new zvex basstortion

[christoph h.]

I was less impressed by a couple of things. The distortion pot was noisy on the specific pedal I tested. It does not affect playing but unless it's part of the design, it is sloppy. Where is the quality control?

If it's like my ZVEX Distortron, the knob noise is part of the design.
It even says so on the pedal. "Crackle Okay".

The Rusty Box is like that, too, IIRC.

 

[judas jedermann]

IMO Basstortion is good overdrive on its own but it sounds much better when stacked with Cream Pie Deluxe. P-Bass-> Basstortion-> CPD -> tube amp

 

[tombowlus]

Here's a Link Removed from Bass Gear Magazine issue #11. I loved this pedal and ended up buying it.

 

[dcarwin]

I'd like to see a side-by-side vs the Catalinbread SFT.

 

[Laurent]

I have to add to my first notes and review.

This pedal is more interesting that I first assumed. In fact it has a dr jekyll mr hyde personality. Looking at the gain structure of this pedal the second 50% (higher gain) sounds like a classic tube screamer. I a/b it against my Hematoma and both pedals sounded very close. The most interesting part of this pedal resides in the first half of the gain structure. It is capable of some low gain overdrive that most tube screamer cant' quite achieve. It ads some gorgeous harmonic content while keeping the distortion to a realistic tube low overdrive type tone. I tried to duplicate this with the Hematoma and I sort of got there by turning the overdrive to a minimum and by further starving the pedal by using the boost and turning it way down.

I have to A/B the Basstortion against the EBS Multidrive which has been by current go-to for mild overdrive. I am impressed by the Basstortion ability to do realistic tube mild overdrive as well as hotter distortion. Tone control is very effective and I found myself cutting bass more than adding bass, a rare feat on a distortion pedal. The pedal is expensive but it's kind of unique sounding.

 

[tombowlus]

I have to add to my first notes and review.

This pedal is more interesting that I first assumed. In fact it has a dr jekyll mr hyde personality. Looking at the gain structure of this pedal the second 50% (higher gain) sounds like a classic tube screamer. I a/b it against my Hematoma and both pedals sounded very close. The most interesting part of this pedal resides in the first half of the gain structure. It is capable of some low gain overdrive that most tube screamer cant' quite achieve. It ads some gorgeous harmonic content while keeping the distortion to a realistic tube low overdrive type tone. I tried to duplicate this with the Hematoma and I sort of got there by turning the overdrive to a minimum and by further starving the pedal by using the boost and turning it way down.

I have to A/B the Basstortion against the EBS Multidrive which has been by current go-to for mild overdrive. I am impressed by the Basstortion ability to do realistic tube mild overdrive as well as hotter distortion. Tone control is very effective and I found myself cutting bass more than adding bass, a rare feat on a distortion pedal. The pedal is expensive but it's kind of unique sounding.

+1 Well said, Laurent! There's more to this pedal than you'd expect from such a simple control layout. It is also much more touch sensitive than I had expected.

 

[judas jedermann]

I am impressed by the Basstortion ability to do realistic tube mild overdrive as well as hotter distortion. Tone control is very effective and I found myself cutting bass more than adding bass, a rare feat on a distortion pedal. The pedal is expensive but it's kind of unique sounding.

+ 1 I´ve been using Basstortion now for 6 months. I really like it. It responses very well to dynamics so I can use it as always on pedal.

 

[father of fires]

I just picked up a Box of Rock. Would it be worth exchanging for the Basstortion? No one around here carries the Basstortion in stock so I'd have to order it.

I like the Box of Rock as is. I just wonder how different the basstortion actually is.

Thoughts?

 

[bassboysam]

I just picked up a Box of Rock. Would it be worth exchanging for the Basstortion? No one around here carries the Basstortion in stock so I'd have to order it.

I like the Box of Rock as is. I just wonder how different the basstortion actually is.



Thoughts?

I really hated the basstortion. I just found it too muddy and farty. I've also tried the BOR and I liked it a lot more. Much more natural sounding.

The basstortion sounded so bad that I sometimes wonder if something was wrong with the one I tried.

 

[johnk_10]

I just picked up a Box of Rock. Would it be worth exchanging for the Basstortion? No one around here carries the Basstortion in stock so I'd have to order it.

I like the Box of Rock as is. I just wonder how different the basstortion actually is.

Thoughts?

I haven't tried a basstortion, but I do like the box of rock. they are two completely different types of circuits. AFAIK, the basstortion is much closer to the Distortron circuit than the BOR.

 

[ampegfuzz]

I really hated the basstortion. I just found it too muddy and farty. I've also tried the BOR and I liked it a lot more. Much more natural sounding.

The basstortion sounded so bad that I sometimes wonder if something was wrong with the one I tried.

Nope it just sucks. A friend of mine does reviews for a big name guitar magazine and got one to review. I hated it. Can't remember why specifically but it was very lack luster. Much love for a bunch of their other stuff. Still own and love my wooly mammoth.

 

[father of fires]

I haven't tried a basstortion, but I do like the box of rock. they are two completely different types of circuits. AFAIK, the basstortion is much closer to the Distortron circuit than the BOR.

I had also heard that it was closer to the Distortron which I tried to like (because it was cheaper and had more options) but the eq was not very functional for me. The BOR had a better EQ range.

If I don't end up keeping it I could try and build my own MOSFET overdrive but I'm just climbing out of the DIY fuzz rabbit hole. I don't have the time or energy for an overdrive one.

 

[father of fires]

I should also mention that I have only played it with a small Ampeg combo or my BDI with headphones.

Hopefully it'll still sound good with my clean-ish amp turned up loud. But so far nothing has passed the test. I always need to use a couple of pedals to get a usable tone for me.

I'm starting to think the "one" isn't out there for me.

 

[ampegfuzz]

They say that it's based on the Distortion but didn't have one to compare. We put that basstortion thru multiple cabs and amps. Genz 9.0, '70 ampeg SVT, and a B15n. Didn't fair well in any of them with multiple basses (ric , P, and Jazz) I don't think it captures the "overdriven tube amp" vibe. Cranking my V4b was tube amp drive. I've yet to hear a pedal that can comp a driven tube amp other then dialing in my Fuzzrocious Rat Tail. Still my favorite dirt box of all time. IMO the pedal doesn't have enough drive to be considered a distortion and a too flabby for a OD.

Edit: FOF, you should try to find A '91 big box rat and mod the caps.

 

[father of fires]

Was this review you did ever put online?

 

[ampegfuzz]

I didn't do the review, I just gave some insight and opinion is all. He liked it better then I did.

http://www.premierguitar.com/articles/Z-Vex_Basstortion_Pedal_Review

 

[Sipuri]

I own the BOR since 2 years (DIY-Version), incredibly cheap pedal. I compared to a lot of other OD pedals, but sticked to the BOR, in terms of dynamic response to the playing and mild overdrive possibilies/natural OD sounds.

Since the BOR is a clone of the Z.VEX ROB, I wondered if the Basstortion was the pedal I dreamed of and if it would beat the BOR (even it is VERY expensive here ein Germany). When I compared both pedals with mild ODs (up to 50% OD setting, bright switched, medium output of my Fender 5-string), I found very small differences in the sound. While the Basstortion seemed to respond a very little more dynamically on my playing style and has very little more natural compression, the BOR sounded slightly more "open" which should cut better thru the mix. To my very surprise I can not state that the basstortion has done a better job in the lower frequencies (that was what i expected). I would say that these differences do not play any practical role on a live stage.

I even would say that the BOR switched behind my EBS Multicomp (in Tubesim mode) does a considerably better job than the basstortion (alone). This does not say the basstortion is not a good pedal. It actually is one of the best (non-tube) OD pedals I ever tried, at least switched in bright mode.

I even would definitely prefer the basstortion over the EBS Valvedrive, because it is smaller, cheaper and - in my eyes - does an excellent good job, a better one in terms of dynamic respond to the playing style.

If you own a BOR, keep it, also for the sake of it's very good separate a booster stage. You do not need the Basstortion. If you own a EBS MC + BOR, you can't beat that. EBS + Basstortion however makes not much sence.

If you do not have a EBS MC and you consider to have a very tiny board you should give a try to the basstortion. You can leave it on always, you do not need a compressor, it does it all in one. I would recommend it as a weapon of choice if you just want ONE pedal only (the battery lasts 250 hrs) or need a very small setup to take with you to your practise room. It fits in any bass bag.

Do I keep it? I still do not now. Maybe for small gigs on small stages when I find a "cute" small setup more appropriate: Bass, Basstortion, Combo.

My current (basic) pedal board:
KORG Pitchblack --> EBS Multicomp --> BOR --> Yamaha NE-01 (customized PEQ, but as a pedal version w/ switchable Q-curve and merge function) --> Eden Amp

 

[father of fires]

Thanks for the post.

I'm actually having trouble with the BOR at gig volume.

The overdrive is not as sweet at high volume. I have a ton of experimenting to do.

 

[Sipuri]

I own the BOR since 2 years (DIY-Version), incredibly cheap pedal. I compared to a lot of other OD pedals, but sticked to the BOR, in terms of dynamic response to the playing and mild overdrive possibilies/natural OD sounds.

Since the BOR is a clone of the Z.VEX ROB, I wondered if the Basstortion was the pedal I dreamed of and if it would beat the BOR (even it is VERY expensive here ein Germany). When I compared both pedals with mild ODs (up to 50% OD setting, bright switched, medium output of my Fender 5-string), I found very small differences in the sound. While the Basstortion seemed to respond a very little more dynamically on my playing style and has very little more natural compression, the BOR sounded slightly more "open" which should cut better thru the mix. To my very surprise I can not state that the basstortion has done a better job in the lower frequencies (that was what i expected). I would say that these differences do not play any practical role on a live stage.

I even would say that the BOR switched behind my EBS Multicomp (in Tubesim mode) does a considerably better job than the basstortion (alone). This does not say the basstortion is not a good pedal. It actually is one of the best (non-tube) OD pedals I ever tried, at least switched in bright mode.

I even would definitely prefer the basstortion over the EBS Valvedrive, because it is smaller, cheaper and - in my eyes - does an excellent good job, a better one in terms of dynamic respond to the playing style.

If you own a BOR, keep it, also for the sake of it's very good separate a booster stage. You do not need the Basstortion. If you own a EBS MC + BOR, you can't beat that. EBS + Basstortion however makes not much sence.

If you do not have a EBS MC and you consider to have a very tiny board you should give a try to the basstortion. You can leave it on always, you do not need a compressor, it does it all in one. I would recommend it as a weapon of choice if you just want ONE pedal only (the battery lasts 250 hrs) or need a very small setup to take with you to your practise room. It fits in any bass bag.

Do I keep it? I still do not now. Maybe for small gigs on small stages when I find a "cute" small setup more appropriate: Bass, Basstortion, Combo.

My current (basic) pedal board:
KORG Pitchblack --> EBS Multicomp --> BOR --> Yamaha NE-01 (customized PEQ, but as a pedal version w/ switchable Q-curve and merge function) --> Eden Amp

I do not keep the Basstortion. Tested and tested again, with different basses, but I like the BOR more. But I have to place it not behind the EBS Multicomp but the BOR signal has to go into the EBS. Then the BOR plays as dynamically as the ZVEX does and sounds also very good. And provides a clean boost which is nice and somehow sparkling over the mids.

 

[Dash Lashes]

zombie bump lol... but anyone using a basstortion (with any success) lately?