Ander87

Hahahaha and that should be it! The Alpha Omega for the heavy stuff, compressor as always on and the gain stage for a bit of grit - that shall be it…!

Haha noted, that’s what I wanted to avoid @krispn, the slippery road of cabling changing one pedal then another then expanding… think I’m gonna settle for a Comp+Gain boost pedal I’ve seen (collaboration devices), that gives me clean and the boosted stage with a bit of hair, then the alpha omega. And add a tuner pedal cause every board needs one. maybe that’d work as a minimalist board…..!?

@Osiris thank you - this is not the 'idealest' setup but I use fuzz just in particular circumstances, mostly when the bass is soloing with vocals or drums only to thicken up the absence of guitar... Could work as a gentle overdrive, real distortion with the AO and fuzz back flicking the switch where necessary... ... you guys are seducing me too much with the idea of a pedalboard - I'll end up wanting a tuner and a compressor now...! Yes, you are right, I'll admit, but dang, it is a cold truth to realise the holy grail does not exist

Haha thanks @Osiris! Will read your post in more detail in a couple hours. my question on the aftershock, you can’t access more than one patch physically on the fly can you? Nothing like double stomp engages preset 2 or similar, I assume? Ander.

Thanks! yep I've got it down where I want to but wouldn't mind that pushed/boost here and there...! I think this is the key thing, thank you - 2 boxes perfect vs one that does most right... The Source Audio Aftershock comes to mind, also rather cheap if I convince myself to do two boxes...! Will look out and listen for it - never had a bass driver myself but the tone I've seen online is more on the blurry growl than tight and aggressive - probs my short attention span for pedals, will dig more just in case! Ander.

Thanks @ped! I had a look at it yep! really feels like a fuzzy fuzz more than the tight distortion - maybe like @Downunderwonder mentioned looking for a tight aggressive distortion and a fuzz in the same thing may be an impossible... ... I have had a good play with the Alpha Omega into the ABM and it gets the distortion right, then again I can thicken/boost with the valve drive and sub/octave thing from the amp head... I'm gonna give it a go to the pedalboard for the amp see if I get on with it well... some more cables tbh but at least no more power supply finicking...! That'd give me the clean, clean with more texture, distortion, and boosted heavy distortion...

Hmmm... I am actually seeking the holy grail haha I'll give you that - nonetheless I use the fuzz for some 3 minutes altogether in a set, that wouldn't warrant the pedal and expense for me anyways. And also that solution wouldn't give me the clean EQ to push/boost cleans here and there so it kind of feels like it'd warrant a compressor or EQ pedal... Not to sound dramatic but it'd just skyrocket expense cabling and portability for a simple mind like mine - I can do it, but I don't think I'd enjoy the hassle and would end up wanting to downsize or swap something...

Hey everyone! You may have seen me swap my gear recently - I'm on a passive Fender Jazz and Precision for my punk rock and neosoul stuff, and I have recently changed the amp head to an Ashdown ABM 600 Evo IV; what a great surprise! I'm loving the amp and its tone. this goes with my Barefaced cab. I have also changed my HX Effects since I just do not use all those effects honestly, and can't be asked with a big pedal/pedalboard - I've always avoided pedalboards cause I just can't be asked with all the power supplies, cabling and just price of building a good pedalboard. I only used clean and distortion really - and I can do with a boosted clean (EQ is fine) same as fuzzy distortion for some parts. I have normally used Darkglass Alpha Omega / B7k / Microtubes for this with a good result, and did try the Alpha Omega Photon but it's simply too many features (don't need cab sim, no need for actual programmable presets...) - it felt a bit overkill. So! since the swap to Ashdown worked so well, I'm happy to step outside Darkglass and consider options? Wishlist/use I'll give the pedal: - Use of a clean channel with a different EQ to boost or change over the ABM 600 - Distortion, fuzz being a nice addition - despite being 'only' punk rock I do distort more in the metal territory, and we're just a trio so I have options to boost/fuzz over little solos or baselines etc. - Would love the ability to blend the clean and distortion signal... not absolutely critical but if not possible I want that sound that has plenty of definition, I use treble/tweeter quite a bit and don't want the opposite muddy blur, just. - ONE PEDAL! Nice to haves: - DI out, so that I can just take my pedal in the gigbag where the backline is provided/not allowed (we've gigs where some folk are fuzzy about bands bringing their own rigs... I always try bring mine but yeah) - Simple/decent compressor - I'm a one knob guy tbh so long as it's not too complicated, just to thicken up a bit but also I can EQ the clean to push that tone anyway. Shortlist so far...: - Ashdown Geezer Butler pedal of doom - I can use the clean by itself (pro) but the distortion/fuzz is one channel only (con) but both clean and distortion/fuzz can be used at the same time so maybe that could work...? - Barefaced Machinist - Seems like I could mix the clean to be engaged only with distortion and fuzz, rather than by itself (con) but I can do distortion and fuzz independently (pro) My budget would be up to £300 I'd want to say, can consider new but prefer second hand of course! Many, many thanks! Much as I've traded a million basses and changed amps, pedals is definitely not my forte so apologies if I'm asking for something that's right in front of me. Best, Ander.

@Philverado I've got a T900 on sale for peanuts - and obviously that may not sound objective, but if it helps it's the only amp I've bought twice. Clean, good treble whilst much warmer than GK, direct and with good character - the taste knob takes you from Motown warmth to a scoop modern slap tone in a twist. Can't get a wrong tone out of it. One of the few amps that will do 600w at 4 ohm too... and the 1.7kg for 900w is a ridiculous form factor! Even if you buy new or not from me, my vote goes to the T900, without a doubt! I've played the RM500 and RM800 and consider them quite blurry especially by comparison.

Thank you for this! good to know whilst figuring out how things work here!

Aha! I normally do the simplest of compression so the one knob approach works for me - if you push the compressor somewhere to 7/10 the volume starts to match the uncompressed signal... Hm I'll give it a try - really hoping to keep my rig as a 'one pedal just' solution to add distortion and that's it. Best, Ander.

It's wise to admit when one is wrong, especially when bought the amp and tried at low volume... I got the Alpha Omega Photon before the ABM thinking I'd need all that but.... ... I'm noodling a bit further on the ABM and to be frank, with the Sub octave and EQ on/off I can make a 'boost' out of it... also the amp sounds so good that I do feel I don't need all these bells and whistles of the AO Photon... The Ashdown footswitch and a simpler Alpha Omega / Microtubes X will most definitely do the job - will put the Alpha Omega Photon on sale...! Best, Ander.

Update - brought the Ashdown ABM 600 Evo IV (20th Anniversary, hand wired/made in UK). It SLAMS!! loving the EQ, a couple of small tweaks and you go from full Motown to zingy rumble straight from bass to amp. Now I feel I need a bigger Barefaced than my BB2, hoping that shall resolve soon too! Thanks everyone for your help...!

So... I got home from picking up my new amp... It is shocking amazing!!! Very surprised, absolutely loving it - clear and punchy, super warm - only had it plugged straight from the bass as I'm kinda busy but will report with more thoughts...! ABM 600 Evo IV 20th Anniversary - hand made and hand wired in UK... (for a steal, could not pass!) PS: You'll agree with me that now my BB2 looks silly small and warrants a big cab aye!? It does sound loud and fantastic, surprised how loud it gets on an 8 Ohm cab, god knows how it'd be on a ST/BT/Six10....!!

Oh gotcha! All clear now I assumed so as it showed what you were talking about re: size and all...

Seeing as you’ve matched the Six10 and the BT2 with the ABM’s (correct me if I’m wrong) what made you switch over to the BT2?

thank you! Even if I don’t have it anymore this is the bass that turned me to ‘I need a P with flats’! Normal bass on rounds but fantastic on flats!! The cracking on the nitro was tasty too… hope my AO’s turn like that sometime!

just great looking. I tried this with @Skin Lewis’s limelight and I miss this bass sometimes… I will say I prefer the AO 60s but that should be expected…!

The taste of this man…!