Overdrive/Distortion/Muff/Fuzz

[Brainfour]

Hello effects people,
I'm not accustomed to effect pedals, so that's why the title is obscure.
I play in a band covering grunge and punk. My gear is Precision on a Hartke Kickback 15 (which is subject to change on stage).
I need an effect (I'm not sure if it's overdrive or distortion etc) like Krist Novoselic sounds in Breed, and if it's possible with one pedal, Muse bassist Chris Wolstenholme.
I know this is not a new question, I read lots of forum posts here about lots of pedals (RAT, BOSS ODB3, Big Muff etc), all having positive and negative feedbacks. But my need is simple and I'm not looking something too fancy, it's not needed to be the exact same effect Krist or Chris uses, all I need is a little dirt, without totally erasing my original lovely bass tone.
PS: If you have time and if you care, you can try to explain the differences of the effects named above

Thanks in advance

 

[SunnBass]

A little dirt, with your tone intact, equals Fairfield Circuitry Barbershop.

Also, don't try too hard when chasing recorded tone, there is a lot of studio magic going on.

 

[Driven Crane]

MXR Bass Fuzz Deluxe or Darkglass B3K.

 

[SunnBass]

MXR Bass Fuzz Deluxe or Darkglass B3K.

That won't work buddy, in the original post he states: "all I need is a little dirt, without totally erasing my original lovely bass tone."

Both of those have a baked-in tone that would override his original tone.
It's not about opinions, it's about following directions.

 

[McFarlin]

Sounds like you want a fuzz with a clean blend. There are a several, or even many, great options.

 

[McFarlin]

That won't work buddy, in the original post he states: "all I need is a little dirt, without totally erasing my original lovely bass tone."

Both of those have a baked-in tone that would override his original tone.
It's not about opinions, it's about following directions.

To my recollection, Breed doesn't feature bass with any subtle/light/transparent OD (what I understand to be the Barbershop's strength). The MXR features a clean blend which is helpful and doesn't drastically alter the clean tone. I don't like the pedal, but I think it was a good suggestion.

 

[SunnBass]

I get you, but again, semantics: "all I need is a little dirt, without totally erasing my original lovely bass tone."

 

[McFarlin]

Yes, which to me is inconsistent with wanting the sounds in Breed or sounding like the fuzzy/driven bass in the few Muse tunes I have heard. Reading "not accustomed to effect pedals, so that's why the title is obscure", I think this is also a case of helping OP find the right terminology/classifications.
However, if the Barbershop can get much dirtier than I am aware of, I am not suggesting it be ruled-out as an option.

 

[bassmusic17]

Barbershop is pretty much the answer for what he asks. I also think a rat would suit his fancy. It alters the tone more but it is in a good way and it would be nice to have if you decided you wanted to get a little more hairy. You may find you want to get a little dirtier than a barbershop. If not. Then just ignore me.

 

[JohnnyWishbone]

The pedal used on "Breed" is a Proco Rat IIRC. Pretty useless on bass without a clean blend to preserve the low end, but it does sound great if you can get one built!

Idiotbox Blower Box will get you in the vicinity without the need for a clean blend mod

 

[McFarlin]

The pedal used on "Breed" is a Proco Rat IIRC. Pretty useless on bass without a clean blend to preserve the low end, but it does sound great if you can get one built!

Idiotbox Blower Box will get you in the vicinity without the need for a clean blend mod

Fuzzrocious Rat Tail?

 

[JohnnyWishbone]

Fuzzrocious Rat Tail?

Sure, that too! Haven't used one myself but I have both a modded Rat clone and a Blower Box, both of which are excellent for high-gain sounds

 

[bassmusic17]

He said he doesn't want to necessarily sound exactly the same. He just wants a touch a dirt in his clean tone. The Barbershop is probably the best suggestion for what the OP actually asked.

As far as everything in addition to that. Totally agree that a Rat is where it's at. If he actually wants to get as dirty as the examples he mentioned.

So far my favorite rat pedal is still a Fuzzrocious Rat Tail. I have tried a lot. I keep coming back to that one. Just something about the mid grind in it. Sooo good. Also he can make them with a clean blend of you like.

There are many other rats and rat based pedals out there. Go try as many as you can. What works for me may not work for you.

 

[Mosfed]

I get what @SunnBass and @bassmusic17 are saying but for the kind of music he is talking about, I think he needs more than a Barbershop. The Barbershop is very very light drive and very dynamically sensitive. In my opinion much better suited for rock, blues, r&b etc than grudge.

As far as a pretty transparent, yet can still go aggressive, OD, I would go more Blueberry. Or if you need even heavier then, yeah, a fuzz with a clean blend would be perfect.

 

[Mosfed]

Yes, which to me is inconsistent with wanting the sounds in Breed or sounding like the fuzzy/driven bass in the few Muse tunes I have heard. Reading "not accustomed to effect pedals, so that's why the title is obscure", I think this is also a case of helping OP find the right terminology/classifications.
However, if the Barbershop can get much dirtier than I am aware of, I am not suggesting it be ruled-out as an option.

It can't. It is VERY-light to Light OD at best. It has no clipping and even at the heaviest setting you can dial, you lay off the strings and you go back to your clean tone. This is its exact charm. But not appropriate at all for what the OP is asking for.

I agree with whoever said that this is as much an exercise at helping the OP find the right words for what he needs as the right overdrive.

 

[JohnnyWishbone]

He said he doesn't want to necessarily sound exactly the same. He just wants a touch a dirt in his clean tone.

Of course, I'm just going on the example given. I would obviously say that anything Rat-based is significantly more than "a little dirt".

 

[cnltb]

MXR Bass Fuzz Deluxe or Darkglass B3K.

I found the b3k to have rather unnatural sounding mids...hence altering the tone quite a bit.(maybe it was the settings, but that's what I got from it)
Very useful for some, not so much for others.

 

[blindrabbit]

TAFM. Its great low gain, medium gain, high gain too. It can be warm, it can be fuzzy. It can go a little crazy with the gate switch on. Thanks to said gate switch, its like 2 pedals in one. Clean blend helps there be no low end loss. It is reasonably priced new or used. Basically, its the perfect dirt pedal.

 

[AndreasK]

MXR Bass OD is good for heavier drives with a clean blend. Marketing made me think it was able to do a light drive, it does not. But heavy drive, it does well

A

 

[McFarlin]

TAFM. Its great low gain, medium gain, high gain too. It can be warm, it can be fuzzy. It can go a little crazy with the gate switch on. Thanks to said gate switch, its like 2 pedals in one. Clean blend helps there be no low end loss. It is reasonably priced new or used. Basically, its the perfect dirt pedal.

This was the other I was thinking of, since I read the Muse references in threads involving this pedal. I know, I know, he doesn't want the exact sounds of his listed influences, but it's another solid option.
I think the first step is learning the general cut-off points with "dirt" pedal classification and evaluating the options within those groups: "If you have time and if you care, you can try to explain the differences of the effects named above"
Good start: EFFECTS Forum Rules and FAQ -- MUST READ | TalkBass.com