MXR M288 Bass Octave Deluxe

160 Guitarist December 2009
MXR BASS PEDAL ROUND-UP £149-£249
BASS EFFECTS
The Bottom Line
We like: Added bottom
boost and simple operation
We dislike: Bit pricey
compared to guitar version
The Bottom Line
We like: Tough and well-
equipped; good EQ preset
We dislike: Convincing techs
your DI is better than theirs!
GUITARIST RATING GUITARIST RATING
F
or those looking for a
straightforward plug-in-
and-play fuzz pedal for their
bass guitar, it doesn’t come any
easier than this. The tone and
deep switches are useful
additions and, being standard
electric box size, this is also as
compact as it gets.
Sounds
An uncomplicated, smooth,
consistent fuzz with that ‘jar
full of bees’ sustain. The tone
control adds clearer note
definition that’s great for lead
phrases and the deep switch is
great for expanding low-end
response while boosting the
signal significantly.
Verdict
Compact and effective, this is
a handy pedal to have around
should you feel the urge to
rough things up with style.
D
irect linking with any PA
system is never an exact
science, so having your own DI
box is always an asset. As an
extra, this unit also offers
highly controlled distortion
and super quiet switching
between straight DI and effect.
Sounds
There’s great adjustment on
natural clean sounds, with the
colour switch providing a
tasteful preset EQ, and there’s
loads of warmth here too. The
additional full-on distortion
can be finely tuned for extra
enhancement. The trigger
control works with the gate
switch to minimise noise when
using the distortion.
Verdict
A robust and well set-out DI – a
useful, albeit expensive tool to
carry to gigs, just in case.
MXR M-182
El Grande Bass Fuzz £149
MXR M-80
Bass DI+
£249
No-nonsense fuzz with added tonal ability A direct injection box with a touch of magic
Spec
PRICE: £149
ORIGIN: USA
TYPE: Bass fuzz pedal
FEATURES: Added preset for low-end
boost
CONTROLS: Volume, tone, fuzz and
deep switch
CONNECTIONS: Input, output
POWER: DC adaptor (not supplied)
or nine-volt battery
DIMENSIONS: 112 (l) x 60 (w)
x 48mm (h)
RANGE OPTIONS: M188 Bass Auto
Q Pedal (£209)
Spec
PRICE: £249
ORIGIN: USA
TYPE: Bass DI & distortion pedal
FEATURES: Clean DI or distortion
CONTROLS: Clean volume, bass, mid,
treble, distortion volume, blend, trigger
and gain. Effect, distortion, colour, gate
and phantom/ground switches
CONNECTIONS: Input, output,
parallel output, direct XLR output
POWER: DC adaptor (not supplied),
nine-volt battery or phantom power
DIMENSIONS: 93 (l) x 125 (w)
x 58mm (h)
MXR bass pedals
Four exciting ways to enhance the sound of your bass with added
MXR quality by Roger Newell
PHOTOG RAP HY BY JOBY SES SIO NS
GIT323.rev_mxr 160 6/11/09 12:47:29 pm