• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

low gain OD

#101
I LOVE Dirt, OD, Distortion, Fuzz Pedals....I currently own about 100+

I can tell you that IMO the best low gain "dirt / grind" pedal I have come across is the Way Huge Pork Loin. The new Boss BB-1X does a great job as well. I have also used the EBS Mutlidrive.

I run 3 OD/Dist/Fuzz pedals in line....The first is my "Hair" pedal which just adds a little bit of girth and warm breakup. I'm currently using the Way Huge Pork Loin for that. The second is a full OD that I keep set pretty warm and I'm currently using an EBS Multidrive for that. The 3rd is a Gritty Fuzz which I am currently using the EBS FuzzMo for.

IMO the MXR M-89 OD is a cool pedal but a little harsh. The M-80 does a much better job but it also cannot be used without activating the active EQ which I am not fond of. The Boss BB-1X is a great warm OD with a wide range of gain. There are other pedals in higher price ranges that do VERY well (Red Witch Factotum KILLS! Darkglass Microtubes is GREAT as well)
 
#103
BaltBass5 said:
I LOVE Dirt, OD, Distortion, Fuzz Pedals....I currently own about 100+

I can tell you that IMO the best low gain "dirt / grind" pedal I have come across is the Way Huge Pork Loin. The new Boss BB-1X does a great job as well. I have also used the EBS Mutlidrive.

I run 3 OD/Dist/Fuzz pedals in line....The first is my "Hair" pedal which just adds a little bit of girth and warm breakup. I'm currently using the Way Huge Pork Loin for that. The second is a full OD that I keep set pretty warm and I'm currently using an EBS Multidrive for that. The 3rd is a Gritty Fuzz which I am currently using the EBS FuzzMo for.

IMO the MXR M-89 OD is a cool pedal but a little harsh. The M-80 does a much better job but it also cannot be used without activating the active EQ which I am not fond of. The Boss BB-1X is a great warm OD with a wide range of gain. There are other pedals in higher price ranges that do VERY well (Red Witch Factotum KILLS! Darkglass Microtubes is GREAT as well)
Click to expand...

I didn't care much for the Pork Loin, but hey...each to his own! For me, I found it too dark and muddy. JohnK shows how to do a cap swap out which seems to help a lot, making it clearer for bass.
I quite like the MXR M-89, it's ok. But it's hard to get it truly transparent. It's got some built in EQ, which can't be fully dialed out. Which is fine if that sound works for you. For me it just irritated me. The clean knob is a bit confusing. With a title like that, I'd expect it to be an active blend. It's not and is far less useful, it's the EQ sound which can't be fully dialed out. There are other better Bass overdrives out there. Like a Black Sheep Outlaw Bass Overdrive for instance. Same form factor and about the same cost. But it's far more versatile and offers a lot more for your money. It has an buffered blend and tone control which is really well tuned for bass. It can do every thing from light and just breaking up, right through to wild fuzz.

I built a copy of the Timmy Overdrive and it's a really nice on bass even though it's a guitar unit. The bass cut control is fairly pointless, no one is going to want to roll off bass. But the treble cut can be nice for emulating a vintage drive sound. But, it's one of the best sounding OD's I've found so far. Very dynamic, very versatile and very transparent. I use it in front of my Vero build Barbershop Overdrive, which is a very light OD. It's certainly the clearest and the most transparent sounding OD I've tried so far. Some of my basses have a trouble driving it enough to break up much because it's a very light OD. So I use the Timmy as a clean boost or sometimes with a little hair to push the Barbershop into some harder grit. It does it well and I'm getting the best overdrive sounds I've got so far on my bass. I'm really happy with this combo.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: BaltBass5
#104
The danelectro transparent overdrive v1 is a clone of the Timmy and sounds great on bass. The v2 is also something worth checking out.
I also found the pork loin dark and muddy. No matter how I set the controls (internal and external) I got lost in the mix. These days for light od I'm using the hardwire cm2, ehx bass soul food, and the old dod bass overdrive
 
#108
I tried so hard with the Pork Loin because it's pretty close. Perhaps JohnK's mod does the trick. I'll never know. Sold mine :/

So far the Barbershop and the Big Ear Frank are my very favorite low gain drives. Beauties!
 
#111
Mojo-Man said:
I'm looking for a Fairfield Barbershop V1. The one in the bigger casing. Three knobs.
If anyone has one for sale, ring me up.
Click to expand...
+1
I, too, want the V1 Barbershop.


Amir Nehmad said:
I might be able to get a Dr Scientist The Elements for a good price, does any of you have any experience with it?
Click to expand...

What Matt Dean said.

Very versatile pedal.
 
  • Like
Reactions: blindrabbit
#112
GMC said:
If one pops a boost in front of the Barbershop...it can get into some serious fuzz territory...all with the same clarity.
Click to expand...

With any luck, I'll be getting a Barbershop to run with my Frank pedal. Though I just purchased a Brimstone XD-1 that should be here next week :)
 
#118
Man. I just spent the weekend try all kinds of pedals at different Sam ash and guitarcenter locations. But man.

My favorite and the one I ended up with is the fulltone OCD. I play with a pick and with the toggle switches down its just right. I turn the drive up to just barely be there. But it can be kicked up for when I want to drop tune and chug along with the guitarists.
 
  • Like
Reactions: hintz and adamaarts
#119
ewgrosschris said:
Man. I just spent the weekend try all kinds of pedals at different Sam ash and guitarcenter locations. But man.

My favorite and the one I ended up with is the fulltone OCD. I play with a pick and with the toggle switches down its just right. I turn the drive up to just barely be there. But it can be kicked up for when I want to drop tune and chug along with the guitarists.
Click to expand...

yeah, the OCD is an amazing pedal I use it in LP mode gain 11:00, tone 1:00 and with a jazz bass it just breaks up when I dig in and adds some nice clank that reminds me of the "ultra-hi" switch on the svt2 non pro I once had, only with the dirt I got from cranking the volume to 3:00....

yes, the OCD is that good;)
 
  • Like
Reactions: blindrabbit

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back