Suggest me a bass overdrive please

[Bernardduur]

Hi all,

OK. A long time ago I build myself a Fulltone Bassdrive clone (w/ clean boost) and I am using it still today; but right now I have some room in the box and I wanted to add some other OD to be used next to my bassdrive (just for other type's of OD).

Suggestions? I would love one with only two controls (as I still have two unused pot places already in the box)

[PenPen]

I nominate the Bazz Fuzz or the Gruntbox.

[Bernardduur]

I already have a good fuzz....... I am looking for an overdrive

[SaBer]

For a very slight overdrive, I've found that a simple non-inverting op-amp stage with:
1) no bass cut: big (2,2µF) input cap,  about 10µF for output and from feedback-loop
to ground
2) low gain, inless you want a buzzy/farty sound  Maybe 100-500k gain-pot and 10k from feedback-loop to ground
3) Two sets of germanium diodes in series, back-to-back in feedback-loop. Four or six diodes would be ok. For assymmetrical clipping, measure the diodes and select the ones with a low VF on one side and the ones with a high VF on the other.

...should give a nice little squish and dirt at the right gain settings, but is truly a one trick horse. I like it pretty much, but havent yet built it into a box, so I don't know how it works with a band.

[Steben]

Fantastic quote line SaBer... (binary stuff) just wanted to tell you.

[Danny G]

DIY Big Muff Pi with a ceramic tone cap and pair of Ge diodes for the second clipping stage.  Set it for more boost than drive with the tone low (I set mine: Vol 3 o'clock, Drive 9 am, Tone 3 o'clock).

Very nice tone!

[Bernardduur]

OK.... I've done the suggestions. The "very slight overdrive" is a bit similar to my Tubescreamer clone / Fulldrive clone.... so that's a big no-no. The BMP I already build a while ago but that did not give me the sound I needed.

Now I am thinking about a CMOS based OD; maybe an EHX Hot Tubes clone (without the tone control for I can only add two knobs)?? How do they behave on bass??? Oh, small Q: on what voltage does that pedal operate?? I can't find it in the schematic

[petemoore]

   Recently I read CMOS is 'perfectly happy' running on 5 volts and will draw much less current that way, for bass, a little more 'rail room' [7v should do if what I read is correct, though 5v might sound the same] for bass use might be applicable/necessary, 9v and up [don't exceed the chip or the caps voltage ratings] should be fine.
  You can put the circuit on a voltage regulator like LM317.