Overdrive/distortion for bass

[Sauerkraut]

I need a good one. The few I've tried have been a bit disappointing. Didn't care for the Tech21 SansAmp's drive. Latest is a TC Electronic Spark Booster, which is not bad, but somehow lacks character? Anything TC Electronic seems to, to my ears. I can't bond with anything they make, including the Hall of Fame. Decent pedals, but clinical/cold/charmless somehow. Kinda like how Nord keyboards sound sorta dead to me. Yeah.

Ideally, I'm looking for something with a range like a Rat; from a nice, subtle drive to fuzz and everything in-between. And with character(?) I don't really know what I want, so please tell me your favorites and I'll try some.

[sessylU]

Boss ODB-3. Separate bass/treble controls and a wet/dry knob make it super usable.

Sounds SUPERB on guitar too.

[JSett]

Get a Rat and clip that resistor to Ruetz mod it. All the bass comes back and you get a great grindy distortion.

Also would vote for the venerable ODB-3. I have one somewhere I've used many, many times over the years and always got a great bass tone from it. Cheap on the used market too.

[thenewromance]

I think there is a Pete Thorn YT video showcasing the Wampler Ratsbane. He also shows how it sounds with bass. Might be worth a look?

There is also this video: https://youtu.be/2e1RQ6cq_0g which might be helpful. My favourite is the Rodenberg LDP.

[Plumerai]

using a zvex basstortion now that i'm liking.
had a fulltone bassdrive in the past that was awesome. sold it to pay bills & eventually bought another, but it doesn't quite sound the same.
also have a byoc muff clone that was nice & fuzzy. used it with a loop/blend pedal to keep some clean tones in the mix
revisited a viva analog 360+ that i'm liking. based on the acoustic 360 preamp with fuzz.

[Jonesie]

I'm actually using a Nobles ODR Mini currently, which works fantastically. Lots of bass on tap and enough midrange to cut through.

[Dr Tony Balls]

wet/dry knob make it super usable.

THIS IS THE KEY.

The problem with drive/distortion on bass is that the bass gets lost in the mix when the whole thing is distorted. You need to preserve the clean and blend in the dirt to taste. I've done it on a zillion different things over the years. My *personal* bass drive that I use is a modification on my Black Balls pedal that adds clipping options and the all important clean blend.



Also I while back I did these as a limited charity run for the PRF. Un-muffed muff type circuit with clean blend. Awesome with both bass and guitar!


So yeah.....anything with a blend is my opinion.

[marqueemoon]

I love my Darkglass Vintage Microtubes.

I use an old GK 400RB which growls a little bit on its own, so I use it as my “more” pedal, but it’s also great for livening up sterile/subpar backline amps.

[stevejamsecono]

I'm actually using a Nobles ODR Mini currently, which works fantastically. Lots of bass on tap and enough midrange to cut through.

+1

My bass player currently uses this as well (mine originally) and it sounds great. A great low end punch.

[Ceepers]

Not sure if this is entirely what you’re looking for but it’s an interesting pedal…..

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=FbLEavjeCKs

Tiny one man band brand but all Marcs stuff is clever and deserves to be better known!

( no affiliation, I just have his hungry beaver fuzz and I’m
A fan!)

[marqueemoon]

Re: dry/clean signal blend some circuits do this better than others and the effectiveness can vary depending on one’s preferred mix, the style of dirt, musical context, etc…

It’s a good idea, but the end result is more important.

[rank]

I have a Darkglass Alpha Omega. I love it. It seems like there is nothing I can't do with it. It is incredibly versatile. I typically like fuzzier tones.

[del]

A few pedals that have worked well for me on bass
DOD 250
MXR Distortion+
ProCo Rat
EHX Big Muff (every variety I’ve tried has some charm with bass guitar)
Silicon Fuzz Face
Jordan Bosstone

Really, lots of the classics are quite full frequency and work great for both guitar and bass, especially in conjunction with amplifiers’ tone controls.

~del

[MrShake]

I'm on record as a dyed-in-the-wool Rat player, but I always liked a Turbo Rat more with bass. Add a blend knob and you're in business. Good luck with the hunt.

[Embenny]

wet/dry knob make it super usable.

THIS IS THE KEY.

Exactly the point I was about to make.

The actual overdrive used is such a minor point in my mind, compared to the importance of blending it with a dry signal. Guitar amp, guitar OD pedal, bass OD pedal, fuzz, whatever - as long as you can layer it with a dry tone somehow, you'll be able to come up with something usable/genuinely good sounding.