cheap fuzz/distortion pedals?

[mcnach]

id say go for devi ever or the ibanez PD7, no offence to the guys that recommend the TZ2 but I found it useless once you put it in a mix with drums and distorted guitar, just got drowned out

ibanez pd7 and blended via LS2 hyperion is what I use on my board at the moment...

Ibanez PD7, using the CLEAN mode, and adding switching the "attack" switch to 1. That will sound clean, lots of bottom end, but adding a great metallic distorted overtone... You'll still provide a good bottom end for the band, but when soloed your bass will sound really "mean"

 

[mcnach]

I know this sounds almost criminal saying this, and I don't rate their gear at all usually, but for a cheap option the Behringer Bass Overdrive is actually decent for what it is and does retain a lot of bottom end, it boosts it if anything.

Nooooo!

I do like some Behringer stuff. But the BOD-100 pedal stinks mightily. It was my first bass OD when I didn't know any better.

 

[Jake of Bass]

I owned one briefly too, and thought for something so cheap it was actually ok. It came with a pedal board I bought on eBay and I sold it straight away but for a cheap option it is ok. You do pay for what you get though, and I only use SansAmp BDDI o/d till my VTD arrives.

 

[theunknowndude]

Ibanez PD7, using the CLEAN mode, and adding switching the "attack" switch to 1. That will sound clean, lots of bottom end, but adding a great metallic distorted overtone... You'll still provide a good bottom end for the band, but when soloed your bass will sound really "mean"

sorry forgot to add that thats where I usually set it to

I find the attack switch is useless, all it does is add a bleep load of treble and string noise and I don't know about you guys but to me thats the first thing I try to eliminate!

PD7 is very good for bringing out some lows tho, I use it in one new song in my band to get a massive rumbling tone on the B string

 

[mcnach]

sorry forgot to add that thats where I usually set it to

I find the attack switch is useless, all it does is add a bleep load of treble and string noise and I don't know about you guys but to me thats the first thing I try to eliminate!

PD7 is very good for bringing out some lows tho, I use it in one new song in my band to get a massive rumbling tone on the B string

I use the clean + attck set to 1 when we play RHCP "by the way". There's a bit when the bass is almost alone, with some dirt, (starts at 2:23 on the album version) and this pedal nails it. Check it here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JnfyjwChuNU

 

[ThudThudThud]

I may have to run/duck/hide for mentioning it, but I use a Tech21 SansAmp Tri-AC. Three ODs with different sounds and LOADS of low end retention.

 

[Jake of Bass]

Don't know if I'd ever put any Tech 21 product in the "cheap" category though

 

[Laurent]

Way Huge Swollen Pickle for articulation and cut through.

Big Muff Bass for the blend option and the great Big Muff Tone!

 

[sammyfallen]

if you want a cheap pedal that sounds good, I'd go for a Dan Electro Cool Cat Over drive, It can give you OD, Distortion, and (with the flip of a switch) Fuzz

 

[mcnach]

if you want a cheap pedal that sounds good, I'd go for a Dan Electro Cool Cat Over drive, It can give you OD, Distortion, and (with the flip of a switch) Fuzz

I have the Danelectro CC Transparent Overdrive and it is a very nice pedal indeed. Yes, it's not the same one you're talking about, it's a softer overdrive pedal, but it's quite cheap and one of my favourite pedals for both bass and guitar.

 

[K2000]

DOD 250 overdrive, classic pedal and easy to use. Buy used, they are cheap!

I don't like most fuzz pedals on bass (at least the ones I've heard) and the ones I do like are expensive (B:assmaster, Wooly Mammoth). Overdrives can give you some grind without your sound turning to mush, the way many fuzzes do. Sometimes, "less is more" - go with an overdrive and crank your amp.

 

[phatbass]

For fuzz, if you can go the extra 20 or so bucks check out Devi Ever's stuff. Most single pedals are about 95 bucks. I've got a GZ which is supposed to be a bit chilled out but it's a hellacious octave up fuzz, IMO. Also she's not kidding when she says "plenty of gain".

For fuzz that's a bit less nuclear armageddon, I use a black Russian Big Muff (out of production but there are plenty around used, despite the eBay scammers who try to tell you they're "rare" or "hard to find"). I prefer it to any of the other Muff variants I've heard/tried.

 

[Skatepunk28]

I know this sounds almost criminal saying this, and I don't rate their gear at all usually, but for a cheap option the Behringer Bass Overdrive is actually decent for what it is and does retain a lot of bottom end, it boosts it if anything.

That's what I've got on my board right now, not bad for the $25 it cost. I'll upgrade eventually to something sturdier, but for the price I can't complain on the sound.

 

[n!k]

One of the funny things about this thread is that the fashionable thing right now is using a high pass filter and cutting all the sub-bass frequencies out anyway! A lot of distortion pedals with no blend have plenty of low-mid punch that definitely fits the bass role with upper harmonic content that cuts through perfectly. When you're loud and clean among distorted guitars you stick out like a sore thumb, OP is right to want to fit his sound in better.

Bass Big Muff is a great budget pick. The TC Electronic Mojo Mojo overdrive works nice on bass and they're around $40 used.