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Grit

O

one

Aug 21, 2006
334
2
Boston.UK
#1
I am after a little bit of dirt/grit to offer my rig/s, and im pretty stuck, in where to go about this. I've owned and tried numerous pedals, and havn't found what im after yet!
Just to try and help you guys help me:
MXR M-80 - Just feels and sounds too week, too distant and no presence.
EHX nano muff - Can only handle up to my A string, and lack of settings
Marshall Jackhammer - Just didn't seem to cut the mustard (yes overdrive, but isn't obnoxious)
EHX Metal Muff - It has the dirt and grit, but no low end and stupidly over the top (for bass anyway)

I don't want no EHX English Russ-ican metal pi muff'n shizzle. I however have never had the oppertunity to use any form of sansamp, so i don't know if this is what i'm after(and i allready have the MXR M-80, so it wouldn't double as a DI too. £150+ doesn't seem worth it just for the distortion channel)


Sorry, this question has probably been on this forum, millions of times, but i didn't find much other than the Sansamp...


:help:
 
#7
one said:
Maybe just 'tubey/Ampegey grit in a box?'
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BJFE Blue Berry Bass Overdrive

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Lots of pedals out there do tube enough, but this one completely nails it. Expensive and hard to track down, but it does the tube overdrive thing so well I sold my Sunn amp.

We're talkin' power amp tube overdrive, not the lousy preamp variety. ;)
 
#8
JLW said:
What's your reason for not wanting an EHX English Muff'n?

The reason I ask is because that replicates it pretty accurately. But you said you didn't want one.
Click to expand...

-They're huge,
-Run on 18V,
-Have to be handled really carefully i suspect,
-Replacement tubes,

It seem impractical and i don't know why, but i just don't seem to care for the Muff'n. I suppose that if i ever get a pedal board together, then the above reason would be out the window...

EDIT:maybe i should get a pedal board together at last!!!
 
#9
one said:
They're huge
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True, but if you have a wah pedal of any kind, you're used to large pedals already.

one said:
Run on 18V
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It's 12VAC, actually. Which only means it's that much harder to power, since you have to use its own adapter. :hmm:

one said:
Have to be handled really carefully i suspect
Click to expand...

They're tougher than you think.

one said:
Replacement tubes
Click to expand...

Do you know how often those tubes get replaced? It's a once-every-few-years sort of thing! I wouldn't call that an inconvenience at all. In fact, you can change its sound and range of overdrive by changing those tubes for a different type - that's a bonus of flexibility!

Anyhow... for what you're looking for, ditch that M-80 and replace it with a SansAmp Bass Driver DI (we usually call it the BDDI, for short) or an English Muff'n. The only real drawbacks about the Muff'n are its size and power requirements... otherwise, it's an amazing pedal.

The SansAmp in particular was designed to nail that Ampeg SVT all-tube sound. For more flexibility, consider the Programmable SansAmp Bass Driver (or PBDDI, as we call it around here).
 
#10
It's too bad you are pre-disposed to hating the English Muff'n. Its sound is worth the size and power annoyances, and it's not as fragile as you make it out to be. You do know it sounds NOTHING like the other Muff pedals, right? However, since that's the case, I'd say your next best bet might be a SansAmp or a Fulltone Bass Drive.
 
#11
I'm deffinatly gunna look into the Muff'n a bit more now.


Stupid money, but just out of curiosity what about the EBS ValveDriver, MicroBassII and multidrive like compared? I've also heard the XXL is a pretty nice grit pedal, but with more bite than the BDDI.
 
#12
one said:
Stupid money, but just out of curiosity what about the EBS ValveDriver, MicroBassII and multidrive like compared?
Click to expand...

Heh... now you're getting into the range of more expensive tube-emulating pedals.

From what I've seen and heard of them here on TB and on the EBS website, they're expensive but worthwhile contenders for tube-amp-like overdrive.

The MicroBass has more features than one could possibly expect to fit on an enclosure that's the same size as the regular SansAmp BDDI!

I haven't tried the ValveDrive, but it's tube-loaded like the Muff'n, and designed with bass in mind. The Muff'n works great on bass, but I'd imagine the ValveDrive has a different voice to it.
 
#14
one said:
I'm deffinatly gunna look into the Muff'n a bit more now.


Stupid money, but just out of curiosity what about the EBS ValveDriver, MicroBassII and multidrive like compared? I've also heard the XXL is a pretty nice grit pedal, but with more bite than the BDDI.
Click to expand...

As far as EBS stuff goes, I didn't like the Multidrive (just not enough flavor for me) but I did like the Valve Drive. I've played it and the Muff'n but not in a short enough time span to really A/B them. If not for the price, I might have bought one. I've never tried the MicroBass II.

I don't think the XXL is what you're looking for. I've got one and while I've looked at other heavy distortions, it's still on my board. So it's served me well. But it is a HEAVY overdrive, not a "grit" adding pedal, though it can add some growl at very low settings. Still, I think there are better pedals for adding just a touch of dirt. The XXL is best at higher gain settings.

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed] to the Basstasters samples.
 
#15
I also was looking for "just a little grit". After owning 5 different O.D.'s and auditioning probably 10 different boxes I finally found what I was looking for in the EBS Valve Drive. I was lucky to get mine for under $200 used, but I'd buy it new in a heartbeat! You do need the 12v ac adapter, however. The Valve Drive is true-bypass and it has an input pad for active instruments. A very versatile preamp/od.

The Fulltone Bass-Drive can get close to what I think your going for. Although it is a little too "edgy" with active basses IME. If you use the comp-cut feature it really opens up the headroom. The only thing I don't love about it is that it accentuates the mids a little. It's a great pedal, though. A keeper. It also can run off a 9volt.

The English Muff'n has a pretty dedicated following here on TB. I have yet to try one, but it looks promising to me as well.

The SansAmp stuff is capable of adding just a little grit. They aren't the most transparent units in the world, but you get an indispensable tool at the same time. If your real amp ever dies, you're still in the game with a SansAmp. Be ready for your tone to totally change with it engaged - which is either a good or bad thing, depending on who you are!
 

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