Looking for a Bass Distortion Pedal

[mremic01]

Right now I'm using an Ibanez Phat Hed, which gets me some brutal distortion without losing any low end, but the bypass on it isn't the best (mild tone suck) and I'd like the same kind of effect, but in a pedal with true bypass. I've tried the MXR DI+, but that not only sucks a little bit of tone, it also adds a little hum into my signal. I'm also trying to downsize my board while I'm at it, so I'd rather not get a true bypass looper and just replace the offending pedal to keep it simple.

I thought about the MXR Blowtorch, but from reading about it, it sounds like it's more of a fuzz and not a distortion and I'd have to get an extra wall wart. I've got a VT Bass, which is incredible for SVT'ing up my tone, but I'm not a big fan of the dirt I get turning the drive up (btw, the bypass on this thing is incredibly transparent). I'm also considering the Bass Muff, but again, it's a fuzz.

Is there anything else out there that might be what I'm looking for?

 

[Smurf-o-Deth]

Tech 21 XXL Bass Edition.

Where's my $5, Screech?

 

[heath_r_91]

I use the Bass Big Muff and I get distortion sounds out of it.

Just a few tweeks of the knobs take it from being fuzz to gnarly distortion.

 

[Thunderscreech]

Tech 21 XXL Bass Edition.

Where's my $5, Screech?

What he said.


the check is in the mail.

 

[nad]

I have not used a Phat Hed, but judging from the sound samples of one, along with your description of what you want, a 3Xfx Fatman might work. It is a very heavy and mechanical sounding distortion, if that makes sense. Ridiculous amounts of XXL Bass bombardment aside, that one wouldn't be a bad one try out as well. I don't think it's true bypass, but the bypass isn't bad.

 

[ricknote]

Why not just get a true bypass pedal. You seem to like the pedal's
sound, just upgrade it. Guitar players do this all the time with cool
sounding but noisy FX.
A guitarist I know has several of these and he's been quite happy with
them.

http://www.loop-master.com/product_info.php?products_id=119

That's probably all you wound need.

Rick

 

[riskyrain]

Xotic Bass BB Preamp (it's probably more accurate to call it a overdrive/distortion pedal)

True Bypass and sounds amazing:

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

 

[xray]

I have a high end distortion / overdrive pedal I'm trying to offload - HBE Big D. It may be just what your looking for: totally clean and mean OD and Dist. There's a few sound clips on here as well as HBE's site.

 

[Uribam]

The polish love is the only one I'd ever use. Ever since I got it it's been plugged in.

 

[Deluge Of Sound]

I have not used a Phat Hed, but judging from the sound samples of one, along with your description of what you want, a 3Xfx Fatman might work. It is a very heavy and mechanical sounding distortion, if that makes sense. Ridiculous amounts of XXL Bass bombardment aside, that one wouldn't be a bad one try out as well. I don't think it's true bypass, but the bypass isn't bad.

I think Nad's gotten the closest to what I think you're looking for, but clips aiming at what you'd like to sound like would be immeasurably helpful.

 

[Higgins666]

Personally I'd use a Blackstar pedal, not only because I'm abit of a fan boy (currently trying to convince them that making bass amps is a good idea), but also because they're great pedals & all of the one's I've tried on bass have been pretty damn good (HT-DistX = awesome, I brought it. HT-Dist = Awesome, but not quite the sound that I was looking for, HT-Dual = Great, apart from a little bit of a bass drop)

 

[JimmyM]

Once you discover that the distortion in the VT is pretty much a dead nuts match for a cranked SVT or B-15, I think you'll come around a little more to the VT. I wasn't so sure about it either until I compared the tones with the real thing.

 

[Thunderscreech]

I don't think it's true bypass, but the bypass isn't bad.

It isn't, but the Tech 21's have a very, very high quality buffer. I can't tell the difference, but I never could tell true- and buffered-bypass apart to begin with, except in the Behringer BDI21, which isn't a bad pedal, for 30 dollars.

 

[dannybuoy]

Once you discover that the distortion in the VT is pretty much a dead nuts match for a cranked SVT or B-15, I think you'll come around a little more to the VT. I wasn't so sure about it either until I compared the tones with the real thing.

What are you saying? Even if you don't like the sound of a cranked VT Bass, once you realise that the real thing sounds just as bad, you'll change your mind about it because apparently it's meant to be the holy grail of tone? I'm thinking of ditching mine, it can sound good as an overdrive, but with the character below noon, playing heavy notes on the E string sounds too flabby, it totally farts the thing out. With the character turned up past noon, it brings in too much clank which is hard to dial out.

I really like the BB also, but it's better suited to low gain overdrive rather than gnarly metal distortion, if that's what you're after, you'd be better off with the XXL, or an Ashdown Lomenzo Hyperdrive, Landmine, Digitech Hardwire Metal Distortion, maybe even the new EBS Metaldrive.

 

[JimmyM]

What are you saying? Even if you don't like the sound of a cranked VT Bass, once you realise that the real thing sounds just as bad, you'll change your mind about it because apparently it's meant to be the holy grail of tone?

Oooh! How dare you!!!

Actually, I was thinking that once you're able to hear what it's supposed to sound like cranked, you can use the VT to match it.

 

[fishsticks]

sparkle drive yo!
tube screamer with a clean blend and i'm pretty sure its true bypass.
the distortion will tone suck, but dial in some clean and poof your bass is back and the grind is on!

 

[geezerharris]

i would suggest you get a bass big muff pi. it has true bypass and is one hell of a pedal. awesome tone and its pretty diverse