Bass Fuzz/Dist

[Submarine]

I'm playing more bass these days but I'm not so knowledgeable on bass OD/dist/fuzz other than the Muff and the Rat.  The Dark Glass stuff looks cool but I'm looking for some opinions.  What do you all like?

[mortlock]

i love my morley cliff burton signature fuzz wah. i tried a swollen pickle but i dont like it on bass, cant quite put my finger on it but it just doesnt sit right in the mix to my ears. i also have an old dod classic tube pedal that sounds great with bass. 

[Pissy]

I recently picked up a Boss Metal Zone used to mess with, but using it primarily as a boost.  Turn the dist to zero, crank the level, 12 o'clock on the tone knobs .  On guitar it sounds incredible going into a Valve Jr linked with a 410.  Particularly for the guitars without super hot pickups.  The hotter ones i need to pull the level back a bit because it gets inconsistent and muddy.  Might try it with bass to see how it responds. 


Not exactly fuzz, but really awesome sound.

[Submarine]

Burton fuzz wah looks intriguing.
Interesting about the Metal Zone on bass.  I know the metal zone gets a bad rap on a lot of forums but I thought it sounded good if you could take the time to get the eq right.  Those eq's were super finicky.

[mortlock]

This thread made me break out an old bass multi fx pedal ive had since the early 90s and havent used in much since then. Boss be-5b. Man this thing sounds great. Im not sure why i discontinued using it. Not a pic of mine but mine is this one. I think you can find these used for not too much money.

[Muffin Man]

When my bass player brought in his new distortion/fuzz box it was one of the worst days of my life. I really had to rein in his propensity for turning it on 10. Whatever Cliff Burton used was probably what he brought in, all I know is that I then and there understood what can of bees meant. He was giddy as a maniac. Good times.

[Pissy]

Haha.  I recall Dr. Madvibe.

[Submarine]

I just picked up a DarkGlass MicroTubes Ultra.  I've only spent a few minutes with it but I'm already pleased with it.  You can high pass the distortion to keep your low end clean.  And in response to MuffinMan, yeah, don't turn the gain all the way up.

[Muffin Man]

blah blah blah (Gibson rape) oh, oh look! there's a sucker over there, where? over there!

[Muffin Man]

[Muffin Man]

And in response to MuffinMan, yeah, don't turn the gain all the way up.

Neato! I jumped at the cat a second ago. But anyway, all in the family my friend. Keep in touch. I think we might have a song or two. I'll call you up for a session! (sorry about the jump)

[Stonergrunge]

When my bass player brought in his new distortion/fuzz box it was one of the worst days of my life.

Really?!

[giantchris]

Idiotbox Effects makes a couple fantastic & unusual distortions that are great on bass. I use the Landphil which is a modified RAT circuit mixed with a BBE sonic maximizer and I also use their Deathmaster which is a modified tubescreamer with a filter that gives you that Celtic Frost sound.

[everdrone]

I am looking too for the perfect bass distortion

seems like it could be good:

https://fuzzworship.com/product/bass-mountain/

Im thinking giza would be too much distortion even though I love sleep:

https://doesitdoom.com/product/giza/

I have been using my keeley modded rat but I think it takes out the low end and is way too much distortion.  been using it with another clean rig but that is too much trouble a lot of times.

[everdrone]

i was looking at the MXR M85 seems pretty adjustable and go used for $90:

[James1214]

I just use a Russian Big Muff for all my bass distortion, it's worked for me for 20 years. I love the aggressive tone it gets when paired with my 4003.

[Muffin Man]

When my bass player brought in his new distortion/fuzz box it was one of the worst days of my life.

Really?!

Really. hahaha I found out that a bassist can change things radically and quick! A drummer can change the beat and wreak havoc on a dime but the bass can shift the whole program, which is what happened. After the initial shock things settled down and even the player dialed back. We went from an 4x10 SWR cab clean and tight to a 1x15 floppy thing and that was also a revelation. Nothing wrong with any of it. Good times.

[renfield]

I thought I had my bass overdrive dialed to all fuck, like every EQ band on the amp tweaked to molecular precision, but the second you add a guitar it changes the whole thing. How to get bass to sound good on its own AND in the context of the full band?

[James1214]

Dial the fuzziness back. After many years I basically played a mostly uneffected "clean" amp, where the dirt was coming mostly from amp gain and a little overdrive from a modded tube screamer. In the full band context and would kick on my distortion, with a healthy amount of boost dialed in for solos and parts that warranted it. Basically I was selective with the heavy fuzz tone.

Whith the last 3 records I made I'd track with an amp live in the room, plus a DI to get straight bass tone, but still be able to capture the feedback and harmonics that come with having a 150 watt amp right next to me. Then we'd re-amp a base amp tone, then an overdrive and fuzz, then mix as needed for the song.

Insofar as sounding good in both settings, I'm not sure it's actually that possible. I've kind of never liked any of my tones on their own, bass or guitar. But when complimented by all the other sonic complexity they work well.

[Submarine]

You probably need less drive than you think.  Also its helpful if there is a mix knob so you can let the lowest frequencies stay clean.  If you are recording, you can put your di before the drive and then mic the amp with the drive or fuzz and blend them together.

[Muffin Man]

crappy gear will sound crappy especially when it all adds-up. one pile ontop another. Precision! is your friend. If there's a loose-goose the sound will wilt like an old salad. Stay fresh! Get the best! Think Vince Lombardi, paraphrased, it's not the little things that matter, it's everything. Why does a 3-piece outfit even work, at all? Space and Air! Why does a 3-legged barstool not tip-over?

[Muffin Man]

but the second you add a guitar it changes the whole thing

individual musicians stand on their own, such as yourself, as monsterly gifted and then when they mix-and-mingle they have to mix-and-minlgle. there is only one problemo when they meet. can they smell what the rock is cooking? no smell, no rock. It has to pass the "sniff test" aka chemistry.

[James1214]

Muffin, don't mean to be a dick. But what in the actual fuck are you talking about? I can't really comprehend what you have written, much less what it has to do with the topic of how to get a bass sound that is fuzzy, yet works in the context of a band.

[Muffin Man]

James! always a pleasure... "yet works in the context of the band" um, let's not mince words. A bass player is a nice person but the very.fucking.second they push a button on a pedal they become a bastard. How is that a surprise? Distortion pedal dumb as fuck. They should get their woofer-squakin' from the, um.woofer.  Or tubes. And not even tubes. the woofer!

[Muffin Man]

Muffin, don't mean to be a dick. But what in the actual fuck are you talking about? I can't really comprehend what you have written, much less what it has to do with the topic of \

this too shall pass