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Effects beginner

I have recently joined a band. Cliff Burton is one of my main influences and it will be Metallica and other such music that we will be playing. I was wondering if I should I invest in an effects pedal and if so do you have any advice on what kind to get. Bear in mind that I have no previous knowledge of bass effects.
I know this question might be a bit vague considering the range of effects available but which would I use most. Thanks in advance.
 
Electricmayhem said:
Cliff used a Big Muff and Morley Power Wah.

If Cliff is such an influence, you should look into a Big Muff, it's a nice overdrive that I've sworn by for years. Bear in mind, Cliff used a Sovtek Big Muff, the American Reissue Big Muff has a warmer tone, is true bypass (meaning it won't suck tone from your signal while the unit is off) and only costs about $10.00 more. As far as bass, overdrive is just about a simple as effect as you can get, before getting into modulation, filters, and delays, which tend to be seldom used.
 
Thanks mj, but I think I`ll stick with the big muff. My friend used to have one and he highly recommends it too. tplyons, does the colour have anything to do with the pedal?
Only I`ve seen silver ones and black ones. Is the black one the Russian one?
 
The silver one is the US one, and the black is the Russian (there were also green Russian ones for a while before the black ones). They do sound different - I posted a clip of an A-B test of my US and Russian ones fairly recently - look back in the archives...
 
Great, that helped a lot wingnut, thanks. I think I prefer the Russian one.

edit: Just to be sure, is there only one Russian model? I dont want to buy one only to realise its not the one I wanted. This is the one I`m getting. Is it the right one?

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bboy said:
Great, that helped a lot wingnut, thanks. I think I prefer the Russian one.

edit: Just to be sure, is there only one Russian model? I dont want to buy one only to realise its not the one I wanted. This is the one I`m getting. Is it the right one?

Link Removed

There are two, the black one there and the old school green one that looks like a Sherman tank, those things are HUGE! The black one is the one wingnut used in his demo I believe and it's a sweet tone. Like I always say, the Silver US ones tend to be warmer sounding than the Ruskies, which tend to be more agressive sounding. Cliff Burton used a Sovtek. EHX also has out a new Double Muff, which I bought and loved. It's somewhere between the two, and I'm actually selling mine to fund my upright bass's trip to the doctor. PM me if you're interested.
 
Thanks for offering, but I still have loads to save before I can get a pedal. I`m still repaying my parents for my amp too.
I notice on the double muff the knobs are labeled muff1 & muff2. Are both the Russian and American models built into the one pedal?
 
They're neither the American or Ruskie circuit. The Double muff actually has the generic circuit, more similar to the American, and the sound is there, but the sustain and tone knobs aren't. In single mode, it's transparent, in double mode it can be quite aggressive.
 
Sound-wise, the Russian one is best, but I think the American ones are a better quality product, and from the people I've talked to, the Americans break less.

My Russian is broken right now, and it never felt like a very sturdy pedal when I saw the inside. The outside is tough metal, but the innards look a bit shoddy. Treat it right if you get the Ruskie, and it'll probably work, but be warned.
 

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