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I want some umph when I dig in

SteveC

SteveC

Supporting Member
Nov 12, 2004
31,652
46,772
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NE ND
#1
I like a clean tone mostly. I use a Genz Benz FET head. For the most party it's great. However, there are times when I'd like my sound to not distort or overdrive but just get a little nasty when I'm really digging in and playing hard - like the chorus of a song.

I have a friends Sansamp BDDI that I'm going to experiment with. I figured theft tube was a good place to start. Any suggestions?
 
#2
Not sure what nasty means if its not getting dirty, but you could add an EQ pedal. That could add some tonal variation.

Also, either an EQ or a boost pedal could also push your amp a bit harder an get it to breakup. Then we're getting into overdrive...
 
#3
sansamp bddi is an always on type pedal imo, you could certainly use it for that, but it would colour your tone a little(its got a blend, tho, if i remember rightly). Besides, pretty expensive, a boost pedal would probably be more what your after... i've heard great things about Phat Phuck B, otherwise EHX LPB-1 is cheap and a good pedal.

let us know how u get on!
 
#5
+1 to the boost pedal idea...


Sometimes I'm not looking for a gritty, dirtied up sound in my tone and prefer a mild but, deep growl with some menace in it's character; like a lion growling... I haven't really branched out to find a pedal for this but I'm almost always using the boost on my Morley PWB, it ranges from deep growl to full on, balls out overdrive. Way Huge Angry Troll is nice too, I remembered I tried that out last week at a gear shack. Always hearing great things about the Swollen Pickle but it was sh't, IMO... Angry Troll is where its at...
 
#7
insomniac2295 said:
do you have any sound samples to give us an idea?
Click to expand...

If he had it he wouldn't be asking about it, now would he?... : )

J/K... I'm skint, can't sleep, and have to hit it hard in the morning...

But yeah, is there any songs that best exemplifies this particular sound my dude?
 
#12
I am pretty content with my tone. I guess what I want is just a bit of that "tube warmth" when I dig in - like the chorus of a song. I would like out to stay "clean" during soft sections. I don't want to step on a pedal, I just want it to happen when I dig in, so I guess an "always on" pedal is what I'm going for.

I have a friends BDDI and did some experimenting last night. I used the Fat Tube and SVT settings from the book. I used the Blend at about 9 or 10 o'clock to keep the additional color more under control. Am I on the right track there? I set the 3rd preset as a clean boost for my jazz gigs where I would bypass the BDDI and just use my amp tone, but have a clean boost when it comes time to solo. Easier than trying to turn up 2 volume knobs on a jazz bass.

A couple years ago I tried it and didn't care for it. Last night, I thought it sounded pretty good. I think I'll do some experimenting with this for a while. I don't want to spend a bunch so this used Programable BDDI is an economical solution, and it's kind of nice to have 3 options (4 if you count bypassing it) at your feet.

Am I on the right track by dialing down the Blend? Seems to work pretty well, keeping the colored effect of the BDDI mixed in just enough to warm up my clean bass signal.
 
#13
i know this probably not the direction you are looking, but i use all tube heads just for what you are talking about. get the amp and bass volumes right on the edge, play normal nice and clean. dig in and she starts to bark a little. my rig is very touch sensitive. if i really want to get down on a tune i just roll a little more volume on the bass.
 
#14
Most of the various Sansamp offerings will likely get you the type of touch-sensitive grit you are looking for —so long as you keep the drive at a reasonable level.

I'd also recommend that you check out the Catalinbread SFT if you use a passive bass. I personally didn't love it with my high-output Musicman Sterling but it is a -fantastic- pedal if you play something like a passive Fender. It, along with the Sansamp pedals, WILL color your tone a fair bit (they are generally meant to emulate Ampeg tones) but if you like that tone then you ought to like the pedals.

I use a Phat Phuk B to add a bit of volume and grit during the heavier parts of my band's songs. It works beautifully in that situation, but you can always use it as an always on, dynamic and touch sensitive pedal that adds a bit of dirt when you dig in while giving your tone a very nice fullness and sheen (especially in the mid and upper range).

I would also check out many of the various suggestions people are posting here as many of them will get you where you want to go!
 
#15
Yurtra said:
Most of the various Sansamp offerings will likely get you the type of touch-sensitive grit you are looking for —so long as you keep the drive at a reasonable level.
Click to expand...

Yeah, never had the Drive past noon so far. The Blend is below noon as well.

It seems to be able to do what I wan. I don't have access to a lot of the suggestions and I don't want to start buying and selling a bunch of pedals for this. It's not a major deal, and if I can get this to work, that's what I'd prefer.

So it sounds like I'm on track with the judicial use of Blend and Drive.
 
#16
Since you are running a FET-based head, I would second the votes for a clean boost/EQ, something to pop the signal a little to induce your head's natural grit.

An EQ pedal would give you the option to not just boost the entire signal, but maybe tailor it for what you want, like a nudge in the mids or bass, as well.
 
#17
For the exact scenario you refer to I use a Phat Phuk. I use it primarily for the Worship music I play at church and kick it in on choruses or during interludes. The beauty of this pedal is you don't really have to crank the volume. It just ads a "phatness" to the tone. Some might refer to it as adding "warmth". It is certainly capable of overdriving an app but you don't have to use it that way.

I usually have the volume of my phat phuck pedal set just a bit higher than my normal playing volume. So when I kick it on it doesn't add a ton of decibels but adds a sort of fullness. You notice it when it's turned off.
 
#18
Hmmmm....yeah.....I'm not the most experienced guy on the board....but when I use my TUBE pedals I usually leave it on the whole song. I just find it odd to change the tone like that mid tune. I thought I got that vibe from you earlier. Another WAY expensive idea that I think Delta does is you could buy a tube head that has a nice clean sound (like an Eden tube head) and then get some form of boost pedal that really pushes it when you need it to.
 
#20
I think you're in the neighborhood with the Bass Driver. Or maybe a Tone Hammer. Or just about any overdrive pedal on the market. You can usually set them up so that you get a pretty clean sound until you, as you say, "dig in." At which time your instrument signal crosses the gain threshold and you get some pleasing breakup.

If you watch this video you can see where at one point where he sets it exactly this way. (Around 4:30.)

Invalid Link Removed
 

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