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Tubescreamer variants: which would you choose?

What TS Variant have you loved?

  • Way Huge Green Rhino

    Votes: 9 24.3%

  • Xotic Bass BB

    Votes: 11 29.7%

  • Ibanez Bass Tube Screamer

    Votes: 3 8.1%

  • EQD Dunes

    Votes: 3 8.1%

  • EQD Palisades

    Votes: 3 8.1%

  • Voodoo Labs Sparkle Drive

    Votes: 7 18.9%

  • Mad Professor Little Green Wonder

    Votes: 1 2.7%
  • Total voters
    37
DosiYanarchy

DosiYanarchy

Sep 26, 2007
2,049
851
London, England
www.youtube.com
#1
Hi everyone,

Recording the other day, I borrowed back my old Way Huge Green Rhino from my guitarist and fell in love again. The mid bump and 100hz knob is exactly what I needed in a low gain drive that cut through a dense mix.

I've had TS variants in the past and currently have a Mosky BB Box (clone of the Xotic BB Preamp - the guitar version) but find it a little muddy on bass for some reason, not sure why, I believe the bass control is at 100hz and the treble at 10hz like the Xotic so on paper should be great IMO.

So this has got me thinking, if you were looking at a TS variant, what would you go for?

Way Huge Green Rhino (owned one) - Honestly, I wouldnt have let this go but my guitarist needed it more than i do. 100hz Knob, Curve control which affects the midrange, simple tone control. It just works, but now there's the MkIV and i dont know whether i would prefer that more. I have no complaints with the MKII

Xotic Bass BB (owned one) - again a great pedal, separate bass and treble controls but when i had one, I never felt that it was particularly special and never really bonded with it.

Voodoo Labs Sparkle Drive (tried it) - Its a TS with a clean blend, its pretty cool but again never really bonded with it. There also appears to be a very cheap clone on Thomann: Invalid Link Removed which might be a way to try it on the cheap to see if i'll bond with it again.

EQD Dunes (not tried) - I'd love to try this, as well as the Palisades, lots of options.

Ibanez Bass Tube Screamer (tried it) - never seems to get alot of love here but i thought it was alright when i tried it. Again, i think NUX make a very cheap clone of it.

Mad Professor Little Green Wonder (not tried) - saw a bass demo on youtube but just didnt feel it was for me, having said that, Mosky do a very cheap clone of it.

What TS clones have you had experience with that keep the lows but also can bump the mids?
 
#2
It sounds like you should go with Way Huge. Personally I'm a fan having used a Porkloin as my sole OD for years for good reason.
Finding an OD pedal that you like in the mix is something special really. If the Green Rhino sounded good to your heart you may find yourself comparing everything else to it until you're happy. Skip the run around and return home.
 
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#3
Totally under the radar screen, and only available used (out of production) but GC used usually has one. It's the dedicated bass control that really makes it work, the vintage/modern switch too, vintage is softer modern has a germanium element with tighter bass (what I usually use)
I was turned onto it by another bass player who called it his secret weapon.


2907F326-D619-4D8D-94C1-14EC3EBF9DB7.jpeg
 
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#6
DosiYanarchy said:
Great suggestions from everyone, I'll probably get the Green Rhino again and maybe a pork loin as I miss that one too.

Also I just remembered the TRex Bass Juice is a ts variant , but again I just wasn't as enamoured with it
Click to expand...
If you cascade them please return with your experience. I replaced my PL with an MBD-1 but it's still in the cabinet. Really hard to let go of.
 
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#11
mmbongo said:
I'm holding out for the Plumes!

Click to expand...


I'm very suspicious when they demo a drive pedal with a tube amp or even a tube preamp. I'm also suspicious when they don't let you hear the tone with the pedal off so you can truly gauge what it's doing to the signal. That demo sounds good but I can't know for sure how much of it was the pedal.

The current Maxon Bass Driver is also a Tube Screamer with a clean blend and controls for high mids and low mids. That one is on my list along with the Pork Loin.
 
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#13
roller said:
The JHS Bonsai sure looks nice... you get all the 9 great Tube Screamers (actually seven Tubescreamers, one vintage Boss Overdrive and a Polish OD pedal) all in one box. JHS is a mighty fine company making killer pedals.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZQlK0qUqekyUBwHBoCW24QAvD_BwE


View attachment 3487740
Click to expand...

Pretty much. Why settle on one when you can own seven plus a couple of ODd for a few bucks more?

The Bonsai is interesting in that it's not just an emulation. The switch positions actually switch the authentic circuitry in and out. Not a bad little bit of electronic engineering. And Josh Scott makes a decent product. I've always been happy with any JHS device I ever owned or used.
 
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#20
cosmicevan said:
Team sparkle drive here...Ive had one on my boqrd for years. Although it lacks in low end, thats what I like about it. It makes my bass sound like a semi hollow bodied guitar when I play higher register which is why I use the pedal, to cop that sound.
Click to expand...

I got a sparkle drive cloned and voiced a bit lower, but it would be pretty easy to mod it for an even fuller bass range. The blend really helps though, I mainly use it on guitar but it sounds great stacked with anything pretty much.

It also makes a great clean or treble boost, but has plenty of gain on tap when cranked. I love using it on keys as well, the blend really comes in handy for retaining your original sound with some added grit/harmonics.
 
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