A killer point. That's what was in my head when I suggested the SFT, you just explained what I was thinking better than I did. lol
5sg.
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effects?
- Thread starter JWP
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A killer point. That's what was in my head when I suggested the SFT, you just explained what I was thinking better than I did. lol
5sg.
I didn't realize from your original post that you were looking for recommendation of effects to try.
For me, the beauty of effects on bass is that they are not necessary. They're purely and 100% optional. The electric bass sounds rich, thick, and beautiful without them, unlike the electric guitar which I think absolutely needs some kind of 'sweetener' to sound full. In other words, I use effects because I like them for a specific sound not because I think I'm supposed to use them. If you're playing classic rock and happy with the tone you have now, there's no reason to spend money on pedals because you think you're missing something. There's beauty in simplicity.
Amen to that brother. As much as I enjoy having different effects in my sonic toolbox, the pedal I use the most is my tuner!
5sg.
^^^^I bought my MXR M108 10 Band EQ Pedal from this guy^^^^
I am not saying it is my favorite piece of gear, or that I have it on all the time, but what a handy pedal. I play with a tube head (Orange AD200B) and the gain on the EQ pedal (yes there is a gain slider) can slam the front of my head bringing on some nice OD.
Just a really great utility pedal.
I love my Darkglass Electronics B3K OD pedal the most though.
I am not saying it is my favorite piece of gear, or that I have it on all the time, but what a handy pedal. I play with a tube head (Orange AD200B) and the gain on the EQ pedal (yes there is a gain slider) can slam the front of my head bringing on some nice OD.
Just a really great utility pedal.
I love my Darkglass Electronics B3K OD pedal the most though.
Every time I see "Electronix" or "Submarine" pop up, I can't help but think about what happened with the builder (see The Electronix Thread). I've wanted to try a Submarine Designer for a LONG time, but my desire to avoid a headache is greater. It reminds me too much of the Dr. Bass debacle (see Dr. Bass thread), so I just avoid Zeibek/Electronix stuff out of principle. I know it's a little irrational and I could pick one up used or something, but now I just avoid out of principle.
Along the lines of Delta's MXR EQ suggestion, the Whirlwind Bass Ten EQ has been on my G.A.S. list for some time now too.
The B3K is a killer overdrive! I LOVE mine and Doug's a fantastic guy, very much worth the money. For Motown stuff though, the SFT definitely fits the bill much better. It has a warmer and rounder drive, where the B3K is more aggressive and crunchy.
5sg.
Along the lines of Delta's MXR EQ suggestion, the Whirlwind Bass Ten EQ has been on my G.A.S. list for some time now too.
The B3K is a killer overdrive! I LOVE mine and Doug's a fantastic guy, very much worth the money. For Motown stuff though, the SFT definitely fits the bill much better. It has a warmer and rounder drive, where the B3K is more aggressive and crunchy.
5sg.
I guess the Fuzzrocious BDPG is a good alternative to the Submarine.
I know OP wouldn't use a B3K but he did ask about our favorites.
I know OP wouldn't use a B3K but he did ask about our favorites.
The BDPG is a really cool little circuit. I bought one because I thought it would be a submarine but with some gain on tap. Its all that and then some! Amazing low end on this pedal. I would not say it is a direct replacement for the sub however. When the sub is engaged you don't even notice its there until you turn it off. But it definitely polishes your tone in all the right ways. With the BDPG, there is no doubt when the pedal is on. But it is a much dirtier tone than the sub could ever be! Even the cleanest BDPG tone will be dirtier than the dirtiest sub tone. I'm keeping both of them because I couldn't part with either.
DeltaPhoenix said:
Hmmm... BDPG... Really.... I might just have to look into that further!
I sure dug what you were getting at, for sure Delta.
The B3K is HIGH on my list of favorites too. For overdrives, I'd be hard pressed to pick between that, my SFT, Dark Driving and Tubeworks BlueTube... They're all so different... So much overdrive goodness!!!5sg.
@5 string: I use my BDPG as more of an overdrive than a pre. Its got a clipping flavor all its own!
I've cycled through a lot of effect pedals and multi-effect processors over the years. Alternately I've spent just as much time with only a cable between my amp and my bass. If you like you're tone, then you save yourself good money by not doing the stomp box dance.
If there was a "can't live without it" type of pedal for me, it would be something with dirt. Currently, it's all about OD, I am using a Mad Prof Blueberry, which I think is pretty darn solid. Dirt is probably the most flexible effect in a band setting. Just my humble opinion.
If there was a "can't live without it" type of pedal for me, it would be something with dirt. Currently, it's all about OD, I am using a Mad Prof Blueberry, which I think is pretty darn solid. Dirt is probably the most flexible effect in a band setting. Just my humble opinion.
If there can be only one I'd say Exar Tabassco. It's a versatile pedal with a beautiful drive sound. It can also be used as both an equalizer and a powerful bass booster.
Another strong candidate is Rodenberg 728b - the king of clean boost and tubescreamerish drive.
Another strong candidate is Rodenberg 728b - the king of clean boost and tubescreamerish drive.
Welcome to the effects forum. ;-)
I disagree with your post, some fx-pedals (like MXR M87 Compressor, Tech21 VT Bass, etc.) makes your pure bass sound even more refined.
I also love the Catalinbread SFT ... with 18V instead of 9V even better.
Hmm, my favorite is probably my TAFM fuzz or my Haz MuTron III+ envelope filter, but I can and do easily do without them on many gigs. Depends on the music program.
The one effect I find I am always taking to every gig is my Exotic EP Booster, just a JFET "clean" boost with a gain knob. It's not really clean though. It's pretty useful for popping out for a melody, a solo, or just when the band gets loud, I usually set it for +4 to +6 dB (guestimation, there is no markings on the pedal). It sounds truly righteous at 18 volts, I need to get when using it solo away from my pedal board. So this turns out to be very much a "tool" kind of usage, it's not dramatic, but it does work and it is quite useful.
The one effect I find I am always taking to every gig is my Exotic EP Booster, just a JFET "clean" boost with a gain knob. It's not really clean though. It's pretty useful for popping out for a melody, a solo, or just when the band gets loud, I usually set it for +4 to +6 dB (guestimation, there is no markings on the pedal). It sounds truly righteous at 18 volts, I need to get when using it solo away from my pedal board. So this turns out to be very much a "tool" kind of usage, it's not dramatic, but it does work and it is quite useful.
