Why do you dislike OD/dist/fuzz

[Exploiter8]

I like enough overdrive that I don't really notice when it's on, but I do when it's off!

Actually I just wanted to join the Whoniverse.

 

[AndreasK]

I play mainly rock covers, from Beatles, Pearljam, QUOTSA and such. I use a light overdrive for just about anything. I find it really helps me cut trough. But to me transparency is very important. My always on drive just adds a bit of hair on top. Even in quieter parts of most songs, where the guitars back of on their drive and the bass drives the melody, a light drive can really shine.

But I see the problem of using heavy distortion and fuzz when guitars are going all fuzzed out. A cleanish/lightly driven bass at the bottom then can stand more out and keep things together.

And just to add to the history of basstones, i leave you Sir Johns bass track from Helter Skelter.

 

[karla684]

It's been mentioned before, but if you want punch and thump a dist or overdrive might be in the way. It will mess with the attack of your notes and compress the tone with an extended sustain.

Apart from that I love dirt on bass!

Also (repeating others again), sometimes a clean bass can be more noticable in a mix, and other times an overdriven bass will cut through better. It's all about context.

/Kalle

 

[Sputnik Monroe]

It's a tool like any other, in one band we have a Sax and the guitar is a Les Paul, plenty of fatness from that side of the stage, only when we launch into a Hendix tune or some old school blues do I use any OD. In my other band its a harmonica and a Strat, in that situation it's used more to fill in under a thin sounding guitar. And where did the idea that OD takes out all the bass come from ... maybe if you use a "tube screamer" not with my VOX Ice 9, I can get as much or MORE bass in OD if I want.

 

[Crystalman85]

Not a lot people like the Idea of using overdrives, distortions, and fuzzes on bass. some people actually prefer clean bass sounds over distorted bass sounds. it depends on what kind of music they play. I happen to like using distortion on bass. I play hard rock and heavy metal and I like using distortion on bass. it gives me a heavy sound. I especially like using with chorus. it widens and thickens my sound. sometimes I use distortion with flanger effects for certain parts of songs. it gives me an eddie van halen sound on bass. so don't feel too bad about some bass players not liking bass distortions. a lot of people have personal preferences on what kind of bass sounds they like.

 

[AndreasK]

And where did the idea that OD takes out all the bass come from ... maybe if you use a "tube screamer" not with my VOX Ice 9, I can get as much or MORE bass in OD if I want.

+1 If you od takes out your bass, your using the wrong od.

 

[kleinenenten]

Everyone likes what they like, but I have to agree - play what fits the song. I always use some sort of OD, from light (JohnK Gamma) to medium (GK Rails Pedal) to high (B3K) as well as using flanger and filter effects. As long as they fit, who cares? Heck, I even play some stuff clean every once in a great while. But I typically prefer just a touch of hair from the Gamma.

 

[Nephilymbass]

I've seen plenty of reasons to use overdrive, but I have not been able to find explanations for why it can be a bad thing in certain situations.

I'm not looking for people to tell me about how overdrive should never be used on bass. There are obviously good reasons to use it, so please don't be a troll. That being said, if you can explain why you don't think it is right for YOU I would like to know why you feel that way (without insulting others for using it)

I'm basically asking because I've noticed that I like to leave overdrive or fuzz on all the time and I'm worried I might be putting my personal taste above what is best for the mix as a whole.

I always have my sans amp going with a slightly dirty tone. There was parts on our last album I wish were cleaner. So I'll likely use my SWR head also next time in the studio. The sans amp is great along with hi gain guitars. but for certain parts along with clean guitars, particularly if I'm playing up high, or chords and so on, a cleaner tone just sounds better. I've recorded albums with really clean tones and dirty tones. There were parts I liked from each.

 

[OOD]

It has certainly been done effectively, kicking up a chorus or bridge for example. What genre are you playing?

Mostly alternative rock and new wave-ish Indy rock. But I've been known to play country, southern rock, classic rock and pop because it pays.

I also play with one band that plays any style of music from the 60s to the current top 40. Most of my worry is with that band. I don't realy like how the BL won't pick a style to stick with.

 

[nshuman]

 

[fasto]

my dirt-magic is called: "Clean Blending", best of both worlds (clean & dirty) mixed together ... and now i´m going to order the new MXR Distortion.

 

[buldog5151bass]

I prefer a clean tone, because I feel it sits better in the mix.

 

[Swimming Bird]

Effects do two things - change where you sit in the mix and change the feel/reaction between playing and the sound that comes out.

I love dirt, but you can definitely do it wrong. Too many times I've stepped on a fuzz and may as well have muted myself.

 

[jwr]

Pfffffffffttt. fuzz. What's the point? AMIRITE? All it does is make your tone all fuzzy. That's weird. Why would your want to distort you pure tone?

For me, I like to play acoustically. Without the complications of amps or fuzz or cables. Cables are such a rip off! They straight steal your tone! THEY STEAL IT!!!

My fingers can produce all the tones these effects can. Synth, fuzz, envelope filter, trem, delay...whatever. I have magic fingers and they love to finger that string. Yup. They sure do.

 

[nshuman]

Pfffffffffttt. fuzz. What's the point? AMIRITE? All it does is make your tone all fuzzy. That's weird. Why would you want to distort you pure tone?

For me, I like to play acoustically. Without the complications of amps or fuzz or cables. Cables are such a rip off! They straight steal your tone! THEY STEAL IT!!!

My fingers can produce all the tones these effects can. Synth, fuzz, envelope filter, trem, delay...whatever. I have magic fingers and they love to finger that string. Yup. They sure do.

You realize some person out there is reading this thinking "Whoa, this JWR fella understands me"

 

[nshuman]

James Jamerson used to say the same thing:



Hardly.

But Jimmy, what did he know about rhythm and melody??

Bass is whatever I or anyone else who plays it thinks it should be at any given time. If I think it should be rhythm, it's rhythm. If I think it should be a lead instrument, it's a lead instrument. But that notwithstanding, this business about us not being guitarists and that's why we shouldn't use distortion...again, tell it to Jamerson. Or McCartney:



Or Entwistle:



Or JPJ:

Pffftt. You guys and your "reality" and "evidence" and "real life examples" and "valid arguments" and "logic".

 

[Alien8]

Kind of a broad range answer...

I dislike it when there's a specific fizzy frequency that's clipping, and really annoying my ear. It's in the upper mids and present in some distortion designs. Usually an EQ can tame it enough to listen to again.

I dislike it when it makes the mix go muddy.

I dislike it when it's overdone and takes away from the musical performance. Overdone has it's place tho.

I dislike it when it makes the bass go flabby, thin or lacking a thump / attack that makes a bass note sound late.

There may be other situations, but generally when I look for clipping of any flavour, these are things that must not be present.

 

[nshuman]

Here is a overdriven bass that you can hear in a mix.

 

[Watchootognbout]

I don't dislike OD/distortion/fuzz.
I just like chorus and flanger much,much more.
Plus.It seems most distortion pedals have a "guitarish"grade of distortion.
Too fine.
I would prefer something that would sound like a cats purr.A coarse trill

 

[gregmon79]

All about genre/type of music. Period. IMO.