Bass stompbox

[Diesel]

I´m going to make a small project for school. Because i´m a bassplayer i wanted to combine my studies with my greatest interest.

So i wounder if someone has a sugestion for a good tubeoverdrive stompbox that i can build, wich work fine with bassguitars?

[Bernardduur]

ROG Flipster..... It wiped all my other bass-OD projects

[Diesel]

Were can i find wiring diagram and information?

[Bernardduur]

ROG = Run Off Groove, as can be found here. Flipster is here on the page

[nelson]

ROG Flipster..... It wiped all my other bass-OD projects

That good?

[Diesel]

I can be wrong, but i can´t find any old school tubes.

A part of my idea was to try using tubes

[Marcos - Munky]

I can be wrong, but i can´t find any old school tubes.

A part of my idea was to try using tubes

Yeah, there's no tubes, you can adapt it to use tubes, but we must know if you're an experient builder. Tubes aren't reccomended for begginers.

[Bernardduur]

Ah sorry, I thought it has to sound "like" tubes, as does my Flipster.....

It can really kick my SS Ampeg into OD heaven

[Diesel]

I´m a technician student and read electronics.
I have never tried such things before, i have build one custom made computer and a battericharger but no musicgear.

The problem isn´t softwelding or reading wiring diagrams, it´s the constructing part how to create the sound.

[seanm]

If building something tube based is a requirement for your project, then go ahead. But, in my limited experience, I have never found a tube based OD that works really well with bass. I would also not call a tube based stompbox "a small project".

Way more useful projects would be a tube screamer such as the Fulltone Bassdrive or Voodoo Labs Sparkle Drive. I have a preference for the Sparkle Drive due to the clean blend.

I have not tried the Flipster, but the concept is good and it is ment to mimic a tube amp.

[Diesel]

It isn´t completly necissary, but i thought it was cool to try and make my project a bit larger.

But if there is no tube based stompboxes that works fine with bass, i don´t know if it´s really worth it.
You can´t modify one of the tubedist pedals on http://www.diyguitarist.com/ so it sounds good with bass?

[Bernardduur]

You could try a Shaka tube and try to mod it for bass (as in enlarging in and output caps, maybe filter cap change); I've seen that one around here so people can help you..... never saw one for bass though.

Oh, and don't go for the bassdrive or any Tubescreamer based OD's for bass.... They lack a lot of true dynamics to be used on bass (I used mine all the time in comp cut mode because I could not stand the clipping sounds)

[Diesel]

Sounds like a good idea, but how does this modthing work?

whats the theory behind, whats the real differens between guitar-gear and bass-gear?

[seanm]

Sounds like a good idea, but how does this modthing work?

whats the theory behind, whats the real differens between guitar-gear and bass-gear?

Most guitar effects, especially ODs, want to cut the lows. You usually don't want this for bass since you lose too much of the signal. However, sometimes you want this and blend the lows back in.

Second, basses tend to put out much higher levels than guitars. So pedals are pushed into distortion quicker. For a distortion pedal this can be ok This could also mean that if the pedal was not designed for bass, you might push it too far into clipping. My simple rule of thumb is that if there is no gain control, it won't work with bass Take that with a grain of salt.

Third, and this is all just IMHO, most OD/distortion is too subtle for bass. Because guitars have more upper freq, subtle distortion really cuts through. I have tried some guitar ODs that sounded great in the basement. Then use them at a gig and you can't even tell if they are on unless you check the LED

[Diesel]

So the thing is to "move" the frequens curve lower?

But how do i fix this in like the shaka tube that Bernardduur talked about?

[moosapotamus]

Bern already mentioned the basics... increase values of input, output, coupling caps, and any filtering. A medium value (0.1u - 1.0u) cap to ground makes a simple, effective low-pass filter. Where and how to modify the gain structure, as Sean mentioned, is sometimes a bit less obvious. But I will agree, you want to be able to blend in some of the clean, unaffected bass signal. With some of your clean signal mixed in, you can even get a good bassfuzz sound out of a fuzz factory (see the paralooper page on my web site).

I'm on an ongoing quest for the ultimate OD/fuzz for bass. It's not easy.

I've also found lots that sound great when I'm playing by myself, but that just get totally lost in a live mix. I think amplifier and speaker system have a lot to do with it, too. Your rig needs to be able to reproduce the full range of frequincies that are characteristic of a decent OD/fuzz sound. For example, I don't think a cab with only 15's will do you justice, whatever effect you play through it.

Accepting the risk of working with potentially deadly voltages of ~200V or more, there are a few tube based circuits that I've always wanted to try... Real McTube, Hot Box, (and, of course) the Alembic F-2B come to mind. I've heard reports that the Alembic (see scheme at GEOFEX) sounds great on bass as-is. Those other two would probably need some of the mods already mentioned.

~ Charlie

[Diesel]

Well, it sounds like a real challenge.

The Alembic F-2B sounds interesting if it isn´t to hard to build, i just need to find the wiring diagram and then talk to my supervisor about my idea tomorrow.

It cant be totally imposible..

[seanm]

Well, it sounds like a real challenge.

The Alembic F-2B sounds interesting if it isn´t to hard to build, i just need to find the wiring diagram and then talk to my supervisor about my idea tomorrow.

It cant be totally imposible..

Tht Alembic dosen't look to bad. But it is a preamp not a stompbox. I would not plug it into a head/combo, it is ment to go into a power amp.

[Marcos - Munky]

Well, it sounds like a real challenge.

The Alembic F-2B sounds interesting if it isn´t to hard to build, i just need to find the wiring diagram and then talk to my supervisor about my idea tomorrow.

It cant be totally imposible..

Tht Alembic dosen't look to bad. But it is a preamp not a stompbox. I would not plug it into a head/combo, it is ment to go into a power amp.

Why not? The "amp emulators" at ROG are preamps, the LPB is a preamp/booster and lots of distortions and overdrives are preamps too.

[seanm]

Why not? The "amp emulators" at ROG are preamps, the LPB is a preamp/booster and lots of distortions and overdrives are preamps too.

No, the LPB is a booster. Distortions and ODs are not preamps. They are all *instrument* level not *line* level. Let's face it, in the stompbox world we throw around the word preamp when we shouldn't. The DOD-250 is not a preamp, it is a booster/OD.

According to Alembic the "real" SF-2 can produce a jumperable 0dB, 10dB, or 20dB of gain with the default setting at 10dB. If the GEOFX is set for 10dB gain, then you are ok. Most good modern bass amps can handle 6V p-p easily. If it is set for 20dB, I hope you have a very good limiter on the input to your amp. If you are running a good'ol tube amp, well you probably have spare preamp tubes anyway.