Effects Bay

The following is a guest post by Jeremy Cohen. If you are interested in guest posting, please contact me!

In my role as a bass teacher, I often am asked, “what effects pedals should I get?”

The simple answer is that bassists really don’t need pedals, but then I follow that up by telling what the most useful effects for bass are. A an octave pedal  is definitely one of these. It is an effect which adds an octave below the note you are playing and it is a simple way to enhance the sound of a bass. Pino Palladino made a name for himself with extensive use of an octave pedal with a fretless bass. You can hear this most notably on the song, I’m Gonna Tear Your Playhouse Down, recorded with Paul Young. Here’s a nice live version (a little faster than the original). Keep listening to hear what he does at the end of the song.

Of course, in my role as a freelance bassist, I often bring a large pedal board with me. This usually causes the other players to groan, “oh, no, please don’t use those!” If I brought every pedal I owned, they would go into shock. However, once I start playing, I use the pedals sparingly. When I use the octave pedal, generally one of the other musicians will turn around and smile at me.

Over the years, I have owned a variety of pedals including the Boss OC-2 pedal and the EBS Octabass. Now that I have had the MXR M288 Bass Octave Deluxe for a while, I can say that this pedal gets the sound for which  I have been searching for years.

One of the features necessary in an octave pedal is good tracking and this pedal definitely tracks well, not only for single notes, but also for double stops (two notes at once). When using an octave pedal, just make sure you don’t play notes below A. The pedal may be able to produce those sounds, but your speakers won’t. I generally try to avoid going below C.

The next feature you need in the pedal is the ability to mix your straight bass sound with the octave sound and once again this pedal comes through using a control which is called Dry. Turning this dial all the way to the left will give you just the octave sound and to the right will give you almost no octave sound. You will want to start with the control and the middle and then adjust it to get the blend you want.

The unique feature of the MXR pedal is that it has two distinctly different octave bass sounds. MXR calls one sound Girth and this is a clean and smooth octave-below sound. The other sound is called Growl. This sound has more bite and to me it sounds very much like a synth bass doubling your notes. The two sounds have independent controls and can be blended together, giving this pedal a wide range of available sounds.

There is also a mid-range boost switch and the particular frequency and intensity of this boost can easily be adjusted with an internal slide switch and trim pot.  I like the sound of this boost the way it was set at the factory, but your mileage may differ.

Other features of the pedal are its extremely small size and internal circuitry which will keep the unit functioning properly even if the battery voltage starts dropping. The pedal is also true-bypass, which means that your signal completely bypasses all internal circuitry when the pedal  is switched off.

The instructions that come with the pedal include three sample settings: Sub Slap, Sub Rock, and …. Playhouse. (hmm…)

The price of this pedal is not out-of-line with that of other pedals of this type, especially since the Boss OC-2 pedal has now become collectible and prices for that one are going up steadily.

I strongly recommend this pedal for anyone who is covering songs on which the original recording had a synth bass part or a synth doubling the bass part You could also use it on a song in which the guitar is doubling the bass part. Then you will free up a guitarist to play a different part.  It also will instantly make any solo stand out. These are uses in which the pedal works for me and you will probably find some more uses once you have the unit.

One more feature I almost forgot to mention is that the pedal is blue so it matches my main bass, a Mike Lull M4V with a custom blue sunburst finish! Next time we meet, I’ll talk about other types and models of pedals which might be useful for a bassist to own. Happy bass playing!

Jeremy Cohen has been playing bass for over 40 years. He works as a bassist in the S.F. Bay area and is first call bassist for a variety of bands. He is known for tasteful, solid playing, sight-reading ability, the amount of preparation he does before gigs, and his ability to walk into any situation (with charts or not) and fit in.

He also has taught many students over the years and is extremely proud of all his students. Read what Matt Freeman of Rancid has to say:
http://www.jeremycohenbass.com/BParticle.09.pdf
Read, listen and see more about him at http://www.jeremycohenbass.com
His CD is on sale at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/jazzexpress

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Today’s pedal line is from Michael Stettes. If you have a pedal line (doesn’t have to be in a board) for your rig, please email me a photo, bio, description of pedals and routing to pedallineeffectsbaycom. Every Friday I’ll showcase a pedal line submission. Make sure you include any links to your band or music page.

I play bass (and do some light synth work) in Sam Cooper & The Sleepwalkers, a Wilco-ish, Sun Kil Moon-y sort of band that I love dearly. We just did a winter EP called “Snow” and you can download the three songs off it for FREE at http://samcoopersolo.bandcamp.com/releases. It includes an original as well as two covers. So if you wanna hear some slackers put their own spin on “Kiss From a Rose” as well as the Christmas classic, “Walking in the Air,” boom, do it. I mean, it’s friggin’ Seal, man. Get some.

The Bass: I’m only using one bass guitar right now–a MIM Fender P-bass that’s been completely gutted, sanded down, and rebuilt to emulate a 60′s P-bass in every way. Electronics have been replaced, frets have been sanded, and it’s been repainted with a nitrocellulose laquer (ReRanch Sonic Blue) with the headstock matched. The coat has started to become a little seafoamy with time, but that’s just fine. Here are a few pics, one with me in it from a gig a little while ago. The pic with the driftwood came from the luthier who sold it to me, and he didn’t include the tugbar, but I wouldn’t have used it anyway. I also put a sizable nick in the headstock that I’m irked about, but like the luthier told me to do when I bought it from him, I’ve been “playing the hell out of it.”

The Board: I use a modified Pedal Pad AXSII. It’s really heavy but it’s super durable. I loved the board but since I bought it used, the carpet wasn’t in the best condition. I ripped it off, painted the bare wood black, and drilled some 12″x12″ aluminum sheets into it. They’re lightweight, and good for adhesive strips of velcro. I’m thinking of modding it further by drilling a handle between the wooden flaps so I can lift both up at once.

The Power: I use a Voodoo Labs Pedal Power 2 and have a Visual Sound 1-Spot plugged into the PP2′s outlet. The only thing I don’t like about the PP2 is the fact that because the barrel connectors are straight, it’s hard to fit them in tight spaces, like on pedals with 9v jacks on the side right next to the jacks. That’s where the 1-spot’s angled connectors come in. I have the PP2 attached with velcro to the underside of one of the flaps, reinforced by super glue. Super-glue is awesome. I’ve noticed some minor noise that I think is likely ground-loop related and cuased by the daisy chain, so I’ll likely get a Voodoo Lab ISO-5 at some point to supplement MAH POWAH.

The Cables: Most of the connections on the board are made using Planet Waves Solderless Pedal Board Cables. I strongly recommend them. Easy to make and use. I have a couple of DiMarzio Patch Cables, an Armor Gold one, and a few cheapies of origins unknown. I use a Monster Rock cable from the guitar to the board. People say Monster is overrated, and that’s probably true, but their Rock cables coil extremely well, look good, and have never given me an issue. From the board to the amp, I use an Armor Gold cable.

Korg Pitchblack Tuner: Nice and bright. Does its job and does it well. The footswitch has gotten a little glitchy over the years and I might repair it soon. I’d prolly get another if I had to replace it.

Boss DF-2 Super Feedbacker & Distortion: Many reviews knock the dirt of this pedal, but I actually dig it. However, I don’t use this as a dirt pedal live. I solely use it for its feedback function in combination with my other pedals to create cool, droney soundscapin’, which is why I don’t mind it being in front of the compressor. I’ve toyed with the idea of getting the new Boss FB-2 Feedbacker/Booster as a replacement, and storing the SF-2 for safekeeping since it’s discontinued. Oh, and I had a guy put a purple LED in mine, because fuck red.

Ashdown Dual Band Compressor: A buddy of mine had this sitting around his house and just gave it to me. I had never messed with a bass compressor pedal before. I was definitely missing out. I almost always leave it on now. It’s got a pretty big footprint, but I love the sound it gives me. Plus, the EQ on it is really powerful.

Fender Sub-Lime Bass Fuzz: What a cool pedal in both looks and sounds. Rockin’ ballsy vintage bass fuzz. Comes with a price though: learning curve, weighs a bit, and some of the controls are under the pedal. I’ve thought about having it rehoused by Walrus Audio and renaming it the “Sub-lemon-al Bass Fuzz” (see what I did there?). Still, I love it. This is my go-to pedal for dirt live. I stack it with the El Oso if I need even more.

Devi Ever U.S. Fuzz: Gated, sputtery doom. Lacks a little low end, but I can adjust the amp for that and it’s good for smooth, synthy, saw-like fuzz. It’s actually off my board now (I had stolen it from my guitarist and he wanted it back, d’oh!) I now have a clone of the U.S. Fuzz that Noisekick FX did for me called the “DEUS,” which means “GOD” in Latin, but also pays tribute to the original: Devi Ever US. The clone has an an additional toggle switch for more low end. I combine it with the Hummingbird for cool pulse sounds.

Heavy Electronics El Oso Bass Distortion: Use this when I want a mostly clean tone with a background of sizzle. Thank you Blend knob! Sayer, the proprietor of Heavy Electronics, is an awesome chappie, and you really can’t go wrong with his pedals. Ever.

Earthquaker Devices Hummingbird: This is essentially a tremolo, but Earthquaker refers to it as a repeat percussion pedal, which is probably more accurate. It’s all chop, can get really fast, and its depth goes all the way to silence. Exceptional pedal.

Danelectro Cool Cat Chorus: While this can definitely add some thickness to the dirt and the drones, this is strictly a placeholder pedal. I will soon be replacing this with the Source Audio Soundblox Bass Envelope Filter. And yes, I’m getting the Hot Hands to go with it. I’m torn on whether or not I should get the “Pro” version of it. If I get a bigger board though, I’ll keep the Cool Cat because I like the spund of chorus on bass, but in that instance, I may replace it with the Tech 21 Bass Boost Chorus.

MXR Carbon Copy Analog Delay: You see this bad boy everywhere for a reason. Solid, dark, analog delay. I’ve tweaked the internal controls for more modulation.

Line 6 Verbzilla: There are two main things I use this reverb for. The first is the Octo setting for thickening the feedbacker drones and for other shimmery things. The second is the Ducking verb, which is really ideal for bass guitar. It responds to your playing dynamics. The louder you play, the less reverb you hear, so your signal isn’t muddied, and when a note rings out, the verb fades back in. Plus, the Verbzilla has a trails switch that I think is ideal for delay/reverb pedals.

The Amp: Nothing fancy. Just a little Ampeg BA115 Combo.

Thanks for reading! i know I probably included a lot of details you don’t care about, but I personally like reading that kind of stuff, and thought others might as well! Again! Free songs! Seal! http://samcoopersolo.bandcamp.com/releases

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I’ve brought up the EHX Bass Blogger in the past. It’s an interesting dirt box for bass guitar. One thing this pedal needs is a really good demo, unfortunately there isn’t much out there, but I came across a decent one by 13th Street Guitars. First let’s talk about what the Bass Blogger is all about.

Here is the official description for the Electro-Harmonix Bass Blogger:

The Electro-Hamonix Bass Blogger’s ultra-subtle distortion creates the perfect dialog with your drummer. Dial in your ideal fuzz with the effect pedal’s no-fuss, three-knob design and fuzz/drive selector switch. Dry/effect outputs.

* Volume, tone, drive controls
* Fuzz/drive toggle
* Dry out
* Effect out

Here is the video demo posted by 13thStreetGuitars:

The Electro-Harmonix Bass Blogger is available for $74.10 at Amazon.com

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The Seymour Duncan SFX-06 Paranormal Bass EQ Direct Box is currently out of production, but there is a great deal going on at Amazon for this pedal. This pedal lists for $199, and is usually available for $139, but is currently on sale for only $49.99 at Amazon! At the time of this posting there were only four in stock, so if you’re thinking about picking this up, you’ll need to jump on it.

Here is the official description of the Seymour Duncan SFX-06 Paranormal Bass EQ Direct Box:

While passive DIs proved to be quite useful for recording bass or sending bass to a console for live performance, people began to notice a decrease in overall response and punch. That’s when active DI’s came to the rescue. But how many are tailored to the response of a bass guitar? The Seymour Duncan SFX-06 Paranormal Bass EQ DI is, featuring a three-band active EQ that’s optimized for bass along with a contour switch for slapping styles.

Seymour Duncan SFX-06 Paranormal Bass EQ DI, First Take:
Active DI with three-band EQ optimized for bass
Dedicated contour switch for slapping styles
Solid construction, balanced XLR out and ground lift

DI with active three-band EQ

The three-band EQ allows you to dial in your tone in any room, sculpting your lows, mids, and highs quickly and easily. So, along with performing the normal functions of a DI, you get the benefit of adding an active EQ to your bass without having to make any modifications to your instrument. The EQ provides ±12dB boost and cut for each band, which have center frequencies at 30Hz for deep lows, 650Hz to contour the mids, and 5.2kHz for presence, clarity and attack.

Proprietary Slap Contour switch for happy slapping

The SFX-6 also features Seymour Duncan’s proprietary Slap Contour switch, which applies an additional preset EQ curve. As the name implies, this is a dedicated switch for slapping styles, but it also adds an extra dimension to fingerstyle or pick playing. Slap Contour gives you a 6dB boost at 80Hz to bring out the bottom and cuts 6dB at 650Hz to reduce the mud that can occur in the low mids. The result is a solid low end and more room for attack. By using it with the 3-band EQ, you can bring out more attack information if needed, as well as extra bottom below 80Hz.
Solid construction and hum elimination

Built like a tank with a 16-guage steel chassis and powered by either a single 9V battery or a regulated DC power supply, the SFX-06 features a balanced XLR output with ground lift to eliminate electromagnetic interference and AC-hum. Between that and its active electronics you can drive longer cable runs to a feed a front-of-house mixing board or a recording console without noise or signal loss.

Again the Seymour Duncan SFX-06 Paranormal Bass EQ Direct Box is on sale for only $49.99!

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December 7th, the day that will live in infamy. I have a few relatives that joined the military the following days in 1941 and were some of the lucky ones to survive WWII. It was a crazy time in the world and should be remembered.

Today’s Free Shirt Wednesday is sponsored by BassEFX.com out of Seattle, Washington.  Chad Beeler over at BassEFX.com is the real deal for bass knowledge, and he created a website to focus on effects for bass players out there. His knowledge in the field is quite extensive, he’s definitely been around the tone block and can really be helpful when thinking of effects and your bass tone. For more information about Chad and BassEFX, please read my October interview with him – “Talking with Chad at BassEFX.com”

Here is a nice snippet from BassEFX.com that describes it perfectly:

BassEfx.com provides the widest selection of bass pedals and bass effects available. That’’s it – no guitar effects, no instruments, no amps. Our singular focus (and our special relationship with manufacturers) enables us to offer bass players the biggest selection, the most competitive prices and the best service.
Personal guidance — from a pro

Bass players of all styles work to find their individual, original voice.  That “voice,” of course, is tone. Too many bass musicians don’t realize that the right bass effect can help you create your tone –and share it with an audience.

When it comes to effects, some bass players benefit from one-on-one guidance. At BassEfx.com, you get it. Chad Beeler, a seasoned bass professional, can help you find, modify, or augment any sound.  Whether you want just the right amount of balls, anger, funkiness or beauty, Chad gets what you’re talking about. He’s played bass for more than 30 years, used every effect imaginable, and equipped some of the world’s best known bass players.

Over at BassEFX.com there is a great selection of effects from multiple manufacturers including some great boutique builders. They cover all the ‘types’ of effects from filters to distortion to delays to function pedals like EQs and DIs as well. BassEFX.com is also involved socially with Facebook and Twitter, be sure to like/follow to receive updates on sales and news.

Now, if you want to be featured on Free Shirt Wednesday.. it’s really quite simple. Send me a shirt, if it’s music related (ie: guitar builder, band, pedal builder, guitar shop, recording studio, etc) I’ll dedicate a blog post about your biz, band, etc. I’ll take a photo with my aging, slightly pudgy mug and post it. Great simple, cheap form of advertising. Still interested? Then check this page for more info

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I had a chance to send some questions over to Chad Beeler of BassEFX.com. For those of you don’t know, BassEFX.com is a new site that is providing a great selection of effect pedals for the bass players out there. Chad definitely knows his stuff when it comes to bass, bass tone and effects, and he’s bringing in his knowledge to BassEFX.com.

When it comes to effects, some bass players benefit from one-on-one guidance. At BassEfx.com, you get it. Chad Beeler, a seasoned bass professional, can help you find, modify, or augment any sound.  Whether you want just the right amount of balls, anger, funkiness or beauty, Chad gets what you’re talking about. He’s played bass for more than 30 years, used every effect imaginable, and equipped some of the world’s best known bass players. 

A few days ago I had a great conversation with him on the phone, and wanted to send some questions his way. Here is the interview:

- What prompted you to start BassEFX.com?
I got frustrated trying to research pedals for not only myself, but for customers who had some specific requests.  Google-ing “bass effects” listed the usual suspects:  Guitar Center, Amazon, Musician’s Friend, etc…then a laundry list of random pedals. None, as it turned out, were what I was looking for.  So the light bulb moment came when I asked my self “Man, why isn’t there a central web site with effects targeting bass players?”  With 20 years in bass specific retail, I said to myself, “Why the hell don’t I do it?”  So I did it.

- Tell us about your past experience in the music industry.
I co-founded and ran Bass Northwest in Seattle for 15 years, (1994-2009) and prior to that, worked in the bass department at Seattle Music, a rather cool shop downtown.  I still work at Bass NW on very limited part-time basis to help out and stay in the loop musically.

- Do you see more bass players using effects?
Absolutely!  Some are looking for a specific effect or getting a game plan together, others are just starting to explore, but more and more are pushing the envelope with extensive, well thought out pedal boards that are constantly evolving. It’s a facet of the bass community that’s definitely getting bigger.

- What are some things you would recommend to avoid when it comes to effected bass?
First, I recommend avoiding bad advice.  Players, whether bass or guitar, have a sonic goal in mind.  It’s a path we’re all on, we don’t necessarily know the direction, but subjective and unqualified opinions make for unnecessary detours.  It’s easy to ask and get answers to “what’s the best pedal for this or that?”, but unless you know what instrument, amp, or cabinet the player is using or what kind of style or tone they want to emulate, you can’t offer or get a helpful answer.  I work very hard at asking all the right questions and giving thoughtful, professional advice.

Second, (and last) avoid buying pedals to correct your tone.  If you don’t like the tone of your bass, amp, cabinet, or any combination of those, fix that problem first. If you can’t afford to do that, make what you have work.  Use your EQ, your hands, your mind, your heart, your cojones, whatever, just make it work.  If your fundamental sound, (the tone you’re using 95% of the time), ain’t cuttin’ it, fix it.  Effects can help create and augment your tone, but if your tone is weak from the get go, buying effects to help will only be frustrating and expensive.  In other words, you can put diamonds around a dog’s ass…but it’s still a dog’s ass.

Otherwise, get to it and have fun!

- What pedals do you think are incredibly useful for a bass player?
Given the dynamic and sonic range of the instrument, compressors and outboard preamps are typically the fundamental building blocks to focused, fat tone.  Which pedals in particular?  That’s a personal, subjective call.  You get a good deal of EQing on your bass and/or amplifier and some compressing or limiting capabilities on some amps, but what you create in between, signal-wise, can define your signature sound.  Everything else, whether it be modulating, filtering, octave dividing, overdriving, distorting, delaying, etc… opens wide a giant sonic palate on which to geek out accordingly.

- How do you feel about using guitar focused effects on bass? Or do you recommend using pedals tailored specifically for bass?
Everything’s fair game. Experiment with all of it.  Some pedal groups: distortion, fuzz, overdrive, for example, may work much better for guitar than bass on paper and in the real world, but that doesn’t mean a bassist can’t incorporate any of those in creating or augmenting their tone.  It’s totally subjective and there are no rules.  However, bass players are very concerned with “losing low end” when stepping on a pedal. And, since the majority of players have one main rig, there is definitely an awareness of this when choosing a pedal. Bass specific pedals more precisely address the dynamic and sonic range of the instrument and can help minimize low end loss when the pedal is stomped.  Therefore, I’m a proponent of having a separate rig for effects and “A,B,Y-ing” the signal to the appropriate rig, that’s the best way to preserve the fundamental low end and use effects you may not try otherwise.   But, that’s not a realistic and/or feasible choice for a solid majority of players, economically or otherwise. So, that’s why bass-specific pedals are usually looked at first, though, some pedals designed for guitar fit nicely in the bass realm.

Bottom line, (as lame as it may come across,) use what works for you.

- Are there things to consider when dealing with amps and effects. Drawbacks of effects with Solidstate vs. Tube amps?
There aren’t really any drawbacks regarding amps.  But solid state and tube amps behave differently, so adjustments on whatever pedals you use will vary a bit.  Most bass amps, new lightweight class D amps included, are of hybrid design, with usually at least one 12AX7 tube at the preamp stage to warm things up along with a solid state power section, so again it just comes down to trying out pedals with a particular system, seeing what works best and tweaking accordingly.  The biggest drawback is that most bass cabs are full-range with some sort of tweeter or horn.  And if you run overdrive or distortion through a horn, you get a harsh bumblebee-ish sound, so the horn has to be dialed way back.  Unfortunately, that means when you go back to a clean sound and you want to slap and pop, for example, you lose that crystally high end.  So it’s a bit of a conundrum, but still solvable.

- What are the hot builders when it comes down to bass effects?
There are many great builders.  The bigger players, MXR, Aguilar, Tech 21, etc.. are making great stuff.  A newer company that I’m impressed with is Source Audio.  They’re smart, forward thinking, and they’re creating some very cool stuff for bass players including the Bass Envelope Filter Pro, Programmable EQ, and the Hot Hand products.  The boutiques I’m digging lately are 3Leaf Audio, Darkglass, and Wren & Cuff.

- Are there any new pedals coming down the pipe that you’re excited about?
Yes.  I’m very excited to be the first U.S. dealer for Darkglass Electronics, hand built in Finland. Their Microtubes B3K overdrive pedal has generated a massive buzz and I can’t wait to get my mitts on one.  I’m also excited about an exclusive pedal for BassEFX.com that I am collaborating on with Spencer Doren of 3Leaf Audio fame.  Spencer is a genius and it’s going to be an amazing bass-oriented EQ, DI, and headphone amp.  A “Swiss Army Knife” that’s designed to be a pedal that every bass player would want or need, with all aspects of it delivering at the highest level.  I have been in the business a long time and I can say that this will be one of the best pedals ever produced.  Price will be under $300.00 and, hopefully, it will find its way onto everyone’s pedal board.

- As a bass player, what pedals should probably be avoided.. if any?
None.  Check as much stuff out as you can.  Even the crappiest or weirdest pedal may have some attribute that you dig.  Maybe it won’t find its way onto your pedal board, but having a range of effects can stoke you creatively for recording or song writing.  Just keep your ears and your mind open.

- Who are some of your favorite bass players that are known for using effects to shape their tone?
There are waaaay too many to list.  The two that popped into my mind first are:

Dug Pinnick from King’s X.  Dude’s tone is epic, giant, and just plain filthy.  “Black the Sky” on the “Dogman” album is probably the coolest rock tone ever.  It blends a fat fundamental and tube driven distortion that is perfectly executed.  Most of it is created through a giant couple of racks of compressors and EQs in addition to Ampeg and Traynor amps.  Not a lot pedal wise, by I’ve made it a personal mission to emulate his tone in a downsized rig with the appropriate pedals.

Next is Tony Levin.  He wields compression like a broad brush stroke with his Music Man basses and adds bits of other effects, (octavers, chorus, distortion) in subtle but effective ways.  Combine all that perfectly crafted bass lines, dynamics, and use of space and you get a phenomenal bassist and musician.

It was great to talk with Chad. I think it’s awesome to have a site that focuses on bass effects. I know when I post bass related products here at EffectsBay.com, the feedback from bass players has been huge. Please check out BassEFX.com on the web and their page on Facebook.

Chad is also offering a EffectsBay.com exclusive coupon code for BassEFX.com! Simply use the code EFFECTSBAY10 at checkout and save 10% off of your order.  This offer is good til the 15th of November. Thanks Chad!

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Hello bass players… this one is for you! I found a good deal on the MXR M182 El Grande Bass Fuzz at Amazon. If you’re looking to fuzz up your bass tones, this might be the deal you’re looking for. The MXR El Grand Bass Fuzz lists at $165.63. You usually see it available for $99.99, but is currently on sale for $80.51 and ship with FREE Super Saver Shipping. Not bad.

Here is the official description of the MXR M182 El Grande Bass Fuzz:

The El Grande Bass Fuzz, the latest offering from MXR Bass Innovations, is a versatile and brutal fuzz designed just for bass. We took a classic 70′s fuzz circuit, re-tuned it for more low end, and added a DEEP switch that delivers up to +15dB of monstrous bass that is internally adjustable between 87Hz – 113Hz. And that’s not all: Volume, Tone, and Fuzz controls let you sculpt your tone with precision to get everything you need – from searing, sustained upper-register chords to punchy, growling low B’s – without sacrificing low end or clarity. The El Grande comes in a lightweight but durable aluminum casting with the same high-quality jacks and switches that have made MXR pedals the road-ready standard on pedal-boards around the world for over 30 years.

Here is a video by BassGuitarMag demo’ing the El Grande Bass Fuzz:

Again, the MXR M-182 El Grande Bass Fuzz is on sale for $80.51 at Amazon and ships for free with super saver shipping

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A couple of days ago I mentioned the killer price on the Carl Martin Bass Chorus Pedal (was $205). I was surprised to see it even lower today! Right now, the Carl Martin Bass Chorus is available for only $184.89 at Amazon.com (that’s $275 below their MSRP).

Here is the full description of the Carl Martin Bass Chorus:

The Bass Chorus is the first in Carl Martin’s new line of bass effects. Although similar in function to the older Chorus XII, it is housed in the new wider/lower metal housing with ‘chicken-head knobs’ for adjustment. Of course, the quality remains the same, and the new housing also encloses the regulated +/-12V power supply for maximum headroom and clarity. So why design a special chorus just for bass? Most chorus effects in the marketplace are designed for guitar use and therefore are mid-range heavy. The Bass Chorus has been extensively fine-tuned so that the full effect of the chorus is evident as far down as low B. Like its’ predecessor, the Bass Chorus is a dual stereo effects pedal with independent sets of speed and depth controls. The ‘Select’ button allows you to use or bypass the effect and the ‘On’ button allows you to choose between your two chorus settings. There is an LED to show the effect is on, and each chorus has its’ own LED indicator which flashes at the speed setting. An added feature with the Bass Chorus is found when switching from a slow chorus to a faster chorus, the effect speeds up slowly for that ‘phat’ vintage Leslie effect! The Bass Chorus is the only choice for bass artists when you compare features….. Carl Martin quality, simplicity, flexibility and transparency

Popularity: 3%

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Here is another alert on a great deal going on at Amazon.com. This is another Carl Martin pedal that is WAY below normal pricing. The pedal is the Carl Martin Bass Chorus Pedal. This pedal lists at $460.00, you usually see it available for $322.00, but is currently on sale for $205.43 and is available with FREE super saver shipping. At the time of this posting, there were only 5 left in stock. Usually, when it gets down to 1 the price changes.

Here is the full description of the Carl Martin Bass Chorus:

The Bass Chorus is the first in Carl Martin’s new line of bass effects. Although similar in function to the older Chorus XII, it is housed in the new wider/lower metal housing with ‘chicken-head knobs’ for adjustment. Of course, the quality remains the same, and the new housing also encloses the regulated +/-12V power supply for maximum headroom and clarity. So why design a special chorus just for bass? Most chorus effects in the marketplace are designed for guitar use and therefore are mid-range heavy. The Bass Chorus has been extensively fine-tuned so that the full effect of the chorus is evident as far down as low B. Like its’ predecessor, the Bass Chorus is a dual stereo effects pedal with independent sets of speed and depth controls. The ‘Select’ button allows you to use or bypass the effect and the ‘On’ button allows you to choose between your two chorus settings. There is an LED to show the effect is on, and each chorus has its’ own LED indicator which flashes at the speed setting. An added feature with the Bass Chorus is found when switching from a slow chorus to a faster chorus, the effect speeds up slowly for that ‘phat’ vintage Leslie effect! The Bass Chorus is the only choice for bass artists when you compare features….. Carl Martin quality, simplicity, flexibility and transparency.

Again, the Carl Martin Bass Chorus is on sale for a great price of $205.43 at Amazon.com. Get it while you can!

Popularity: 6%

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Last night I had some friends over at the house. We talked about guitars and projects going on. It’s always a fun conversation. It’s almost a universal language of sorts – gear and music.

This morning I woke up a little foggy. Desperate for coffee, and while hearing it percolating in the background, one word popped into my head. Fuzz. I stumbled across the MXR M-182 El Grande Bass Fuzz and wanted to take a little closer look. Especially, since I had a chance to talk about a bass pedal. Bass players like pedals too right?

Here is the official description of the MXR M-182 El Grande Bass Fuzz (say it out loud, it’s fun to say – El Grande Fuzz. Make sure you roll your Rs).

The El Grande Bass Fuzz, the latest offering from MXR Bass Innovations, is a versatile and brutal fuzz designed just for bass. We took a classic 70′s fuzz circuit, re-tuned it for more low end, and added a DEEP switch that delivers up to +15dB of monstrous bass that is internally adjustable between 87Hz – 113Hz. And that’s not all: Volume, Tone, and Fuzz controls let you sculpt your tone with precision to get everything you need – from searing, sustained upper-register chords to punchy, growling low B’s – without sacrificing low end or clarity. The El Grande comes in a lightweight but durable aluminum casting with the same high-quality jacks and switches that have made MXR pedals the road-ready standard on pedal-boards around the world for over 30 years.

I found this video by jimdunlopusa

As of right now, the MXR M-182 El Grande Bass Fuzz is on sale at Amazon for only $80.51 and ships with FREE super saver shipping.

Popularity: 4%

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