Best Distortion Pedals for Bass Guitar?

[@xStabizorz]

For those cash strapped viewers, the Joyo Double Thruster is a fantastic Darkglass style drive with blend control for about 40 quid, absolute bargain.

[@markfarrell580]

I second this, in fact any Joyo “bass” pedal I recommend

[@SpookyLukeyD]

Thank you! Even in Australia it's pretty cheap, would be silly not to check it out.

[@rikmcrae]

Just bought one. It’s fantastic. Not just good ‘for the money’, it’s genuinely great. 👍

[@jmv4717]

Also the Joyo Taichi has great bass response and clarity, sound like clean pass character without a blend knob. Awesome tube like dynamics at low gain

[@BassRTA84]

Went with the Zoom b3. Can hit dark glass, SVT and a few other pedal styles. Plus a tuner 😬

[@mariodriessen9740]

‘Crackle’ and ‘Okay’ aren’t the names of the settings. It just means that the control alters the bias, which causes the control to make a cracking noise when it’s turned. For (bass) players who may think there’s something wrong with the potentiometer they add the word ‘Okay’. In other words, “it’s okay to hear some crackle, there’s nothing wrong with your expensive pedal, it’s supposed to make this noise when you turn the knob”. 😊

[@abouc]

The Rattler sounds really good. I'd probably go with MXR for those parallel dry/wet knobs that let you crank distortion to taste without sacrificing attack. It's got more of a bi-amped feel than a standard blend knob offers.

[@myeyesarewaiting]

Not playong bass much these days but Lee anf Cici are such an engaging duo. Love watching these vids.

[@jonathanosborn4800]

Yeah, I'm like "get a recording room already!!" to record a duo album of some sort

[@matthewpollard2843]

I love Catalinbread but they are pricey, but they are amazing pedals. I'm always blown away by them.

[@tobiasrangne8899]

Nowadays i seriously always hope for a video with you guys (beeing a guitarist...) when checking for new videos from Andertons. Simply because the sheer enthusiasm and joy (And stellar playing of course to add!) you both show when trying stuff out. Please continue! :)

[@Paul_Lenard_Ewing]

My bass player has a Masterbuilt Amplification Stone Groove. Just a Volume and Gain knob. The secret sauce is the 12ax7a tube poking thru the top, 😇 It does not claim to give you that Ampeg SVT dirt with that extra punch, but it does.

[@MaskedJackal87]

the stingray/darkglass combo sounded so good!!

[@matthewallen9290]

Darkglass b3k is the best I've found. It's not just for metal. I play in a classic rock cover band sometimes and it does tube head sounds really well.

[@KevinMillard]

Nice video. Here are my personal faves: Red Witch Zeus, ZVex Fat Fuzz Factory, Earthquaker Blumes, and Stone Deaf's Rise And Shine!

[@Matthordika]

I think the "stones" mode one the SFT would be best for me, I'd bet the more subtle approach would really sing in a full mix. Great video as always!

[@yogsathoth1407]

Electroharminics BigMuff Bass, it's so very good, I use it every gig, great on active pickups, makes my sound huge!

[@setxBassPlayer]

I've went through several brands of bass OD and distortion pedals and everyone of them I either returned or sold before discovering the Boss bass driver BB-1X. It's one of Boss's hidden gems and is quite often overlooked.

[@cvanhetkaar96]

Mm nice idea , entertaining too 👍 Now how about also doing a “ best budget distortion pedal for bass” ?

[@adamgibbons8931]

Love the bass videos! Thank you Andertons!

[@Thiscopower]

The Rattler sound insane !

[@baldyhead]

The filthier and gnarlier the better. Even though I have used dozens of different fuzz pedals over the years, I always go back to one of my HM-2 pedals, as they have all the grind and have powerful tone controls so I retain plenty of low end and sizzle.

[@_lowcountry]

HM-2 Gang!!!

[@TheAshkgray]

Greeat video - thiese pair of presenters are far better than the older stuff with Nathan - better explained and more bass-oriented. The guy does actually play the linstrument as a bass player would.

[@MichaelIrons-d5v]

excellent vid guys for me the mxr just had it, loved the vid.

[@MichaelIrons-d5v]

thank you.

[@martainman5000]

I have found that the JHS notaklön is great on bass as well.

[@lockharthorsburgh8601]

Thanks; I've been hoping for a while that Cici and Lee would do some multi-pedal tests. I have to admit, I already own a Darkglass Alpha-Omicron (bought from your good selves about 2 years ago) and really like it, mainly for the huge range of distortion levels and tones on offer, most of them usable. As a result, most of my interest was in non-DG pedals to see if they offer something different but interesting. In that context, I think the only one i didn't enjoy much was the Catalinbread, but the one which seemed to offer enjoyable tones of a type that I struggle to get with the Alpha-Omicron was the Rattler. Curse you for making me want another toy. ;) It's probably worth noting that a different amp will give different responses with these pedals (and a change of bass also has an effect, which I'm glad they demonstrated). It looked like Cici was enjoying the MM.

[@DMStern]

The Wetter Bass channel did a massive four-episode overdrive shootout earlier this year, worth checking out. My main takeaway from that series was that if you're looking for a low-gain overdrive sound, they're all the same... My personal favourite at the moment is the Earthquaker Blumes.

[@SenfSenferson]

EHX Hot Wax yould've been nice, surprisingly can do the Darkglass thing aswell. The Crackle Okay refers to it's behaviour while adjusting the gain... it crackles :D

[@andrewpinner3181]

Thanks guys - another great review !

[@LuisJimenez-pb3ge]

Dark glass set to low gain is 👌

[@daniellavanderos]

love you guys, you are so fun

[@postrockmike9199]

Thanks for this! This just confirms to me that I don't really like Darkglass pedals. The Zvex, Catalinbread and Jam were my favourites for different things. Can you do bass fuzzes next? 😬

[@TheChunkyLad-c5b]

Didn't expect it, but Darkglass for my money. Just sounds right!

[@blackstang6878]

I have the Billy Sheehan Delux drive absolutely awesome pedal lots of versatility.

[@DavidRobertsonDaveRobbo]

Interested to see octave pedals for bass.

[@Freiterb]

"Crackle OK" is just there for the user to be aknowledged that the "Drive " pot crackles while being turned.

[@thierry18]

Darkglass may be famous for the metal scene, but they are all very well made, versatile pedals. Especially the microtubes (not shown in the video)

[@francoishtzl157]

They are all microtubes serie. Microtube B1k, B7k, Vintage, microtube X7 etc

[@funkingitup1805]

The Microtubes X with a low pass for bass is my favorite.

[@liys540]

For me , i would choose dark glass , billy sheehan drive and yyz preamp

[@kurtohnehelm6589]

I expected the ZVEX and the Catalinbread to be somewhat similar but they are way more different then I thought. The Darkglass sounds nice to me but having the controls on the back is a big no no. I'd chose the ZVEX it sounded really nice!

[@Zwidawurzn]

I mostly use Darkglass drive pedals, but my Earthquaker Devices Dunes also works well with bass

[@gavinyoung7085]

Always had a Big Muff on my bass back in the 90's, back before they had a specific bass version. Loved the big fuzzy warm tone. Still have one now, although it's a modern reissue. I'd love to try my Pignose Detonator on my Fender P, but I need to get the Pignose fixed as it isn't working

[@funkingitup1805]

And, the Mooer Mini Muff can be had for about $25. The Behringer SF400 occasionally goes on sale for $14.

[@TheStratpicker]

Rumble 200 - can't beat it for a portable gigworthy combo.

[@GaryGreene1977]

Oh, wow! THe Rattler reminds me of Lemmy's tone

[@sy7667]

honestly many loves for all these competitor but really, rattler all the way (not that I have three different paint versions or something and it's really bias my judgement)

[@zhegwood]

Beetronics Royal Jelly absolutely rules for bass (and guitar).

[@OliverGuitarforall]

Jam pedal sounds really best

[@mcliffe26]

Hoping they pause and tune the Stingray before long... some great sounds and playing in this video though. Reinforces how happy I am with my MXR.

[@LucasR-xl4sl]

Laney UK made, BCC Blackheath, easily one of the best Bass Drive/Distortion pedals out there. Fact.

[@peterbarratt2415]

I'll take the MXR.

[@Yoshi1up]

The basses sound great! I think i'll just stick to my Big Muff Deluxe tho lol

[@SirAntBo]

I'm here for the bassists; love this combo every time ❤

[@TheBoss0Time131]

All the gain!

[@BudiPrasetyoHarsono]

If you can find old EWS Little Brute Drive that only have on knob, it's a good distortion for bass. I found it for £29

[@sparks2spare782]

I have the SFT for guitar and love it! The two modes are great tonal option. I set it at right it starts to break up for OD then slam it with an Ibanez SD-9 and gives me that Swervedriver grind with mid bump. Switch to stoner mode and it gets good clean heavy Soundgarden vibe.

[@The..Butterfly..Effect]

ZVEX Effects sound 😎

[@bmstylee]

I hear bass distortion and immediately think NIB or Anesthesia. The only issue I heard is that it can go from a subtle amount of distortion to absolute mud. It seems like a very small sweet spot.

[@johnterpack3940]

EHX's Ripped Speaker would be amazing. But there's a pedal I just learned about today that may be the nastiest distortion/fuzz I have ever heard- Minotaur Sonic Terrors "Swamp Lord".

[@King-Kazma]

There is one nastier. Bananana Effects made a bass fuzz/distortion called The Bomb. It is just about as evil as you can go while still remaining controllable and expressive.

[@johnterpack3940]

@@King-Kazma I'll definitely give it a look. Fuzz is life.

[@sicilianmammalian]

I use the vintage setting on a mooer black secret and it sounds just like cliff burton era metallica, I double stack some more on my boss me-25 (also has a wah which you need for metallica stuff too and a lot of older music has the wah on halfway) with a touch of overdrive from my jhs bonsai and chorus (octave pedal set on same octave) for heavier metal/hardcore. Cool video, I had been inter3sted in buying a rat pack for a long time but even my trained ears have a hard time differentiating between the different distortions, I don't know if I could guess them out of a blind line up

[@gregley69]

Less jocks,less extreme settings will be more interesting for me. And let’s us hear the dry sound off the amp/bass for reference, that’s will be great too.

[@tomtaylor9731]

If the MXR had two switches, on/off & the silicone/LED (?) modes imo that would be the best, I'd want that extra control at my feet rather than having to bend down to switch over.

[@King-Kazma]

The Cat King from Fuzzrocious shares the same designer, and while it lacks a silicon/LED footswitch, you get two gain settings you can switch between, plus a momentary all hell breaks loose button.

[@thejudge-kv2jk]

With the first one you sounded a bit like Tool with a touch of RATM.

[@Dizzy_Duke]

Why not do a comparison video on humbucker vs single pickup on bass. And what are the pros and cons of each. Some say all you need is a single coil, but never mention why a humbucker equipped bass might be a better option for metal bands.

[@adamcogan211]

Darkglass all the way

[@jonathanosborn4800]

Check out the XP driver from tech 21, which lets you choose your split point where the distortion happens

[@axlbraun]

Jam for me

[@AndyBondo]

Gears real good 👍🤨

[@aaizner847]

These are less distortion, and more just overdrive. If you want proper, saturated bass distortion with definition, try the DOD Grunge. It's a guitar pedal, but it's the best bass distortion I've ever heard.

[@dionr1168]

Easily the Big Muff Pi. Cliff Burton used it to craft the greatest bass tone of all time.

[@MikeTaffet]

Surprised no Sansamp varieties were represented here

[@gazzy_burns]

Exactly. Some of the best!

[@MattSwain1]

I’m not sure if you missed a trick with the Darkglass pedal… you only seemed to adjust the inner dial and didn’t move the outer dial. Maybe there was a reason for this (I’m no bass player), but I have one of their fuzz pedals for guitar and both dials contribute to the effect

[@DaveBassyBass]

It just said Level and Drive

[@carlosaguilera838]

They might have adjusted the level to where it doesn't clip. So adjusting it would just mess with levels, and you'll hear distortion made from the clipping.

[@gilbertspader7974]

Dark Glass Alpha Omega is the best.

[@andyrothery6455]

I use an old Boss HM3. Sounds mean as eff

[@detrete]

cici and almost everyone else on in the channel is so much more fun to watch than anderton that it hurts

[@merbertancriwalli8622]

0:40 Darkglass Alpha Omega is obviously missing

[@lewissaunders2837]

Best distortion for RATM ?

[@dorssberube]

The real question… how do they feel in the room

[@MrAlecksTv]

pedals are great but that music man

[@ilsjaro]

I’ll stick to my Boss Hyper Metal HM3.

[@Ashleyraji]

Bass Pedal have a completly different soundscapses

[@isaacroche3223]

Cici🎉❤🎉❤🎉❤🎉❤🎉❤

[@masterharkonnen3045]

no demo with plectrum?

[@danielatherton1631]

'Something else' starts with 's'

[@southpawjinx1]

The best bass distortion pedals STOCKED BY ANDERTONS is not the same as the best bass distortion pedals.

[@njegos88]

*opens a cold one*

[@GAZZA1960]

Iv owned the bk1, the basstortion, and the sft. Really all 3 can do so much more, than was demonstrated by just "twiddling " knobs , without thought to gaining a useful tone...sorry..

[@GrahamDent-m6p]

Hi

[@lesliwells5433]

can i get all this awesomest in the new BOSS GX-10

[@ArthurPerez-t2e]

If you’re going through through pedals twice why wouldn’t you play two different styles of riff rather than playing the same riff both times

[@mylogify]

Is she Billie Ellish?

[@theruminator691]

Get Lee and Oz together for a doom riff-fest

[@Barnstorm757]

I play guitar. Look at them eyes 👀

[@michaeldumas9203]

You two are such knobs. The girl especially is a right nutter.

[@damianstrochnetter9735]

That was hard to watch. The woman is great but the guy is ..... replace him.

[@flaviosan3020]

I hate those pedals. 😛

[@220_hz4]

Damnation Audio.

[@sgt.grinch3299]

Is the pedal necessary?

[@debaonfire]

All I need is a good DI for my bass, and maybe a volume pedal to tune in between songs.

[@oststadtseuche]

this is not a vid about DI and a volume pedal.

[@staffanakerhjelm9780]

Well, add a Crybaby and you’ll KNOW what to play…😂

[@MrSrtman18]

Hes tolerable when not talking.

[@damonstewart70]

Cici is beautiful

[@xXN0SK1LLZXx]

Why whenever there's a woman on screen there's always someone commenting on their looks.

[@MovedbyTruth]

@@xXN0SK1LLZXx Because reality exists.

[@bill8856]

@@xXN0SK1LLZXx Because respectful compliments (like calling someone beautiful) is a good thing. No one is denying how awesome of a person she is. Her playing is exceptional, her personality is great, and she always looks really nice. Those are known as positives. If that offends you, then maybe you should spend some time working on yourself.

[@theruminator691]

In the interests of equality, so is Lee

[@mra.6871]

It’s like 1975 all over again

[@christopherstorrier5560]

Distortion on bass guitar is terrible...Darkglass are a strange brand...i use valve sounding type overdrives, pushed valve amp tones...just my opinion but their is no place for distortion in bass, how times change, makers spent 60+ yrs building a loud clean bass amp sound just for people to add distortion box's ?!?!?!...the Darkglassers will hate me but a pushed Ampeg tone is cool ,distortion is..distortion, sounds like your bass rig is toiling, a bust speaker or you cannot afford a decent amp... lol...the original Ultravox's "My Sex" that has a great deep heavy valve overdriven tone...any distortion would have killed that fantastic deep bass tone...not the Midge Ure fakes, John Foxx's Ultravox....enjoyable video even if i don't use distortion pedals..👍

[@ileutur6863]

Listen to more music.

[@christopherstorrier5560]

@ileutur6863 ...i've been listening & playing music for 48yrs...away with you, amateur know all never done a thing in music....you need to listen to more music to get your brain working right...bass distortion ...lmao

[@ardskoay]

I wish I thought as highly of myself as you do yourself. People like different things.

[@jonathanosborn4800]

I personally find that the lowest frequencies shouldnt really get overdriven at least to the point of clear breakup. But The darkglass style, where it preserves the clean lows, works for me, drive the frequencies above a split-point.

[@tdevosodense]

We need some picking , like Lemmy 🤘🤘🤘 Cici is the best of those two 🤘 the guy is a boring bass player 😁

[@elliotgreen987]

Needlessly rude

[@abouc]

They're both great players, and complement each other nicely.

[@duncansmith5734]

@@abouc I would like to compliment you on the correct use of 'complement'. A rare thing these days!