December 2, 2008

Dirt Review: Penny Pedals DS-1 Bass Mod

Stashed under: Reviews - Overdrive / Distortion — grygrx @ 9:06 pm

  1. Overview
  2. Initial thoughts
  3. Video Overview
  4. Samples
  5. Picture Gallery
  6. Construction and cosmetic concerns
  7. Conclusion
  8. View All


Manufacturer: Penny Pedals
Model: DS-1 Bass Mod
MSRP/Paid: $79.99/Trade
New/Used/Loan: Used
Battery: Yes
Power Supply: Yes
Size: Aprox. 2.5″ Wide x 5.5″ Tall x 2.25″ Deep (jacks/knobs etc included)
Available from:Direct Only

From the maker:

Description:
Oh no… not another DS-1 modification. But wait…. Bass? Yes!

Originally designed for a heavier guitar distortion, the Penny Pedals DS-1 ‘Bass’ mod takes this pedal where you never thought possible. NOT modified for ’singing highs’ or “delicate, balanced upper mid clarity,’ this DS-1 is simply BRUTAL. Of course, it can be used for guitar… but you may have to pry it from your bass player’s hands!

First, the ‘usual’ DS-1 mods are done, with attention paid to reducing the noise, shrill distortion, and general blah sound. A few key components are adjusted to retain low end frequency response, but maintain a ‘tight’ sound.

Second, the tone control is modified to my own personal ‘flavor,’ reducing the mid drop and making it more usable overall. The tone control is completely usable throughout the entire range… try that with a stock DS-1!

Finally, the addition of a two-way switch gives you the option of two disticnt modes: DS and OD. in DS mode, the overall sound is closer to stock, but with much more low end, Mid-high gain (distortion) and normal output. This is great for cranking the distortion and getting an almost fuzz-style sound. In OD mode, the gain is reduced and overall volume increased a LOT, much more like an overdrive. The low end is huge without being flabby. This is becoming a favorite overdrive for bass players, myself included!

These are new units, fresh with factory boxes and papers, as well as my own manual. I can also modify your existing DS-1 to Bass spec, just email for info!

8 Comments »

  1. Wow. I’m pretty impressed. You were right in not trying out a stock DS-1 with bass. I have tried one, and it does not sound pretty, and I don’t mean in the good way. It actually belonged to a guitarist friend of mine (glad I didn’t spend any of my money on it). Having had that experience, I probably would have given it around an 8, but of course that would be biased. Still, it’s great for the money.

    Also, how’s that Schecter working out? I’ve thought about getting one for a while now. I’ve always loved the Fender Bass VI (what the hellcat is based off of), but they’re too expensive. I just wish it had a trem and better pickups with more low end.

    Comment by Kugelspot — December 2, 2008 @ 11:31 pm

  2. awesome pedal, thx for review!

    Comment by P_Hat — December 3, 2008 @ 2:51 am

  3. nice pedal but quite generic sounding imo good for the price though

    Comment by Katri — December 3, 2008 @ 6:10 am

  4. The Schecter is fun, but it is a tad flawed. For sure worth the money when compared with what a Bass VI costs!

    Comment by grygrx — December 3, 2008 @ 7:11 am

  5. Since it’s modded, can they also mod it for true bypass? That would be a great addition to an already impressive pedal.

    Comment by Xcalith — December 3, 2008 @ 7:17 am

  6. no, true bypass would be a downgrade from the exisiting superb boss buffered switch

    Comment by RC — December 4, 2008 @ 4:34 pm

  7. ^ ya. With a TRUE bypass switch, you can’t have an LED on/off indicator. So even if it says the switch true bypass, if it has an LED, it’s not bypassing 100%. Boss did such a good job buffering the switch that true bypass just isn’t worth it.

    Comment by Kugelspot — December 4, 2008 @ 11:03 pm

  8. Hey………

    Buffers are great as line drivers. I would actually recommend having an appropriate buffer near the front of a long pedal chain. The problem comes with 15 buffers in a row. That is one of the reasons that True bypass is a standard issue feature these days. (we simply use more effects & don’t need/want all those buffers). While it is true that a true bypass signal still shares a ground connection with the effect when in bypass mode, the *signal* line has no electronic connection to the circuit in most cases, (acts as a patch cable when no power is applied) with or without a LED. As long as steps are taken to avoid any noise leaking through the ground connection, True bypass is a perfectly viable set-up, and not without good reason…

    Just to be clear…… :^)

    -Mario

    Comment by Mario — December 13, 2008 @ 1:16 pm

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