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Best distortion pedal for bass?


Papabull
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Tough one! I've tried many of the mass produced ones over the years. Checking out YouTube videos can give you a vague idea, but depending on your playing style they may still sound very different. Saying that, the Ashdown Lomenzo is a great starting point with a low price!

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Ibanez phat hed for me, there's one going in effects for £30. Very versatile owing to the clean boost/od/distortion switch and a very usable eq. Locking knobs are a bonus too. Sound every bit as good as "boutique" jobbies. They don't make them anymore which is a shame. I used to have a boss but I'd say the pd7 is my favorite pedal.

http://basschat.co.uk/topic/231545-ibanez-pd7-phat-hed/page__pid__2419101#entry2419101

Edited by stubass
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Depends on so many things, what bass you use, what amp/cab you use, your playing style, your musical genre, size/cost limitations, etc.

If you want the 'best' 'distortion', the Brimstone XD-1 takes some beating, if you have the cash and the board space.

[url="http://www.brimstoneaudio.com/crossover-distortion.html"]http://www.brimstone...distortion.html[/url]
[url="http://www.prymaxevintage.com/brimstone-audio-xd-1-crossover-distortion/"]http://www.prymaxevi...ver-distortion/[/url]

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6pHo6fPdPvM[/media]

The EBS Billy Sheehan looks cool too:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ch5ZIJgp2Q

But there may well be other pedals more suited to you depending on your needs!

Edited by dannybuoy
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I've got an Ashdown lomenzo which I thought sounded great on YouTube but I still find it a bit fuzzy. I want something that's distorted rather than fuzzy if you know what I mean. I've tried so many without luck. :(

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[quote name='ThePapabull' timestamp='1396974934' post='2419352']
thanks to all…. anyone checked the soundblox 2?
[/quote]

It's not bad. Does a REALLY good low gain tubey overdrive, I found the high gain sounds rather meh, but it certainly gets a lot of rave reviews.

You still haven't told us anything about what sounds you're after or what gear you use to help us to help you!

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The Hyperdrive is good but a bit of a one trick pony, I find. However, the Digitech Bass Driver is a seriously underrated pedal. It is very versatile, with a large range of overdrive, distortion and fuzz options (in the sweep of one knob), and it can be found quite a bit cheaper than the Hyperdrive. Mixing the two together can produce some amazing sounds.

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Sounds like you could benefit from a nice creamy, bassy, mild overdrive that plays nice with hot active basses and boosts/fattens up your sound in a supporting role in a big band situation- like a Solidgold FX Beta perhaps.

Or a VT Bass to make your Markbass sound like a grindy Ampeg tube amp, which is versatile anywhere.

Then for the solo stuff, something with lots of clarity that won't destroy your tone, which means a blend, like the EBS Billy Sheehan, Ashdown J-Lo, Brimstone XD-1, Darkglass B3K/B7K/Vintage, VT Bass DI, etc.

Edited by dannybuoy
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What he says ^

You're not gonna want a high gain dirtbox for most of that stuff. I'm auditioning for a Funk/RnB/Soul band tonight & I'm using a Moog for some low overdrive (I've got a high gain & filter for when I want to drop some dubstep in the middle of I'll Be Around :P )

I've heard good things about the VT Bass (& the Behringer copy).

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The DHA VT1 Mk 3 is another worth considering, or the EQ version for a bit more flexibility.

The problem you'll have is finding a pedal that suits your own particular tastes, and it's the reason that you'll get a bewildering array of suggestions for a dirt pedal. Finding one that will be your own sonic nirvana is largely a matter of trying them and moving them on if they don't hit the spot for you. For this reason alone it might be worth your while to buy used so you can move it on for the same sort of price if need be.

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