Bass Distortion

Bass Distortion

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HUMPHREY AUDIO DIGITECH BADDER MONKEY BASS OVERDRIVE DISTORTION PEDAL


HUMPHREY AUDIO DIGITECH BADDER MONKEY BASS OVERDRIVE DISTORTION PEDAL


$59.00


Dunlop MXR M80 Bass Guitar D.I. Pedal w/ Distortion


Dunlop MXR M80 Bass Guitar D.I. Pedal w/ Distortion


$149.00


T-Rex Engineering Bass Juice Distortion Pedal


T-Rex Engineering Bass Juice Distortion Pedal


$279.99


Dunlop M181 MXR Blowtorch Distortion EQ Bass Pedal


Dunlop M181 MXR Blowtorch Distortion EQ Bass Pedal


$139.99


MXR Bass D.I. + DI Pedal EQ Distortion Overdrive


MXR Bass D.I. + DI Pedal EQ Distortion Overdrive


$139.99


Source Audio Soundblox 2 Multiwave Bass Distortion - Brand New!!!


Source Audio Soundblox 2 Multiwave Bass Distortion – Brand New!!!


$169.00


Source Audio Soundblox Pro Multiwave Bass Distortion Pedal - Brand New!!!


Source Audio Soundblox Pro Multiwave Bass Distortion Pedal – Brand New!!!


$229.00


Xotic Bass BB Preamp Distortion Pedal - Brand New!!!


Xotic Bass BB Preamp Distortion Pedal – Brand New!!!


$168.00


Tech 21 Red Ripper Distortion Bass Effects Pedal * NEW!


Tech 21 Red Ripper Distortion Bass Effects Pedal * NEW!


$189.00


MXR BLOW TORCH BASS DISTORTION PEDAL BLOWTORCH NEW!


MXR BLOW TORCH BASS DISTORTION PEDAL BLOWTORCH NEW!


$139.95


Ibanez SB7 Bass Guitar Effect Pedal Auto Wah Synth Synthesizer Distortion Overdr


Ibanez SB7 Bass Guitar Effect Pedal Auto Wah Synth Synthesizer Distortion Overdr


$25.00


ECLIPSE - Bass Preamp, Overdrive, Distortion effects pedal


ECLIPSE – Bass Preamp, Overdrive, Distortion effects pedal


$140.00


MXR M-80 M80 Bass Direct Box DI with Distortion PROAUDIOSTAR


MXR M-80 M80 Bass Direct Box DI with Distortion PROAUDIOSTAR


$139.00


Biyang Guitar Bass Effects Pedal Three Models Fuzz Star Distortion FZ-10


Biyang Guitar Bass Effects Pedal Three Models Fuzz Star Distortion FZ-10


$59.99


Biyang Guitar Bass Effects Pedal Max Distortion DS-10 True Bypass


Biyang Guitar Bass Effects Pedal Max Distortion DS-10 True Bypass


$59.99


Electro Harmonix Russian Big Muff Guitar Bass Effects Pedal Fuzz Distortion


Electro Harmonix Russian Big Muff Guitar Bass Effects Pedal Fuzz Distortion


$113.85


Behringer Distortion Modeler Effect Foot Pedal - Guitar, Bass, Keyboard Effects


Behringer Distortion Modeler Effect Foot Pedal – Guitar, Bass, Keyboard Effects


$39.99


MXR M-80 Bass D.I.+ Direct Box with Distortion (M80)


MXR M-80 Bass D.I.+ Direct Box with Distortion (M80)


$149.99


EBS * MultiDrive Overdrive High-Gain Distortion Bass Effects Pedal


EBS * MultiDrive Overdrive High-Gain Distortion Bass Effects Pedal


$195.00


Soundblox Pro Bass Multiwave Distortion custom expression control Source Audio


Soundblox Pro Bass Multiwave Distortion custom expression control Source Audio


$200.00


Danelectro FAB DISTORTION D-1 guitar bass effect pedal


Danelectro FAB DISTORTION D-1 guitar bass effect pedal


$9.99


DMB Pedals Bumble Bass Distortion Fuzz Pedal


DMB Pedals Bumble Bass Distortion Fuzz Pedal


$50.00


Xotic Bass BB Preamp Distortion Pedal


Xotic Bass BB Preamp Distortion Pedal


$80.00


NEW! Electro-Harmonix Bass Blogger distortion FREE S&H!


NEW! Electro-Harmonix Bass Blogger distortion FREE S&H!


$80.70


Source Audio Soundblox Pro Multiwave Bass Distortion Effects Pedal, NEW!


Source Audio Soundblox Pro Multiwave Bass Distortion Effects Pedal, NEW!


$229.00


Digitech XBD Bass Driver Overdrive/Distortion PEDAL


Digitech XBD Bass Driver Overdrive/Distortion PEDAL


$34.99


Tech 21 Red Ripper Bass Fuzz Distortion Pedal Lowpass Filter/EQ PROAUDIOSTAR


Tech 21 Red Ripper Bass Fuzz Distortion Pedal Lowpass Filter/EQ PROAUDIOSTAR


$189.00


Tech 21 Character Series VT Bass Preamp Distortion Overdrive Pedal PROAUDIOSTAR


Tech 21 Character Series VT Bass Preamp Distortion Overdrive Pedal PROAUDIOSTAR


$169.00


Tech 21 SansAmp Bass Driver DI Distortion Guitar Effect Pedal,NEW w/power supply


Tech 21 SansAmp Bass Driver DI Distortion Guitar Effect Pedal,NEW w/power supply


$135.00


FULLTONE BASS-DRIVE V2 BASS OVERDRIVE DISTORTION PEDAL BASSDRIVE HANDWIRED


FULLTONE BASS-DRIVE V2 BASS OVERDRIVE DISTORTION PEDAL BASSDRIVE HANDWIRED


$299.00


T-Rex Bass Juice Bass Distortion


T-Rex Bass Juice Bass Distortion


$279.00


MXR M80 Bass Direct Box w/ Distortion Guitar Pedal NEW +FREE 6


MXR M80 Bass Direct Box w/ Distortion Guitar Pedal NEW +FREE 6″ Cable!


$139.00


Lotus Pedal Designs Blue Distortion #002 Guitar & Bass Pedal - Get Cash Back!


Lotus Pedal Designs Blue Distortion #002 Guitar & Bass Pedal – Get Cash Back!


$179.00


Electro-Harmonix Bass Big Muff PI Distortion Pedal


Electro-Harmonix Bass Big Muff PI Distortion Pedal


$83.10


T-Rex Engineering Bass Juice Distortion Pedal


T-Rex Engineering Bass Juice Distortion Pedal


$279.99


QDD2 Built in Guitar/ Bass Distortion Pedal- 4 different Levels and Clean Bypass


QDD2 Built in Guitar/ Bass Distortion Pedal- 4 different Levels and Clean Bypass


$19.95


HEAVY ELECTRONICS El Oso Distortion BASS Pedal


HEAVY ELECTRONICS El Oso Distortion BASS Pedal


$149.00


Digitech XBD Bass Driver Overdrive/Distortion Pedal


Digitech XBD Bass Driver Overdrive/Distortion Pedal


$79.95


EBS Metal Drive Distortion free ship! Bass Metaldrive


EBS Metal Drive Distortion free ship! Bass Metaldrive


$199.00


Electro-Harmonix Bass Blogger Fuzz Distortion NEW


Electro-Harmonix Bass Blogger Fuzz Distortion NEW


$80.70


Tech 21 SansAmp Bass Driver DI Distortion Guitar Effect Pedal


Tech 21 SansAmp Bass Driver DI Distortion Guitar Effect Pedal


$119.99


Tech 21 SansAmp Bass Driver DI Distortion Guitar Effect Pedal


Tech 21 SansAmp Bass Driver DI Distortion Guitar Effect Pedal


$99.00


Electro-Harmonix Bass Big Muff Pi Distortion Pedal NEAR MINT


Electro-Harmonix Bass Big Muff Pi Distortion Pedal NEAR MINT


$25.00


Source Audio Soundblox 2 Multiwave Bass Distortion Pedal- NEW!!!


Source Audio Soundblox 2 Multiwave Bass Distortion Pedal- NEW!!!


$169.00


Source Audio Soundblox Pro Multiwave Bass Distortion Guitar Pedal - NEW!!!


Source Audio Soundblox Pro Multiwave Bass Distortion Guitar Pedal – NEW!!!


$229.00


Xotic Bass BB Preamp Distortion Booster Effects Pedal - New!!!


Xotic Bass BB Preamp Distortion Booster Effects Pedal – New!!!


$168.00


T-Rex Bass Juice Distortion / Overdrive NEW free US shipping OD


T-Rex Bass Juice Distortion / Overdrive NEW free US shipping OD


$279.00


Electric Guitar Amp/Practic Bass Amp Esteban/Distortion


Electric Guitar Amp/Practic Bass Amp Esteban/Distortion


$29.99


AC Adapter For Source audio SA141 SA142 Pro Multiwave Bass Distortion Power Cord


AC Adapter For Source audio SA141 SA142 Pro Multiwave Bass Distortion Power Cord


$16.99


Electro-Harmonix XO Bass Big Muff PI Distortion Effects Pedal


Electro-Harmonix XO Bass Big Muff PI Distortion Effects Pedal


$83.10

Guitar And Bass Repair: The Free Guitar And Bass Modification To Customize Your Tone

One of the simplest ways to adjust your guitar or bass can have a profound effect on its tone, and better yet, the adjustment is free and takes very little time or skill to perform. Adjust the height of your guitar or bass’ pickups according to the guidelines in this article and, with a little experimentation, you can come closer to playing the tone of your fantasies (yes, the ones where you are on stage sporting tight pants and trying to stay on your feet amidst a deluge of cheering and panties-or jock straps, whatever the case may be).

How Pickup Height Changes Tone

Please follow this link to view the figures for this article. 

Pickups adjusted closer to the strings will generally produce a punchier, fuller tone with higher output. Adjust the pickups too high however, and the tone may become distorted (especially when the strings are played hard). Additionally, pickups with stronger magnetic fields can affect string vibrations when they are adjusted too high and may produce a “warbling” tone that is generally undesirable.

Pickups adjusted further away from the strings will produce a woodier tone with a better response to dynamic playing: softer attacks will produce cleaner tones and harder attacks will increase output without losing tonal definition. The slight decrease in output from lower pickups can be compensated for by adjusting your amplifier and effect settings. Of course, adjusting the pickups too low will result in an overall loss of tone and output, regardless of amp and effect settings.

Where to Start with Pickup Adjustments

The majority of pickups with plastic mounting rings are height-adjustable, you can simply turn the screws on either side of the ring to raise and lower each side of the pickup. Mounting rings with three height adjustment screws are usually for adjusting the slant of the pickup’s face as well as the height. Adjust three-screw mounting rings so the plane of the pickup’s face is parallel to the plane of the strings. If the pickups in your bass or guitar are not height-adjustable, remove them and place some material in their cavities to “shim” them up to the correct height (do not use ferrous material or anything that will interfere with the magnetic field or electrical signal of the pickup). Dense foam padding works well as a shim; it will press the pickup upwards like a spring, allowing you to raise and lower the pickup with the mounting screws alone, eliminating the need for different sizes of shims.

Finding your own perfect tone will require a little experimentation, but there is a good starting point from which to begin scouting out the tonal possibilities. Fret the lowest and highest strings at the last fret then adjust the pickups so they are about 1/16″ to 3/32″ below the strings. You may want the bridge pickup to be a little closer to the strings and the neck pickup to be a little further to accommodate the different vibration patterns at each location. Furthermore, you can lower the bass side of the pickup if you want more treble response, or lower the treble side for more bass response.

Pickups with individually-adjustable pole pieces may be further adjusted to balance their response to the different string sizes. The bigger the string, the higher the pickup’s output and pickups respond more to plain strings than wound strings. The heights of pole pieces (if they are adjustable) can usually be adjusted on the face of the pickup (when the pole pieces themselves are screws) or on the back of the pickup, sometimes behind a back plate. Adjust the low E pole piece lower than the rest, the A should be slightly higher than the E and the D should be slightly higher than the A. If your guitar has a wound G string then its pole piece should be adjusted slightly higher than the D pole piece, the B should be adjusted only slightly higher than the low E pole piece and the high E should be a little higher than the B’s pole piece. A plain G string’s pole piece should be adjusted only slightly higher than the low E pole piece, the B should be slightly higher than the G and the high E a little higher than the B. Take a look at figure 1 and figure 2 for a visual comparison of the plain and wound G pole piece configurations. Generally, pole piece height adjustments should only be used as a means of balancing (or unbalancing, if you desire the tone) the pickup’s response to the individual strings.

Finding your ideal tone by adjusting your pickups takes a little experimentation. Try out several different configurations, you can get a lot of different tones, especially if you have more than one pickup and they are wired with a blend control to mix their signals. Occasionally you will find a tone that you had not even imagined before! Thanks for reading, good luck finding your new tones.

Copyright © Anthony Olinger, Xylem Handmade Basses and Guitars 2009.

About the Author

Anthony is a professional luthier specializing in making and repairing handmade electric basses and guitars. He owns and operates Xylem Handmade Basses and Guitars. You can visit Xylem on the web at http://www.xylembassguitar.com.

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Bass Distortion Pedal Demo – Soundblox Multiwave Bass Distortion

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