Bass Dirt On Parade!

[jbybj]

In the first video, on the Blues Driver demo, the sound changes radically after the pedal is engaged (from one bass ditty to the other) iwth no apparent knob twisting. What is happening there?

One loop was hotter than the other two. Same output on the looper, but just recorded hotter to begin with. So it seems the BD-2 is one of those pedals that cleans up when you lower the input.

 

[redstrand]

I just listened all three vids while reading on talkbass. From time to time I had to switch tabs to see what pedal makes that sound. I kind of fell in love with the blower box. I'd use it more as a very extreme effect for certain occasions. I might look into this one...

Very nicely done!

This made me get my blower box out and smile, loves me some dirt.

 

[Slpbass81]

Are you using a pick on this? If so you should do another video with just finger playing. I only play using fingers and it's hard to find videos of distortion examples without a pick.

 

[jbybj]

So - what are your top (3) favorites ?

I don't mean to sound cliche, but it's impossible to pick just three. Some of these I've had a long time, and some like the Buzzard, are pretty recent additions. If you consider two scenarios, an improv noisy rock stoned jam session, and a classic rock gigging band, it's something like this:
Improv jam, Noise Box, Great Divide, Grzzled Mighty, the Gnomeratrons, and all the Muffs.
Classic rock gigging, VMTD, Dizzy Tone, pork Loin, EAND, Rat, B3K, the Gnomeratrons, and all the Muffs.

I suspect the Buzzard to grow into favorite status too.

When it comes to just sitting down, solo, they are all the best, in that they can inspire me, entertain me, piss off the neighbors, and make my lower gums itch.

 

[jbybj]

Are you using a pick on this? If so you should do another video with just finger playing. I only play using fingers and it's hard to find videos of distortion examples without a pick.

Nope, no pick. I can sometimes get pretty percussive with my fingers, but I wasn't going for that here.

 

[Seth Miller]

Thanks for doing all that work! I almost pooped when that blowerbox came on. That and the 71 muff are my favorites from thjs.

 

[aledeville]

This made me get my blower box out and smile, loves me some dirt.

Yeah, that must feel good... listening to something and be like "yeah this is good" and then "oh wait, I've got one right here"

 

[Crystalman85]

I don't know about you, but I love a parade. What better parade to stage than a collection of dirt pedals. Overdrives, distortions, fuzzes, and some over the top noise machines. Here is a casually compiled comparison of 30 dirt pedals. I say casually, because this is not meant to be a comprehensive or in depth examination of any one pedal, but a small sampling of some of my favorite settings, for many pedals. Due to it's immensity, I have split the parade into three parts:

Part One:

Dark glass VMTD
B3K
Way Huge Pork Loin
Idiot Box Blowerbox
Proco Rat
Boss Blues Driver 2, with Keeley mods
Electro Harmonix Nano Muff Overdrive
Chicago Stomp Works MFZ-1 and Red Llama Clone
VFE Woodchopper prototype
McSpunckle Gnomeratron VTF 2014
Gnomeratron 2010

Part Two:

Tone Junkie Sting Bee Deluxe
Jext Telez Dizzy Tone Ver. 5 rehoused
Hudson Electronics Buzzard
Big Game EAND
(Recovery) Effects Grizzled Mighty
Blue Kush Fuzz Face clone
Dr. Scientist Frazz Dazzler
Zvex Mastotron
Chicago Stomp Works Russian Big Muff clone
Chicago Stomp Works Rams Head Big Muff clone

Part Three:

Subdecay Noise Box
Arcadiator
MXR Bass Fuzz Deluxe
Electro Harmonix Bass Big Muff, with master volume mod
Electro Harmonix Bass Microsynth
Totally Wicked Audio Great Divide 2.0
Electro Harmonix 1971 Big Muff Pi
Jext Telez Dizzy Tone Ver. 6

I love dirt and I find something commendable in all these examples. I think the biggest surprise was the Nano Muff Overdrive. A simple one knobber that I picked up years ago when I was trying to play guitar, (I know, it was an ugly episode in my past). I don't think I ever plugged a bass into it until this video. I really liked it. Enjoy, or not...........

Cool demos...I dig the darkglass vintage deluxe, the b3k, the pork loin, idiotbox blower box, and the proco rat on the first video. I also dig the dr. scientist frazz dazzler and the chicago stomp works russian big muff clone on the second video.

 

[Crystalman85]

I love bass dirt !!!!

Same here. I like using distortion on bass.

 

[jbybj]

Cool demos...I dig the darkglass vintage deluxe, the b3k, the pork loin, idiotbox blower box, and the proco rat on the first video. I also dig the dr. scientist frazz dazzler and the chicago stomp works russian big muff clone on the second video.

I happened upon Chicago Stomp Works when he was clearing out some stock. The Rams Head and the Russian muff clones were each $50 new. Hard to beat. Even his everyday new price is under $100.

 

[Windreaper]

Just placed an order for a Blower Box; definitely didn't need another dirt pedal. So, thanks OP, I guess?

 

[karla684]

Alright! Took some time to finish this, but it sure was fun. It will serve as a good memory of most of the dirt pedals I've owned.

So, here's my contribution to Bass Dirt on Parade. It got a bit lengthy... Enjoy!








Cheers,
Kalle

 

[karla684]

And the pedals in the videos are:
Part 1:
dry bass track
Strymon Deco
Fairfield Circuitry Barbershop
[sfx] Micro Red Dragon, mk II
Catalinbread SFT (run at 9V)
Catalinbread SFT (run at 18V)

Part 2:
Moog MF Drive
Wampler Ecstasy
Smallsound/Bigsound Mini
Catalinbread Karma Suture
MI Audio Neo Fuzz
Ampeg Scrambler (SCR-DI)

Part 3:
Earthquaker Devices Hoof
3Leaf Audio You're Doom
Catalinbread Antichthon
Earthquaker Devices Terminal
Malekko Diabolik

Cheers,
Kalle

 

[jbybj]

Thanks for this awesome contribution to the thread. I love how there are no overlaps between our parades. Liked them all but the standouts for me were, every Catalinbread, Deco, Wampler, Scrambler, Your Doom, Mini, and Neo Fuzz.
And it goes without saying, nothing compares to green shag carpeting.

Thanks.

 

[karla684]

Thanks for this awesome contribution to the thread. I love how there are no overlaps between our parades. Liked them all but the standouts for me were, every Catalinbread, Deco, Wampler, Scrambler, Your Doom, Mini, and Neo Fuzz.
And it goes without saying, nothing compares to green shag carpeting.

Thanks.

Thank you! Great initiative! I hope more people will contribute.

Weirdly enough, I've got the same type of carpet both at home and at the rehearsal space. Guess I must really like it!

Cheers,
Kalle

 

[Fuzzbass]

I just listened all three vids while reading on talkbass. From time to time I had to switch tabs to see what pedal makes that sound. I kind of fell in love with the blower box. I'd use it more as a very extreme effect for certain occasions. I might look into this one...

Love my Idiotbox Blower Box -- such a nice price, and Matt's customer support is amazing.

It's important to note: yeah, the Blower Box can deliver outrageous amounts of distortion, but it also sounds killer as an always-on low gain OD pedal! Matter of fact that's how I often use it. Works wonderfully with all my basses, active as well as passive -- which is amazing in its own right.

I have the acid-etched box same as the OP, but I'm thinking of getting a second BB because the new box has dual green LED eyeballs.
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[Fuzzbass]

P.S. Big thanks to the OP for the killer videos (despite how GAS inducing they are). Also to karla684, I'm working through yours now.

 

[redstrand]

Love my Idiotbox Blower Box -- such a nice price, and Matt's customer support is amazing.

It's important to note: yeah, the Blower Box can deliver outrageous amounts of distortion, but it also sounds killer as an always-on low gain OD pedal! Matter of fact that's how I often use it. Works wonderfully with all my basses, active as well as passive -- which is amazing in its own right.

I have the acid-etched box same as the OP, but I'm thinking of getting a second BB because the new box has dual green LED eyeballs.
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Love my blowerbox!