• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Bass Overdrive, what pedal?

#41
In 2007 I spent 4 1/2 hours trying out pedals...lol and i'm sure the guys at the store hate me now that it is all said and done...

Here is a list or what i tried out..now keep in mind i wanted something to just clip my sound and add an edge to my drive nothing seriously in your face...

Keep in mind I'm not a gear head and I don't usually play through a lot of pedals.

MXR M 181 Bass Blowtorch....$139.99 way too much buzz for me not my thing

E.H. English Muffin....$189.99 the sound was ok but still kind of muddy for my taste it was warm but no brights to my ears...

Visual Sound Jeckyl & Hyde overdrive....$129.99 i liked the sound of the overdrive on this pedal but its color an size were a bit of a turnoff and i would never ever use the distortion side of this pedal for what i play so i moved on down my list.

T Rex Moller Overdrive w clean Boost...$279.99 Wow is all i can say at half clean and half dirty this thing is simply amazing... however it is kind of on the large size and the cost...sheesh i really didn't want to spend this much on one pedal but considering the advantages of the boost feature i made note of it and moved on...

GK Diesel Dawg...$149.99 yuck not my thing, although i like the casing and overall look just way too much noise for what i play

MXR Custom Audio MC-402 $139.99 nice pedal i liked the sound of this one too, but overall it seemed kind of thin and sounded kind of like it was being covered with a pillow...and the build seemed a little flimsy

Tech 21 American Woman Overdrive $109.99 great sound i have to admit but the gate feature sucks and is way too sensitive even on the lowest setting it kept stopping my note ring, it decided for me when i was done...i figure you can find a way to disable it but why bother..i moved on

Digitech Bad Monkey $49.99 great sound for a fifty dollar pedal but overall it sounded very much like somebody stuck your amp in a cardboard box and sealed it if you could find a way to brighen this thing up it would work great plus i don't like the casing...i moved on (there is a modded version available that i have not tried)

T.C. Electronic Vintage Overdrive.....$199.99 Wow like warm butter and honey on a soft freshly and lighly toasted muffin. i like this pedal a lot guys so i set it aside as i had a few more to try out...

T.C. Electronic VPDI Overdrive $299.99 not much of an improvemnet over the pedal posted above, in fact i didn't like it as much not for 100.00 bucks more

DNA Analog VT-1 Virtual tube overdrive $239.00 ok sound but for the price i had already tried better...I moved on

Ibanez PD7 Phat Head $49.99 um... seriously does anybody think this things sounds good? I couldn't get one single usable tone out of this thing.

VooDoo Labs Sparkle Drive...$129.99 wow this thing is almost perfect, good price, good sound, nice casing, and built/ made in the U.S. 5 year warranty plus a clean boost channel....however the only trouble with this pedal is when you kick in the clean boost you loose a little of the drive...however at half and half it sounds really really....well nice. While i didn't like the sound quite as much as the T.C. Electronics pedal or the T Rex, the price and the boost channel made my decision that much harder to make...

and Finally

The BBE Green Screamer $99.99 and comes with it own ac adapter...as i understand it this is a modded clone of the Ts808 for 100.00 bucks i honestly can't understand why people are still buying the Ibanez Tube Screamer re-issue (yes i tried it too) as this pedal sounds so much better and at $70.00 bucks less its a no brainer...

man My decision are getting that much harder...lol especially when i put the Green Screamer with the BBE Boosta Grande all i can say is damn this nails it....

Ok well now i'm down to what really sounds the best and what do i want to spend

The T Rex I really like but at $279.99 i didn't like it that much
the T.C Electronics pedal at $199.99 man this is hard
The Green screamer at $99.99 paired with the Boosta Grande at $79.99 thats 10 bucks less than the T.C. the sound is very much the same but i have to say i like the Green Screamer and Boosta paired together better (greater control)...

Then there is the VooDoo Labs Pedal at $129.99 with the clean boost...I liked it especially for the price and the added benefit of a 5 year warranty and being made in the U.S.

In the end i walked away with the Vodoo Labs Sparkle Drive

I'm a big fan of the Sparkle Drive....There is a modded version on the way out soon (and i suspect it is a bass mod, but don't hold me to that..lol)

just use the search function and you will find my name next to just about every post that has to do with the Sparkle Drive

however if today i had to make the choice all over again i would have bought the Sansamp VT Bass pedal (combined with a clean boost pedal) which wasn't out then....

my .02
 
#43
Whichever combo of amp and effect you get, make sure you throw on a new set of strings too. That video was lip synched to an in studio recording, and most artists like to get fresh strings on their bass before recording. It really changes your tone and seems to go a little overlooked when people get all involved in the effects+amp search, IMHO.

Good Luck

Sunn
 
#46
bassman03 said:
What's the XXL sound like on lighter settings? I've really only heard when it's decently cranked
Click to expand...

IMO it just wont do overdrive. I bought it as one, but even on lowest gain it still sounds like a distortion. still got it, did a soundclip recently of its higher gain settings and it is REALLY versatile as far as distortion/fuzz goes, has loads of tones available.
 
#49
I just had a four hour jam yesterday with two guitars and loud drums. I was playing a SS clean rig, and it was the first time I heard my new effects in a group setting. The EH Bass Big Muff and The WayHuge Pork Loin were both exceptional. Used each with full dry blend and subtle overdrive. They made my lower gums itch and my buttocks quiver. The Pork Loin especially reminded my of my old tube traynor bassmaster.

Peace, JBY
 
#54
Chris_NR said:
My budget would be about $200; I have a solid state Ashdown amp at the moment so at the point where the cost of that and pedal would be pretty close to the price of tube amp I would probably consider just trading it in and buying a tube amp.
Click to expand...

I love these threads.....you're looking for the tone of a tube amp being pushed and you've gotten suggestions of dozens of different pedals that just aren't going to get you there.

The Bluberry will get you real close but it's out of your budget at $300.

I've not heard the VT Bass but it could be a good option.

Otherwise, my suggestion would be to sell your solidstate Ashdown and upgrade to one of the EVO Ashodown amps. It has a single tube in it that is actually quite useful sound wise. You can switch the tube on and off with a button or a foot switch. This way you could have it off most of the time and then have it cranked and ready to be used at the push of a footswitch. Cranked it can get a really nice overdrive sound. I just used one in the studio a week ago and got a chance to crank the tube....sounded great. It'd be a cheaper and lighter solution to an all tube amp, and it's a much better solution to using a pedal.......also, you could always combine the overdriven tube sound from the amp with an overdrive pedal in front of it for different stages of dirt. That would give you more options for sounds.
 
#60
So for the price of one really good tone, I can has 3-5 sweet tones. Boutique- **** YEAH! Personally, I only use overdrive for a few songs, so an overdrive pedal is exactly what I need- A 'really good head,' which I'm assuming in this context is a tube head, is no good for me as I need a clean SS rig.


I've been happy with my English Muffn tone-wise, but I'd really like to downsize to something that will run on 9vdc. It has a nice warmth and I really like the glassy break-up and playing dynamics.

In a past thread Mark Olson mentioned that the zvex Box of Rock had a very 'amp-like' break up to it- Can anyone else attest to this? What about any recommendations for something along those lines?
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back