Best Bass Distortion ever ?!

[dubalbal]

Hi Folks ,  
 
Nowadays , distotion or /and overdrive pedals are really often used by bass players . Investigating on that , i found brands like boss , ibanez...but may be  ( not certain ) more interesting : tc electronic's bass disto. and ebs ( new valve drive pedal ) are now also in the race !  
 
So , the question is : do u have any experience in those 2 excellent brands and in general , what brand and pedal do u find the best for a bass distortion ?  
 
Thank's  
 
ALAIN

[FC Bass]

Hello, Sorry, I've got no experience with the two pedals you mentioned. I use a digitech BP-8. Combined with my Ampeg SVT III pro I can get some pretty heavy high gain sounds. Doesn't sound as good when I'm recording it straight into my Roland vs 880 though... (very poor sound)
High on my most wanted list is the E-H Big muff, Cliff Burton RIP (metallica) used it together with a Morly power boost wah for his stunning bass solo '(Anesthesia)-pulling teeth' from their debut album Kill 'em all. It can also be heard in a couple of other songs from Ride the lightning and Master of Puppets.
The big muff is very cheap (about$60:-) The downside is it has not got a real bypass, could be a problem for us 'high end' bass players. I think if you throw in some extra $$$ you can have it customized with a real bypass.
 
(Message edited by fc_spoiler on July 04, 2006)

[s_wood]

I really hate to dive in on these threads and opine as to which something or other is best, since (except when it comes to Alembics, which really are the best) it's all personal taste.  That said, after playing about 1,000 different distortion pedals over the years I am pretty sure that the best one made is the Fulltone BassDrive.  I call it my SVT in a box. It is capable of everything from a mild and warm grind to a full-on assault.  Plus, it is a true bypass pedal so when it's off it is completely out of the circuit.  
 
It's expensive, but as an Alembic player you have already figured out that cheap sounds like that.
 
You can read some BassDrive reviews here:
http://www.harmony-central.com/Effects/Data/Fulltone/Bass_Drive-1.html
http://www.bgra.net/2004/review.php?id=34&type=effect

[worldfamousandy]

I use an EBS, although it's not the new valve drive.  I only use mine for a touch of warmth, and it works well for that.  I am certainly no expert on distortion sounds beyond the warmth level, but I have played with it some, and I know you can control the sound well into the realm of heavy distortion.
 
I also have a Boss Bass Overdrive.  To my ears, it is the worst sounding effect ever made.

[ox_junior]

I'll second S Wood's POV on the Fulltone Bass Driver.  Beautifully designed and delivers some very aggressive sounds without removing low end from your tone.  I leave it on pretty much all the time for some mild distortion, then kick in the boost circuit when I want it to scream.  I love it.

[matthew90046]

And a third... I also use the Fulltone.  A great sounding drive with many options. My Fulltone's master bypass broke and they fixed it at no cost, even without the receipt.  They are nice guys making great boxes here in the USA.

[hieronymous]

+4 on the Fulltone!