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overdrive/fuzz quest part 2

#261
I have a couple questions for the overdrive experts...I was going to make a new thread but I figured I'd try here first since there so much great info about OD pedals.

As a disclaimer, I'm a noob to using pedals. I've used octave pedals in the past, and recently I've been using an MXR Bass Octave Deluxe along with the MXR Bass Envelope Filter for some synth bass sounds. I'd like to get a nice overdrive pedal. In checking out a ton of Youtube clips and listening to recordings where I know what was used, I really like the sound of the Fulltone Bass Drive (I know it's not available new, I'd get a used one) and the Xotic Bass BB. But I'm also thinking that I would want an OD pedal with a clean knob so I can blend the signals.

Is there a pedal out there with a sound in the ballpark of the Fulltone or Bass BB that also has a clean knob? The few that I've seen with that (like the MXR Bass Overdrive) have an OD tone that is a bit too harsh for me.
 
#263
johnk_10 said:
IMO, a lot of them sound great (or actually even better) without having a clean blend. I think that the sparkle drive is kinda in the ballpark of the fulldrive but it also has a blend control. (both are tubescreamer based),
Click to expand...

Thanks! Yeah, with me being a newbie to effects I'm not sure yet what types of effects I need to have a clean blend for so I guess it's just a comfort level thing for me as I'm getting into them. The Sparkle looks great - I hadn't heard of it, just did some searching...is it a pedal that has to be modded to use with a bass or is it a preference thing with so many people modding it?
 
#264
This thread looks great, but a little overwhelming right now! I'm also a newbie to effects -- I've never run ANYTHING between my bass and amp except a cable -- but I recently decided to mix it up a bit with a fuzz and an envelope filter. Got an MXR for the envelope filter (liked it more than the Pigtronix and the Aguilar pedals I tried). For the fuzz, I ended up with a Big Muff Pi Deluxe and a Swollen Pickle -- I just wanted one, but the Pickle drove the MXR better and the Muff (with blend control) sounded better on its own. Now I see that there's a whole world of effects -- a whole galaxy just of different fuzz pedals -- beyond what I can try at my local store (where the three aforementioned were purchased -- and there is something to be said for being able to sit down and try them).

Will do some reading and then come back and try to ask some intelligent questions. Need to play around with the pedals I've got some, certainly, but I haven't quite got the sound in my head yet.
 
#265
vision said:
Thanks! Yeah, with me being a newbie to effects I'm not sure yet what types of effects I need to have a clean blend for so I guess it's just a comfort level thing for me as I'm getting into them. The Sparkle looks great - I hadn't heard of it, just did some searching...is it a pedal that has to be modded to use with a bass or is it a preference thing with so many people modding it?
Click to expand...

IMO, the sparkle drive doesn't need any mods for use with a bass.
 
#267
johnk_10 said:
IMO, the sparkle drive doesn't need any mods for use with a bass.
Click to expand...

Johnk_10. I sure wish i had known you before I sold 30 or 40 different guitar pedals. I never realized that some of them could be used with bass too. I sold my Keeley modded sparkle drive because my Keeley modded ts 808 sounded better to my ear through my strat. I still have several Keeley modded guitar pedals. I also bought a MK 12 from Sean @ lovepedal and a few others as well. The mk12 is the absolute best fuzz I have ever played with my guitars. It totally nails the tone on Zepplin I &2. However I plugged it up with my bass rig and it sounded horrible. Total schizz :hmm: I was really hoping it would pull double duty because I absolutely love it with my single coils and buckers on guitar and it wasn't cheap.
So, I have an Svt 7pro and want to get it closer to that ampeg tube tone for my classic rock cover band. From what I can gather from your page Sir( wow what a wealth of information there). Love it.... i either need a barber gain changer, wampler euphoria, catalinbread sft or a fairfield barbersop. The bjfe is out of my price range. I didn't mean to highjack your thread but I really wanted the best man for the job, so to speak..Thank you Sir!! I would really appreciate it if you could hook me up . Cheers..
 
#268
IMO, the barbershop nails the cranked SVT at the edge of breakup (and beyond) as good or better than any pedal I've ever played thru. a lot of pedals that sound great on guitar just don't cut it with a bass, but they often work really well the other way around (i.e, bass OD's used with a guitar).

for example, a good friend of mine that's an excellent blues guitarist had me build him a couple of pedals (I built him a Timmy, and a Crunchbox (modded for bass). he tried the stock Crunchbox first, but actually preferred the bass modded one.
 
#269
johnk_10 said:
IMO, the barbershop nails the cranked SVT at the edge of breakup (and beyond) as good or better than any pedal I've ever played thru. a lot of pedals that sound great on guitar just don't cut it with a bass, but they often work really well the other way around (i.e, bass OD's used with a guitar).

for example, a good friend of mine that's an excellent blues guitarist had me build him a couple of pedals (I built him a Timmy, and a Crunchbox (modded for bass). he tried the stock Crunchbox first, but actually preferred the bass modded one.
Click to expand...

IMHO, you are one of the most respected techs here on TB. I would love it if you could find the time to build me one of your custom barbershops. I saw one with a smaller footprint on your site. Unfortunately, when I went to pull the trigger, it was already sold. What a great looking pedal, btw, the sound was amazing. My 73 Rickenbacker w/DR LEGEND Flats & SVT 7pro would be a match made in heaven with your take on the barbershop and say a Greenboy Dually Basic. :hyper:
I know you are a very busy man but I would really appeciate it if you could find the time for me. I am new here on TB but I have 12 years & 100% positive feedback (328) on eBay under (fretlessbaby). I would love your help. Thank you for listening. Have a wonderful independence Day! Hope to do business with you in the near future. Cheers....:bassist:
 
#272
here's another really good sounding OD/distortion pedal for bass. it's a Bogner Ecstasy simulator that I modified for bass.

B1-01.jpg


B1-02.jpg
 
#274
I just got the Fairfield Circuitry Barbershop 2 days ago. It is excellent. As soon as I plugged it in, my guitarist said "Wow. That still sounds like your bass".
Thank you John. Your posts on Talkbass put me over the top to get one. Awesome.

johnk_10 said:
IMO, the barbershop nails the cranked SVT at the edge of breakup (and beyond) as good or better than any pedal I've ever played thru. a lot of pedals that sound great on guitar just don't cut it with a bass, but they often work really well the other way around (i.e, bass OD's used with a guitar).

for example, a good friend of mine that's an excellent blues guitarist had me build him a couple of pedals (I built him a Timmy, and a Crunchbox (modded for bass). he tried the stock Crunchbox first, but actually preferred the bass modded one.
Click to expand...
 
#277
insomniac2295 said:
A couple questions-
First, when you mod a pedal for bass, do you typically just bump up the input & coupling caps?
Click to expand...

on some I do that, but not most of them.

insomniac2295 said:
Second, what do you think your top 5 would be at this point? You seem to have a lot of love for the Klon. Just curious
Click to expand...

it's impossible to say after building about 150 of them and owning 35 factory made ones, but I do love the Klon (when modded for bass), the Fairfield Barbershop, the Wampler Ecstasy/Euphoria, the ROG Ginger & Flipster, and all of Roger Mayer's, Bjorn's (BJFE) and Dave Barber's pedals.
 
#279
I built and completed couple more pedals.
first, the Seymour Duncan Tweak Fuzz. I modded mine ('tweaked it more ;)) so it has more output, a tone control and smoother fuzz with more low end. it sounds pretty darn good now for basically being a silicon fuzz face.

SDTF-01.jpg




the other one was a diversion from buuilding dirt pedals. I already own a Boss OC-3 but I wanted an OC-2 only with a single octave down (I don't need the two octave down mode with a bass), so I built my own. it was a large circuit that just barely fit into a 1590B. it sounds really good!

OC-1-01-00.jpg



OC-1-02.jpg
 
#280
I've been meaning to ask you about Octave pedals as it is another fave of mine.
Right now I use a EH Micro POG because I like an octave up as well as down and I like being able to blend the dry signal. I only wish the octave up wasn't quite as "synthy" sounding and that I could split it to a seperate output or loop so that I could effect just that signal.
 

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