Bass Distortion/Overdrive. What works best with your MusicMan?

[kamakazee]

I've been thinking about an overdrive/distortion stompbox for the Bongo, and I was wondering what sounds good coupled with an EBMM bass. How many of you use overdrive? What overdrives work best with EBMM basses? Does anyone have any sound clips or videos with high quality audio?

I understand this a very subjective, and the answers will be as well - I'm just curious as to what you guys use. My goal is to have a warm drive that doesn't suck the "MusicMan" sound from the bass.

 

[danny-79]

I personally don't use a lot of Overdrive but on the rare occasion that i do i use a Boss-ODB-3, its a pretty easy, reliable pedal to use an gets the job done.

 

[Grand Wazoo]

This:

 

[melvin7822]

I had a VT Bass. I loved the distortion tones, but wished that it had a clean blend.

Right now, I use an MXR Bass Blowtorch. This is one of those pedals that most people would turn up their nose at, but you really need to work with it in a live context. It is suprisingly versatile if you give it a chance (again in live context). It can do subtle tube grind to over the top fuzz.

However, you need to remember at the end of the day while most of us can make our recommendations, it ultimately comes down to trying out the pedal. Just because we can make a pedal sound "good" in our context does not mean that you can expect the same.

 

[MK Bass Weed]

Loving This.

I have no desire to buy a new car or the back strength to transport the 'real thing'. To me..this gets me there, all the way, and it fits in the gig bag if you need it too. Bongo, Ray, whatever, this thing smokes.

mk

 

[Caca de Kick]

Bass Bigmuff, it has the ability to set it for blending with the original clean signal, or all effect. Its defintely more of a fuzz or overdrive, if you need face-ripping distortion look elsewhere. But I found most others just sucked the bottom end out of the tone.

 

[rizzo9247]

I love my sansamp. A solid overdrive pedal, and a great DI and preamp to boot.

 

[naruki]

Source Audio Multiwave Distortion Pro

 

[oli@bass]

The one's I have that are still in use:

• SansAmp RBI rackmount preamp is always engaged in my live rig and mixed to the dry signal. Produces a very nice hard driven SVT tube like grind.
• SansAmp PBDDI at home on my back up pedal board. I loved this one when I was on tour and didn't have any control over what bass amp would be on stage. Always mixed with dry signal.
• MXR Blow Torch. I have one on my live pedalboard and it just... blows (the others out of the water)... as already said, this sounds probably less good than others when played alone, but it really cuts in a live situation where other overdrives left me with nothing but a loud blur and undefined bass. This one is the chainsaw. Also has a blend knob. Love it.

 

[Berger912]

I use a EBS ValveDrive. has a real tube and go from subtle to very gritty

 

[Holdsg]

Just acquired the Tech 21 sansamp para driver, and started playing around with it. Preferred it over the Tech 21 BDDI because you could also move the mids (not an option on the other). Happy so far, but haven't used it live yet.

 

[clmjlg]

I use the fultone mofset bass driver and love the tone i get out of it. I also use a mxr bass fuzz sometimes that is alright but i think there are better fuzz pedals out there.

 

[syciprider]

My Bongo sounds awesome through a Dave Hall VT1 Std Bass. My SRs sound nice through my Fulltone BD

 

[Aussie Mark]

I really like the VT Bass, which as well as the SVT-like tones can nail the Fliptop tones as well.

These days I use this pedal to get warm tube-like overdrive from a solid state amp ....

The retail version is this one ...

 

[cyoungnashville]

I really like the VT Bass, which as well as the SVT-like tones can nail the Fliptop tones as well.

These days I use this pedal to get warm tube-like overdrive from a solid state amp ....

The retail version is this one ...

i seriously need to try this man. i know if u guys r ravin about it , its good. i love the vtbass, been using it pretty much since it hit the shelves. lately ive been diggin ehx bass blogger (unexpected), chunks brown dog (gates are cool), fulltone bass drive (eats some low end, but the way an amp actually would). amps dont really carry 20hz, a di will. trust me we have more bass at our disposal than is ever necessary. thnx dudley, even though we have never shown ourselves anywhere near mature enough to be trusted with that power. ok, well i havent. ive gone first, its ok to confess bass knob abuse brothers. ultimately..... not a pedal, but nothin beats this for distortion:

 

[Aussie Mark]

i seriously need to try this man. i know if u guys r ravin about it , its good.

Done. I've just asked Heath Cave to drop you an email.

 

[cyoungnashville]

Done. I've just asked Heath Cave to drop you an email.

thnxxx broseph!!!!

 

[silverburst]

I can send you one to try out, Craig...

 

[kamakazee]

Thanks for all the input guys. I think what I'm looking for is the Sansamp type sound. I like the BDDI and its brothers, as well as the RBI. I've gotta checkout that Blowtorch also. I'm forming my opinion on the tones, as its hard to tell what its going to sound like in the mix. I loved my ODB-3 but then I got the Bongo and it doesn't suit its tone. I found it had too much gain for my taste and was too harsh (no offense to the people that like it). I never could dial in a slight drive. I'd prefer a pedal with channels - one medium drive and one light drive would be good enough, and I believe the Sansamp pedals usually have 3 channels.

Does anyone have any good quality links of your pedal of choice in action?

 

[Grand Wazoo]

Does anyone have any good quality links of your pedal of choice in action?

Aye!

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xr8kdWpB3U4]YouTube - SansAmp VT Bass Character Series pedal[/ame]

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_be9GSlt_eQ]YouTube - Tech 21 SansAmp VT Bass[/ame]

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0vr_xlE8APg&feature=related"]YouTube - Tech 21 VT Bass Demo/Review[/ame]