YYZ Shapeshifter Pedal GED Tone?

[Donavan12]

Like title says I’ve got the shape shifter pedal, I’m looking for a tone similar to GED’s old ric tone with my 4003…so far I’ve cranked all the knobs on the bass and “pulled up on the push/pull pot for the vintage sound” and had the PU selector in the middle position…I’ve tried rolling off the neck PU a little bit but I preferred how it sounded with all the knobs on full…..also using the pedal’s “Rickenbacker Shapeshifter” setting from the book plus using some additional overdrive from the amp itself I’ve gotten some decent results but I’ve heard better tones from people playing rics on YouTube(not just rush material but in general) without using Rick o sound is there a way I can further improve my tone? I mess with amp settings all day long lol I’m currently playing through an Acoustic(brand) 25w combo amp paired with the shapeshifter pedal
And yes I know I know “create your own tone instead of trying to copy/replicate someone else’s) but I really love the Ric Growl…an itch I can’t just scratch with another bass

 

[eddybuzzard]

I know it sounds cliche, but it almost always works out easier to start with everything set to noon,
except the master volume (unless your neighbors are cool with it ), and then tweak from there.

Ricks are known for having a nasaly sound with all it's knobs dimed, which I do, but I just lower my neck volume about 10%,
and viola! Never do I ever activate that vintage switch, because, IMHO, all it does is suck the living life out of the tone.

You may want to set a nice full, clean sound on the amp first, before engaging the overdrive,
that way you'll have that baseline tone, to fall back on at any time. If you stack overdrives, it complicates getting usable settings.
Then be sure to maintain an equal volume level, known as unity gain, with the pedal off or on, as it may change the volume level,
as you tweak and fine tune in on your ShapeShifter settings.
It's best to do this with the output control on the pedal.

Your amp may be a little on the small side, to really feel any of the serious lows,
but basically you want to shoot for feeling the low end, and hearing the middle and top end.
Like a girthy twang

 

[Donavan12]

I know it sounds cliche, but it almost always works out easier to start with everything set to noon,
except the master volume (unless your neighbors are cool with it ), and then tweak from there.

Ricks are known for having a nasaly sound with all it's knobs dimed, which I do, but I just lower my neck volume about 10%,
and viola! Never do I ever activate that vintage switch, because, IMHO, all it does is suck the living life out of the tone.

You may want to set a nice full, clean sound on the amp first, before engaging the overdrive,
that way you'll have that baseline tone, to fall back on at any time. If you stack overdrives, it complicates getting usable settings.
Then be sure to maintain an equal volume level, known as unity gain, with the pedal off or on, as it may change the volume level,
as you tweak and fine tune in on your ShapeShifter settings.
It's best to do this with the output control on the pedal.

Your amp may be a little on the small side, to really feel any of the serious lows,
but basically you want to shoot for feeling the low end, and hearing the middle and top end.
Like a girthy twang

Thank you yes I will play with it some more, I live in a house so outside neighbors probably can’t hear too much from my little amp but my housemates sure can feel the floor rattle! (I’m upstairs and the bass setup is upstairs level) I do notice also that the bottom end/volume seems to get louder with the push/pull knob pulled out compared to the in/modern tone position it sounds more like a 4001 to me in the “vintage “ position lol

 

[gpTron]

Does your amp have an effects loop? Try bypassing the amp's preamp and just straight up using the pedal for tone shaping.

 

[Donavan12]

Does your amp have an effects loop? Try bypassing the amp's preamp and just straight up using the pedal for tone shaping.

It’s got an OD, OD level, shape, low, mid and high controls and that’s it, I’m primarily using the pedal for all of the effects, I had combined it with some OD from the amp but I turned that off

 

[Parzival]

Tube like overdrive set light but touch sensitive to break up more you dig in. And your right hand. Boost mids and hit the strings hard.

 

[bassnyc1]

I don't want to derail this thread but can someone please explain what the difference is between the shape shifter and the YYZ pedal?

 

[EASonBass]

Rotosound RS 66 strings will help.

 

[FaithNoMan]

Favor that bridge pickup. It's not set back as far as a J basses' bridge pup and sounds more natural and not as nasal. When I play my 4003 I find almost everything I needed out of that bridge pickup, especially if you like aggressive clanky tones.

 

[HolmeBass]

That amp might be letting you down. It’s a small practice amp.

 

[sloppy_phil]

The secret to Geddy Lee tone is easier than one thinks; fresh Roto 66 steels, and then hit the strings literally as hard as you can as you play. And you’ll probably need less overdrive than you think.

If you say the Ricky sounds quieter or less bass heavy when going to the “modern” position on the push/pull, it probably means it’s been wired up out of phase, and is not working properly. I did exactly that by mistake on my Ricky when I first wired in the push/pull. Now that it’s right, the modern setting is noticeably louder and more bass-rich than the vintage one.

 

[eddybuzzard]

The secret to Geddy Lee tone is easier than one thinks; fresh Roto 66 steels, and then hit the strings literally as hard as you can as you play. And you’ll probably need less overdrive than you think.

If you say the Ricky sounds quieter or less bass heavy when going to the “modern” position on the push/pull, it probably means it’s been wired up out of phase, and is not working properly. I did exactly that by mistake on my Ricky when I first wired in the push/pull. Now that it’s right, the modern setting is noticeably louder and more bass-rich than the vintage one.

I was wondering if the OP's push/pull was wired opposite too

Also, I find the bridge pick soloed has a great full bodied sound, but in vintage, it becomes kinda anemic and weak.
But usually I stay in the middle position, full time, with the neck volume lowered, just a tad. (about one knob hump)

 

[Parzival]

I don't want to derail this thread but can someone please explain what the difference is between the shape shifter and the YYZ pedal?

Shapeshifter has a button that gives more smegilka.

 

[Donavan12]

I was wondering if the OP's push/pull was wired opposite too

Also, I find the bridge pick soloed has a great full bodied sound, but in vintage, it becomes kinda anemic and weak.
But usually I stay in the middle position, full time, with the neck volume lowered, just a tad. (about one knob hump)

I bought the bass new, it’s a 24 model so if it’s wired wrong, it was wired wrong from factory I think the biggest part of my problem is the amp itself, I’m thinking of buying the fender rumble 100 to play through instead

 

[eddybuzzard]

I don't want to derail this thread but can someone please explain what the difference is between the shape shifter and the YYZ pedal?

Here's my Hot Take;
First there was the GED-2112 rack unit, but some folks didn't want to take the rack plunge.
So they made a stripped down version, in a pedal form, and called it the YYZ.
But then some folks said it was too stripped down, so they added some features, and made the DI-2112 desktop unit.
But then some folks said, but it doesn't have a footswitch!
So then they created another one, in pedal form, with a little more EQ control, and a boost...
and called it The ShapeShifter ...Shifter ....Shifter ....Shifter...

 

[Swipter]

I have the YYZ pedal that's for sale, and the controls are sensitive. Big turns won't give what you want. On my jazz with EXL170 STRINGS I have no issues getting his tone. The compressor helps. With the yyz pedal you can get many tones, not just geddi tone. Fine tune your turning, maybe look at YouTube. It may surprise you what to adjust.

I have swing 66 strings on my 5 strings. They are bright. If you don't want those, the EXL170 may help you.

 

[Donavan12]

I was wondering if the OP's push/pull was wired opposite too

Also, I find the bridge pick soloed has a great full bodied sound, but in vintage, it becomes kinda anemic and weak.
But usually I stay in the middle position, full time, with the neck volume lowered, just a tad. (about one knob hump)

Actually playing with it again today, I noticed I have more bottom end with the push/pull in the “modern” position and pulled out it loses some of that oomph

 

[eddybuzzard]

I've heard it been said that the Rumble 100 can get some decent Geddy tones, all by itself,
but I can't speak from first hand experience

 

[Donavan12]

I've heard it been said that the Rumble 100 can get some decent Geddy tones, all by itself,
but I can't speak from first hand experience

I just snagged a used one from musicians friend for under $300(one of the newer models with the gain control) hopefully I’ll see some new results I also raised my bridge PUP a little too

 

[Donavan12]

I just snagged a used one from musicians friend for under $300(one of the newer models with the gain control) hopefully I’ll see some new results I also raised my bridge PUP a little too

Also I wanted to mention my current amp is 30 w with an 8” speaker and the rumble is 100w with a 15” speaker