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low gain OD

#42
NightCat said:
So how do you know which Barbershop to order? There seems to be at least two different stomp box configurations. I see a few on Reverb for sale used but they look different.
Used:
Fairfield Barbershop square
Fairfield Barbershop rectangle
I think this is new:
Barbershop
For me, if the price between new and used is only $25 then I'll always buy new.

Not trying to hijack the thread but.......
Question: I own the Sansamp VT pedal. The older one without the speaker emulation button.
Would it be redundant to have a VT and the Barbershop? I use my VT on a low gain setting to help cop the Jack Casady type of OD and it works pretty well considering I have a completely differnet kind of bass. Would there be much of a difference if I switched to the Barbershop?
Click to expand...


I believe the bigger Barbershop (square one) is the older version. The smaller (rectangle) is the newer version and has an added tone switch, which is a three way switch... center is nothing (same as the older square version). Right is a slight high cut,,, left is a bigger high cut, that will give a darker sound.

I'll let someone else chime in on the 2nd part of your question, because I seemed to have a different experience with the barbershop than most.
 
#44
hennessybass said:
I'll let someone else chime in on the 2nd part of your question, because I seemed to have a different experience with the barbershop than most.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the clarification.
I am not pedal expert but I have noticed that my G&L pick-ups have a huge affect on the the behavior of pedals. I have to dial my P down to 75% and the J up about 25% to get the pedal to sound right. Any more than that and the VT starts to loose the Tubey and gets more solid state or Ratty.
Could that have been part of the problem you were having with the Barbershop? Maybe you were just hitting the pedal input too hard?
 
#45
Barbershop. Very transparent and no need for a blend knob. I held out for ages due to the size of the pedal, but when they released the new version last year I ordered straight away.

I've gone though quite a few other drive pedals. Still have a Darkglass VMT Deluxe, but don't know if it will stay much longer. It's got its own sound to it, which isn't bad but not what I'm wanting at the moment. Might be a good option (or a VT Bass DI) if you're going straight to a PA though.
 
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#46
I've spent a lot of money trying, but nothing has taken the place of my cheap as dirt Bad Monkey for a mild overdrive/dirt pedal. I also enjoy my Way Huge Green Rhino, it has a 100hz boost/cut that I find very useable, but I use it for a heavier distortion as I find the Bad Monkey sounds better at lower gain.
 
#47
NightCat said:
So how do you know which Barbershop to order? There seems to be at least two different stomp box configurations. I see a few on Reverb for sale used but they look different.
Used:
Fairfield Barbershop square
Fairfield Barbershop rectangle
I think this is new:
Barbershop
For me, if the price between new and used is only $25 then I'll always buy new.

Not trying to hijack the thread but.......
Question: I own the Sansamp VT pedal. The older one without the speaker emulation button.
Would it be redundant to have a VT and the Barbershop? I use my VT on a low gain setting to help cop the Jack Casady type of OD and it works pretty well considering I have a completely differnet kind of bass. Would there be much of a difference if I switched to the Barbershop?
Click to expand...

There are two versions, the larger original v1 and the smaller Millennium Edition.

The ME adds a toggle switch and has slightly more gain on tap. With the toggle in the middle it sounds exactly like the v1.

The VT bass is a very different animal. A lot more gain on tap and more tone shaping ability. It's got a baked in Ampeg tone.
The Barbershop is very transparent and touch sensitive.

I suppose they could both be used for a similar purpose but they're different enough to justify having both IMO (I do). I'd argue that the VT is more versatile, but the BS is my favorite pedal I own (out of probably around 75). What it does, it does extremely well and only matched/bested by a tube amp.
 
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#49
The Green Rhino was cool but ultimately it was lacking for me. It's a good affordable option if you are looking for a tube screamer sound. I had to crank the bass freq knob all the way up to get the low end back. I replaced it with my Bottle Rocket and never looked back.
 
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#50
dannybuoy said:
Try a VT Bass, or stretch a little more for a used B3K...
Click to expand...

My VT is the go to for slight breakup. It can be fairly transparent with all knobs at noon except the drive. The drive is very touch sensitive - at 7:00 it's totally clean, at 9:00 there's a very slight peach fuzz, at 11:00 there's a nice overdrive, and at 3:00 there's screaming distortion. All knob positions based upon a G&L SB-2 with the split coil wide open. The character and eq knobs can drastically change the the way the whole pedal sounds. It's easy to find one used at a good price, too.

Gotta give honorable mention to the Mesa Bottle Rocket. It's basically an all tube high gain preamp, but lower gain (5751) tubes give it a nice slight overdrive at low gain settings. One of the best pedals ever made, IMHO.

I've used a number of OD pedals, and those are the two keepers. A Fulltone BassDrive was close, but it got cut due to too much gain and killing my clarity. I'd love to try a Barbershop or a Darkglass.
 
#60
+1 for Fuzzrocious. I'm using the Darkest Driving which can do both low and high gain well, although in a band setting I really like the Sansamp Para Driver di for low gain with great mids to cut through the mix.
 

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