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Best overdrive pedal -- money is no object

pickles

pickles

Gold Supporting Member
Mar 23, 2000
10,454
2,837
Ventura, CA
#1
I've tried a lot of dirt pedals, and nothing is as good for my taste as the preamp on my Mesa Titan. I'm looking for a pedal that will get close to that vibe for when I want to use a different head. I have not been paying attention to effects the last couple years, and wondering what's new. I like a grindy, growly sound with hard impact and brightness that comes through. I don't like fuzziness, softness, blur, or anything with scratchy high that requires a tweeterless cab to sound good.

Here's what I have tried:

Aguilar agro
Sansamp bddi
Sansamp gt2
Fulltone bass drive
Boss ds1
Rat
Turbo rat
Bass big muff
Little big muff
Badder bass monkey
Ts9dx
Blending with a barge systems box
Ebs multidrive

My favorite of all of this is probably a rat or ds1, through the bddi, blended with the barge. I posted some clips of that a while back (thread was called "fun with dirt"), it's pretty good. The agro was also pretty good but has a certain boxieness to it, and was just a little too controlled/perfect.

So what did I miss, and what's new?
 
#6
There is no "best". There is only what you like. I may dislike what you like, and vice versa.

The OD which suits me best (after trying a few) is the Digitech Bad Monkey, but only the version modified by Scott Humphreys to become the Badder Bass Monkey. (It comes in both guitar and bass mod versions.)

Here's his website: Link Removed For $95 you will get one excellent OD pedal. It's not fuzz, not distortion (but it can approximate that at its higher settings), it's an OD. If you have one of these, he will mod it for you.

Here's a discussion that nearly duplicates the one you started: http://www.talkbass.com/forum/f36/opinions-needed-overdrive-not-distortion-808598/

PC270228-1.jpg


BTW - I bought a guitar version of this pedal used by mistake - and he converted it to the bass version at NO cost to me other than shipping. As far as I'm concerned, he's a first class guy and deserves a positive mention any time I get the chance.
 
#8
pickles said:
My favorite of all of this is probably a rat or ds1, through the bddi, blended with the barge. I posted some clips of that a while back (thread was called "fun with dirt"), it's pretty good. The agro was also pretty good but has a certain boxieness to it, and was just a little too controlled/perfect.

So what did I miss, and what's new?
Click to expand...

I listened to your samples linked in the other thread, and that's some good distorted bass. I have got many of the same sounds with a ZVex Mastotron into a BDDI. My three favorite knobs on the Mastrotron:

1. pulse width control adds organic randomness
2. Impedance push-relax control interacts with passive pickups
3. Subharmonic switch

#1 and #2 interact with each other and are very touchy, almost noise-gate-like behavior in some settings.

images_list_12_744_39759_1.jpg


Oh, and that photo shows a pretty good setting. Mine is set close to that right now.
 
#13
If you're looking for the sound of the preamp on your Mesa Titan, then you need to track down a Mesa Boogie Bottle Rocket... which basically is the preamp of a Titan in a pedal. They are no longer in production, but can still be found on EBay. I had one for a while and it did Titan. I also had a B3K and will suggest that it does NOT do Titan. If I were going to get an in production pedal to get the Titan tone, I'd go with The Elements by the good Doctor.

Edit: I have owned and extensively used all the pedals referred to in the above post. ;-)
 
#20
bongomania said:
And while I'm shooing kids off my lawn, ;) I'd like to point out that fuzz is not overdrive, and Pickles even said he doesn't like fuzziness, so...
Click to expand...

Thank god someone else already mentioned this!

My 2 cents: I'm a big fan of the Xotic Bass Preamp, based on a tubescreamer circuit. Seperate controls for low and high eq, sounds great and not that expensive in comparison to...

THE B3K! The current flavour of the month around these parts and apparently for good reason. Almost got one myself but haven't tried it out so I can't pass opinion (so I won't) but it seems very popular for good reason, despite its' price tag, so it MUST be good.

If you really like the rat sound though, might I suggest you check out the Fuzzrocious Rat Tail - basically a very bass friendly version of the rat, with plenty options and good lowend retention.
 

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