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The way huge pork loin or perhaps a danelectro cool cat transparent overdrive(if it's still in production) would be suitable for your needs. if you want to try something different, check out the joyo orange juice or the golden face.
Above your,price range, but the Darkglass Vintage Microtubes fits your other criteria very well. Darkglass Vintage Microtubes REVIEW | bass-pedals.com
Check these threads...
In this one, I just posted (today) a couple of links of some bass covers demonstrating the Blueberry Bass OD. I'm playing a Mike Lull P4 with flat wound strings. I don't dig in in the clip, so you don't get to here the OD that's there, but I promise you that you can get it. You wouldn't necessarily know there was an effect on it until you listen to the dry track. I've got the gain all the way down on the OD in this track. The 3BOD will do what you want.
Clean Boost or Light Overdrive Suggestions
Here's my exploration into some OD pedals sometime back (TC Electronic Spark Booster, Fairfield Barbershop, Basswitch Sonic Spark, and my fav 3BOD). All with a P-Bass also. Somewhere in this thread I think I posted links to some recordings of the different pedals with some different settings. I'm totally loving the 3BOD now and I'm almost 100% positive it'll give you what you want. You'll pretty much always need to make some tweaks to your amp settings with any pedal to dial you tone back in.
Low(er) gain, dynamic response OD pedal
In this one, I just posted (today) a couple of links of some bass covers demonstrating the Blueberry Bass OD. I'm playing a Mike Lull P4 with flat wound strings. I don't dig in in the clip, so you don't get to here the OD that's there, but I promise you that you can get it. You wouldn't necessarily know there was an effect on it until you listen to the dry track. I've got the gain all the way down on the OD in this track. The 3BOD will do what you want.
Clean Boost or Light Overdrive Suggestions
Here's my exploration into some OD pedals sometime back (TC Electronic Spark Booster, Fairfield Barbershop, Basswitch Sonic Spark, and my fav 3BOD). All with a P-Bass also. Somewhere in this thread I think I posted links to some recordings of the different pedals with some different settings. I'm totally loving the 3BOD now and I'm almost 100% positive it'll give you what you want. You'll pretty much always need to make some tweaks to your amp settings with any pedal to dial you tone back in.
Low(er) gain, dynamic response OD pedal
Way Huge Pork Loin, the simpler Saucy Box (what I'm using lately for slight grit), or Wren and Cuff Phat Phuk B
Barbershop.
One thing I like about it is that, provided the settings are right, it does not get in the way.
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I second this, as well as saying it's consistently $80 or so used. Also, if you mod it, it's even better! Newer versions have the mod pre-done, but you may not want the mod as it brightens it slightly. Darn good pedal either way, really. Totally cured my OD GAS.
I've looked at this one, but never gotten to try one. Does it have much of a midrange bump?
This is the one based on the Holy Fire? If so, it is probably the sound I am looking for, if not the price.
I've tried the Cool Cat. I remember it being very noisy. The Joyo pedals aren't ones I've looked into - I will have to check them out.
Don't the Darkglass pedals have a pretty big mid scoop? Every clip sounds great, but they sound bedroom great and metal great - I just don't like the mid scoop I seem to hear. Past that, though, I can understand by listening why so many people love these.
Mod? Tell me more...
It's a single cap swap, so very easy to do. Basically brightens the OD slightly, but not excessively. Some people thought the original tone was a bit too dark, so you may like it stock, but even modded, it can get identical tones to the unmodded ones. Like I said before, the newer Pork Loins incorporate the mod stock, so you may not ever need to do it if you like the tone already or if it's already there.
JohnK figured out the mod, and he started a thread about it. I have a pic of the exact mod and location on the board, but it's not on this device.
Anyway, really simple, and turns a great overdrive into the best OD I've ever played. And affordable, too!
Darkglass has a very baked in tone, not at all what you're post is describing what you're looking for.
I'd recommend:
-Fairfield Barbershop. Grab one used. If you end up not liking it just flip it. It'll do everything you're looking for.
-Creation Audio Grizzly. Same deal, although I find it a little darker through my rig.
-Bearfoot Blueberry Bass OD. Maybe slightly more colored than the Barbershop but still pretty transparent. It's got a little more gain on tap and sounds magnificent with a P bass.
I'm kinda surprised your Cusack isn't working for you. Mine has no low end loss and sounds fairly similar to the Barbershop.
Darkglass pedals are definitely not transparent, which is one of the criteria.
Ignore one, and the rest is moot.
Moog mf-drive (tone/tweak-monster)
Rodenberg 808b (transparent and can get close to the carl martin drive)
Mesa Boogie flux drive (shines with bass at full and gain set low. Slight boost in the hi-mids, but in a good way)
I tried out a bunch of drives a while ago and for example found the mxr bass drive nice but a one trick pony
Rodenberg 808b (transparent and can get close to the carl martin drive)
Mesa Boogie flux drive (shines with bass at full and gain set low. Slight boost in the hi-mids, but in a good way)
I tried out a bunch of drives a while ago and for example found the mxr bass drive nice but a one trick pony
A few voiced, non-transparent suggestions here.
As the OP questioned a few threads up, the Darkglass pedals are voiced; the B3K (mid scoop) and VMT (mid bump). However, the clean blend can help with how much of that quality gets imparted on the blended output.
The Pork Loin is also voiced, including the clean blend which blends a voiced clean tone, not a version of the dry tone. Though, my experience with the Pork Loin pedal isn't with the mod discussed, above.
BBBOD has a mid bump and darkening quality. No blend option.
These are aren't bad pedals, but they are noticeably colored. I've owned and played each of them.
There are a few suggestions here which I've not tried, but heard good things about, regarding "transparency." Grizzly gets lots of love. Barbershop does too (though some have noted a kazoo-like quality to the overdrive as it gets pushed harder). The Azure Drive is a modified BlueBerry, and reportedly a bit clearer than the original, but it's not at the budget requested.
Good suggestions above are to try ones which flip regularly at consistent prices and snag a used one. Also, try to find a clean blend feature. Also, consider how transparent you need to be. There are some lovely voiced pedals out there.
As the OP questioned a few threads up, the Darkglass pedals are voiced; the B3K (mid scoop) and VMT (mid bump). However, the clean blend can help with how much of that quality gets imparted on the blended output.
The Pork Loin is also voiced, including the clean blend which blends a voiced clean tone, not a version of the dry tone. Though, my experience with the Pork Loin pedal isn't with the mod discussed, above.
BBBOD has a mid bump and darkening quality. No blend option.
These are aren't bad pedals, but they are noticeably colored. I've owned and played each of them.
There are a few suggestions here which I've not tried, but heard good things about, regarding "transparency." Grizzly gets lots of love. Barbershop does too (though some have noted a kazoo-like quality to the overdrive as it gets pushed harder). The Azure Drive is a modified BlueBerry, and reportedly a bit clearer than the original, but it's not at the budget requested.
Good suggestions above are to try ones which flip regularly at consistent prices and snag a used one. Also, try to find a clean blend feature. Also, consider how transparent you need to be. There are some lovely voiced pedals out there.
