mcnach

I've just got my hands on one of the black label series MetalDrive pedals. I already have a non black label MultiDrive, which I really like. It covers a lot of ground and I generally use it for moderate levels of gain overdrive sounds. I am not entirely happy with what I've tried so far for higher gain sounds... the inexpensive Joyo Ultimate Drive is my favourite, which I keep removing to try other 'better' pedals, and always manages to make his way back onto my pedalboard. I was disappointed with the SA Aftershock... well, not disappointed, it is a GREAT pedal, but it required more tweaking than I was ready to do to get the sound I wanted... It is potentially the best and most versatile dirt pedal out there... but I like simple pedals with simple controls. The Ultimate Drive always gets back. I thought I'd try the MetalDrive, as I saw it for sale here a few days ago, thinking it would do the higher gain sounds better than the MultiDrive. Well... it does sound good for high gain... but I actually prefer it for low gain. Using the Tube Sim mode, the drive knob allows you to start with no discernible distortion, and slowly thicken up the sound all the way up to seriously distorted sounds, but it's in the low gain range that I think it sounds best. I've often tried overdrive pedals looking for that elusive thick low gain overdrive that's barely perceived as overdriven, but has such a nice body, reminiscing a little of classic valve amps... The MetalDrive does it better than most others I've ever tried, if not better than all of them. So it looks like I might be using this for low gain stuff after all, keep the Multidrive for slightly more overdriven sounds and even high gain, and the Joyo Ultimate Drive gets to stay... It refuses to be beaten!

Well, I've been on an overdrive quest lately and... it happened. I bought one of these. The instructions it came with are hilarious. I'll see if I can scan them or at least take a picture. I did not understand a great deal of it, and the function of the switch on the side is a mystery to me, as are the meanings of the red and the blue leds. I've tried it only at home, at moderate volume, using one of the power outputs from the Voodoo Labs Pedal Power 2 +, the one at 9V and up to 250mA. The instructions indicate it can take up to 18V but use more than 500mA. However, it did work (at least partially) and I liked what I heard. Why partially? Well, with the side switch OFF, the footswitch alternates between muting the pedal or producing a clean sound (with the red led shining). I don't know if giving it more juice would change the behaviour, or if this is only useful while using certain valves (the instructions are unclear to me). With the switch ON, however... the footswitch alternates between bypass, or overdrive (with the blue led shining). The drive knob allows you to go from clean, to pretty distorted, and everything in between. It's a very pleasant distortion, with body, meaty, and a lot going on on the higher registers if you want it. The tone control does what you expect nicely, but what's even nicer is how it responds to the tone control on the bass: roll off treble and use low gain for a thick well define sound, and add treble to increase the amount of 'grit'. I quite like it, I have to say! For less than £40, it's a pretty cool overdrive that sounds a lot better than the vast majority in that range. It doesn't appear to suffer from low end loss, but I cannot tell 100% until I have played it at higher volumes. It's very promising, 'though. I decided to use it with a 9V battery, using a little adaptor cable, and see what happens. To my surprise, it worked. I was under the impression that a lowly battery could not power this, but it does. However, there was a distinct difference in the sound (slightly lower volume, I think that less bassy too, and more distorted), and I *think* the sound deteriorated a little in the couple of minutes or so I tried it like this. It makes me wonder how it'll work using the more common 100-120mA outputs on most power packs, and whether using a separate power supply that produces 500mA or more, as recommended, would give better results than my test with the 250mA output. Does the valve do anything? I think there is a red led at the base of the valve to aid the visual effect, but the filamen(ts appear to glow a little. Regardless... it sounds good, especially for low-mid gain overdriven sounds, but even cranking the drive to the max still sounds good and doesn't get overly fizzy like many other pedals out there. That switch is a mystery to me and I'll have to investigate further trying to decypher the instructions. They say something like it is to choose between 6N2 or 6N4 valves or valve modes... I have no idea what this means. As it is, it only seems to work in one mode... but it's a good one. The pedal is only slightly larger than a boss pedal and the knobs are hard to read (black on black with a small silver mark)... but that's not much of a problem. So the first impressions are pretty good, for this Little Bear G3. Nobsound. Ha! EDIT: Oh, and it works as it should. The switch is a bit like the 'standby' on valve amps. It turns the valve on, and keeps it on, while the foot switch just turns the effect on/off. The valve takes a couple of seconds to start working if you plug it in with the switch in the on position. Not sure it needs this switch but, that's what it does.

+1 on the foam. Simple, no residue.

same here. It's such a trivial repair, I would not want to play lottery with what bass I'd receive next (unless I were able to go in person to the store and check their stock, which is not possible here, I take it)

I agree, it's really useful when sellers provide all the info... some of which is pretty basic (like location), but is it such a hardship to just PM the seller?

This! I had a pair of PJBs and they were distinctly underwhelming for me. They sounded ok, but not amazing and build quality was not great. When mine stopped working on one side, and it was not the cable, PJB were also very distinctly unhelpful. But I am glad, since I then got a pair of ATH-M50X and I think they are much better.

The cobalt flats are much brighter and you'll probably like them. They're not quite roundwound sound, but it's the closest one I've tried. Great strings. Another possible alternative is Labella White Nylons. They're tapewound roundwounds. They are soft, and very very flexible (some love that, some hate that). I like them for 'finger funk' type of sound, rich n mids with tight low end, lots of definition. They still have a lot of treble and while you won't get a Marcus MIller type of slap sound, they have a beautiful classic slap sound too. I'd say one of these two would be pretty good... although from your description, the Cobalts will probably be more your thing.

I never had the Pure Sky, so I can't really tell

Great example of how someone who can play, will manage to get a nice sound from any decent instrument. When I was a teenager and started to learn to play guitar, I used to blame my guitar (which needed a lot of work, that's true) and I thought if I had a good instrument I'd get so much better... Then one day I saw a little gypsy kid playing a battered flamenco guitar with chunks missing... and he was fantastic. I realised then that it wasn't the guitar, but the hours you put on it (and talent helps too, of course )

Maybe he had notoriously very bad smelly feet?

that must have been sooo satisfying!

Very nice! I love the sound of a Precision for slap...

I like this one, but the loss of bass was a little annoying. I've substituted it with a Caline Orange Burst CP-18... which at around £20-25 is a steal. For a mid-gain well defined kind of distortion, it's pretty cool. It does get quite dirty too if you want it. For higher gain... I've recently gone back to my Joyo Ultimate Drive. It just works. I was using a Source Audio Aftershock but honestly, I need to edit it too much for what I want... and it can do everything and more, but it's not the pedal to adjust in a hurry. The Ultimate Drive just does it for me. I keep trying other things and going back to it. It's time I admit that it's the sound I want. Again, quite inexpensive. So, for nice yet inexpensive dirt... I'd try those two: Caline Orange Burst for low/mid gain and Joyo Ultimate drive for... everything, really. A little tweak of a knob there goes a long way, so be gentle

Fantastic!

If you order them, they'll be whatever you choose. I specified the profile in the 3 basses I ordered by giving measurements at different points (width and depth). The ability to do that was what first attracted me to them, plus all the possible customisations for little extra.

where's the bass... again

Isn't the quilt a veneer?

I would have changed the pickup first. Get the 'basic' tone sorted first. Preamp for colour.

If the strings became too low after changing strings... the first thing I would have done is tweak the truss rod a bit, just a quarter turn anticlockwise, and see how it goes, leaving the bridge alone: the new strings don't seem to be pulling the neck as hard as the old ones, so the neck does not have enough relief. I would not mess with the bridge until the relief is sorted.

My gf has a Squier P/J, bought used for just under £100. It's light, it sounds very good, and I've been borrowing it for my last couple of gigs I'd buy used. A Sire or a Squier Jazz or PJ would be good and versatile. If new... a Squier Vintage Modofied series Jazz would be £300 or just under... they look great and are really cool basses. Maple fingerboard and white or candy apple red body... yum: https://www.gear4music.com/Guitar-and-Bass/Squier-Vintage-Modified-70s-Jazz-Bass-Candy-Apple-Red/UBM

Uff... I should unsubscribe. I really really like a new lighter Stingray, an HH, in one of the newer colours and black hardware...

Natural it may not look nice, but a solid finish could be cool. I saw someone over at TalkBass strip his SUB, round the edges adding contours etc, and finishing it in some sparkle orange... the colour is not my type, but it looked like a good idea in another nicer colour, plus it shaved off some weight too. I love how mine sounds but it's pretty heavy.

I think the white and the black ones were the nicest looking ones. The white ones in particular. I even like the textured finish.

I would leave the headstock as is... but it's not my bass

Here Not the best light... but it's all I could do quickly.