Gear Reviews
Tech 21 Bass Boost Fuzz Review by Ty Campbell
One word immediately comes to mind when describing the Tech 21 Bass Boost Fuzz, SWEET!! For 2014, Tech 21 gave this pedal a new look with the metallic series, but it has the same great functions! The pedal gives you a wide range of options to create just about any type of gritty tone, be it distortion, overdrive, or fuzz.
There are four controls that you can blend in any setting to get the sound you are looking for. Level controls the volume of the effect. Tone is a low pass filter that lets you remove the high end and helps keep your tone cleaner in the mid-low end of the spectrum. Drive allows you to set the amount of fuzz desired and also works in parallel with your volume on the bass. For example, you are playing a tune that only has a slight amount of distortion or fuzz, but the next tune needs much more. The amount of drive effect can be controlled by the volume control on your bass. The clean control is the one control that definitely put the Tech 21 Bass Boost Fuzz over the edge. By adjusting the clean control, you can get a layered effect between the clean and fuzz tone. While some other pedals may have this feature, I have yet to see any of them function or sound better than the amount of clean and fuzz this pedal can create with the layered effect.
Another great feature of the Tech 21 Bass Boost Fuzz is the boost function. This can be used either with the fuzz or by itself. This is great for bass solos (when we get them!) or even sections of a tune where the bass is in a more prominent role. The LEDs for both the fuzz and boost are well lit when on, and I had no problem seeing if the device was engaged or not during the gig, even in some bright lit stage situations. The boost adds up to 21dB of boost and can be switched on or off with its separate footswitch. The deal can be powered by e 9-volt battery or 9-volt power adapter. The Tech 21 Bass Boost Fuzz functions great either in the studio or live. On a few gigs that I used the pedal, it was really quick to dial in my desired setting, much more so that my current fuzz box. This worked great on everything from the classic tunes to the newer tunes with just minor adjustments to get the desired setting. The Tech 21 Bass Boost Fuzz not only works great on bass, it also does an exceptional job on guitar as well. I was able to recreate tones from classic rock to heavy metal. While Tech 21 does have a Boost Fuzz designed for guitar and I would recommend that one for guitar, the Bass Boost Fuzz also gives you some gritty tones and this may be an option depending on certain factors.
Check out the Tech 21 Bass Boost Fuzz at a retailer near you!