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Is Digitech Whammy for bass?
- Thread starter Zachry23
- Start date
- Sep 16, 2008
- 874
- 7
- Disclosures
- Master Luthier: Ironclad Bass Guitars
Chancellor does have a Whammy, but it is the Bass version. The red one should do just fine for you 
I've heard the tracking and bass retention on the red whammy is nowhere NEAR as good as the actual bass whammy. People have nearly been begging for a reissue from digitech for the bass whammy to no avail. I think it would sell great and would totally buy one if/when they come out with one.
The Bass Whammy is pretty sweet, I would say believe the hype. The Whammy IV is just fine on bass, it will not bend some notes though. If memory serves me correctly, the Whammy I had wouldn't bend a low G, but would bend an A with ease. The other whammies don't have the 5th up/1 octave up harmony, which I believe is by far the most usable setting for bass. And you can do all the neat-o Tool songs to your heart's content. The Pitchfactor has received a lot of praise too, you can program all the Bass Whammy settings on it, and you just need an expression pedal to make it do the whammy, though. I myself use the Bass Whammy and love it to death.
See... this is why I love Talk Bass. I've worked at music stores off and on for 10 years and I never knew there was a specific bass whammy. I've only ever seen the red whammy pedal (I guess the guitar specific one). I just always assumed Chancelor used that one on the Tool stuff.
Well, there you go!
Well, there you go!
well they don't make them and they go for like $700, and the whammy 4 works just fine unless you're in a tool cover band.
I picked up a used whammy IV about a year ago. The thing is great, only issue I've ever had with tracking is when you set it to the 2 8va setting. I mainly use it for the harmony settings anyways. So as most of the responses have stated, unless you want to spend the cash on a used bass whammy, go with the IV and have some fun.
yeah the red one is fine. the only thing that is the main thing about the bass vs. the 4 is the octave 5th up. which is apparently the key where the gates of heaven open up and pour cherry sprite. sorry but $700 for that. Not worth it. IMO
You could also get an old XP-100 Whammy/Wah for 100-150 bucks, and it also has the 5th up/oct up harmony mode 
I have one. The tracking is fine except when playing chords on the octave bends, and when playing below the open A on any octave down settings. Also, the tone on the octave up bends is just awful, especially on the 2+ octave. And the drop tune function is near useless.
Anyone know how the tone of the IV compares with the bass version? Is it really that much better?
And does anyone know why they don't reissue the bass whammy? I'd even be fine if it was a Justin Chancellor signature one or something like that and had to pay a bit more. Even if they charged an extra $50, thats still half he price of a used bass whammy. I mean I know they pretty much flopped back in the day, but since Tool got big everyone wants one.
Anyone know how the tone of the IV compares with the bass version? Is it really that much better?
And does anyone know why they don't reissue the bass whammy? I'd even be fine if it was a Justin Chancellor signature one or something like that and had to pay a bit more. Even if they charged an extra $50, thats still half he price of a used bass whammy. I mean I know they pretty much flopped back in the day, but since Tool got big everyone wants one.
and with all these post-rock and mathcore bands like Russian Circles, Red Sparrowes, etc using the whammy like mad, there's clearly a market and thousands of rabid customers ...er... fans that would buy them.
Can't the Eventide Pitchfactor (+ expression pedal) do everything Whammy's do and yet better?
And is cheaper than a used Bass Whammy.
Well, that's what I heard.
I'm not much of a whammy-type-effect user (or at all) but I think my EHX HOG does it nice also. I'm not after Justin Chancellor's playing though.
And is cheaper than a used Bass Whammy.
Well, that's what I heard.
I'm not much of a whammy-type-effect user (or at all) but I think my EHX HOG does it nice also. I'm not after Justin Chancellor's playing though.
the red whammy functions perfectly for bass, if the intervals it has work for you, then you have no need to search out the bass whammy.
I could never imagine paying $700 for a bass whammy. It's like to I get a bass or amp or 3 new pedals. Or a bass whammy pedal.
First of all, I'd be willing to bet that if Chancellor was ever approached by Digitech to make a signature bass whammy, he would snicker slightly and politely say, "no."
They won't make a new bass whammy because the WH4 has had continuing success for years, and works perfectly fine on bass. There is no reason why they should spend money to release a new product.
Same as the Deep Impact. Yes, lots of talkbass folk would love to get their hands on one, but as a commercially viable product, there probably just wouldn't be enought interest overall. As a sensible comprimise, it would be nice to see the regular Whammy issued with the 4th and 5th modes, and with a dedicated bass input.
Surely not too much to ask?
Surely not too much to ask?
