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Do I want Fuzz or OD?

#21
ERIC31 said:
I just got a Boss Bass Overdrive and love it. Others may not agree but it was $50 and solid as a rock. As little or as much dirt as you want. 2 band eq and blend knob.
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Nothing wrong with that pedal at all. It was my first effect purchase 14 years ago. Served me well for many years. There are definitely a LOT of haters here when it comes to that pedal. I think the name is what throws people off. It should really be called a bass distortion, not bass overdrive.
 
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#23
blindrabbit said:
Two pedals come to mind for me. First up is the ss/bs TAFM. This is technically a fuzz pedal, but the low gain sounds are incredible as an OD. The not-so-clean blend helps ensure your low end remains massive. Then, when you hit the second footswitch for the gate, it also maxes out the fuzz and turns it into a gnarly beast for when you want that - so basically you get two pedals in one. I used mine like that for a long time, set for low gain OD and then kick on the gate when needed. IMO it is probably the best choice for what you want.

A second one would be the ss/bs Mini. It doesn't have the two switches, but the pedal has so much flexibility. You can get sounds all the way from a cleanish boost through to OD, distortion, and even fuzzed out sounds. You'd have to change the settings depending upon what you want, but you'll get everything you want from it, and the pedal has gobs of low end.
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The tafm is by far my favorite fuzz, i heart it sooo much.
Next up for me is a mini, I've been wanting one for a while and i think it's time for me to get it :-)
 
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#24
rjovin said:
The tafm is by far my favorite fuzz, i heart it sooo much.
Next up for me is a mini, I've been wanting one for a while and i think it's time for me to get it :)
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If you love the TAFM, you'll go nuts over the Mini. They are a KILLER combination, and play/stack so well together.

I always say, no one will ever regret getting a Mini. :)
 
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#26
If I had a heart, this thread would warm it... I've been on the B3K bandwagon for about a year & 1.2 now, and it really has become my go to dirt, but lately dirty just isn't dirty enough... I've wanted over the top, cover the children's eyes, offend the pure of heart dirt... which lead me to the TAFM, which arrived yesterday, as my board was packed (with dupe octaves and filters and a phase 90 i never use) surgery is required before I transplant it onto my board, but by this weekend, there will be filth.
 
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#27
Without a doubt, Xotic BB bass preamp: [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

I also play a P and a Geddy (and a few others) and most of the time I'm playing through an SVT in the backline. I use the BB "always on" for times when I want some grind in my tone. I'll also reach down and crank up the gain for more intense distortion if needed--it has a VERY wide range. It doesn't cut any lows AND the EQ on it is great for adding more lows if you want, or more treble clank. It can go from a clean boost to full-on intense overdrive(bordering on fuzz). It feels very "amp-like" in it's response. I'm confident you could get a tone like you reference with it.
 
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#29
Definitely an overdrive to nail that Exile sound. I'm also guessing you're probably new to the dirt rabbit hole. It will get worse haha For that reason my suggestion would be to try something more on the cheap cause to just jump into a B3k or B7k can be ridiculously expensive. Maybe the Joyo American drive would be a good start. Guessing with your head/cab setup and that pedal you can reach that tone.

I also think as a a fellow Thrice fan, you're going to end up digging the fuzz realm as well. Maybe more so then a basic overdrive sound. So another reason why maybe try something more on the budget side then see where that takes you as far as your dirt pedal search.
 
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#31
image.png
Eddie Breckenridge's stuff:
 
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#32
Lots of good advice above. To me that sounds more like OD/distortion, not fuzz (as others have mentioned). I second (or third?) the recommendation to try out an Idiotbox Blower Box, with the drive set anywhere from 10-11:30 O'clock.... No loss of bass frequencies, and definition to the point of ear-piercing.
 
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#35
LowStringNinja said:
Do both...I use an overdrive for some grit, and a distortion pedal to just make it nasty. I can't get nasty with just OD..it might sound a little nasty on its own, but when the whole band is playing, OD sounds pretty clean.
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I agree there! I have an EBS Multidrive for my OD. It always sounds like a bit much when I'm by myself but always sounds great when gigging with the boys!
 
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#36
MoeTown1986 said:
I agree there! I have an EBS Multidrive for my OD. It always sounds like a bit much when I'm by myself but always sounds great when gigging with the boys!
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Yea man, our distortion just disappears in the mix. There's a few songs I'm doing with a band right now with a Boss BB-1x OD and a Boss MetalZone pedal (and I mean, cranked up...drives up all the way). By itself it sounds absolutely insane, but with two screaming guitars..it really works. You can't even tell it's coming from the bass, the mix as a whole is just a little more saturated.
 
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#37
LowStringNinja said:
Do both...I use an overdrive for some grit, and a distortion pedal to just make it nasty. I can't get nasty with just OD..it might sound a little nasty on its own, but when the whole band is playing, OD sounds pretty clean.
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MoeTown1986 said:
I agree there! I have an EBS Multidrive for my OD. It always sounds like a bit much when I'm by myself but always sounds great when gigging with the boys!
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LowStringNinja said:
Yea man, our distortion just disappears in the mix. There's a few songs I'm doing with a band right now with a Boss BB-1x OD and a Boss MetalZone pedal (and I mean, cranked up...drives up all the way). By itself it sounds absolutely insane, but with two screaming guitars..it really works. You can't even tell it's coming from the bass, the mix as a whole is just a little more saturated.
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Yup, all true. Distorting the bass is used in studio settings too, to help the bass sit in the mix better. It provides some compression as well, which also helps. It is always remarkable how you can have a bass tone that is relatively filthy on its own, but in the context of the band it just sounds warm and full. Dirty bass is the best bass there is. :)
 
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#38
blindrabbit said:
Yup, all true. Distorting the bass is used in studio settings too, to help the bass sit in the mix better. It provides some compression as well, which also helps. It is always remarkable how you can have a bass tone that is relatively filthy on its own, but in the context of the band it just sounds warm and full. Dirty bass is the best bass there is. :)
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Hear, hear. You'd be surprised how gritty some of the great classic "clean" bass tones actually would sound if solo'd, in genres other than rock too. Heck, I remember reading an interview somewhere with Family Man who talked about how dirty his sound actually was on some of the classic reggae stuff he played on. In the mix it just comes off warm and round and . . .right.
 
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#39
MoeTown1986 said:
By "blower" do you mean the Blower Box?? I have one of those, too. That's a gnarly pedal. I think of it like full blown distortion/fuzz. Where as the B3K is more like overdrive/distortion.
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Try some lower gain settings with your Blower Box. It sounds great with the gain at 10 or 11 o'clock. It even sounds good with the gain almost off.
 
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