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Klon and Blues Driver OD types on bass

Pidgeon5

Pidgeon5

Nov 21, 2022
74
87
Osaka, Japan
#1
What's good everybody. Recently ODs of the klon and BD type have piqued my interest. I know that both types, along with almost any non-bass specific drives suck the low ends, however, I would like to survey the lay of the land for some that are viable on bass that I could use on guitar as well.

From what I've gathered the following are decent on bass:
  • Wampler Tumnus
  • JRAD Archer Ikon
  • MXR Fat Sugar
  • Keeley Super Phat Mod
Would appreciate thoughts and expertise on the matter. Cheers!
 
#2
If you like Wampler check out Pantheon. It’s got a good EQ section and doesn’t kill low. It’s a BB but has a lot of options if you want more dirt.

K types is where I stray. The Centaur was made to blast highs for guitar lead. A Klone that doesn’t kill bass doesn’t sound like a Klon at all.

But as always, if it sounds good it is good.
 
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#5
Killing Floor said:
If you like Wampler check out Pantheon. It’s got a good EQ section and doesn’t kill low. It’s a BB but has a lot of options if you want more dirt.
Click to expand...

I'm still relatively new to this and just recently found out that a BB and BD are different lol but I will check out the Pantheon (I also think the JHS Morning Glory is of the BB type?).

Lammchop93 said:
I had the archer and thought it cut too much low end. I also had the Keeley phat mod and it sounded good, but not great on bass.
Click to expand...

Thanks for your 0.02 on both the Archer and Super Phat
 
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#6
Yeah, have fun. There’s no bad or good. It’s preference only.
What I mean to say is most dirt pedals are based on a few really common circuits. Many but not all were purpose built for treble high over bass whether that was achieved by cutting bass, boosting highs or both. That’s the classic lead guitar tones since the 60s.

In my experience as a rule guys like Brian Wampler and Josh Scott consider this well and usually make pedals that work with bass too. I like BB style a lot. I like Browne Protein and and Wampler Pantheon and Snouse Black Box a lot.

Another one worth looking at is the Blackstone Appliances MOSFET Overdrive. There are internal controls to make it more bass friendly.

Have fun, be loud.
 
#12
adipaoli89 said:
To me on bass BB style overdrives sound better than other types. Another great pedal to try is the Timmy
Click to expand...
It does seem that "transparent" overdrives tend to be better than ODs with baked-in mid boosts. I used to rock a TS-9 on my board, but it always felt like it was dominating the mix when it was on. I'm currently going back and forth between a Timmy and a Wampler Tumnus (which isn't "transparent," I don't care what anyone says) for light OD and a DS-1 for the real over-the-top kinda thing and I'm really happy with all of them in that role. It should be noted that I'm running a stereo wet/dry type set up, so I don't have to worry about losing low end from ODs.

Though I haven't tried the Blues Driver on my board, I bet it would work well. I did have an Nobels ODR-1 on my board for a little while and really liked it.
 
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#14
I Use a Wampler Tumnus Deluxe for mildly overdriven sounds. It's very transparent and can be used as an always on pedal or a boost. Higher gain settings sound great too.

I can't speak for the mini but the deluxe has a bass knob that I usually set at 1 oclock with no bass loss whatsoever.
 
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#15
Derek Williams said:
I've got a BD-2 clone from the Winnipeg Electrical Co that works well. It is described as having more low end, and if I crank the bass control it sounded pretty good. I didn't get to test it much before packing everything away to move, but I want to dig it back out again to play with it some more.

Homework Series Blues
Click to expand...

The Blues Driver has a Fender tone stack in the circuit with fixed values that - if I remember correctly anyway - are equivalent to bass maxed out with mid and treble at 0. I wonder if the WEC clone you're talking about replaces the fixed resistors with tone pots. I will say that boosting treble in this circuit at the tone stack would probably make it pretty harsh, so I'm kinda of curious where they insert their EQ in the BD circuit and if they're retaining the typical BD tone stack PLUS their EQ.
 
#16
bcbrother said:
I Use a Wampler Tumnus Deluxe for mildly overdriven sounds. It's very transparent and can be used as an always on pedal or a boost. Higher gain settings sound great too.

I can't speak for the mini but the deluxe has a bass knob that I usually set at 1 oclock with no bass loss whatsoever.
Click to expand...
Brian Wampler's EQ circuits that he adds to classic OD topologies are always terrific. That is really were Wampler clones shine in my opinion.
 
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#19
I’ve made and tweaked enough pedals to confirm what others are saying here: try it. Sometimes a blend control to pass through your undriven sound as well is the ticket, other times you want exactly what the effect does to your sound. Just be sure you’re testing in the environments you’ll be using the pedals. There’s a particularly delightful disappointment in dialing in a killer grindy bass sound only to find out your guitarist’s frequencies make you disappear or sound terrible.
 
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#20
bcbrother said:
I also have a Tim and a Nobels ODR1 that I use on a guitar pedalboard. I imagine these would work too.
Both are transparent OD's that retain their lows.
Click to expand...
The Nobels is interesting because it both is and isn't a "transparent" OD.

Spectrrum-curve.jpg


The Spectrum knob is really powerful on those and can get you from Tubescreamer-y mid hump to a very scooped EQ, while being pretty neutral in the mid setting.
 
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