(Cheap) Gain/OD Pedal

[theyellowcar]

My current backline set-up is pretty limited, i.e. I don't have a gain control to add a bit of crunch/warmth to my sound. I'm not looking for anything drastic, just something add a bit of grit without having to push my amp to the point it shakes the walls of my house!

Final caveat, it would be great if the bill was sub-£40! I have no aversion to used gear!

[paul_5]

Boss ODB3s can be had fairly cheap on the used market, but there are loads of others that would fit this bill. Why not put up a wanted ad in the Market forum?

[craigcapener]

Check out some of the mooer pedals. I have one of their pitch shifting pedals and its amazing for the price. I'm not sure how their distortions sound on bass but definitely worth checking out. Around £60 brand new and I'm sure you could find second hand models no prob

[dudewheresmybass]

Answers to couple of questions would help guide you a little better-
What amp rig do you have?
What kind of music do you play?

Edited December 15, 2013 by dudewheresmybass

[dudewheresmybass]

All of the mooer drive pedals I've tried ( most of the range) lose some bottom end.
The most likely candidates for the level of drive you're after in the price range would be a secondhand cool cat transparent overdrive, a secondhand hardwire tube od, or the chord bod50. Obviously IMO and ime

[Lozz196]

The Joyo Vintage Overdrive (Tubescreamer clone) is a nice sounding pedal and at £29.95 within budget. As with many, you lose some bottom end but if it`s going to be on all the time to add to your sound that`s not a problem - just add some lows on the amp. Only an issue if swapping between sounds and even then it`s workable fairly easily.

[ratman]

IMO, the Boss ODB3 isn't crunchy, lots of high end fizz with that one. You could try a Muff. I have a TC Mojo and it's a really creamy overdrive, very valve like. They're about £80 new but worth looking for s/h. I got mine here on BC for £50. The Mooer Green Mile is aTube Screamer clone but does colour your tone, £60 new I think.
You get what you pay for with the cheaper end of the effects market so it might be worth spending a little more, and, buy a used pedal. If you buy one s/h and find it's not for you you can sell it here and you won't end up too much out of pocket. Check out You Tube for lots of reviews on pedals too.
Happy hunting.

[Sibob]

Yes I would stay away from the ODB-3. More fizzy buzz than anything IMO.
If you're handy with a soldering iron, why not consider putting something together yourself. Check out pedalparts.co.uk , full kits galore

Si

[Musky]

No one mentioned the BDI-21 yet? Probably best left as an 'always on' pedal but worth it for the DI capabilities alone and cheap as chips.

I'd also agree with the comments on the Boss, but it seems to be a bit of a marmite pedal that others love. That's the problem with trying to buy OD pedals - everyone has their own idea of the sound they're after and chasing that sound can end up being an expensive business. FWIW the Chord BOD is an ODB3 clone as well.

[dudewheresmybass]

The bod may be a clone but sounds MUCH better than the original. I have used them side by side and found the bod sounded HUGELY better and less fizzy.
Rather than the mooer pedal recommended earlier, do try and find the hardwire. The cm2 tube od is a beautiful, valvey gritty drive that will add anything from a little hair to the full on raging drive sound. It has a great two band eq, which will halt any low end loss in its tracks

[ratman]

Another Boss clone is the GLX Bass OD, a lot less fizzy. They're really cheap. The TC Mojo has bass & treble EQ too, very handy. Re Sibobs suggestion of building a kit - there is a BYOC bass OD kit, around $80, that has bass & treble EQ and a wet/dry blend pot.
I've just had a look at the Hardwire OD pedal mentioned above, and I might try one of them myself at some point.

Edited December 15, 2013 by ratman

[chrismuzz]

Get a used behringer BDI21 and a lomenzo hyperdrive. If you're lucky you can get them with a combined cost of around £70. You will have a lot of versatility and an incredible sound!

[0175westwood29]

the boss md-2 mega distortion is a a nice drive on bass, for a light overdrive its best to use it sparingly as it can get a bit crazy but with the bass and trable controls it allows you to keep a bit of bottom end.

andy

[Alfie]

I am of the opinion that simpler is better and it doesn't get much simpler than an EH LPB-1, one transistor to add a bit of gain and drive, no messing around with ICs.

They are less than £30 new and loads of expensive boosts are based on the circuit.

[chrismuzz]

[quote name='Alfie' timestamp='1387114157' post='2308271']
I am of the opinion that simpler is better and it doesn't get much simpler than an EH LPB-1
[/quote]

Good shout. I've never tried this pedal but EHX don't seem to be capable of 'getting it wrong'!

[Jonesy64]

Has a Digitech Bad Monkey been mentioned?

It has a very good EQ and capable of getting quite dirty.

I have never used one with bass but I would imagine the low/high EQ would be able to hang on to the bottom end.

You could pick one up easy enough for £20/£25 on east ray bay.

[theyellowcar]

Thanks for the suggestions everyone! Plenty to get stuck in to!

The favourites so far (having cruised through a number of YouTube demos) are the BDI21, the LPB-1 (which both look to be exactly what I was after) and then the Hardwire, which just looks incredibly versatile and well put together!

Plenty to think about!

[Guest FretNoMore]

Joyo Ultimate Drive gets a lot of love over on Talkbass, I haven't tried it myself but at the price I am tempted to get one just to see what the hype is about.

[Iheartreverb]

Digitech bass driver is pretty good, blend keeps low end while level and morph changes the gain. I don't need mine anymore if you fancy it for a steal?

[danbowskill]

bad monkey all the way.
best sounding value pedal imo

[Sibob]

Bare in mind that the LPB-1 is essentially a clean boost, it will only work as an overdrive if it's driving a tube amp (which you might be running of course), you don't want to clip your solid-state amp :-/

If you're on a budget, I can confirm that the Boss MD-2 is cool, more than enough bottom end on tap, I much preferred it over the ODB-3, especially in the band mix.
In fact, have an oolldddd comparison vid I did:

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pimHiDdNl34[/media]
For all three 8-bar riffs the sequence is: Clean - ODB-3 - MD-2 (so ignore the picture)

As above, I've also heard good things about the Hardwire CM-2.
The Bad Monkey is cool, basically a tube-screamer, however often requires a mod to get enough bottom-end through.

Si

[bakerster135]

Joe's pedals have a used MD-2 for sale

[url="http://www.joespedals.com/acatalog/Boss_Mega_Distortion.html"]http://www.joespedals.com/acatalog/Boss_Mega_Distortion.html[/url]

£35! Bargain...

[Sibob]

[quote name='bakerster135' timestamp='1387208026' post='2309349']
Joe's pedals have a used MD-2 for sale

[url="http://www.joespedals.com/acatalog/Boss_Mega_Distortion.html"]http://www.joespedal...Distortion.html[/url]

£35! Bargain...
[/quote]

Used to be mine, so its the one in that video/audio test

Si

[lefrash]

I've got a MD2. I run a clean signal too, but I think the MD2 is great! Very cheap too.

[Maude]

[quote name='chrismuzz' timestamp='1387112524' post='2308253']
Get a used behringer BDI21 and a lomenzo hyperdrive. If you're lucky you can get them with a combined cost of around £70. You will have a lot of versatility and an incredible sound!
[/quote]

This exactly!
I was going to say either one for your cost, preferably the hyperdrive, but both would be awesome.