Any recommendations for OVERDRIVE pedals?

[jwr]

Top three dirt pedals for me that are super versatile.

Okko Basstard
Darkglass B7K
Dr. Scientist The Elements

Some people don't like The Elements and I think it's due to their inability to figure out how to dial it in. I can get almost any tone from that sucker. The Okko is amazing and transparent and the B7K. Well. It's just the best there is. Hands down. Has it's own unique voice and can shape everything in your chain.

 

[omie]

Joyo Ultimate Drive. Easily the best bang for the buck on ODs. For $32ish bucks it's worth a try before you go down the 'perfect bass OD' rabbit hole.

My favorite ODs:
Rusty Box
Dr Scientist ' The Elements'
Joyo Ultimate Drive

Why? Because at most settings these pedals don't sound like I switched amps when I want to go from clean to dirty.

Low end retention.

Useful eq sections, because everybody that suggests a pedal to you has a different bass, pre, amp, cabinet setup than you do... So the pedals probably won't sound the same. A nice eq helps, I think.

 

[chuck norriss]

I like th UD but I love the American Sound

 

[johnk_10]

IMO, the Fairfield circuitry barbershop.

 

[eddododo]

IMO, the Fairfield circuitry barbershop.

A pretty easy build too

 

[MightyMiloQuinn]

I'm not a big OD user but I do in fact have 3 favorites (plus an honorable mention):
Fairfield Accountant - great light overdrive in the guise of a compressor in a tiny box
Fairfield Barbershop - it just has that sound.
EQD Monarch - great at low gain. Great at high gain. Benefits from higher voltage. Great Orange tones.
Honorable mention= Recovery 9 Volt Disaster. I think if one were to mod it so it had a power jack and a sag control it might rival the Barbershop. I bet you could get it into a smaller enclosure to boot. Now I have an idea...

 

[chuck norriss]

What are the prices of all these?

 

[JCooper]

Yeah......there's that....

 

[Ren1]

top shelf is Darkglass Vintage microtubes hands down, but pricier. My favorite because of versatility and good sounds across every knob.
To maintain low end look for something with a blend knob to mix dry and effected signal
A lot of pedals designed for guitar work great for bass if used with a loop/blend pedal. Boss LS-2 is common, but Saturnworks makes a great simple one for about $80. A blend pedal can be used with all types of pedals that don't have built in blend. I recommend getting a blenderl and bringing it to a guitar store and trying a bunch of stuff until you find one you like.

 

[johnk_10]

top shelf is Darkglass Vintage microtubes hands down.......

that one didn't do it for me, so 'hands up' in my case.

 

[FilterFunk]

Sorry I can't give you three, but I'm loving my Nobels ODR-B.

 

[McFarlin]

For the type you want, I'd say

Wren and Cuff phat phuk
Darkglass Vintage Microtubes
Fairfield Circuitry Barbershop/the Accountant
All of these have a character to them that works really well for low gain od and bass, and they don't lose lows.

But be prepared because there will be a ton of recommendations...

Solid Gold FX Beta - dark-ish drive, even a slight bass boost, but still clear sound
Darkglass VMT - nice drive but be aware it has a mid boost you either love or hate
Catalinbread SFT - darker Ampeg-ish drive, has bass/treble knobs, a bit compressed
Way Huge Pork Loin - a bit muffled but many like it better than the MXR Bass Overdrive

These recs. are most in line with what you seek. 'Cept the Pork Loin tweak-ability might exclude it from the "simple" category.
Also, Barber Gain Changer.

 

[MoeTown1986]

No one mentioned the EBS Multidrive! That thing sounds really sweet. Especially after compression.

 

[huckleberry1]

joyo

 

[FretNoMore]

No one mentioned the EBS Multidrive! That thing sounds really sweet. Especially after compression.

I almost put that on my list, I actually use the pedal and I like the sound. The reason I left it out is I have experienced quality problems with several of my EBS pedals and also my combo amp. EBS has developed a bit of a reputation - pots, power jacks, switches go bad more than other brands in my experience, so I don't want to recommend them anymore. The Multidrive sounds great, mine only works on external power, probably needs a new 9V jack that can switch over to the battery.

 

[MoeTown1986]

I almost put that on my list, I actually use the pedal and I like the sound. The reason I left it out is I have experienced quality problems with several of my EBS pedals and also my combo amp. EBS has developed a bit of a reputation - pots, power jacks, switches go bad more than other brands in my experience, so I don't want to recommend them anymore. The Multidrive sounds great, mine only works on external power, probably needs a new 9V jack that can switch over to the battery.

Oh man! I'm sorry to hear that. I've got the Multidrive and Multicomp. Been running strong for about 2 years. Now you've got me scared. :-(

 

[Zos Kia Cultus]

Do you prefer the straight Tech21 DI over the VT version? Or is it a wash with you? Just curious.

I didn't care at all for the VT. Just personal preference for the most part. The tech21 has it all, if you dig the tone.

 

[jav]

I like th UD but I love the American Sound

Ive got the UD with pretty good results when running in front of a bass vt v2.... American Sound much better? In what ways do you think better than the UD? I may need to check one out.