# Bass Klon



## Chuck D. Bones (Aug 22, 2022)

Check out page 90 of the August 2022 issue of Pathways.

https://cordialcablesusa.com/publications/pathways-august22/desktop/





No sockets, bitches!


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## fig (Aug 22, 2022)

Bravo! Very tastefully done imo.

...and the fun facts part is great!


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## EGRENIER (Aug 22, 2022)

Nice article, I almost understood it 

Any reason for using all the tantalum ?


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## Chuck D. Bones (Aug 22, 2022)

EGRENIER said:


> Any reason for using all the tantalum ?


You're kidding me right?  Have you read any of my posts?


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## Barry (Aug 22, 2022)

Well done Sir! I think I've read enough of your articles now that they are beginning to make sense to me!


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## Mentaltossflycoon (Aug 22, 2022)

Off topic (as per usual) but I enjoy seeing the "do cables matter? " on the front followed immediately on the next page by a "buy this magic cable" advertisement. 

I bought a spendy cable once, a coreX2. I had to replace the jack on my fretless soon after. Not only were the tips slightly thicker for some reason, the entire cable was so heavy and rigid that it just ate the poor thing. I don't even move around that much. It was also this cumbersome and unpleasant to touch grippy rubbery texture that would stick to your pants. Nicest thing i can say is that it sounded the same as the mid 90s fender brand cable I was trying to upgrade. Got paranoid that it would hurt my pbass or amp so it hangs on the wall as a reminder to not be fancier than I need to be. 

I'll go read it now but I'm a little afraid you're going to cause me to build yet another thing....


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## jimilee (Aug 22, 2022)

Very nice, makes us bass players feel important and not left out.


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## Chuck D. Bones (Aug 22, 2022)

I have a Cordial Cable and it is well-made, no complaints.  There are snake-oil cables out there, but the Cordial is the real deal.  Having said that, most of my cables are cheap Monoprice cables and they work just fine and have held up well.


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## K Pedals (Aug 22, 2022)

Chuck D. Bones said:


> Check out page 90 of the August 2022 issue of Pathways.
> 
> https://cordialcablesusa.com/publications/pathways-august22/desktop/
> 
> View attachment 31120


That’s awesome man!!!
Great work!¡

I’m gonna have to try one…


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## BuddytheReow (Aug 22, 2022)

What, no breadboard pics? Great to-the-point article, Chuck. A klon is definitely on my breadboard list and I'll be sure to bassify it.


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## Mentaltossflycoon (Aug 22, 2022)

Maaaannnn.... I read it. Gonna build it. Nice one!


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## Chuck D. Bones (Aug 22, 2022)

BuddytheReow said:


> What, no breadboard pics?


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## steviejr92 (Aug 22, 2022)

Great article! I’ll admit I need to continue reading your threads the amount of information you give is priceless!


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## Chuck D. Bones (Aug 22, 2022)

K Pedals said:


> That’s awesome man!!!
> Great work!¡
> 
> I’m gonna have to try one…


Recognize those diodes?


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## music6000 (Aug 22, 2022)

Chuck D. Bones said:


> Check out page 90 of the August 2022 issue of Pathways.
> 
> https://cordialcablesusa.com/publications/pathways-august22/desktop/
> 
> ...


So , a TL072CP in IC1 & TL072P in IC2!
Bass pedals are nit picky, aren't they?


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## Chuck D. Bones (Aug 22, 2022)

Yeah, I tried 'em the other way and it just didn't sound right.  

Do _you _recognize those diodes?


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## music6000 (Aug 22, 2022)

Chuck D. Bones said:


> Yeah, I tried 'em the other way and it just didn't sound right.
> 
> Do _you _recognize those diodes?


I do, NOS 1N34A's by the look of them!!!, You lucky Son of a Gun!!!


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## Chuck D. Bones (Aug 22, 2022)

I know a guy...


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## cooder (Aug 23, 2022)

Awesome stuff again! Nice write up and modding!


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## K Pedals (Aug 23, 2022)

Chuck D. Bones said:


> Recognize those diodes?


Yeah I forgot about those…


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## Chuck D. Bones (Aug 23, 2022)

They are my "go-to" Ge diodes, although many other Ge diodes, including the Ruskie D2x & D9x, will also work as hard clippers.


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## DAJE (Aug 23, 2022)

I was just thinking today that I love my bass fuzz but my bass overdrive is a disappointment. And I love my Kliché Mini on guitar, so I think you've just sold me on the bass version. Great work, Chuck.


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## Feral Feline (Aug 23, 2022)

Can't wait to build one as per your spec!

Upright is gonna get LOUD!


Excellent writing, very clear and succinct.

Thank you, sir!


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## andare (Aug 23, 2022)

DAJE said:


> I was just thinking today that I love my bass fuzz but my bass overdrive is a disappointment. And I love my Kliché Mini on guitar, so I think you've just sold me on the bass version. Great work, Chuck.


What fuzz do you like on bass?


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## DAJE (Aug 23, 2022)

andare said:


> What fuzz do you like on bass?











						Binary Dual Fuzz / Darkglass Duality
					

A bass fuzz with two distinct voicings that can be blended together in any ratio, from vintage warmth to searing, gated chaos.




					aionfx.com
				




There's a PedalPCB version too, but I went with Aion on this one. 

Since that one turned out so well, I tried the Overdrive. Which is OK, but not inspiring. Not _bad_, just not in the same league as the fuzz, for me.


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## EGRENIER (Aug 23, 2022)

Chuck D. Bones said:


> You're kidding me right?  Have you read any of my posts?


Oh boy, didn't realize I was committing a deadly sin by asking 

I went and search for posts from you and tantalum and I now understand that you use them because they don't leak and last longer.

Sorry for asking...


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## andare (Aug 23, 2022)

EGRENIER said:


> Oh boy, didn't realize I was committing a deadly sin by asking
> 
> I went and search for posts from you and tantalum and I now understand that you use them because they don't leak and last longer.
> 
> Sorry for asking...


If nobody asked these questions, nobody would ever learn anything.
And thank you for saving me the time to read those posts


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## K Pedals (Aug 23, 2022)

Feral Feline said:


> Can't wait to build one as per your spec!
> 
> Upright is gonna get LOUD!
> 
> ...


I’ve been playing upright a lot lately… just acoustic… how do you amplify yours?¿
I’ve been thinking about looking into pickups… I usually just mic it…


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## Bricksnbeatles (Aug 23, 2022)

DAJE said:


> Binary Dual Fuzz / Darkglass Duality
> 
> 
> A bass fuzz with two distinct voicings that can be blended together in any ratio, from vintage warmth to searing, gated chaos.
> ...


It seems like a cool and great sounding circuit, but I’ve always felt like most clean blend fuzz pedals are missing is gain on the clean blend. If the fuzz is set up to give a fairly significant boost, then the clean blend can get washed out even at full. Been thinking of building one of those, but altering the circuit so instead of a blend pot that pans between the clean signal and fuzz signal, it’s just a separate level control for the clean signal with up to 12db of gain.


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## Chuck D. Bones (Aug 23, 2022)

The Bass Klon has over 20dB gain from 20Hz to almost 3KHz with GAIN at zero, TONE at noon and VOLUME dimed.  That should be plenty of clean boost.  You can split the GAIN control into two B100K pots, CLEAN and DIRTY, it you like.


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## Chuck D. Bones (Aug 23, 2022)

EGRENIER said:


> Oh boy, didn't realize I was committing a deadly sin by asking
> 
> I went and search for posts from you and tantalum and I now understand that you use them because they don't leak and last longer.
> 
> Sorry for asking...


In addition, they are more transparent (less coloration that aluminum). Also lower loss for slightly higher charge pump efficiency.  And they look good.


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## Mentaltossflycoon (Aug 23, 2022)

DAJE said:


> Binary Dual Fuzz / Darkglass Duality
> 
> 
> A bass fuzz with two distinct voicings that can be blended together in any ratio, from vintage warmth to searing, gated chaos.
> ...


There is? I have the aion on my bench rn but would've kept it pedalpcb had I known.


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## Chuck D. Bones (Aug 23, 2022)

DAJE said:


> Binary Dual Fuzz / Darkglass Duality
> 
> 
> A bass fuzz with two distinct voicings that can be blended together in any ratio, from vintage warmth to searing, gated chaos.
> ...


How noisy is the Duality?


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## Bricksnbeatles (Aug 23, 2022)

Chuck D. Bones said:


> The Bass Klon has over 20dB gain from 20Hz to almost 3KHz with GAIN at zero, TONE at noon and VOLUME dimed.  That should be plenty of clean boost.  You can split the GAIN control into two B100K pots, CLEAN and DIRTY, it you like.


Oooh. I may have to do that. Seems fun, and I need a good bass drive


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## Deperduci (Aug 23, 2022)

never cared for a regular klon, but might go with the futzing of this 1to see how boosty it gets


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## Mentaltossflycoon (Aug 23, 2022)

Let's just hope it doesn't get THIS bootsy.  Tragic stuff. 




I used to know a dude who had an obscene collection of vintage basses/tube amps who had this on his pedal board. When deep pocket only applies how much you spent...  no amount of switches and knobs on those alembics could compensate for how much he murdered his tone on the way to his amp. So it goes.  Maybe he just didn't know how to use it but it always sounded awful to me.


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## Deperduci (Aug 23, 2022)

my eyes MY EYES!!!


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## Chuck D. Bones (Aug 23, 2022)

Bootsy Baby!

If you haven't already, check out _*Tales from the Tourbus*_.  Mike Judge (of Beavis & Butthead and King of the Hill fame) created a series of "documentaries" based on interviews, concert footage, police records,etc.  Season 1 featured Country Music stars.  Season 2 was all about Funk.  There is an entire episode dedicated to Bootsy Collins.


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## Mentaltossflycoon (Aug 23, 2022)

It seems easy to assume that Bootsy has seen some really crazy things. Doing choreographed dance steps with an adult man in a diaper is just another Wednesday to Bootsy, baby.


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## Chuck D. Bones (Aug 23, 2022)

He's done some crazy shit too.  He talks about some of it on Tales from the Tour Bus.


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## Deperduci (Aug 23, 2022)

Think only bassist who did weirder things than Bootsy was Lemmy…..


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## music6000 (Aug 23, 2022)

Chuck D. Bones said:


> Check out page 90 of the August 2022 issue of Pathways.
> 
> https://cordialcablesusa.com/publications/pathways-august22/desktop/
> 
> ...


Amazing, using 1/8 Watt resistors allows the Bass get to the Caps quicker thus keeping Bass frequencies in tack!!!


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## Bricksnbeatles (Aug 23, 2022)

Deperduci said:


> Think only bassist who did weirder things than Bootsy was Lemmy…..


Sting with his very public Tantra and lutes?


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## DAJE (Aug 23, 2022)

Chuck D. Bones said:


> How noisy is the Duality?


I haven't noticed any problem with noise. I'll hook it up later and have a critical listen, though. I'll try it through headphones too.

I've been using it with a project that's been rehearsing regularly for a while now. Using a borrowed bass amp there that's pretty loud.

EDIT: @Chuck D. Bones - I just tried the Duality and listened for noise, and it didn't seem any noisier than the other pedals I tested it against. Which were various DIY dirt pedals from here and elsewhere. Tested with HBs and SCs. Some noise but not excessive. 

The really high top end is not something I can hear, though. Middle aged ears, been around loud music most of my life. So faint squeals at the top of the human hearing range are inaudible to me.


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## DAJE (Aug 23, 2022)

Mentaltossflycoon said:


> There is? I have the aion on my bench rn but would've kept it pedalpcb had I known.


No, my mistake, there's a P-PCB version of the Darkglass overdrive, not the fuzz.


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## Mentaltossflycoon (Aug 23, 2022)

Right, right, I wasn't so into that drive sound but the list of bass oriented pedals I've never built is getting pretty short so I'll get there eventually. I have high hopes for the duality, seems like a good idea in theory.


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## DAJE (Aug 23, 2022)

My Aion Binary build report with YouTube demo (recorded on my phone, so it's not super-high-rez). 

Demo posted 1 March, it's nearly September and I'm still very happy with it.


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## DAJE (Aug 23, 2022)

If we're talking bass (and bass-modded) pedals in general, there's my Aion Azure (CE-2 clone, with bass mod) build report, too. Sounds great on bass, and there's only one capacitor difference between the CE-2 and the CE-2B so it's the easiest mod ever. 

I tried the "intensity mod" that I mentioned in the build report, too, but I prefer the original version so I went back to that.


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## Deperduci (Aug 23, 2022)

Bricksnbeatles said:


> Sting with his very public Tantra and lutes?


he willingly got in bed with Wendy O…..
Or are we talking about a different “doing weird things “



DAJE said:


> If we're talking bass (and bass-modded) pedals in general, there's my Aion Azure (CE-2 clone, with bass mod) build report, too. Sounds great on bass, and there's only one capacitor difference between the CE-2 and the CE-2B so it's the easiest mod ever.
> 
> I tried the "intensity mod" that I mentioned in the build report, too, but I prefer the original version so I went back to that.


I feel like doing something similar with either the mpb pork barrel or ppcb’s board, just the diff caps. Might socket 1 to enable swapping for tone range


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## Feral Feline (Aug 23, 2022)

EGRENIER said:


> Oh boy, didn't realize I was committing a deadly sin by asking
> 
> I went and search for posts from you and tantalum and I now understand that you use them because they don't leak and last longer.
> 
> Sorry for asking...


Chuck forgot to mention size. You can fit a Tantalum where an electrolytic simply won't fit — like a modded Rat circuit in a 1590A.




K Pedals said:


> I’ve been playing upright a lot lately… just acoustic… how do you amplify yours?¿
> I’ve been thinking about looking into pickups… I usually just mic it…


I used to use my EA Micro300 into a Wizzy 10. After I blew the speaker I continued to use the Micro300 with whatever backline the venue offered.
However, haven't done that in years. The last band I was in I just used whatever back line was available, often direct into the PA with my Radial PZed-Pre on a PT Metro with a few other noisemakers.

Then I paired my setup right down to an FDeck HPFIII, tuner and occasionally something fun. I gigged like that for nearly two years before covid hit. Haven't gigged since.

Found an Underwood pickup at a local shop when I first started gigging, haven't found fault with it yet. Been mic'd on a few gigs...


What sort of mic setup are you using? I've always wanted to try the Troll ribbon mic.

PS: Nearly forgot. For farting around with pedals at home I plug in through a Roland Micro-Bass I had picked up for a strolling minstrel type gig. DB is NOT an instrument meant for strolling with...


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## Mentaltossflycoon (Aug 23, 2022)

I've been meaning to try a krivo magnetic upright pickup. I've heard good things, especially when it comes to upright players who use pedals in loud bands.


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## Deperduci (Aug 23, 2022)

that’s a shot we need, les claypool’s upright internals


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## K Pedals (Aug 24, 2022)

Feral Feline said:


> What sort of mic setup are you using? I've always wanted to try the Troll ribbon mic.




I’ve just mic’ed it up with a Soyuz bomblet or AEA r84a into a reddi into a preamp… 
Never heard of the troll…
I have the coles 4038 but haven’t tried it on upright yet…


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## Feral Feline (Aug 24, 2022)

Deperduci said:


> that’s a shot we need, les claypool’s upright internals









Mentaltossflycoon said:


> I've been meaning to try a krivo magnetic upright pickup. I've heard good things, especially when it comes to upright players who use pedals in loud bands.


Keep an eye out for a sale at Gollihur.

Here's the mag pup I'd like to try, Biesele:








Oh yeah, with my Underwood, I only use the bass side pup, the treble side is tucked into foam — I still get plenty of click from slap.
Still, I'd like to one day experiment with a clicky, so I got a B-Band pickup ages ago. Still have yet to install it. Some day...


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## Feral Feline (Aug 24, 2022)

K Pedals said:


> I’ve just mic’ed it up with a Soyuz bomblet or AEA r84a into a reddi into a preamp…
> Never heard of the troll…
> I have the coles 4038 but haven’t tried it on upright yet…


I'm not familiar enough with mics in general. DPA, sure but those others you mention I'll need to do homework.


Here's a thread on TB about the Troll:








						Troll Ribbon Mic
					

I borrowed the Troll Ribbon Mic for a trial the other day and have been A/Bing it with the DPA. It is Very Good.  Someone here ought to be able to...




					www.talkbass.com
				








Wind-foam, mic and a bunch of rubber-bands & zap-straps to fix it under the bridge — packed in a tube.

I see the guy who makes them now has a website, too. 





						Troll Microphone — Ribbon microphone for upright bass
					

The Troll microphone is a ribbon microphone for upright bass, handmade by a bassist, for bassists.




					trollmicrophone.com


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## K Pedals (Aug 24, 2022)

Feral Feline said:


> I'm not familiar enough with mics in general. DPA, sure but those others you mention I'll need to do homework.
> 
> 
> Here's a thread on TB about the Troll:
> ...


Yeah that looks crazy!!!
Not a bad price…


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## Bricksnbeatles (Aug 24, 2022)

Deperduci said:


> that’s a shot we need, les claypool’s upright internals


Hasn’t he been using just a Ned Steinberger upright for at least a decade or two?


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## Deperduci (Aug 24, 2022)

Bricksnbeatles said:


> Hasn’t he been using just a Ned Steinberger upright for at least a decade or two?


he has at least 2, for the videos he uses a 3/4but on stage he uses something that looks like what the other 1st name in string instruments Les would have built in 194X with similar to the Biesele by the floor


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## Bricksnbeatles (Aug 24, 2022)

Deperduci said:


> he has at least 2, for the videos he uses a 3/4but on stage he uses something that looks like what the other 1st name in string instruments Les would have built in 194X with similar to the Biesele by the floor


Ah interesting! I’ll have to dive deeper. Ik that in the Flying Frog Brigade there was an NS and the Whamola off to the side of the stage, and that when I’ve seen him with both CLD and Primus he’s always had an NS with him (though I’ve only had the pleasure of hearing him play it in person once, when the CLD played Blood and Rockets)


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## Deperduci (Aug 24, 2022)

YT findings, for Mr Krinkle there’s concert footage, usually with the pig mask using an EUB, but he’s also only guy i’ve seen that has a bass version of a resonator (uses in duo de twang sets) Peter Steele would hold a 1/2 like a P-bass, Lemmy is the only 1to get Ric signature model… we’re going sideways here but would be interesting to see what all these instruments would sound like through the modded klon.


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## szukalski (Aug 24, 2022)

+1 for Tales from the Tour Bus. I feel like it’s a hidden gem which every musician or music oriented person should watch.


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## jimilee (Aug 24, 2022)

Feral Feline said:


> Keep an eye out for a sale at Gollihur.
> 
> Here's the mag pup I'd like to try, Biesele:
> 
> ...


Am I the only one that immediately thought that would be a cool tattoo?


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## Chuck D. Bones (Aug 25, 2022)

Just remember, in the academic community it's not called _plagiarism_, it's call _research_. 

I conduct a LOT of research!


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## swelchy (Aug 25, 2022)

This is killer info.. thank You Chuck. Nicely done.


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## teal (Sep 8, 2022)

I'm very happy  to sell my Bass Soul Food pedal now. This Bass Klon will be so much better for sure!


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## homebrewtj (Dec 11, 2022)

I think I’m going to start on this today!


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## Alan W (Dec 12, 2022)

The Craig Anderton piece on LED limiters is worth peaking at too. I’m gonna try one.


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