Overdrive pedal to add warmth to rig.

[soulstar89]

Hey peeps,

 

I recently bought the genzler Magellan 350 combo. Really really like the kit. I would love to add a little tube like warmth to the sound. I play a pbass ash with maple fretboard. Style of music ranges from soul, funk to jazz. I only play fingerstyle. 
 

jeff genzler suggested the genzler 4 on the floor pedal which has gotten great reviews. New they are like 200 (out of my price range) so I put a wanted post on the pedal but no luck as yet. 
 

I’m looking for possible alternatives to add some creamy low gain warmth. Something that all always be on. I suffer from analysis paralysis lol. Not really a pedal person at all. I’ve got a ditto x2 looper on the way which I’ll use with it. Possibly a tuner and a compressor.
 

suggestions? 
 

 

[Mediocre Polymath]

I use an EHX Bass Soul Food to do just this. For me it's an always-on, very low gain pedal. Just there to put a bit of hair on things. I think there's one currently for sale on the marketplace for not very much. 

[soulstar89]

1 minute ago, Mediocre Polymath said:

I use an EHX Bass Soul Food to do just this. For me it's an always-on, very low gain pedal. Just there to put a bit of hair on things. I think there's one currently for sale on the marketplace for not very much. 

Cheers for the quick response. I’ll check it out. The amount of pedals out on the market makes my brain short circuit lol

 

 

[soulstar89]

8 minutes ago, Mediocre Polymath said:

I use an EHX Bass Soul Food to do just this. For me it's an always-on, very low gain pedal. Just there to put a bit of hair on things. I think there's one currently for sale on the marketplace for not very much. 

It’s gone lol. Just like the genzler 4 on the floor when I go to look for one they just have been sold 🤣🤣🙈

[Lozz196]

Ampeg Scrambler and TC Electronic Spark Booster are both worth checking out.

[Bolo]

It really can be just a RAT type pedal. The RAT has three knobs. The first is the drive/crunch/grit keep it between 8 and 10 o'clock, that's where the magic happens.

The second knob is a high roll off filter. Anti-clockwise is bright, twelve is still kinda bright but in a nice way, fully clockwise is warm and thick.

The third knob is just level or volume.

 

I got a Rat2 this year and it replaces all the boutique tube preamps I have amassed.

[MartinB]

Another vote for TC Electronic Spark Booster - the budget king of this sort of thing

[dave_bass5]

And another vote for the TCE Spark Booster. I find its very transparent so doesnt change the tone too much, just adds a bit more depth. 

[dudewheresmybass]

+1 for the TC

[Skybone]

Suprised no one's mentioned the Behringer BDI-21 yet.

[dave_bass5]

54 minutes ago, Skybone said:

Suprised no one's mentioned the Behringer BDI-21 yet.

I was going to (and BDDI), but i think those things change the sound more rather than just adding warmth. 

I guess it depends on why the OP is looking for. A warm sound, or a warmer version of his sound. Sansamp stuff certaily does the first, and ive used one for about 20+ years, but its not the same to my ears as warming up whats already there.

[tayste_2000]

SGFX Beta (MK1 or MK2), whilst more coloured than the Spark, it just sounds perfect and it’s so reactive to your playing

[soulstar89]

On 20/08/2025 at 21:06, Lozz196 said:

Ampeg Scrambler and TC Electronic Spark Booster are both worth checking out.

 I’ve seen the tc electronic pedal near me. The videos on YouTube show the hard overdriven tone which is not what I’m after tbh. More Motown, very subtle warmth. Would you say it’s capable?

[soulstar89]

On 20/08/2025 at 22:54, Bolo said:

It really can be just a RAT type pedal. The RAT has three knobs. The first is the drive/crunch/grit keep it between 8 and 10 o'clock, that's where the magic happens.

The second knob is a high roll off filter. Anti-clockwise is bright, twelve is still kinda bright but in a nice way, fully clockwise is warm and thick.

The third knob is just level or volume.

 

I got a Rat2 this year and it replaces all the boutique tube preamps I have amassed.

oh this is interesting. What pedals have you tried and how does the rat differ? 

[soulstar89]

19 hours ago, dave_bass5 said:

I was going to (and BDDI), but i think those things change the sound more rather than just adding warmth. 

I guess it depends on why the OP is looking for. A warm sound, or a warmer version of his sound. Sansamp stuff certaily does the first, and ive used one for about 20+ years, but its not the same to my ears as warming up whats already there.

I want to warm up the tone of my genzler Magellan rig. It’s the 350 head so doesn’t have the drive channel like the Magellan 800. I just love warm, responsive, creamy tone that’s responsive to fingerstyle playing. Say in a solo environment or in a more forward role in a band.

 For example of role. Paul Jackson when he played with the headhunters with herbie. So in the jazz, fusion, rnb, Latin realm. Nothings rock or hardcore. I don’t play that kind of music. 

Edited yesterday at 12:44 by soulstar89

[soulstar89]

17 hours ago, tayste_2000 said:

SGFX Beta (MK1 or MK2), whilst more coloured than the Spark, it just sounds perfect and it’s so reactive to your playing

I’ll have to check this out. In which way would you say it’s coloured? 

[dave_bass5]

14 minutes ago, soulstar89 said:

 I’ve seen the tc electronic pedal near me. The videos on YouTube show the hard overdriven tone which is not what I’m after tbh. More Motown, very subtle warmth. Would you say it’s capable?

I used mine when i was in a band that did a lot of Motown/60’s stuff. It didn’t change the tone as much as it made the bass a bit more vintage like. 
I should add I’ve also used the BDDI and VTBass DI to do the same thing. There are many options in all price brackets. Even the joyo stuff has cheap options. 

[Bolo]

26 minutes ago, soulstar89 said:

I want to warm up the tone of my genzler Magellan rig. It’s the 350 head so doesn’t have the drive channel like the Magellan 800. I just love warm, responsive, creamy tone that’s responsive to fingerstyle playing. Say in a solo environment or in a more forward role in a band.

 For example of role. Paul Jackson when he played with the headhunters with herbie. So in the jazz, fusion, rnb, Latin realm. Nothings rock or hardcore. I don’t play that kind of music. 

In that case I'd skip a tube pre altogether and invest in a warm compressor: anything from a Cali76 to a Markbass Compressore, crank it and then back it off a smidge to taste.

[Lozz196]

43 minutes ago, soulstar89 said:

 I’ve seen the tc electronic pedal near me. The videos on YouTube show the hard overdriven tone which is not what I’m after tbh. More Motown, very subtle warmth. Would you say it’s capable?

Easily, one of the problems I find with most drive/gain demos is it always seems to be drive on full. The Spark with the gain set lower is excellent at that “ touch of hair” on the sound to warm it up and take away the harder sound of the clean notes.

[dudewheresmybass]

I'm not a big fan of the full on tone with the spark.

 

As mentioned above - the lower gain tone is simply fattening and warm.

 

They're also fairly easy to track down secondhand

 

[soulstar89]

22 hours ago, Bolo said:

In that case I'd skip a tube pre altogether and invest in a warm compressor: anything from a Cali76 to a Markbass Compressore, crank it and then back it off a smidge to taste.

Oh I would have never have thought. I’m new to pedals. I’ll have to look at the recommended. 

 

how does a warm compressor differ in effect compared to a low gain overdrive? 

[jimbobothy]

… some comps can distort in a nice way when pushed hard eg the V1 Origin Effects Cali 76 Compact Bass can distort  when pushed in a way that some people like (and also add some compression), the Markbass Compressore is a valve based compressor, and when the gain on that is maxed it does lead to some nice light overdrive (with compression again lol). So you wouldn’t need a comp if you went down that route.

 

Edited 5 hours ago by jimbobothy

[soulstar89]

18 minutes ago, jimbobothy said:

… some comps can distort in a nice way when pushed hard eg the V1 Origin Effects Cali 76 Compact Bass can distort  when pushed in a way that some people like (and also add some compression), the Markbass Compressore is a valve based compressor, and when the gain on that is maxed it does lead to some nice light overdrive (with compression again lol). So you wouldn’t need a comp if you went down that route.

 

 Appreciate the explanation. I was thinking of getting a compressor anyway. The cali compressor is pricey lol. There are two versions v1 and v2. Would both versions achieve the same thing?

 

down the rabbit hole to look for different warm compressors and demos. 

[warwickhunt]

TC Spark does not have to be full on 'drive', it can do very subtle (I have one).  I had the MXR and Ampeg Scrambler and I couldn't quite dial them back far enough... on the least setting they were 'almost' too much.  As you are on a budget, the TC works BUT you could also look at a Boss MS60B; it has lots of options in one pedal.  You could have the aforementioned compressor and/or a bit of OD and/or an amp sim to warm up your signal + you get a tuner and all the other effects for free.  All to be had used for about £60.

 

[dave_bass5]

Here comes the pedal board section of the thread 🤣