Recommend a distortion pedal?

[EliasMooseblaster]

If you've already got a nice valve amp, then an Ibanez Bass Tubescreamer might work perfectly . I managed to get my hands on one a few months ago - a bugger to track down, I can tell you, but definitely worth the effort. I haven't had a chance to try it through a valve amp, but even through a SS it's perfect for soloing; if you play with the settings it can do some fairly serious dirt as well.

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lgaoodi33mg[/media]

Edited December 4, 2012 by EliasMooseblaster

[Westie9]

If its just a little your after to colour the sound, what about a Digitech Bad Monkey ? For about £35 it's definitely worth a try.....

[62P-Bass]

I've gone and ordered the Darkglass B3K - such a lot of good things being said about them! It's a bit of a shot in the dark anyway as I'm a distortion novice, but I was reassured by the kudos, small footprint, simple design and when I found out the 3 Leaf Audio guy is involved that was the clincher - I absolutely love my Photon pedal.

Cheers for all the learned advice, and yes, tweeter is firmly turned off on the Aguilar 2x10!

Andrew

[hamfist]

I've just been through a mass of distortion pedals, only to realise that it is a fuzz pedal on a lower gain setting, mixed with a clean signal that I'm looking for. There's a "broken glass" quality in the high end (even without a tweeter) that is not to my taste with distortion pedals,

[paul_5]

[quote name='hamfist' timestamp='1355043387' post='1893177']
I've just been through a mass of distortion pedals, only to realise that it is a fuzz pedal on a lower gain setting, mixed with a clean signal that I'm looking for. There's a "broken glass" quality in the high end (even without a tweeter) that is not to my taste with distortion pedals,
[/quote]

Ditto. I went through about a dozen last year and ended up going back to a Russian Muff. Replaced the 2nd pair of clipping diodes for a pair of germaniums and finally got 'my sound'. Kind of back where I started...

...it was fun finding out though!

[hamfist]

[quote name='paul_5' timestamp='1355044308' post='1893188']
Ditto. I went through about a dozen last year and ended up going back to a Russian Muff. Replaced the 2nd pair of clipping diodes for a pair of germaniums and finally got 'my sound'. Kind of back where I started...

...it was fun finding out though!
[/quote]

Fun but a little expensive !

It's the more "open" nature of the drive in a fuzz that I like compared to the "tighter" broken glass type drive in every distortion pedal I've tried (yes, even the B3K and B7K). It sounds to me that the wavelength of the clipping is significantly longer in a fuzz. Either that or the frequencies that are being driven in a fuzz are very different to those in most distortion pedals. I'm finding it very difficult to describe what I'm hearing.

These are obviously utterly subjective terms that I'm using but hopefully people might get an idea of what I'm talking about.

[clauster]

[quote name='Sibob' timestamp='1353604837' post='1876540']
Haha, let me know if you order one
Ryan and family are great to deal with!

Si
[/quote]

I've had a suspicion that someone might have got me one for Christmas. I've just seen a parcel from the US be delivered

[Sibob]

[quote name='clauster' timestamp='1355929281' post='1904602']
I've had a suspicion that someone might have got me one for Christmas. I've just seen a parcel from the US be delivered
[/quote]

That's so cool, wish I had a secret Fuzzrocious for christmas
I've found out that I really don't like many distortions at all on anything smaller than a 12" speaker....and even then, it has to be coupled with a 15. One or two 15s for Distortion is the ideal for me.

Si

[Ant]

i love the sound of my darkglass B3k through my barefaced cab, its my holy grail now!

but its such a personal thing, people can hate what other people love, the vintage microtubes looking interesting.

i also really REALLY love anything tubescreamer based

[Sibob]

[quote name='Ant' timestamp='1356099108' post='1906824']
i love the sound of my darkglass B3k through my barefaced cab, its my holy grail now!

but its such a personal thing, people can hate what other people love, the vintage microtubes looking interesting.

i also really REALLY love anything tubescreamer based
[/quote]

I think the tubescreamer circuit is where it's at really, the Xotic BB pre is based on that.

Si

[Ant]

yeah, ill always have something tubescreamer-based at home

all i have now is my pearce BC1 actually! better get some more tubescreamers

[bass_ennyday]

i would like to recommend you the following pedals:

- Catalinbread SFT
- Z.Vex Box of Rock (cheaper: clone)
- MXR Bass Overdrive (shipping march 2013)

DON´T go for the EHX Bass Big Muff ... worst pedal ever.

[Doddy]

[quote name='bass_ennyday' timestamp='1356354875' post='1909434']
DON´T go for the EHX Bass Big Muff ... worst pedal ever.
[/quote]
There are quite a few people who will disagree with you there.

[clauster]

[quote name='Sibob' timestamp='1356097946' post='1906790']
That's so cool, wish I had a secret Fuzzrocious for christmas
Si
[/quote]

Happy happy joy joy!!

I got given the package earlier. Inside was a Kid-paint Rat King. Have brought it home and had a quick play though my Pod and 'phones. The range of tones is huge!! The option of having two different levels of distortion is great (most of the time I'm either clean or a bit of grit but a couple of our songs require a full on creamy distortion). Plus, if nothing else, the feedback loop will be great for drowning out the guitarist when he goes on a between songs widdle-fest

[Sibob]

[quote name='clauster' timestamp='1356361555' post='1909519']
Happy happy joy joy!!

I got given the package earlier. Inside was a Kid-paint Rat King. Have brought it home and had a quick play though my Pod and 'phones. The range of tones is huge!! The option of having two different levels of distortion is great (most of the time I'm either clean or a bit of grit but a couple of our songs require a full on creamy distortion). Plus, if nothing else, the feedback loop will be great for drowning out the guitarist when he goes on a between songs widdle-fest
[/quote]

Awesome....pics of the kid-paint please . My Grey Stache is a kid-paint.
I was jealous of you, so I ordered a custom paint Oh See Demon yesterday lol

Si

[TomWIC]

[quote name='bass_ennyday' timestamp='1356354875' post='1909434']
i would like to recommend you the following pedals:

- Catalinbread SFT
- Z.Vex Box of Rock (cheaper: clone)
- MXR Bass Overdrive (shipping march 2013)

DON´T go for the EHX Bass Big Muff ... worst pedal ever.
[/quote]

Are there any demos of the MXR available?

[clauster]

[quote name='Sibob' timestamp='1356371914' post='1909674']
Awesome....pics of the kid-paint please . My Grey Stache is a kid-paint.
I was jealous of you, so I ordered a custom paint Oh See Demon yesterday lol

Si
[/quote]

Happy to oblige -


A bright orange stickman with white bits!

Pics of yours when you get it pease.

[Sibob]

[quote name='clauster' timestamp='1356472612' post='1910460']
Happy to oblige -


A bright orange stickman with white bits!

Pics of yours when you get it pease.
[/quote]

Very cool, Yeah Kaeden is starting to get some stick figures on his boxes now, very cool little guy!
Here's my Grey Stache:



My new OSD will take a month or two I think, and will be painted by Shannon

Si

[clauster]

Nice, you'll cover a lot of tones with the OSD and GS

[D.I. Joe]

[quote name='paul_5' timestamp='1352406386' post='1862753']

if I hadn't fallen head over heels with my DHA pedal then that's one that I'd have kept. Sounds brilliant and looks awesome.
Fairly mahoosive footprint though.
[/quote]

Sorry to back track the thread somewhat but I'm thinking of looking for an alternative to mine. I have the VT1-bass-drive-eq and the tone is fantastic but its so huge! I'm thinking I might swap it for a smaller DHA or maybe a different more compact valve overdrive, if anybody could recommend one?

[GarethFlatlands]

[quote name='D.I. Joe' timestamp='1356812766' post='1913975']
Sorry to back track the thread somewhat but I'm thinking of looking for an alternative to mine. I have the VT1-bass-drive-eq and the tone is fantastic but its so huge! I'm thinking I might swap it for a smaller DHA or maybe a different more compact valve overdrive, if anybody could recommend one?
[/quote]

The SFX Micro Red Dragon is well thought of for low gain sounds. I've not tried one but they look very cool and are teeny tiny small too.

[Sibob]

The Xotic Bass BB Pre is a previous versatile pedal, from low-gain overdrive to pick driven distortion!
All in a small enclosure!

Si

[D.I. Joe]

Cool I'll check those out when I get a few minutes. Is there such thing as a compact(ish) overdrive with a valve onboard?

[Sibob]

[quote name='D.I. Joe' timestamp='1356963757' post='1915689']
Cool I'll check those out when I get a few minutes. Is there such thing as a compact(ish) overdrive with a valve onboard?
[/quote]

Not that I know of, the DHA will be the kind of size you can expect if you want an actual tube.
The Catalinbread SFT is also based on SVT sounds.

Si

[DHA]

[quote name='Sibob' timestamp='1356972994' post='1915889']
Not that I know of, the DHA will be the kind of size you can expect if you want an actual tube.
The Catalinbread SFT is also based on SVT sounds.

Si
[/quote]

my new "smaller" range was designed to get the size down but still keep the same circuit design and tone.

Dave