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Please take my poll: Best dirt box for <$200?

What's the best dirt box for adding a touch of grit that's under $200?

  • EBS MultiDrive Universal Bass Overdrive (old model, blue graphics)

    Votes: 3 11.5%

  • EBS MultiDrive Universal (new model, red graphics)

    Votes: 1 3.8%

  • Aguilar AGRO Bass Distortion

    Votes: 9 34.6%

  • Xotic Effects Bass BB Preamp Distortion/Booster

    Votes: 10 38.5%

  • Maxon Compact Series BD10 Hybrid Bass Driver

    Votes: 3 11.5%
  • Total voters
    26
#21
Thanks for everyone's suggestions -- they have spurred a lot of listening! Right now, the Grizzly is in the lead :bassist:

Does anyone have some experience to report with the Basswitch Sonic Spark? Link Removed

What about the Tech 21 VT Bass?

BTW: A bit of info about why you like a certain pedal, what you play and what you tried is really helpful! :)
 
#28
Bioflava said:
Has anyone seen this guys INSANE pedal comparison site???

Invalid Link Removed

:D:D:D:D:D
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Oh yeah. JohnK is highly regarded around these parts.

I will chime my agreement for the Pork Loin. My favorite all around OD and should work nicely in this manner. I'd stay away from Darkglass stuff that isn't in the vintage line. The Gamma Bass OD by JohnK is also great, though hard to find and may not be in the price range.

I'll say this much: I haven't tried many of these low gain dirt pedals, but that's because the Pork Loin definitively ended my search.
 
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#31
The BB Pre is very "transparent" as far as distortion pedals go. I use mine all the time for exactly what you're describing, and I never feel that it alters the basic tone in a particular way, other than to add the grit that's sometimes missing from my ultra-clean PJB rig.
 
#32
Does anyone have some experience to report with the Basswitch Sonic Spark? Link Removed

The Sonic Spark is a really well done tone enhancer that adds thickness and harmonic content but it's not dirt. It is also a really good price if you can score one under $200. It would make your D 800 sound pretty sweet but it's not what you're asking for. Your best bet is a Broughton Azure drive. If you aren't patient enough to wait for Josh's build the grizzly gets a lot of love.
 
#33
rocu said:
Any love for the Moog MF overdrive out there in TB land?
Click to expand...

No. It's an interesting pedal but I found little use for it with bass and sold it. It was quirky. If you want a new sound, then it's not a bad box. But for the OP request, I'd stay away.


Also, can the OP edit the thread title? It's driving my OCD grammar nazi side crazy that the ">$200" means greater than $200 but the question is for boxes under $200.
"<$200"
 
#34
Caveat: Transparent, touch-sensitive:
  • For versatility and natural tubey goodness: Grizzly
  • For low gain tubey goodness only: Barbershop
The Bearfoot Blueberry is not (IME) uncolored, there is definite mid-boost at all settings and it can get quite dark with the nature knob below 9-10:00. Great pedal if you don't mind that, but it wasn't for me. I don't dig the mids on the Darkglass stuff (B3K is scooped, VMT is boosted), but you can apparantly dial that stuff out in the DI versions of these...but they are definitely over your budget.
 
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#36
Bubby Brown said:
Does anyone have some experience to report with the Basswitch Sonic Spark? Link Removed

The Sonic Spark is a really well done tone enhancer that adds thickness and harmonic content but it's not dirt. It is also a really good price if you can score one under $200. It would make your D 800 sound pretty sweet but it's not what you're asking for. Your best bet is a Broughton Azure drive. If you aren't patient enough to wait for Josh's build the grizzly gets a lot of love.
Click to expand...

I see this pedal get recommended ALL THE TIME in overdrive/distortion threads praising it's awesome dirt tones. It always makes me wonder if they've used the pedal before or if mine is very broken...
 
#37
rsmith601 said:
Perhaps the most impressive pedal site of all time.
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JohnK is "the man", and that is indisputedly the distortion/overdrive site that sets the standard. But bongomania does a pretty nice site too, for compressor pedals:

Link Removed

I think it deserves a hearty "honorable mention ". I've spent hours in both sites.

On topic, I have the Agro, and don't love it. Just not the sound I "hear in my head". I'll try something from the group suggested here next.
 
#38
Bioflava said:
Thanks for everyone's suggestions -- they have spurred a lot of listening! Right now, the Grizzly is in the lead :bassist:

Does anyone have some experience to report with the Basswitch Sonic Spark? Link Removed

What about the Tech 21 VT Bass?

BTW: A bit of info about why you like a certain pedal, what you play and what you tried is really helpful! :)
Click to expand...

My search for a "touch of grit" ended when I got the Creation Audio Grizzly Bass, however the Basswitch Sonic Spark was very high on my list.

Ed Friedland demos for each of the above:



 
#39
Hey TBrs -- first off thank you to everyone who has contributed to this thread! I have learned a ton by chasing down the various suggestions although when I looked up yesterday from my "research" I noticed that Sunday was gone :help:

I'm going to spend a few more hours on this, share my notes and order something (TBD).

@Crazy Otto : Well said; our ears are hearing similar things.
@Fuzzbass : Thanks for those, they are very helpful.
@monsterthompson : good catch on the typo, I fixed it!
 
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