versatile bass distortion/drive

[manchee2]

i need a versatile bass distortion for under £100 to play alt/rock music. I already have a big muff but although i love the tone it is not versatile enough. i was considering the boss ODB3. P.S i use a sterling ray 34 so is must work well with active bass

 

[Hyssar]

I have a MXR Blowtorch and I love it. It only distorts the mids so you don't lose any lowend. Most OD/Disto Boss pedals cut lows and make them all muddy. The Blowtorch has a 3-way switch so you can decide how high you want the distorted part of the signal to go. It's not a huge fuzzy IN YOUR FACE distortion like the DS-1 or the Big Muff, it's a more subtle effect that makes your sound very aggressive without ruining the lows.

My bass is active, btw.

Edit: I was in the store waiting for my bass to get setup so I tried a few effects and I kind of impulse bought it.. it's that good. Once again, it's not a Fuzz, it's an effect to make your tone very aggressive and give it a certain "character".

Edit2: Also it has a built-in EQ, a blend knob and true bypass.

 

[Laurent]

The Way Huge Pork Loin is probably one of the most versatile distortion pedal and it should fit your price point. It goes from overdrive to the fringe of fuzz with everything in between.

 

[Vlad5]

I just got an Ashdown James Lomenzo Hyperdrive and its proving to be a very versatile overdrive/distortion. I use a Tall Font Russian (green muff clone), and the Hyperdrive is totally different, more midrange capable, and thus more versatile. (love the Russian though!)

If you're in England, you should be able to get one new for less than 100 pounds, used for cheaper still.

um... its a big Ashdown pedal though, so make room on your board if you get one

edit - the JL Hyperdrive only distorts the mids as well. And has a mid-frequency sweep knob so you can choose which portion of the mid-channel (200Hz-2200Hz) you wish to distort, and how wide the Q as well (half octave or full octave). And has a mix (blend) knob so you can retain as much of your input signal as you like. Together with the input and drive knob, you can cover a LOT of ground.

 

[crapusername]

i can only endorse what has already been suggested.
the lomenzo can be found for around £60 new, the blowtorch a little over your budget new, but second hand shouldnt be a problem.
TBH i wouldnt get the odb3 unless you are either playing harder industrial style stuff, or using an all valve amp.
the Big Muff you have, is it the bass variety or the us/ russian model?

 

[sloppy_phil]

oddly enough, my main distortion tone comes from an MXR zakk wylde OD. it's a really bass-heavy pedal so i've found it works great on bass; can do just a little grind around the edges, all the way to border-of-fuzz tones. I never would have guessed, seeing as I am really not a ZW fan at all, but it's a great box, and super tiny to boot!

Have not tried it with an active bass, but these are common enough pedals so you could probably try one out at your nearest store

 

[manchee2]

i have the bass big muff as i find that its bass boost mode helps alot in band situations

 

[crapusername]

have you tried the bass muff with the blend setting?

 

[vibhas_2310]

It might be a bit expensive, but the Xotic Bass BB preamp is worth every penny.

 

[Vlad5]

check my edit in post #4, just in case you missed it... The hyperdrive really is the most versatile overdrive/distortion I've tried for bass. And I'm VERY picky with regards to overdrives. Not saying its the best, just that it is very adjustable to taste.

Attached is a copy I made of the manual, with some setting recommendations from Ashdown.

Good luck on the hunt!

 

[loendmaestro]

 

[xkmattx]

I got a source audio soundblox pro multiwave bass distortion (say that 5 x's fast haha). I got lucky and found one on craigslist for 100 used. Thing is brand new condition. It is the best bess distortion pedal I have ever used for lots of reasons.