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Why do you dislike OD/dist/fuzz

#81
SamJ said:
Jimmy, maybe I don't understand what "Fuzz" is for me, but every fuzz pedal has been extreme distortion / night and day difference between light natural tube saturation OD as those examples you list tend to be what I would call a vintage tone, back then they didn't go out of their way to stay dirty, it's just how the tone came out with the tech and limitations they worked with (with few exceptions on later Entwistle stuff which I wasn't a huge fan of his tone then anyway).

What I "thought" the OP is asking about, Fuzz, which is this..


Click to expand...

He was asking about all types of distortion, not just fuzz. Fuzz is an acquired taste for sure. However, I've acquired it and I'd like to think my fuzz sounds are better than that. Probably not ;) but still, in the right places it's very effective.

As for the limitations on vintage gear, I can easily take vintage amps and get clean sounds out of them, so I believe there was choice involved, and I know for a fact that choice was involved with Jamerson...that was his MO...turn bass way up, keep treble medium, then crank that puppy.
 
#82
JimmyM said:
He was asking about all types of distortion, not just fuzz. Fuzz is an acquired taste for sure. However, I've acquired it and I'd like to think my fuzz sounds are better than that. Probably not ;) but still, in the right places it's very effective.

As for the limitations on vintage gear, I can easily take vintage amps and get clean sounds out of them, so I believe there was choice involved, and I know for a fact that choice was involved with Jamerson...that was his MO...turn bass way up, keep treble medium, then crank that puppy.
Click to expand...

fair enough, again my mind was on a very different type of distortion when the word fuzz came up.. For me the Spaceman Saturn V is a great overdrive for when I need that "dirt", since it doesn't snap/crackle/pop like some pure distortion guitar type pedals do, but ratherit just gets dirty... next best thing to real tube saturation, which I cannot do any longer with the sale of my Mesa head..

A great example of that tube tone that I do agree is awesome is Entwistle here playing his Alembic thru some seriously saturated tubes. I don't consider this Fuzz. (a video I'm sure many have seen, and those who haven't should):

 
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#86
shawshank72 said:
If I wanted my bass to sound like a guitar I'd play a guitar.
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Sometimes I want my bass to sound like a guitar but don't have time to swap instruments, and when I want my bass to sound like a distorted bass I can also do that. Or... if I want my bass to sound like a fuzzy Bass, I can do that too. Sometimes I want my bass overdriven, so I do that, but most of the time I like to play my bass clean and acoustic – it is an upright, after all.


Kmonk said:
... Bass is the link between rhythm and melody. When you add distortion, it takes away from that...
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Pray tell how? Explain to us unwashed dirty-toned masses how distortion takes away from rhythm & melody (despite many instances given in the thread where distortion has been shown to enhance the bass, making it stand out in a mix of distorted guitars).

lancimouspitt said:
I have plenty of originals where the bass needed dirt and others a very clean sound was needed. It all depends on the song. I mean if I'm playing jazz standards or classic country/western I don't think there are many (if any) instances where any sort of bass distortion would be needed.
Click to expand...

One of the first ever, if not the first, recorded distorted bass was in a country tune and it was a BALLAD. So, no, there aren't many fuzz bass sounds in C&W, but hey if it works... why not?







The thread question is "why do you dislike OD/dist/fuzz?"

Mine answer: I dislike it when it is used inappropriately, but alas — what is 'appropriate' is purely subjective and sometimes I LOVE when it is used inappropriately.


Regardless of what anyone opines, I will continue my explorations of feedback-inducing fuzzed out upright bass-bass.
 
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#88
Moosehead1966 said:
I play a 100 watt tube amp. There is no way I could be chasing a clean tube-tone within a rock band context. Can't happen and never gonna happen. Quite honestly, it's often hard to distinguish a certain level of dirt & drive within the band mix. I think it helps the tone ' bloom' with overtones and all, depending on the instrumentation, type of music etc. of course.

Marc
Click to expand...

I have to agree. Use a sans amp rbi set slightly dirty and am still experimenting with pedals also. But my bass tone by itself sounds a lot dirtier. In the mix is really doesn't sound that dirty at all. In fact when our last album was finished that was something I noticed right away.
 
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#89
SamJ said:
fair enough, again my mind was on a very different type of distortion when the word fuzz came up.. For me the Spaceman Saturn V is a great overdrive for when I need that "dirt", since it doesn't snap/crackle/pop like some pure distortion guitar type pedals do, but ratherit just gets dirty... next best thing to real tube saturation, which I cannot do any longer with the sale of my Mesa head..

A great example of that tube tone that I do agree is awesome is Entwistle here playing his Alembic thru some seriously saturated tubes. I don't consider this Fuzz. (a video I'm sure many have seen, and those who haven't should):

Click to expand...


The thing is, Entwistle's rig at that time was powered by Sunn solid state power amps, and the preamp was by a German company, Stramp; as far as the drivers in those late 70's Sunn cabs are concerned, while the 18's are Vegas, the 12's are most likely proprietary Sunn OEM's, not of the highest quality, and the grind you hear are those breaking up.

Here's some old school dedicated fuzz(as opposed to incidental/accidental overdrive or distortion, from the era of "hey, let's plug this in and see what it sounds like..."


and live...


while this may plod along for some of the younger listeners, this is a good example of kicking in the fuzz just at certain points for dramatic effect...


while the riffing is simple, and the Doors were not what I'd consider a real 'heavy' band, session player Doug Lubahn's fuzz bass added some ominous vibe to this tune...


Bill Wyman's overdubbed fuzz bass adds a cool texture here to the Stones' usual Chuck Berry-ish groove...


Hugh Hopper always did come up with some interesting fuzz bass bits; so what if it's a little too "free form jazz odyssey", just wait, in 40 years someone will be laughing at the stuff you listen to today...
 
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#93
I personally don't care for OD, fuzz or distortion. And for no real reason other than it doesn't sound good to my ears.

But I'd also never diss or criticize bass players who do use OD, fuzz, or distortion. That's their call. And I'm good with that.
 
#94
SamJ said:
fair enough, again my mind was on a very different type of distortion when the word fuzz came up.. For me the Spaceman Saturn V is a great overdrive for when I need that "dirt", since it doesn't snap/crackle/pop like some pure distortion guitar type pedals do, but ratherit just gets dirty... next best thing to real tube saturation, which I cannot do any longer with the sale of my Mesa head..

A great example of that tube tone that I do agree is awesome is Entwistle here playing his Alembic thru some seriously saturated tubes. I don't consider this Fuzz. (a video I'm sure many have seen, and those who haven't should):

Click to expand...

That my friends is an eye opener.
 
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#95
I've come to a conclusion. I'm going to leave it on. After reading all the posts, I'm not sure why I ever thought there are times to have a completly clean signal. At least in my situations.

Now I just need to figure out what OD I need next...
 
#96
I love all different flavors of dirt and use it all the time.

I wouldn't use some crazy fuzzed out tone when playing a light adult contemporary type of song, but you could probably easily use a light OD on something like that. I've been known to use a little OD on crap like Sweet Caroline. I need to make it fun for myself somehow and it sounds great in the overall mix so why the heck not?

Running a Fairfield Barbershop all the time is pretty awesome too.
 
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