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Finally, I won't put it off any longer...

#42
two fingers said:
OK ladies and gents of the effects world, let's do this. I have put it off for too long. In fact, I must admit that for the longest time I was one of those ignorant "I don't need no dang pedals cuz I can actually play" grumpy bastards.

I have gotten close, and probably started a thread about it before. But now I am ready to pull the trigger.

(Get to the point, dude.)

I need some grit. Some dirt. Some overdrive. Just a bit, nothing insane.

Requirements.....as in deal breakers.
1) "Vintage" tone capability. Fat and warm, not rip your face off.
2) Blend. Gotta be able to blend clean and dirt.
3) Readily available here in the states. I'm sure there are amazing pedals all over the world, but I would rather not have to order from Lower Slombovia and wait for six months.

Wants.....not deal breakers but it would be neat.
1) Two channels? Like maybe two drives in one I could set differently? One just a little grit, the other with a bit more, and maybe the capability to stack them for as close to balls out distorted as I intend to get.
2) An actual valve or two? I'm not sure why but that seems like it would be cool.....and also allow some options for tunes that break up at different gains. If there are 400 good reasons not to go this route I can certainly be talked out of it.

Price is not a huge factor. Power supply (battery or power supply) is not a huge factor. Size isn't a factor at all as it will likely be my only pedal for the foreseeable future.

Help me dip my toe in the effects pool!
Click to expand...

There are some good suggestions early on in this thread. I guess you should consider how you will use it - on / off or always on, tone enhancing / stand out in the mix a bit differently for a bit etc.

I will toot the Aguilar ToneHammers horn here. It's great at just a bit of dirt & tone shaping. The best part is the sweep able mids that really let you voice the dirt to your liking. No blend needs or clean mix, just sounds awesome!

Another simple, Canadian made solution would be a Southamoton Fifth Gear.
 
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#43
Lots of good reading here from a guy who knows a little about dirt pedals and is looking for a new overdrive:
A very natural, rich sounding, subtle overdrive.


Or, don't forget to consider pre-amp pedals. Ampeg, GK, Aguilar - like Alien8 mentioned the Tone Hammer, all make preamps with they're own take on dirt. If there's a head that makes dirt you like, there's probably a pedal that does it too. I've had some version of a Sansamp on my board for 4 years now.
 
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#44
I went through this grit thing for awhile. I tried a number of different pedals and nothing really produced what I was looking for. I was at a jam recently and there was an old Traynor dual 15 cabinet provided for the bass. It was heaven. This speaker cabinet had just the right amount of grit I think a lot of us are looking for. If I played soft it was clean and if I dug in a little there was just a little edge to the sound. I think modern speakers are designed to produce clean sound and not break up the way older speakers used to do. So now we are all running around trying to introduce some grit by using a pedal. I'm not sure what the answer is but I haven't found it in a pedal and I don't want to carry around that 2x15 cabinet.
 
#46
i use a couple things for my bass grit ...

1 has a real tube ... Eden Glow Plug ... i put a lower gain tube in ( 1957 JG5751 ) most vid demos suck .. but it will work as a tube warmer bit o grit ... has variable filter and mix knobs ...

2 is a Dr Scientist ' the elements ' ... various clipping modes , 3 band eq , filter switches , and a Mix knob that also has an output control jack so you can use a volume pedal live to control mix ... go from a tiny bit of grit ,... to full grit using the gas pedal ..! cool ...
 
#49
Pacodelivery said:
I dunno that butler blue tube is pretty darn fantastic, and having it be tube driven is kinda awesome 'cause you can swap the tube for a different one in the same class and get a different sound.
Click to expand...

I agree. I really enjoyed it too and I thought it did a fine job with tube tones.

Oh, there is also the Mesa Bottle Rocket!! @two fingers. That has a couple tubes in it. Not two channel but I know by boy @bassmusic17 swears by that thing.
 
#50
kleinenenten said:
Always wondered about the Saucy Box and it's variations. Might have to try them out. I love me some Way Huge.

I'd recommend the Way Huge Pork Loin, modded if possible. A single cap mod turns this able box into a complete low gain solution. It has completely obliterated any low gain GAS pains I've had, is readily available for less than $100 used, and made in the US and is available new all over the place.
Click to expand...

Just don't have a guitarist GF like I do. I think she's already confiscated the Saucy Box. And just yesterday I saw her looking at the instruction booklet that came with the V-Drive while gazing speculatively at it...:cautious:

May have to buy another one very shortly. :eyebrow:

The Saucy Box I might relinquish. But the V-Drive is mine. Mine I tell you! It's my Presciousssss... :laugh:
 
#53
Alien8 said:
There are some good suggestions early on in this thread. I guess you should consider how you will use it - on / off or always on, tone enhancing / stand out in the mix a bit differently for a bit etc.

I will toot the Aguilar ToneHammers horn here. It's great at just a bit of dirt & tone shaping. The best part is the sweep able mids that really let you voice the dirt to your liking. No blend needs or clean mix, just sounds awesome!

Another simple, Canadian made solution would be a Southamoton Fifth Gear.
Click to expand...

+1 to both these suggestions. You'll get what you are looking for from either of these pedals (or better, both!). Don't worry about the blend, it isn't needed.
 
#55
I settled on the TC Electronics fullsize Spark Booster.
Transparent, (so no need for a blend) warm tubey tone. Low gain, just like a warm tube amp. The gain knob all the way up on this thing is where most "low gain OD's" actually start. It's beautiful.
If i want a more lo-fi old school tone, i roll down the treble knob. If i want it to sound like i'm playing with a pick (when i simply forgot to bring one), i engage the midboost voice. Gain is at noon, volume at 9. Super useful, and sounds great.


IMO, you only start to need a blend when you get into higher gain drive and distortion.
Part of the point of a low gain drive is that you want it to be subtle and natural.
Blend on low gain is like blending between your amp with gain on 2 & your amp with gain on 3.
If you want the sound of the amp on 3, then put the gain there.
When you start vacilliating between gains 2 & 7, then a blend starts being useful.
Again, IMO.
 
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#57
40Hz said:
I'm currently exploring and enjoying a [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]. Very subtle bass-friendly pedal with plenty of knobs to tweak. Some very good sounds to be found among the various settings. Reasonably priced too. My current favorite. There's a thread if you're interested reading more about it. Find it here.

Although I'm not super big on dirt or grit most times, I've gradually come around to appreciate and start using some with certain styles of music.

Two other sonic thickeners I liked were the Way Huge Saucy Box, and its slightly more edgy cousin, the Saucy Box HC. Similar yet different enough you may greatly prefer one over the other. I couldn't decide which I liked more, so I took the easy way out and got both.
Click to expand...

I just bought a V Drive last week. No blend knob, but it doesn't seem to lose any low end. Pretty impressed with it so far. I have 2 combos so I thought about running one dirty and one clean.
 
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#59
You owe it to yourself to check out two fairly dissimilar pedals from the same brand; the EBS ValveDrive DI (true high voltate tube pre/OD) and EBS MicroBass II (dual channel swiss army knife for bass + well liked OD). And at least they USED to be made in Sweden.
 
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#60
LowActionHero said:
I just bought a V Drive last week. No blend knob, but it doesn't seem to lose any low end. Pretty impressed with it so far. I have 2 combos so I thought about running one dirty and one clean.
Click to expand...

Yeah. I was surprised I didn't miss not having a blend. But that notch filter it feels like they're running on the depth knob seems to remove the need for one.

It's pretty creamy even when you push it. And you can bring in all the lows you want with the other controls.

I'm completely sold on this little box. And for the price, you really can't beat it IMO.

Now I gotta get my head around the voltage control. I understand it in theory. But it's still not intuitive for me yet. I have to twiddle it and the see what happens. I don't have enough of a feel for it to just dial in something I like. At least not yet. But it'll come.

It's a cool little box, that's for sure. :thumbsup:
 
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