It seems like most overdrive pedals are smooth at really low gain settings, they don't get gritty until higher gain settings. So far I think a Fulltone Bass-Drive Mosfet, and Keeley modded Boss BD-2 would be good candidates, but what else?
It seems to me that grit and gain kind of go together. That said, the EHX English Muff'n (especially when loaded with 12AX7 tubes) always struck me as being pretty gritty.
I use a Reussenzehn Bass De Luxe Daniel-D. Tubebooster. Such nice grittyness... It's got a 12Ax7 tube, so it's quite a mean little thing. Low gain grit, is a good way to describe it though.
visual sound jekyll and hyde. as always, my choice of grit/distortion/od..very nice at low gain settings.
i had a fulltone bassdrive, too much low end thinness and mid hump, just ebay a used boss odb3; turn the gin knob down and voila - SVT, good luck
I am interested in this pedal if it can do both distortion and overdrive well, I know the overdrive side models a tubescreamer, but I'm not sure what the distortion side models.
the distortion side is awesome. no low end problems at all. it has volume, gain, EQ, and tone knobs. two way position "sharp/blunt" switch. the EQ knob is a mid-scoop, so i always leave that all the way at zero..i'll do a sound sample right now. while im at it i guess ill demo some low-grit from the tubescreamer side
heres some clips of the visual sound pedal. MIM fender jazz bass into the pedal into my computer.. http://media.putfile.com/jekyll (only knob touched is the gain.) http://media.putfile.com/hyde-43 (adjusted all the knobs..a little.) http://media.putfile.com/jekyllandhyde (adjusted the gain on the Jekyll channel.) the cool thing about this pedal is that not only is it overdrive/distortion, theyre made to be used together as well as seperately. most overdrive/distortions if used together wont be quite as friendly as these two are.