looking for a bass overdrive

[keko]

Hi
I've just read some post about bassifying guitar pedals. Indeed,

there must be something in the air

I've been playing a lot with my mxr dst + and love it each minute more (although my jcm 900 hates it, my SS trace elliot does the opposite).

My bass player liked it too, thoug he's looking for something less 'fuzzy' (that's what he said). He didn't like tha bazz fuzz neither, and certainly, it didn't sound 'right' with his active bass (with my strat it was awsome)

So, wich pedal should be my next try? I think Im looking for some mild overdrive that can handle bass frequencys.
Thanks.

[Gus]

Jazz or P bass style or what brand???

Neck or Bridge if applys

A Passive Jazz can sound very good with a D+

What kind of rig 10(s) 12(s) 15(s) 18(s) closed or vented?

Synth sounding or ?

Gus

[Stu]

i play both bass and guitar. For my band i just use a BMP with the usual tone stack turned to about 20% so this beefs things up but also lets the BMP sound thru. I will build another one with better matched transistors and a modified tone stack shortly cos frankly i love it and it beats anything else i've heard used on bass. (and i use a yamaha bass into a 300 watt ashton w/ 4x10 cab)

[moosapotamus]

Fat bass overdrive... Check out the Fat 'n' Pretty (compressor/overdrive). I posted it here a couple days ago.

~ Charlie

[BillyJ]

I think he actually plays both and standup too. He has many basses (one with twelve strings) but I think mostly the four string electric are what he is looking to pedal with. He also plays and Alembic alot with active electronics if that matters. Yikes looks like it miht be a heavy task, eh?

[Gus]

The reason for the actice passive question.  Some effects like the ff might need a resistor (like the input to the FT 69) if the output of the active circuit in the bass is a low Z one.  Also sometimes actives have a very hot output, this might restrict how much of the vol control can be used without overdriving the input of the effect.  I only have one active bass, a Stingray.  Its output seems to be OK.

 The vented or  closed  question has to do more with the power output of the amp IIRC the ampeg 8 x10 is a closed box design.  You might want to be careful with how much you extend the lows.

The place the pickup is at along the string affects the  harmonics.  Ps are great basses:  However jass style ones let you mix the pickups for a kind of tone control.

R.G. and others have posted at other sites in the pass about the use of pre and post eq.  

something I have been thinking about is the use of a < $100 mixer with 3 band eq.  I think MF has one on sale for about $40.  add an external switch have fun.

[keko]

I agree with gus.

I think that the output of the bass is so high, that it's the hard clipping what is perceived as that harsh sound.

As a side note, that dammed bass eats batteries. They only last about a month, maybe two. (it's an ibanez, don't recall what model)

Maybe using any dist.box before his compressor should help.

Thank you guys.

[ethniccheese]

I use the Tube Screamer TS-808 modded for Bass.  The sound can be subtle to heavy OD and sounds quite nice.  I also use the Big Muff for a fat fuzz distortion, but the TS is a nice overdrive.

[pedalgrinder]

I suggest you try and build yourself a tubezone and change the caps in the signal path to double it gets rid of the flabby bass when distorted

[edvard]

Believe it or not, a little tweaking of the Differential Distortion got me a very cool and somewhat different distortion on Bass.
Not at all fuzzy, very aggressive and grind-y, and with a minimal bit of filtering, non-farty (my chief complaint with bass distortions and overdrives).

http://www.muzique.com/schem/diffuzz.gif
http://www.guitar-pedals-effects.com/DifferentialDistortionNotes.html

Two changes:
1- I can't remember if I used an op-amp instead of the 2N5088, or left it stock, but I'm pretty sure I buffered it with a source-follower FET if the latter, so either way should work, and then active v. passive wouldn't matter.
2- I changed the 100k resistor at the top of the two 2N3906's to 10k, and the cap above the 470k resistor to 0.033 or 0.047 uf (my notes say either...)

Of course, your mileage may vary, don't take my advice for Gospel.
It's a simple circuit, so breadboard it and see what tweaks you can come up with.  

[rosscocean]

I quite like Marshall Blues Breakers and ruetz modded Rats on bass for overdrive.

[kato]

The craig anderton bass fuzz is a mild bass fuzz that doesn't wreck the fundamental tone - still sounds like a solid bass foundation just with some fuzz on top. I've been using one for 13 years as my only (occasional) bass effect. It's a pretty easy build too.

[runmikeyrun]

wow, back from the dead!

[Meanderthal]

 Get or build a tube screamer. Find the input cap. Change it to .1uf. That's it! No need to monkey with the feedback cap, the mid hump sounds great PERFECT on bass as is.

The d+ is very much a distortion on bass... I like (a lot) it but yes it's fuzzy.

[roseblood11]

Catalinbread SFT! I built one for my wife and it's on almost all the time...

[edvard]

wow, back from the dead!

Holy spoiled milk, Batman!!
This thread is from 2003?!?! 

Never noticed, wow.
Wonder if OP ever found a bass overdrive to their liking? 

[keko]

Wow, really  old post, right?

For sure, 12 years after asking I've found some alternatives. The BigMuff among favorites, and quite recently I rescued a failed attempt at a JCM800 vet emulator, and it's quite nice with my active bass!

[FuzzFanatic71]

I have loads of options but if you wanted a small board with all the bass dirt you could ever want on one board I would suggest. Mine are all clones. D.A.M Ezekiel 25-17, Mid-Fi Demo Tape fuzz, Green Russian Muff, Ampeg Scrambler. A board with those 4 pedals will get you some of the best bass dirt sounds.