CPBass

Hi Kev, Cheers for that insight. I do use active basses so Ill bear your thoughts in mind. I'll send Dave a note to see if he has any thoughts on which of his pedals would do the trick. The Dual Bass Custom looks like it could get around most needs. The blowtorch will stay for the moment. Im in no rush. Thanks again Kev. Col

Yo Theo, Im glad she got to you safely and that your happy with the pedal. Persevere as there are loads of sounds in her. Cheers Theo - business a pleasure Col

MXR Bass Blowtorch A revolutionary concept in bass overdrive. The M-181 MXR Bass Blowtorch bass overdrive pedal is made to deliver the hottest sounds this side of Hades--from a tube-like growl to full-blown distorted madness. Because the Bass Blowtorch's overdrive is focused in the midrange frequencies, you'll retain your low-end thunder and high-end sizzle while the overdriven mids cut through any mix. An active 3-band EQ with a mid shift switch provides precise signal balancing, while the Blend knob lets you balance the distortion with the direct signal for the exact tone you're after. 18-volt performance equals increased dynamic headroom, clarity, and low noise no matter the volume level, and true bypass circuitry means it's really off when you want it off, leaving your signal completely unaffected. MXR M-181 Bass Blowtorch Overdrive Distortion Pedal Features: From traditional tube-like growl to full-blown high-gain distortion 18V performance for increased dynamic headroom and clarity Low-noise performance at loud volumes Active 3-band EQ with 3-position mid shift for precise tone sculpting Distortion and direct signal blending Real-world tested by world-class touring bassists Tough die-cast housing True hardwire bypass

Just a sample review from Harmony Central (again subjective but they all are) Product: Electro-Harmonix Black Finger Sustainer Price Paid: USD 190 Submitted 12/06/2006 at 05:16pm by Kevin Ease of Use : 8 Compared with other optical compressors that have a two knobs, this is a little more complicated. But it also has a lot more features, well covered by other reviewers. There was no manual, and EH's website is pretty bad. I just plugged it in, turned the gain and compress to 9:00 and had a great sound out of the gate. Sound Quality : 9 The compression offered by the Black Finger is perfect for the bass. It is very, very transparent, natural and open sounding. I play a Lakland 54-94 through a EA Iamp800 through 2 Aguilar GS112. This already great setup has benefited greatly from the Black Finger. The B-string on the Lakland is so powerful, it overwhelms the sound and notes on that string end up sounding too loud compared to the other notes. The BF solves this problem beautiful,evening out the dynamics. My guitar players loves it because he can hear the melodic stuff I do in the midrange and upper register without me having to increase volume. I have actually lowered the master volume on my amp since I bought this pedal, but my tone is even more audible. Could you ask for more??? Also, if you crank the gain a little you get a great tube grind that is very AMPEG SVT like. Most distortion pedals sound horrible for bass, even ones meant for bass, but the BF adds great tubey sound that can very Jack Bruce-like if you want, or it can have no tube-crunch at all if you dial down the gain. It really warms up my EA Amp, which is very hi-fi sounding on its own. I can't imagine a more useful pedal for a gigging bass player. I give it a 9 because there is a little hiss but that is common to all compressors. Reliability : 7 It is not as solid as a Fulltone pedal, it is aluminum with plastic knobs. It doesn have real tubes, that will some day burn out. So I wouldn't feel comfortable unless I had a couple of extra tubes which I will take with me at all times. This is a necessary evil of all tube gear, so there is nothing new here. Customer Support : No Opinion I have never dealt with EH. Their website could be better... Overall Rating : 9 For a rock band, this is THE pedal for bass. Negative review of this product seem to be from guitarists who obviously want a heavy-metal type of compression. I have played bass for 16 years, and have used many products. This is the best compression for bass that I have ever used. I am comparing my experience with the Demeter compulator and I like it much better. The Demeter had an unnatural sustain that would cause the notes from my bass to swell a little at the end and I didn't care for that. This pedal has no setting to adjust sustain, but seems to be perfectly dialed in anyway. The compression offered by this pedal is so smooth, so natural that you don't even hear it as compression, it just makes your bass sound very very good. If that was all it did, I would love it. But what I really love is the tubey crunch I get when I turn up the input-stage gain and really grind with my fingers. It gets that Geddy Lee tone that I love so much-yet I don't have to carry around a 500 pound SVT.

[quote name='BassManKev' post='109859' date='Dec 27 2007, 01:53 PM']i have to say, some of the reviews on musiciansfriend or whatever that american shop is are pretty bad for bass, i think il go and try it tomorrow, i know a few places in manchester that have them in stock[/quote] I guess these thing are subjective. Opinions are like axxholes - everybodys got one. Check it out, youll be pleasantly surprised.

Its a great sounding unit for bass, gets very little use from me, hence the sale

[quote name='theosd' post='109438' date='Dec 26 2007, 12:28 PM']Urgh!! Can I afford this!?[/quote] I dunno mate, but be sure to let me know if ya can

[quote name='BassManKev' post='109480' date='Dec 26 2007, 02:27 PM']how would you say this compares to dave halls valve compressor?[/quote] Im not familiar with Dave Halls Compressor therefor am unable to give a comparison. The EH gives very quiet and high quality compression, shes a beauty.

For Sale is my Electro Harmonix Black Finger. THE BLACK FINGER IS THE ONLY OPTOISOLATOR PHOTOCELL, DUAL VACUUM TUBE COMPRESSOR PEDAL ON THE MARKET! SO WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? It means that the Black Finger uses the same professional-grade techniques that the most revered, vintage and mega-thousand dollar, high-end studio compressors use, except that it's in the form of an affordable, compact foot pedal! Two different light sources (LED and lamp) provide distinctly different readings and offer uniquely varied compressions. One tube handles the compression stage while the other manages the gain stage. And unlike other "tube" hyped products on the market, which use 9 to 50 volts, the Black Finger's design allows a full 300 volts of swing to be utilized. This makes it a true tube compressor in every sense. Whether used as part of an effects loop or with direct guitar, bass or voice, the Black Finger will give music the type of treatment that simply cannot be achieved via plug-in emulation or with any other analog or digital product that doesn't cost thousands of dollars. The Black Finger breathes life and warmth into any musical instrument or recording and makes it sound magical. It's further proof the Electro-Harmonix is changing the way players think about their pedals. 12AC-1000 power supply included with euro adapter I'll throw in a spare EHX 12AX7 Tube A truly stonkin bass compressor. In immaculate condition with original box £85 + £8 P&P PAYPAL Preferred

Anyone wanna buy ALL my gear and family? Maybe then I could place a decent offer. JEEZ thats a magnificent piece of wood! My dream bass despite being a 6 string. Oh sh*te im waffling........first bass to ever do that

Just thought youd like to know she is a "Fortress Masterman" as opposed to Fortress One. More desirable due to the MEGA twin J pickup which folk often think is a humbucker. She is lovely I must say but I musnt GAS as I already have a fretted one. Col

BUMP. An amazing deal!!!

OOOOOOOHHHHHHHHH Very Very Nice Indeed. Have a BUMP on me. I tried one of these before and have to say it was sublime. If I find 900 squids anytime soon Ill be back to ya. Col

SOLD

[quote name='Voodoosnake' post='70893' date='Oct 8 2007, 08:15 AM']Up for grabs is my immaculate hardly used MXR Bass Blowtorch Effect Pedal. This is what Jim Dunlop have to say about this evil brick: The M-181 MXR Bass Blowtorch bass overdrive pedal is made to deliver the hottest sounds this side of Hades-from a tube-like growl to full-blown distorted madness. Because the Bass Blowtorch's overdrive is focused in the midrange frequencies, you'll retain your low-end thunder and high-end sizzle while the overdriven mids cut through any mix. An active 3-band EQ with a mid shift switch provides precise signal balancing, while the Blend knob lets you balance the distortion with the direct signal for the exact tone you're after. 18-volt performance equals increased dynamic headroom, clarity, and low noise no matter the volume level, and true bypass circuitry means it's really off when you want it off, leaving your signal completely unaffected. MXR M-181 Bass Blowtorch Overdrive Distortion Pedal Features: From traditional tube-like growl to full-blown high-gain distortion 18V performance for increased dynamic headroom and clarity Low-noise performance at loud volumes Active 3-band EQ with 3-position mid shift for precise tone sculpting Distortion and direct signal blending Real-world tested by world-class touring bassists Tough die-cast housing True hardwire bypass Comes with original box (no power supply) Offers around £80 considered. Will accept paypal or postal order. Let me know if your interested Cheers Col[/quote] Withdrawn due to its phenomenal performance over the past few gigs. Spending time working with this pedal has really shown me its potential. Hence the change of heart. I was going to replace it with a Roger Mayer VoodooBass but not anymore. This definately aint a quick sound kinda pedal, well worth the effort once set. just thought Id let you guys know =) Cheers C