Bassballs pedal

[mgriffith]

Anyone out there use/used one of these?

I used one in the early 1980's and had some fun with it. I thought it had a unique, if sometimes cheesy sound. I don't think there has ever been a similar distortion pedal since (but I don't have a lot of experience with newer pedals, so I could be wrong).

Anyone else have fond memories of this oldie but goody?

 

[McHaven]

The bass balls is still around. And it's more of an envelope filter, with a distortion circuit included. Definitely a cheesey sound though

 

[Crabby]

I bought one and thought it was fun but never actually used it for anything. Sold her off earlier this year and cant say i miss it.

 

[kevteop]

I've had one on my board for about a year and can't seem to take it off (although I did swap a reissue for a Nano, as a compromise to save some space). I switch mine on quite a lot, usually after other effects to add some vocal grunts and gurgles.

I don't know why nobody else likes them.

 

[chicago_mike]

Funkadelic's Freak of the week. The bassline is all about the bassballs pedal. Thats why I bought one. and will be making my own clone in a couple days.

 

[OptimusPrime]

I want to put one in a bass.

 

[kingsteven]

I use mine in the same way as kevteop. After my octaver on an effects loop along with my overdrive for a really synthy fuzz bass sound...

There's obviously a lot more versatile filters out there. I added a new switch in place of the distortion switch which disables the envelope and allows me to use the knob to sweep the filter (just about justifies the huge space it takes up on my pedalboard)

 

[Valerus]

I bought one and thought it was fun but never actually used it for anything. Sold her off earlier this year and cant say i miss it.

Same exact thing here.

 

[Marill]

i own the nano version and i love the sound.

I turn it on when playing some fast song intro, although the original song don't have it, i'll add the bassballs sound anyway, it just sounds better that way... to me of course

 

[kevteop]

There's obviously a lot more versatile filters out there.

I don't really think of or use it as an envelope filter to be honest! Very rarely anyway. I mean it does quack away with whatever I give it, but I don't especially try to give it a decent envelope to work with. I have a Meatwad on my board to use for that sort of thing, and of course the filter on my BMS is nice because it's quite unique, so that sees a fair bit of use too.

I use Bassballs (and it seems you use yours) for colour, like the way a lot of people use an overdrive.

 

[mgriffith]

I use Bassballs (and it seems you use yours) for colour, like the way a lot of people use an overdrive.

That's how I used it in the day.

I may sniff around for one, one of these days. Of my few effects, this one was fun to fool around with.

I used a flanger every now and then, too. If I recall, I got some strange sounds using the flanger/bassballs combo.

 

[roflol]

I want to put one in a bass.

damn sounds like a good idea i might have to put one in my synth bass it already has a ring mod.

 

[idoru]

I like feeding delays into mine, you get a nice morphing effect, something like: BUUUUURP buuurp burp brp *

c-

 

[Joe Gress]

Had one for the longest of time. It was a great effect, just not he sound I was looking for. It does not have much of a regular envelope filter sound, but more like a distorted gargling fuzzy burp type sound. If you leave the distortion on, any quick and precise bass line (like a slap line for instance) became very messy. If it was a sustained flowing bass line, it worked pretty nicely growling up and ending with a clean finish. It almost sounded like it had a phaser in there or something.

 

[bassbrad]

I still use one for several sounds that no other pedal can get and I like the simplicity.

 

[D.Don]

I have a modified "US" version, the two internal trim pots are changed to pots on the chassi instead, quite funny gadget. I rarely use it and am thinking about getting rid of it.

D.Don