10-31-2009, 01:38 PM

You shouldn't have pulled the teeth out...

Smurf-o-Deth · #4 10-31-2009, 01:43 PM

^ Re: avatar: Didn't know your last name was Marko. Hmm!

RCCollins · #5 10-31-2009, 01:54 PM

isn't this pretty much what the B:assmaster is supposed to sound like?

if you want unity level, you'll need to set both volume controls VERY low.

i'm not convinced that it's a lemon just yet...

jetofuj · #6 10-31-2009, 01:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rratajski

You shouldn't have pulled the teeth out...

I wanted to say the same thing.

I always have doubts if my B:Ass works properly.

B:Ass has weird sustain. First comes dirt with very strong compression and after a second it cleans and pitch changes a little bit. It has also some kind of gate, so forget about singing sustain.

nad · #7 10-31-2009, 02:12 PM

For what it is worth, I thought my B:Assmaster sounded like absolute garbage when I first got it. Then I got used to the settings, tried it in a mix, and OH MAN is it the best fuzz ever.

It does get quite sputtery and weird with the Sensitivity low, and the extreme volume spike is normal. I have mine set with both volumes below 9 o'clock so that I don't completely overpower my band.

Not saying you don't have a dud, but if you do, Josh will hook you up post haste.

K2000 · #8 10-31-2009, 08:15 PM

I keep the settings at Noon, Noon, and 9 o'clock (from top to bottom). What are your settings?

**TheFantod** · #9 10-31-2009, 09:42 PM

Well, I tooled around with it a bit more tonight, and I'm convinced something's definitely wrong with it.

The two upper pots are very scratchy, not something I would expect from a brand new pedal. Also, there are extremely loud pops from both the toggle switches.

I finally found a way to get a sound that doesn't hurt my ear drums. I put the ass and bass volumes at 12, put the sensitivity at about 9, and dialed the volume on my bass way back. I get kind of a fuzz, but there's still something wrong. It cuts out constantly & intermittently. It sounds like a blown envelope filter with a bad jack connection.

I'll still call Josh Monday afternoon to let him know it's coming back. Hopefully he can work his voodoo on it and make it sound like the clips I've heard.

Thanks to all that chimed in,

T

fightthepower · #10 10-31-2009, 09:54 PM

Regarding the loud toggle switches, that in itself may not be an issue: almost every pedal I've owned with toggle switches had the loud pops when adjusting them. I've never owned a B:assmaster, so I can't comment on the other issue- good luck with it whatever it is

K2000 · #11 11-01-2009, 01:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheFantod

I finally found a way to get a sound that doesn't hurt my ear drums. I put the ass and bass volumes at 12, put the sensitivity at about 9, and dialed the volume on my bass way back. I get kind of a fuzz, but there's still something wrong. It cuts out constantly & intermittently. It sounds like a blown envelope filter with a bad jack connection.

The B:assmaster is gated (I believe that is the correct term) so if your bass/playing volume doesn't reach a certain level, no signal passes.

So if you are playing softly or have your instrument's volume pot way down, it can sound like the pedal is cutting in and out, with silence punctuated by loud bursts of gnarly fuzz. Keep your volume pot up, and play with assurance... that should unleash the fury

However, the toggle switches should be silent so maybe you did get a bad unit.

Smallequestrian · #12 11-01-2009, 01:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by K2000

However, the toggle switches should be silent so maybe you did get a bad unit.

No, the toggle switches on the Assmasters are not silent. They will pop and this is a known "issue". All three Assmasters I had (don't ask) did this.