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Grindy distortion pedal for heavier styles

Thijsklaps

Thijsklaps

Feb 5, 2014
24
0
Belgium
#1
I have never used effect pedals on bass before and I just can't find the sound that I'm looking for. At the moment I just play through my amp with no sorts of other effect at all. I'm looking for a heavy and distorted sound, but not too over the top. I would like iT to be something that I can leave on all of the time since I Finder my current sound to be quite boring. Something that would fitt into a band like Nails, Homewrecker,..


I also really like the sound at the beginning of this,
All suggestions are welcome!
Thanks
 
#3
Depending on your budget and your existing rig, lots of "preamp" style pedal options for you. Darkglass B3k or B7k do this sound really well; can also look at Fuzzrocious BDPG, Tronographic Rusty Box or even a Tech 21 VT Bass. All of these can be found in the talkbass classifieds if you watch for them.
 
#5
I use a Sansamp RBI for most of my tone. Took me nearly 3 years of tinkering around to find that slight grindy tone that I'd been after. And then I found the MXR Bass Di. Now, I use the Sansamp with the Drive at about 12o'clock to give me my little grindy edge for 95% of my sound... And when I need pure distortion I combine it with the MXR DI's distortion. It's a good combination for the metal that we play (tuned to C#).

It varies bassist to bassist. You'll have to try a few things and see what sounds best to you.
Also to add to what jumblemind said about preamps being your pedals, your bass choice and pickups will have a little to do with the growl at the end of your chain.
I'm using a Charvel 4 string neckthru with a set of active EMG PJs, and a Warwick Rockbass passive for my 5 string. Both give a good tone, but give slightly different tones due to the bass itself adding to the flavor.
 
#8
On my board the only thing that really does this sound well is the B7k. Not the cheapest option but an amazing pedal. I like the extra EQ options on the 7 over the 3 because the 3 can get a little fizzy sometimes.

I have only messed around with a Blower on a friend's board but it cops those sounds too. The Fuzzoroucious (sp) Rat tail is another option.

If you like vintage effects - I just started using an original MXR 1978 Distortion+ on bass a bit and it sounds UNREAL.
 
#10
Threads like this usually end-up with a million guys telling you to get a B3K. The Darkglass pedals look great to me, but I'm a cheapskate.

I think the Verellen Meatsmoke pre/pedal would get there (but by my standards that's pricey, too).

A cheaper option in roughly the same family is the Barber Gain Changer. They are small, can be had for about $100 used, and have a crazy wide gain range so you can keep it light or get grindy as fark. Someone made a decent demo:


Edit: Ha! In the time it took me to write my msg, you got 4 Darkglass recs.
 
#11
You just described what many will tell you the B7K or B3K sounds like. Those pedals are just plain awesome. Expensive, yes. Worth it? Every penny and more! If you cant afford it, check out the VooDoo Labs Sparkle Drive. I would suggest a Fulltone OCD but your bottom end will lighten up a bit with that. The Sparkle Drive has a blend so you can retain that bottom. There are tons out there, but when I hear grindy, I think of Darkglass and the B7/3K. For sure!
 
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#12
McFarlin said:
Threads like this usually end-up with a million guys telling you to get a B3K. The Darkglass pedals look great to me, but I'm a cheapskate.

I think the Verellen Meatsmoke pre/pedal would get there (but by my standards that's pricey, too).

A cheaper option in roughly the same family is the Barber Gain Changer. They are small, can be had for about $100 used, and have a crazy wide gain range so you can keep it light or get grindy as fark. Someone made a decent demo:
Click to expand...


I was gonna say man! THe Meatsmoke will run him more than a DG pedal would......
 
#15
Before Darkglass came about, everyone would've said Sansamp BDDI. If you can afford the B7K, go for it, but if funds are limited, the Behringer BDI21 is a decent Sansamp clone for not a lot of dough.

The Brimstone XD-1 can get those tones too.
 
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#17
That B7k is pretty sweet, but keep in mind that Nolly from Periphary is running through an Axe-fx and Dingwall basses with a sweet preamp. He's got a wicked tone, but IMO I don't think you'll be able to (cheaply) duplicate it with a pedal or two.

Just my opinion.

And for the record, I will probably be buying a B7k in the next few months to see if I can add it to my chain and see what kind of tone it brings out. I'm always in search of ways to add more color to my tone
 
#18
AciDBatH666 said:
That B7k is pretty sweet, but keep in mind that Nolly from Periphary is running through an Axe-fx and Dingwall basses with a sweet preamp. He's got a wicked tone, but IMO I don't think you'll be able to (cheaply) duplicate it with a pedal or two.

Just my opinion.

And for the record, I will probably be buying a B7k in the next few months to see if I can add it to my chain and see what kind of tone it brings out. I'm always in search of ways to add more color to my tone
Click to expand...

Yeah, Nolly's rig is badass. AxeFX-ii XL through a Matrix power amp, and more pedals than just the B7k. But there are clips all over YouTube showcasing the B7k by itself, and while it's not quite as thunderously meaty as Nolly's tone, the B7k does a damn good job even as a preamp DI.
Definitely worth the cash from what I can tell from clips and word of mouth.
 
#19
NSHB82 said:
Yeah, Nolly's rig is badass. AxeFX-ii XL through a Matrix power amp, and more pedals than just the B7k. But there are clips all over YouTube showcasing the B7k by itself, and while it's not quite as thunderously meaty as Nolly's tone, the B7k does a damn good job even as a preamp DI.
Definitely worth the cash from what I can tell from clips and word of mouth.
Click to expand...

Exactly. Like I said before, it took me nearly 3 years to finally find the tone I was looking for. I was looking for that Lacuna Coil/Acid Bath ( ) gritty sound.

When I found the MXR DI, I LOVED it, but found that I really liked the clean boost it provided when combined with the Sansamp. And when I turned them both on, I liked the dirty sound even more. Next thing I want to try is a B7K in the combined, or even replacing one of them. There really is no right or wrong answer here. It just sounds like you're at the starting point of the rabbit trail that a LOT of us metal bassists have to endure to find the sound we're looking for. And not a lot of people know/understand it because let's face it, a bunch of metal bassists are guitarists filling in and don't know much about the tones that a bass can put out.
 

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