Light drive pedal for more aggressive tone

[CameronJ]

I have an Orange Juice and have to say it's great. Particularly when you consider its size and price. The tone of it is pretty scuptable to suit a variety of tastes. I've just bought a SFX Sound 2-in-1 distortion/fuzz from The Twickerman of this parish though. So far it's sounding great and is so convenient to have two fine tuned dirt sounds in one fairly compact box. With regret I may end up selling my Orange Juice soon!

[dave_bass5]

I expect ill sell my VMT now, maybe even the VTBass DI. Now i have my basic always on dirt i might give the OS ago for more dirt on songs that need it, might even try another Soul Food.

Part of my problem was looking for a dirty always on tone, but needing both more and less dirt. I dont think this can come from one small pedal (had a VTBass deluxe but never got on with it) so now ill go for a two pedal set up. The VMT and VTBass will not be part of the chain though.

[Graham]

[quote name='CameronJ' timestamp='1503495036' post='3358695']
I have an Orange Juice and have to say it's great. Particularly when you consider its size and price. The tone of it is pretty scuptable to suit a variety of tastes. I've just bought a SFX Sound 2-in-1 distortion/fuzz from The Twickerman of this parish though. So far it's sounding great and is so convenient to have two fine tuned dirt sounds in one fairly compact box. With regret I may end up selling my Orange Juice soon!
[/quote]

Is that a Soundblox 2 OFD?

If so, that's what I've just sold and replaced with the Orange Juice and Big Muff, the tones were great but I found the programmable nature of it too fiddly.

[fretmeister]

Darkglass B3K

Most people use it cranked I think.

Personally I love it at low gain. Adds a wonderful quality. I even use it when playing big band!

[CameronJ]

[quote name='Graham' timestamp='1503503843' post='3358782']


Is that a Soundblox 2 OFD?

If so, that's what I've just sold and replaced with the Orange Juice and Big Muff, the tones were great but I found the programmable nature of it too fiddly.
[/quote]

No but I have an OFD too which I like. I'm used to the programming as I have a Manta too and love it. My new drive is a combination of the Micro Fuzz and Black Dragon distortion from SFX Sound - the folk who make the Micro Thumpinator. Very nice tones out of this thing.

[dave_bass5]

[quote name='fretmeister' timestamp='1503504610' post='3358788']
Darkglass B3K

Most people use it cranked I think.

Personally I love it at low gain. Adds a wonderful quality. I even use it when playing big band!
[/quote]

I do want to try one. Ive got the emulation in my Zoom B3n and it does sound nice (not as nice as the B7K). its not a cheap pedal though and there seems to be a lot of options under that price. Maybe ill get a trade with my VMT. Really gone off the VMT at the moment.

[fretmeister]

I sold my VMTD quite quickly. Just wasn't for me.

[dave_bass5]

[quote name='fretmeister' timestamp='1503512355' post='3358863']
I sold my VMTD quite quickly. Just wasn't for me.
[/quote]

I replaced my old BDDI with a VMTD. I did like it, even though i missed the BDDi. It’s the VMT i dont really like, even though ive had it for a while. In fact i sold it on here very quickly but brought it back and it’s been giged enough, its just now i find it a bit dark and not what i really want. It’s nice having the BDDI back. I’d love a B7K but that’s silly money for what i need.

[Graham]

[quote name='CameronJ' timestamp='1503509127' post='3358833']


No but I have an OFD too which I like. I'm used to the programming as I have a Manta too and love it. My new drive is a combination of the Micro Fuzz and Black Dragon distortion from SFX Sound - the folk who make the Micro Thumpinator. Very nice tones out of this thing.
[/quote]

Oh I saw that, it looked really cool.

I did consider it, but thought it wouldn't get clean enough for me on the drive side.

[Dood]

[quote name='Bigwan' timestamp='1502284820' post='3350461']
The Ashdown Lomenzo is one of my all time favourite pedals. I've been planning to reverse engineer mine and build a clone in a smaller enclosure for quite a while. It's still on the "to do" list though...
[/quote]

I'd point you toward trying the Sheehan Signature Deluxe from EBS. They have a certain amount in common on certain settings. For me though the EBS topped my charts

[fretmeister]

I didn't like the Lomenzo at all, but I really like my EBS.

Even for low drive.

[Dood]

[quote name='fretmeister' timestamp='1503528605' post='3359011']
I didn't like the Lomenzo at all, but I really like my EBS.

Even for low drive.
[/quote]

I [i]really[/i] like my BSSDD. Really. I like it that much, I'm contemplating adding it to the Helix LT lol..

[CameronJ]

[quote name='Graham' timestamp='1503520626' post='3358949']


Oh I saw that, it looked really cool.

I did consider it, but thought it wouldn't get clean enough for me on the drive side.
[/quote]

It's really cool. On the distortion circuit, with the drive turned all the way down I sometimes have to double check if it's on! So it gets pretty clean but will still bite at minimum drive when you dig in.

[Prime_BASS]

Xotic BB bass Preamp. I've had at least one on my board for well over 5 years now. And infact I still have my first one, and all its needed is a little switch cleaner.

It doesn't colour the bass' sound at all, and with the gain set at zero you get a very transparent clean boost and 2 band Pre-amp. It's gain knob has a very useable range too, from clean as above all the way to super gnarly. At one point I had two to get best of both worlds.

As a side note I've owned most of the other big name drive units (tech 21; darkglass etc) but always go back to this pedal. And I'd love another!

[Al Krow]

I've heard some good things about the [url="https://www.andertons.co.uk/tc-electronic-mojomojo-overdrive"]TC Mojomojo[/url] and Andertons are currently selling them for a ridiculously low price (£47 incl delivery). Very tempted to get one!

...just seen they only had seven left in stock. Well just six left now

Edited October 27, 2017 by Al Krow

[outsider70]

[quote name='Al Krow' timestamp='1509127265' post='3396902']
I've heard some good things about the [url="https://www.andertons.co.uk/tc-electronic-mojomojo-overdrive"]TC Mojomojo[/url] and Andertons are currently selling them for a ridiculously low price (£47 incl delivery). Very tempted to get one!

...just seen they only had seven left in stock. Well just six left now
[/quote]

Just started using the Mojomojo, seems to work great so far!
Previously tried the Bass Soul Food.......couldnt get it to do anything worthwhile.

[Al Krow]

[quote name='outsider70' timestamp='1509190947' post='3397225']
Just started using the Mojomojo, seems to work great so far!
Previously tried the Bass Soul Food.......couldnt get it to do anything worthwhile.
[/quote]

Very encouraging to hear, thanks. Osiris is also a massive fan; he described it to me as [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif][i]"the best sounding bass overdrive pedal that I've heard"[/i][/font][/color][i].[/i] W[color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]hich is high praise indeed from someone with 30 years of gigging experience and certainly persuaded me to give it a try out. We both agreed that the Andertons' price of £47 delivered for this new (down from £80 plus P&P) is a steal. There's one for even less, in what looks like mint condition, in the FS section.[/font][/color]

Mine should be arriving on Monday and looking forward to it!

[Al Krow]

[quote name='Al Krow' timestamp='1509127265' post='3396902']
I've heard some good things about the [url="https://www.andertons.co.uk/tc-electronic-mojomojo-overdrive"]TC Mojomojo[/url] and Andertons are currently selling them for a ridiculously low price (£47 incl delivery). Very tempted to get one!
...just seen they only had seven left in stock. Well just six left now
[/quote]

Well six of the seven that were on when I got mine have now flown off the shelf in the last 48 hours, so just one new one left at Andertons for their bargain basement price plus a fairly mint one for even less in the FS section. I should be on a commission!

[tonyxtiger]

I’d definitely add the Pike Vulcan XL to the list. It will give the grit you need for that sort of JJ / Chelsea Dagger tone because you can push the mids and still add bottom end. In the same way the Lomenzo and Sheehan drive let you push the mids but it still has more of an old school tone to it.
It also stays pretty focused but not in the dry darkglass djent way.

[radiophonic]

I'd be reluctant to take any advice without considering the rest of your signal chain. I've found that the treble boost in active basses can be a very bad combination with higher gain pedals (Pike specifically), giving a sort of low passed clean + fizzy top sound. I've heard it work well with passive basses though and with middier actives. The Bass Soul Food boosts the mids noticeably, which can help in a mix but it does change your sound - I can't work out whether it's shelving the bass too or whether its's just an artefact of the mid push. I only use mine as a clean-ish boost now, when switching basses. For grit, I use a Pork Loin, which is usually considered as a pretty low gain pedal (in fact the early version didn't even say 'overdrive' on it), but I find it gnarlier than a Soul Food, probably because the pre-amp is quite dark and the gain stage will overdrive the low end without losing definition. You can dial back the gain internally too. However, I struggled to get a clean sound out of the pre-amp without running it at 18v (not explicitly recommended by Dunlop, but plenty of people do it for this reason). In my set up, it sounds great, but YMMV. Whatever you settle on, I'd recommend trying before you buy or going S/H. Once the drummer kicks off, it'll all sound different anyway.

[CameronJ]

[quote name='radiophonic' timestamp='1509350054' post='3398167']
I'd be reluctant to take any advice without considering the rest of your signal chain. I've found that the treble boost in active basses can be a very bad combination with higher gain pedals (Pike specifically), giving a sort of low passed clean + fizzy top sound. I've heard it work well with passive basses though and with middier actives. The Bass Soul Food boosts the mids noticeably, which can help in a mix but it does change your sound - I can't work out whether it's shelving the bass too or whether its's just an artefact of the mid push. I only use mine as a clean-ish boost now, when switching basses. For grit, I use a Pork Loin, which is usually considered as a pretty low gain pedal (in fact the early version didn't even say 'overdrive' on it), but I find it gnarlier than a Soul Food, probably because the pre-amp is quite dark and the gain stage will overdrive the low end without losing definition. You can dial back the gain internally too. However, I struggled to get a clean sound out of the pre-amp without running it at 18v (not explicitly recommended by Dunlop, but plenty of people do it for this reason). In my set up, it sounds great, but YMMV. Whatever you settle on, I'd recommend trying before you buy or going S/H. Once the drummer kicks off, it'll all sound different anyway.
[/quote]

This. All of this.

[lee650]

I've had the EHX BSF and it works well for that kind of sound, however I didn't care for the high mid tonality it added. I also had A VT bass, which I struggled with when setting the gain higher for drive as the volume jumped far too much (sounded amazing as a clean preamp though, so ill get another) I'm currently using a COG Knightfall the old version without the clean blend, it sounds fantastic when the gain is set low and reacts to your volume (the harder you play, the more it breaks up) it also can get quite heavy if needed, it's called a Distortion, but it's more like an OD.

[The59Sound]

Bearfoot Blueberry. Mods can now close the thread.

[lee650]

[quote name='The59Sound' timestamp='1509997867' post='3403163']
Bearfoot Blueberry. Mods can now close the thread.
[/quote]

yeah that's on my Christmas list theres a Hookers Green bass machine on here,isn't it supposed to sound close to the blueberry??

[Al Krow]

[quote name='The59Sound' timestamp='1509997867' post='3403163']
Bearfoot Blueberry. Mods can now close the thread.
[/quote]
[quote name='lee650' timestamp='1509999385' post='3403177']
yeah that's on my Christmas list theres a Hookers Green bass machine on here,isn't it supposed to sound close to the blueberry??
[/quote]

Which version - the Mad Professor or the Bearfoot Original?

Not sure either are going to beat the Mojomojo at the value for money & great sound end, or seriously threaten the Two Notes for a truly excellent 'light drive for more aggression' at the Christmas prezzie pricing end?

Mods, please keep this thread open for just a wee bit longer, till we properly get to the bottom of this