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MXR Bass Blowtorch: Anyone Tried One?

#81
tplyons said:
Sounds good... It really does. Kind of a Cliff Burton vibe. Like how it retains the low end. May see one on my pedalboard one day.
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It can can get much thicker than that.I've spent some time with at NAMM,the studio and at a couple of rehearsals and it is definately a keeper.like I've mentioned before,for me just about every other Bass distortion that I've tryed either it would lose it's bottom or just become to brittle therefore not allowing any tembre(with the original tone of the Bass)and this pedal sustains forever if you want it to(it never breaks up).
 
#82
First off, thanks to you guys for posting the sound clips. Now I really can have a grasp on what this thing sounds like. I agree that the clips sound very much like what I remember Cliff Burton's tone sounding like.

One question...those clips, to my ears, sound like they retain the low end very well. The overdrive tone though, to me, sounds more like a fuzz. With manipulation of the controls, have you been able to get more of a "dirty" tone? I hate to say it, but...more of a Cummerford/RATM similar tone?

Disclaimer: Only reason I use that as a basis for what I'm talking about is that's the best tone I can compare what I'm thinking about in my head.:hiding:
 
#83
Razor said:
One question...those clips, to my ears, sound like they retain the low end very well. The overdrive tone though, to me, sounds more like a fuzz. With manipulation of the controls, have you been able to get more of a "dirty" tone? I hate to say it, but...more of a Cummerford/RATM similar tone?

Disclaimer: Only reason I use that as a basis for what I'm talking about is that's the best tone I can compare what I'm thinking about in my head.:hiding:
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If the sound bites sound are not dirty enough for some,it's because first I'm a studio bassist and I was interested in how clean the pedal signal can be and still mantain some suttle aspects of my Bass not droping out and
again I like the bottom to stay in my fuzz,distortion,overdrive and this pedals delivers,if it didn't give me that I wouldn't use it and as far as a TimC tone believe me it's in this box.the warmest aspect of this pedal in conjuction with the EQ and blend and gain starts at the Mid shift option set at 250hz from there the Mid shift gets slightly more edgy at 750hz and if you want the sound of killer African Bees attacking your little brother/sister just kick in the Mid shift to 25hz and all hell breaks loose.If one is interested in checking out this pedal,the best thing to do is to spend more that 5 or ten minutes with it in a noisy guitar strore and lodgicaly this pedal is not for every one.The guitar player in my Trio/Quartet gives it two thumbs up(and we all know how guitar players can be about a bassist with their very own distortion pedal:))
 
#90
Yeah thanks for the sound samples, I'm another person who you've saved some cash for, massively surprised at how it sounds its just a fuzz and not a great one at that IMHO. Though similar to the Wooly Mammoth blended with its original signal.

Thanks for the clips though
 
#92
Don't let those demo's deter any of you from checking it out for yourselves(go and play one yourself)if I were to have spent time getting all the sound possibilities out of it I would still be in the studio.I heard pedals played by other bass players that were set a certain way and I didn't like them but when I tried it myself it was a different take on it.

and for the record I'm not offended at all by those who don't like the sound bites(and I know to offend is not any ones intention)
 
#93
JAUQO III-X said:
Don't let those demo's deter any of you from checking it out for yourselves(go and play one yourself)if I were to have spent time getting all the sound possibilities out of it I would still be in the studio.I heard pedals played by other bass players that were set a certain way and I didn't like them but when I tried it myself it was a different take on it.

and for the record I'm not offended at all by those who don't like the sound bites(and I know to offend is not any ones intention)
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For me, I'll def grab one to try just out of my respect for MXR's rep.

Jauqo, I agree with you in regards to playing around with it and that's what I will do. I respect your opinion on it as well as your taking the time to talk about your opinions on the unit and provide sound bites (and I am sure everyone else here feels the same).

All the online stores I have seen have said the unit will be available by early March and I haven't seen a lower price than $140 USD. If anyone finds a lower price kindly pass it along.
 
#95
Razor said:
One question...those clips, to my ears, sound like they retain the low end very well. The overdrive tone though, to me, sounds more like a fuzz. With manipulation of the controls, have you been able to get more of a "dirty" tone? I hate to say it, but...more of a Cummerford/RATM similar tone?
Click to expand...

That's exactly what I said in my review of the Blowtorch.It sounds very good but I still hear that fuzzy distortion of the M-80 in there as opposed to the overdrive of something like a Fulltone BassDrive.I suspect it will cut through very nicely in a band setting though.Very nice soundclips:bassist: Thanks Jauqo!
 
#97
Razor said:
For me, I'll def grab one to try just out of my respect for MXR's rep.
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Well, bear in mind that MXR's rep is based on products they designed literally decades ago. Their post-Dunlop products are nowhere near as great as the ones from the 70s, IMO. (But I do love those older ones.)

Jauqo, I was expecting more of a grindy, gravely distortion, one where the full range of sound got the grind. Instead (at least in those samples) it gives a fierce biting fuzz on top, and a bottom end that is more clear. Now, it sounds like that's the effect you were trying to get, so it's not unreasonable. But you can get that effect with just about any good fuzz/dist and a blend knob. What I was hoping for was something that had plenty of bass beef, but not just by sending clean signal through. Something with hobnail boots.

That said, though, I can see how it would be just right for a lot of other players!
 
#98
bongomania said:
Jauqo, I was expecting more of a grindy, gravely distortion, one where the full range of sound got the grind. Instead (at least in those samples) it gives a fierce biting fuzz on top, and a bottom end that is more clear. Now, it sounds like that's the effect you were trying to get, so it's not unreasonable. But you can get that effect with just about any good fuzz/dist and a blend knob. What I was hoping for was something that had plenty of bass beef, but not just by sending clean signal through. Something with hobnail boots.
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With all due respect,The sound that you were expecting can be obtained from the Blowtorch,I just didn't record that type of sound for the soundbites.just take to the time to give one a spin and from there I think a better assumtion can be made.
 

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