Do I want Fuzz or OD?

[Matto1349]

My vote is for a Cat Tail. If you are looking on the used market, these were originally called the Rat Tail. There's a lot of mod options available through fuzzrocious to get this sound just the way you want it, with whistles and bells.

The thing I've found with any kind of effects on bass is that what sounds good to us jamming at home is not always what works best in a mix. In the example OP gave theres plenty of space for the bass to spread out, but thats not usually the case. I've noticed lately that a lot of extreme metal and hardcore bassists have absolutely hideous, contorted, castrated tone that you would never think to use alone, but they fit perfectly under the guitar. Darkglass might be changing things...

 

[mj_]

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.

That's very interesting to hear! So what uses are there for a clean bass tone?

 

[Mosfed]

I run an SVT-CL and an 8x10. I want some dirt in my sound continuously, while maintaining good low-mids and low end. Once in a while it could be nice to have tons of filthy dirt, so I have been leaning towards a fuzz pedal. Is this correct thinking?

This is the sound I would like to achieve.

We have a few songs in our repetoire that require what you are taking about, ie dirt throughout and then the occasional bring the house down stroke. Amd I have found that the Dunwich Volt Thrower (a rat based pedal with a ton of mods) to be my ticket. I can get it to clean up nicely at lower dynamics and then can really get heavy as I dig in.

 

[MoeTown1986]

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.

I have, I'm just saying, IMO it shines when set to full blown distortion.

 

[socialleper]

I run an SVT-CL and an 8x10. I want some dirt in my sound continuously, while maintaining good low-mids and low end. Once in a while it could be nice to have tons of filthy dirt, so I have been leaning towards a fuzz pedal. Is this correct thinking?

This is the sound I would like to achieve.

What I hear is something closer to a scooped OD or distortion, most likely with a blend either on the pedal or in the chain.
Definitely not fuzz.
A Darkglass B7K, Brimstone Audio Crossover Distortion, or VFE Triumvirate might get you there. That sort of articulation and depth isn't something that comes easily, so you would be looking for something with a fair amount of control over shaping the distortion.

 

[socialleper]

We have a few songs in our repetoire that require what you are taking about, ie dirt throughout and then the occasional bring the house down stroke. Amd I have found that the Dunwich Volt Thrower (a rat based pedal with a ton of mods) to be my ticket. I can get it to clean up nicely at lower dynamics and then can really get heavy as I dig in.

While I don't disagree with your assessment of the VT, you might as well task the OP with finding a pristine SVT CL at a garage sale. They are very hard to come by. All of Nick's stuff is.

 

[blindrabbit]

That's very interesting to hear! So what uses are there for a clean bass tone?

Jazz.

 

[sammyfallen]

Save some major dough and spend $30 on a Joyo Ultimate Drive. Marketed for guitar as a overdrive (Fulltone OCD Copy), but, absolutely slays on bass. Goes from a slightly hairy / clean boost to full on fuzz with the gain full on. Amazon.com: Joyo JF-02 Ultimate Overdrive Pedal, featuring true Bypass Wiring, Tone Switch and Quality components: Musical Instruments

 

[pbass2]

That's very interesting to hear! So what uses are there for a clean bass tone?

Ha ha--not many!

Just kidding…..but not entirely...

Yeah like blind rabbit says, Jazz is one place you may hear really clean tones. I guess you could look at someone like Steve Swallow who has what might be considered a very clean "pure" sound(but it's certainly not sterile). In his context it works and speaks well in the mix. There's certainly clean-ish tones in lots of music, it's just that some kind of "warmth", in other words distortion of some kind, is usually what helps a bass speak out well in a mix (especially a dense one). Even with the classic and coveted Pbass with flats through a B15 sound heard on so many classic records, if solo'd you'd hear some grind, or warmth to it from the tubes distorting, the mic pre being pushed, etc. etc. Think of the hoops we all jump through in the studio to get a nice "warm" bass tone, even when a "clean" type of sound is called for. Invariably, something is adding distortion to it to achieve that. It might not SOUND like distortion in the full mix, but solo'd you'd hear it.

I guess it all comes down to how you define "clean".

 

[vivaknoxvegas]

Awesome info here, thank you all. I ended up ordering the EH OD Glove. After hearing that trying to get this sound can be a challenge, and another recommending going cheap first before dropping lots of cash (B7K or Fuzzrocious), I thought the Glove was a decent starting point. I almost went with the Joyo UD first but after reading a few threads about them breaking, the Glove seemed like a step up construction wise. If the Glove doesn't get me there I will sell and keep movin on up.

 

[vivaknoxvegas]

So then I found a Rat Tail used, quickly got it, sent the Glove back. I am thinking about trying something else (the Xotic Bass BB, or B7K) because the Rat Tail seems to lose the low end. It's a cool bass distortion, but not what I'm wanting as an on all the time dirt pedal.

 

[gregmon79]

You should really check the Darkglass B3K. I have a Stingray and a P and can get really close to his tone with both. Hit @SLaPiNFuNK up on www.bassstringsonline.com for one. His prices CAN NOT be beat.

You won't lyin man, BSO's prices are the best. I get everything from them. If I'm in a jam and need them quick, I go to GC and price match off of his site. His site is second to none. One of the best bass specific discoveries I've ever had.

 

[gregmon79]

So then I found a Rat Tail used, quickly got it, sent the Glove back. I am thinking about trying something else (the Xotic Bass BB, or B7K) because the Rat Tail seems to lose the low end. It's a cool bass distortion, but not what I'm wanting as an on all the time dirt pedal.

You know it's weird. I thought my rat King lost lows too when I had one a while back. I've heard some say the same. But I recently got another rat tail with the 2nd dist mod and it totally kills man. The bottom end is massive on mine. I tired it through a blender even and I actually like it a lot more all on its own. If anything it adds bottom to my signal when I use it. But, I have learned a lot about my setup in the couple years since I had the king, and a lot has changed. So that could have something to do with it. I just love the rat tail. It's the best rat I've tried next to my blower box.

 

[bassmusic17]

So then I found a Rat Tail used, quickly got it, sent the Glove back. I am thinking about trying something else (the Xotic Bass BB, or B7K) because the Rat Tail seems to lose the low end. It's a cool bass distortion, but not what I'm wanting as an on all the time dirt pedal.

I found pairing a RT with an FX10 destroys! Boost them lows.

That being said I now have a Volt Thrower. Badass as well. Also a Grabber would help immensely.

 

[vivaknoxvegas]

I have a blower box now and a B7K Ultra on order from bso.