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overdrives for guitar dont work for bass?

J

JaneBass1

Jul 23, 2008
69
0
#1
I wanted to add some overdrive to my bass and of the band members gave me an OD for a guitar

When I connected it, yikes what a feedback i almost go deaf.

The volume knob was only at 12 o clock, I had to turn left almost all the way off.

Then I was fine, but when I was playing I lost a whole bunch of volume in my bass. So I just unplugged it and put it aside.

So my question is overdrives for guitar are made only for guitar? Do you have to buy OD specifically for bass?
 
#2
You probably had the gain and tone knobs up WAY too high. Start with everything at noon and work from there.

Guitar-centric overdrives technically work fine on bass, but a lot of them cut out the low-end that is so essential to us. If you're just playing an upper-register solo, that's fine, but if you plan on using overdrive as the texture for a regular groove or an entire song, you need to find something that doesn't cut out the bottom end (either through voicing or clean blending).
 
#5
JaneBass1 said:
So my question is overdrives for guitar are made only for guitar? Do you have to buy OD specifically for bass?
Click to expand...

Technically, no. Any pedal will work on either guitar or bass. But most guitar overdrive pedals don't work well on bass, usually because they cut low end.

Most other pedals (chorus, delay, phaser, flanger, etc.) work fine on both instruments. But when it comes to overdrive, distortion, and fuzz, you have to be picky. Beyond the ones designed for bass, there aren't a lot that work well on both.

IME, it's less of a problem with fuzz, and more of a problem with overdrive and distortion pedals.
 
#7
The real trick to ODing a bass is to split your signal into clean and OD paths. Let your clean side keep the bottom and chop the low end off the OD side BEFORE you get to whatever you're using for OD. Low frequencies turn to shite when they're OD'd.

Sheehan's been teaching this for years. His Ampeg SVP-BSP preamp does all that for you in one rack space. I HIGHLY recommend that unit for bassists who OD.
 
#8
TimWilson said:
The real trick to ODing a bass is to split your signal into clean and OD paths.
Click to expand...

I would argue that this isn't necessarily the "best." I think it's a subjective matter, because I've used enough OD pedals and amps to come to the opinion that the clean/dirt mix isn't necessarily better, but different. It also has some versatility advantages in some circumstances.

However, I do agree that it's an excellent option regardless, and it would even let you make full use of OD pedals that cut low end.
 
#10
MysticBoo said:
IME, it's less of a problem with fuzz, and more of a problem with overdrive and distortion pedals.
Click to expand...

My experience too.

Take the latest BOSS fuzz FZ-5. I find it even shines more on bass then on my guitar.

On guitar the FZ-5 is great for some solo stuff, but too dull on chords. On bass it is good overall. Depending on setting off course.

I think it also has to do with what is generally accepted by the bassist & guitarist community.

It seems to me hard overdrive is used more by guitarists and mild overdrive is more preferred by bassists.

IMO very heavy distortion works well either way, bass or guitar, it's unisex.
Although the use of heavy distortion on bass is more frowned upon by musician, even by some bassists.
 
#13
Another way around it is to biamp.

I use a Peavey BAC-2 chorus pedal to split my signal into high and low frequencies, then use a guitar OD (usually Digitech Bad Monkey) on the highs only. Then the 2 signals go back into a mixer before the amp. Not what most people do, but best of both worlds IMO.

Steve
 

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