What´s the best distortion for bass?

[MartyMart]

I've found that the ROG Flipster is great on my deluxe P-Bass, also their splitter/blender
is VERY useful in this regard !    www.runoffgroove.com

MM

[col]

Best I've found so far, I agree with the ROG flipster. What a difference that makes! Mine doesn't work well with batteries though, it needs a power supply. Our band also used a deluxe Bazz Fuss for ages. Boss HM2s are also quite popular. My current favourite is the Bass Fuzz out of Penfold's book "Music Projects , straightforward design ideas to build" which is a basic op-amp clipping circuit put through a lowpass filter. This sounds good all over the fretboard unlike some others which only sound good over part of it. This book is still in print so I can't put a schematic on here but I've got a stripboard layout for it.

[MartyMart]

Col, that's cool as I have that book but didn't build from it as yet.
So it works quite well eh ??

MM.

[col]

Yes it works very well! like I say it works well all over the fretboard which is a problem I've encountered before when using guitar designed distortions for bass.
I modified the circuit in the book with a 1M pot to blend between the fuzz and the lowpass filtered fuzz but I found that I didn't need it, so I replaced the pot witha SPDT switch so that the filter was either on or off. I'm thinking of taking that off now as we never use it without. I just have to get the bass player to realise which side is in and which is out to stop "Col it's not working" scenarios from re-occurring again and again!
I also used a double op-amp instead of the two singles in the diagram. The mod is to take the output from the first op-amp before R5 and the output from the filter, before C7 and blend them with the centre lug of the pot going to C7 and out, but like I say, I wouldn't bother with it. The switch simply chooses between the two points. If you'd like a photo of the stripboard layout I did please pm me, but if you've had one off me before you'll know they are drawn in pencil on a matrix.
It might be good to replace the 1N1418s with LEDs for a heavier distortion but I've not tried it yet, it sounds good as it is.

[Meanderthal]

 I agree with sfr- any distortion that dosen't kill yer lows will do the trick... so...

For distortion I have settled on a modded DS-1, for OD a slightly modded TS(yer already usin' one), and for 2 completely different kinds of fuzz a BMP and the Brassmaster.
I tried the bazz fuss and a few varients... it's ok, but, ehh... I tried a modded D+, and that one is quite the rip-snorter on bass. The DS-1 bumped it outta the pedal chain, a more refined, controllable distortion. Blends in with the band so well ya don't notice the massive distortion on the bass(I can't explain it much better than that, I kick it on for guitar solos so the lack of rhythm guitar dosen't leave a huge hole in the sound, sorta fill the hole with harmonics) unless yer listening for it.

Oh jeez, I just realised how old this is, and I'm answering the OP... heh. Oh well...

[vanessa]

The Big Muff Pi is really good for bass. When I'm on bass and need some serious good fuzz I set the distortion to almost zero and the tone to about half way. Volume set just enough to get some boost when turned on.

[vanessa]

Oh jeez, I just realised how old this is, and I'm answering the OP... heh. Oh well...

Ugh! I got suckered in too...

[col]

It's not old, it's vintage and therefore better with more mojo.