Aguilar Agro vs. Darkglass B3K

[johnk_10]

i agree with you on both counts. my ODB-3 was horrible until i modded mine (ultra fizzy and really was a distortion pedal rather than an OD before the mods.
and i also can easily see that with the B7K's eq, the B3K's dirt and overall tone would be a lot better (IMO).

 

[Hawkbone]

I can concede on the better definition of fizz. The ODB-3 is very fizzy, the b3k is not like that at all. Fine grained is a good description. Non-organic comes to mind as well.

 

[johnk_10]

I can concede on the better definition of fizz. The ODB-3 is very fizzy, the b3k is not like that at all. Fine grained is a good description. Non-organic comes to mind as well.

+1.

 

[Jared Lash]

I owned both of these at the same time. Both are aggressively voiced though the Agro has a less dramatic EQ curve built in. But count me among those that thought the Agro lost low end. However, I'm guessing John is right that it had a bump in the mids that made it seem like the lows were attenuated.

To me the big difference between the two is that the Agro is good for adding some dirt or aggression to your sound without changing it (which is why it worked well as the dirty channel of the AG500) whereas the B3K becomes a part of your tone. For someone that doesn't want the B3K heavily impacting their tone I think you'd end up fighting the thing.

This is why I don't recommend the Darkglass for people looking for a transparent OD and more for people looking for an always on tone shaper. One of the things I thought was pretty cool about the B3K is that it gave you the tone of really digging in hard without actually having to really use a heavy right hand. Personally, I actually like to dig in hard with an overdrive so that wasn't as useful to me, but it is a neat feature.

I actually liked the B3K more than the Agro but sold the B3K because the Aguilar filled a similar role and the Darkglass would net more money in a sale. I ended up later selling the Agro and buying a B7K whose EQ helped me dial in more sounds that I liked.

Ultimately though for my needs I ended up with a BJEF Blueberry clone that John made for me because my preference is for a burly, touch sensitive OD.

For the person looking for a sharper, more metallic and aggressive drive I think the Agro and B3K will both work depending on if you want a more transparent sound or more of a tone shaper.

 

[Guinness20]

How do you like the blueberry? How versatile is it - does it sound like the agro or b3k, or i it a more vintage sounding od?

 

[Jared Lash]

How do you like the blueberry? How versatile is it - does it sound like the agro or b3k, or i it a more vintage sounding od?

Well I still kick myself for selling my original Blueberry so I'm suppose I'm not the most objective person to ask but I love the thing.

In generally it's definitely more vintage sounding than the Aguilar or Darkglass. A very "grunty" tone instead of a cutting one. But it's also got a very wide range of gain and a highly interactive tone control so you can dial in a lot of sounds. Plus the one John built for me has a Submarine in the same housing so for more modern tones I can stack the Blueberry into the Submarine with the latter set for a mid cut.

I need to make some clips but I believe John made a couple and here's a whole bunch that icarussmicarus did with his BBBOD a few years ago. Pretty much all pick playing but they are pretty much exactly how mine sound when I play with a pick.

http://www.soundclick.com/bands/def...ent=music&songcount=44&offset=0&currentPage=2

 

[Jason Wilson]

thanks for that link. I currently have about 250 different overdrive/distortion pedals so i'm pretty familiar with what most of them sound like.

Ha ha, really?? So, lets say the pedals are $100 each (which most would easily be more) you've spent $25,000 just on distortion pedals?? ha ha Sorry, I just don't believe you. And even if you did, why, for the love of bottom end, do you need that many distortion pedals?? Do you also have 250 chorus's, compression pedals? How many basses & amps do you own? I'd love to see your collection. Any photos??

 

[Guinness20]

In those clips it sounds more like the darkglass vmt.

Tough to call between the b3k, b7k and cog effects

 

[Jared Lash]

Ha ha, really?? So, lets say the pedals are $100 each (which most would easily be more) you've spent $25,000 just on distortion pedals?? ha ha Sorry, I just don't believe you. And even if you did, why, for the love of bottom end, do you need that many distortion pedals?? Do you also have 250 chorus's, compression pedals? How many basses & amps do you own? I'd love to see your collection. Any photos??

Here you go:

http://johnkvintageguitars.homestead.com/Overdrive-Pedals.html

 

[callofcthulhu]

Ha ha, really?? So, lets say the pedals are $100 each (which most would easily be more) you've spent $25,000 just on distortion pedals?? ha ha Sorry, I just don't believe you. And even if you did, why, for the love of bottom end, do you need that many distortion pedals?? Do you also have 250 chorus's, compression pedals? How many basses & amps do you own? I'd love to see your collection. Any photos??

Are you serious? Even if you haven't seen his 30+ page thread floating around, the link is right in his signature.

No, he didn't spend nearly that much because he built most of them.

And why? What he didn't mention (and again, what you would know if you had bothered to read and follow his signature) is that he has recordings of each of those pedals on varying settings all played on the same bass playing the same riff. I'm sure the man has his own reasons, but as far as I'm concerned the fact that he's provided such an amazing service to the bass playing community is reason enough. Any time I encounter a new pedal that I'm interested in, I check and see if it's in John's database to listen to the samples he's made. It is an invaluable resource.

Sorry for speaking for you, John, but I feel like you're not getting the respect your due here for providing one of the most useful bass sites on the Internet.

 

[johnk_10]

Ha ha, really?? So, lets say the pedals are $100 each (which most would easily be more) you've spent $25,000 just on distortion pedals?? ha ha Sorry, I just don't believe you. And even if you did, why, for the love of bottom end, do you need that many distortion pedals?? Do you also have 250 chorus's, compression pedals? How many basses & amps do you own? I'd love to see your collection. Any photos??

believe whaever you want.
I currently have about 20 amps, 36 basses, 250-300 or so pedals, & 10 electric guitars.
and, BTW I only have about 10 chorus pedals.

 

[mmbongo]

Ha ha, really?? So, lets say the pedals are $100 each (which most would easily be more) you've spent $25,000 just on distortion pedals?? ha ha Sorry, I just don't believe you. And even if you did, why, for the love of bottom end, do you need that many distortion pedals?? Do you also have 250 chorus's, compression pedals? How many basses & amps do you own? I'd love to see your collection. Any photos??

Uhhh...you don't know who you're talking to there, Junior. johnk has probably built more pedals than you've ever seen in your life.

 

[ArtechnikA]

...lets say the pedals are $100 each...

I think you'd agree 'the insides' of many/most $100 pedals is maybe $10 in parts. (The rest is assembly and marketing costs like packaging, advertising, transportation, warehousing, and a cut for every hand out along the distribution chain.)

So if you build your own, as JohnK does with many of his pedals, you're in for a _lot_ less than if you'd bought them all at retail.

And a lot of collections 'just grow' if you keep at it a long time.

 

[NoxNoctus]

Ha ha, really?? So, lets say the pedals are $100 each (which most would easily be more) you've spent $25,000 just on distortion pedals?? ha ha Sorry, I just don't believe you. And even if you did, why, for the love of bottom end, do you need that many distortion pedals?? Do you also have 250 chorus's, compression pedals? How many basses & amps do you own? I'd love to see your collection. Any photos??

Here you go:

http://johnkvintageguitars.homestead.com/Overdrive-Pedals.html

Invalid Link Removed

Dinner is served.

 

[johnk_10]

actually, each pedal's cost is a little different. for me, they break down approximately like this:

enclosure-$10-$15
in/out jacks $2.50
DC jack $1
circuit board material- $2
pots-$3-$10
3PDT switch- $3.50-$7
Knobs- $2-$10
components for the circuit $10-$40
wire $3
misc toggle switches $4

so depending on the pedal, the parts alone range from about $40-$94 plus the shipping to get them to me.
if you average them out at around $60-70 each, I figure the more than 250 that I've built cost me about $15-18K with shipping.

 

[Kazoo_Legend]

Ha ha, really?? So, lets say the pedals are $100 each (which most would easily be more) you've spent $25,000 just on distortion pedals?? ha ha Sorry, I just don't believe you. And even if you did, why, for the love of bottom end, do you need that many distortion pedals?? Do you also have 250 chorus's, compression pedals? How many basses & amps do you own? I'd love to see your collection. Any photos??

actually, each pedal's cost is a little different. for me, they break down approximately like this:

enclosure-$10-$15
in/out jacks $2.50
DC jack $1
circuit board material- $2
pots-$3-$10
3PDT switch- $3.50-$7
Knobs- $2-$10
components for the circuit $10-$40
wire $3
misc toggle switches $4

so depending on the pedal, the parts alone range from about $40-$94 plus the shipping to get them to me.
if you average them out at around $60-70 each, I figure the more than 250 that I've built cost me about $15-18K with shipping.

Excuse me Mr. Wilson, the people Invalid Link Removed are asking for you back.

 

[Jeff Bonny]

Ha ha, really?? So, lets say the pedals are $100 each (which most would easily be more) you've spent $25,000 just on distortion pedals?? ha ha Sorry, I just don't believe you. And even if you did, why, for the love of bottom end, do you need that many distortion pedals?? Do you also have 250 chorus's, compression pedals? How many basses & amps do you own? I'd love to see your collection. Any photos??

johnk is the real deal dude. You wanted pics? Here's a link to the overdrive pedal page of his website. You should be more careful who you call out...not that he'd bother but that pissing match you seem to want so badly would get you real wet real fast.

edit
I see the link had already been posted...but hey Jason Wilson why don't you go ahead and have another look just in case the reality of your stupidity didn't sink in the first time.

 

[Earwaxsculptor]

Well I do more lurking than anything here in recent years but man I just had to pop in and say.....

Jason Wilson, how do you like your crow?

 

[Jared Lash]

Eh, I think we can cut the guy a break.

After all, John's collection of gear IS pretty unbelievable even for those of us who knew he was telling the truth.

 

[monsterthompson]

back to the topic (and placing the tape measure back in the drawer)...


based on this vid

i'd say i like the clean sounds better than the fuzz. however, i do dig some of the tones presented. i'd say it sounds like the main thrust of the sound is at a more mid-range level, whereas the 7k seems to be focused closer to the highs.