Post Your Pedalboard: Part 10, X Rated!

[dream_bass]

I just got a new EBS MultiComp from The Perfect Bass the other day. (For the record, I tried ordering an "in stock" MultiComp from a popular large online retailer. After not seeing anything for a week I called the 1-800 and was told "Oh, that's on backorder...." I cancelled that order & called Brandt @ TPB. Great service and better pricing with the TB discount!!!)

Apparently, the new EBS Multicomp is now true bypass. I'm no electronics engineer, but I've observed that:
a) the bypass works far better than my buffered Octabass (no slight "delay" when switching)
b) pedal still passes signal in bypass even without power (not definitive evidence, but helpful)
c) the footswitch itself has 12 lugs (2 parallel rows of 6) and it looks like the circuit board traces do connect directly from the input jack to switch to output jack

The active/passive switch has also been changed:

I have been reading & re-reading compressor reviews for months (especially Bongomania's great reviews) trying to decide on a compressor. I had tried an Emma T-Morg but it was way too noisy for serious studio work. I am really happy with the MultiComp, however. It's dead-silent even with the compression cranked! I like having multiple modes - The Multi-Band setting works great for slap-pop work & by switching over to Tube-Sim I get a nice, fat sound perfect for chording - double stop maneuvers. What a great pedal! The internal high and low freq threshold trim pots are great for fine-tuning the Multi-Band mode. (I like a bit more compression on the treble than on the bass frequencies...)

Anyhow, I haven't been using my chorus very much, so I've relegated it to "auxiliary" status. I keep it in the bag if I need it, along with some other less-often used effects.

I added the compressor & put my old ODB-3 back on as well. I know everyone hates the ODB-3, but I actually get some use out of it. Running the Fulltone Bass-Drive (mildly overdriven) into the ODB-3 sounds amazing! (It really does, I swear! )

Here's the latest incarnation:

And with my favorite 2 "Auxiliary" pedals connected to my outboard TB loop:

Main board flow is:
Bass>Birdsong B-Box (not pictured & generally only used in the studio)>Barge GLZ-1 (Variable Buffer)>Xotic RC Booster(for quick level & eq changes)>EBS Valve Drive(my "holy grail" of tone)>Loop Master strip:
tuner out>Boss TU-15
mater bypass (to engage multiple loops simultaneously)
loop 1>older EBS Octabass
loop 2>EBS MultiComp
loop 3>Fulltone Bass-Drive Mosfet>Boss ODB-3
loop 4>HAZ Mu-Tron III+
loop 4> external loop with one or more: Moog BassMURF, Fulltone Choralflange, BOSS SYB-3 synth, BOSS DD-3 delay, Stamps Drive-O-Matic, Mesa V-Twin, SansAmp BDDI, Frantone Thunderhead, or whatever I can beg borrow & steal that day...

very nice setup,I also have the ebs valve drive and I love it
plz cant you tell me is the ebs multi comp its made in sweden ? after all I read around here it seems its the best comp around....but no one tells if its made in sweden
cheers

 

[mikkejohansson]

All the EBS pedals are apparently made in-house in Stockholm, Sweden...

 

[scotch]

very nice setup,I also have the ebs valve drive and I love it
plz cant you tell me is the ebs multi comp its made in sweden ? after all I read around here it seems its the best comp around....but no one tells if its made in sweden
cheers

Sweden it is!

I'm not sure if it's fair to say the the MultiComp is the best, but it surely is near the top. For a plug & play pedal, the EBS certainly delivers great sound quality & an impressive degree of versatility for only having 2 knobs.

I think the MultiComp was the best choice for my personal needs, but the Demeter Compulator is also great. It's a popular pick with many of the touring pros out of Nashville.


I really love the Valve Drive pedal as well. It is, without a doubt, my "desert island" pedal. I never leave home without it.

 

[dream_bass]

All the EBS pedals are apparently made in-house in Stockholm, Sweden...

ahhh,wouldnt be great ? my ebs valvedrive its made in china....so thats why I asked

 

[dream_bass]

Sweden it is!

I'm not sure if it's fair to say the the MultiComp is the best, but it surely is near the top. For a plug & play pedal, the EBS certainly delivers great sound quality & an impressive degree of versatility for only having 2 knobs.

I think the MultiComp was the best choice for my personal needs, but the Demeter Compulator is also great. It's a popular pick with many of the touring pros out of Nashville.


I really love the Valve Drive pedal as well. It is, without a doubt, my "desert island" pedal. I never leave home without it.

thanx m8 !!! its my next pedal then ....just dont really understand why the valvedrive its made in china and the multicomp in sweden....but anyway I-m glad
thanx again

 

[lousybassist]

ahhh,wouldnt be great ? my ebs valvedrive its made in china....so thats why I asked

I've just checked my new TremoLo for a sign of where it's made, but I didn't find any (didn't look that thouroughly either). But I think that I've read that all EBS' pedals are indeed made in China. I could be wrong though, and ultimately I don't think it matters that much from a quality standpoint. All the EBS pedals I've encountered have all seemed very tough and sturdy.

 

[scotch]

thanx m8 !!! its my next pedal then ....just dont really understand why the valvedrive its made in china and the multicomp in sweden....but anyway I-m glad
thanx again

Hmmm..... maybe my MultiComp was made in China. It's a little unclear.

The pedal itself says: "Designed and developed entirely by EBS Sweden AB"

The box (packaging) says: esigned and manufactured entirely by EBS Sweden AB"

words underlined by me Also, my actual pedal is a newer version than the box it came in.

Now, my Valve Drive has "made in China" clearly printed on the pedal along with "Designed and developed in Sweden ".

I will say that wherever my MultiComp was made, it is built like a tank! It's a little bigger than my older gray-label Octabass and is about twice as heavy.

 

[RickenBoogie]

My Valve Drive was made in Sweden. They must've recently gone the way of everyone else, moving production to China. Shame. But it bussiness, huh? Oh yeah, HUGE Valve Drive fan here, it's my favorite overdrive ever.

 

[dream_bass]

Hmmm..... maybe my MultiComp was made in China. It's a little unclear.

The pedal itself says: "Designed and developed entirely by EBS Sweden AB"

The box (packaging) says: esigned and manufactured entirely by EBS Sweden AB"

words underlined by me Also, my actual pedal is a newer version than the box it came in.

Now, my Valve Drive has "made in China" clearly printed on the pedal along with "Designed and developed in Sweden ".

I will say that wherever my MultiComp was made, it is built like a tank! It's a little bigger than my older gray-label Octabass and is about twice as heavy.

ahh,its surely china made then ... dont get me wrong ,but I dont feel very well spending so much money for something made in china....its such a shame
dont had any problem with my valvedrive and I'll go for comp also
thanx for all infos,very helpfull !!!
cheers

 

[scotch]

My Valve Drive was made in Sweden. They must've recently gone the way of everyone else, moving production to China. Shame. But it bussiness, huh? Oh yeah, HUGE Valve Drive fan here, it's my favorite overdrive ever.

I thought mine was made in Sweden until I just checked it. Does yours say "Made in China" in small print on the rear panel next to the output jack? Just curious.

 

[dream_bass]

I thought mine was made in Sweden until I just checked it. Does yours say "Made in China" in small print on the rear panel next to the output jack? Just curious.

yes,sadly

 

[anyonefortennis]

The way I see it is that if they are going to keep charging the same amount after cutting down the production costs, it's a rip off. If you have lower production costs, pass the savings on to your clients.

 

[judas jedermann]

The way I see it is that if they are going to keep charging the same amount after cutting down the production costs, it's a rip off.

I thought it was called capitalism.

 

[rustynuts]

At this rate, China will soon inherit the Earth.....

 

[anyonefortennis]

I thought it was called capitalism.

Yup, there's the option to buy something else.

 

[dream_bass]

The way I see it is that if they are going to keep charging the same amount after cutting down the production costs, it's a rip off. If you have lower production costs, pass the savings on to your clients.

+1 !!!
its surely a rip off !
I love so much my valvedrive though....

 

[kingsteven]

Just about to pack this away to give myself some more floor-space...

The board on the right is my gigging bass board, the one on the left is my guitar board (for another band). I usually have the RE-20 on my Basstation, and the DL-4 comes out whenever I need some inspiration (and it's too unreliable to gig) :-D

The Behringer overdrive is a temporary measure, I had a friend's ODB-3 there until recently - not sure what I'll put in it's place but it'll hopefully be something cool (thinking Fulltone Bass Drive...) The Octave Multiplexer is getting replaced with an OC-3 soon (playing mostly baritone these days so need something polyphonic) The cheapo DOD Overdrive/Preamp with a (very light) compressor before hand makes a great old-school grind, the Bassballs is modified so that the frequency of the filter can be fixed.

 

[mikkejohansson]

So much for my misled info then on EBS manufacturing

Lousybassist/Peter will have to correct me on this, but a while back there was discussion on a swedish bass forum with a couple of EBS employees chipping in that (at the time) all EBS products were made in Sweden. Guess they must've made a change.

For me though - it's all good. Sweden is a small country and if this is what they need to do to stay in business and keep making great stuff, so it is.

 

[lousybassist]

So much for my misled info then on EBS manufacturing

Lousybassist/Peter will have to correct me on this, but a while back there was discussion on a swedish bass forum with a couple of EBS employees chipping in that (at the time) all EBS products were made in Sweden. Guess they must've made a change.

Yes, there have indeed been a few discussions on this very subject on the forum mikkejohansson mentions, but I can't quite recall what's been said about where the pedals are made (I'll have to go over to that other forum and use the search function I guess...). However, I think I've seen China stated as the country where they are constructed in a review somewhere. I'm not sure though. But what I do know for a fact is that EBS' Classic Line amplifiers and cabinets are made in China and South Korea. So it doesn't surprise that the pedals are made there as well.

For me though - it's all good. Sweden is a small country and if this is what they need to do to stay in business and keep making great stuff, so it is.

I would have to agree (to a degree at least). In our globalized world, moving production off shore almost seems to be a must for many companies if they want to survive, no matter if one likes it or not. And for those who fear that the "Made in China" sticker on EBS' pedals is synonymous with "low quality" need not worry, as far as I can tell. The TremoLo I just got, and which is probably made in China, is an excellent sounding, and very sturdy, pedal. Just like my older DynaVerb (which might be made in China too, I haven't checked), and my almost ancient grey OctaBass (which without a doubt is made in Sweden).

 

[cheapbasslovin]

The way I see it is that if they are going to keep charging the same amount after cutting down the production costs, it's a rip off.

I thought it was called capitalism.

Hey wait, you're both right!!!!