If there’s one thing I love seeing/reading about nowadays, it’s companies that listen to their customers and do what they reasonably can to fulfill any demands. Take the gents at Pigtronix, for example. Drawing from the praise, adulation and critique from their loyal group of users, they have released a set of bass-centric pedals that are simple to use, take up a small footprint and are reasonably priced. I had the opportunity to run all of them through their paces, so here we go!
Bass Envelope Phaser: A stripped down version of the popular EP-1 pedal, the BEP sports simple controls in order to land the Mothership in your backyard. The biggest thing I noticed on this pedal immediately was that the low end had remained intact, as well as not having a huge volume spike when the pedal was engaged. The phaser aspect of the pedal really makes this effect very clean, while still retaining the characteristics that you expect out of an envelope effect. All in all, it’s got a killer character that I’m completely infatuated with.
Bass Fat Drive: Take the immensely popular Fat Drive and make it more geared toward bass (even though many bassists swear by the original), and you have a gritty pedal that can go from overdrive to distortion to fuzz. The hi/lo toggle switch allows you to add even more gain for a deeper saturation, and with the touch sensitivity of the pedal, you can really work the pedal to achieve a truly wide range of tones, perfect for whatever flavor you like your fuzz in.
Philosopher Bass Compressor: A great little compressor that has a blend that combines the compressed signal and the clean signal in parallel for a very musical sound. Especially in the lower areas of the bass as well as harmonics, the Philosopher compresses everything beautifully and in a way that you really can’t tell that it’s working. I found this to be one of the more personable compressors that did all the work behind the scenes, leaving my tone intact (even when the comp was full on).
The latest releases from Pigtronix are cleverly designed pedals that sound amazing made for every kind of bassist: the weekend warrior, the studio musician and the touring pro. The next time you’re in the market for a new pedal, grab one – or more – of these and get inspired.
