Bass players need pedal love too, and a great effect to kick your bass tone up a notch is an overdrive, so let’s check out the straightforward and versatile Ampeg Scrambler Bass Overdrive Pedal.
The pedal has a black matte all-metal case with bright white lettering and knob value markings–I found this combo to be very readable. There is a bright purple LED power indicator and the foot switch feels very solid–it gives a satisfying click when pressed. This is a true-bypass circuit, so your input signal will not be distorted when the pedal is not engaged.
There are four control knobs:
Drive: This knob controls the amount of overdrive.
Blend: I found this to be a very useful feature–you can mix how much of the raw/dry input signal with the overdrive signal for custom tones. Completely dry is with the knob all the way counterclockwise, and all wet is with the knob completely clockwise.
Treble: 17 dB of boost, or 14 dB of cut at 4 kHz. With the knob all the way to the right, the sound can get a little harsh–back off the control to warm up the tone.
Volume: Unity volume is with the knob at noon, and as with the other controls, the volume control is only active when the pedal is on.
Signal input and output jacks are on the sides of the pedal. The dimensions of the case are 2.2" x 2.4" x 4.5".
The pedal runs off of a 9V battery or 9V DC from an external power supply. The external power jack is top mounted, 9V @ 20mA with 5.5 x 2.1 mm center-negative plug.
The bottom of the pedal has rubber feet, something to keep in mind if you are trying to attach this to a pedalboard. To gain access to the battery compartment, you will need to unscrew the four screws, something to keep in mind if you are playing live. Unfortunately neither a battery nor a 9V power brick were included. Also, if you are using the battery, be sure to unplug the input cable when you are done, otherwise you will drain the battery.
The inside of the pedal looks very clean and nicely laid out. There is a foam compartment for the battery, and below the battery is a jumper switch to provide a 15dB input drop in case you are using a bass with active electronics or high-output pickups.
All in all, the Ampeg Scrambler Bass Overdrive Pedal is a very rugged pedal that allows you to dial in the exact amount of overdrive you want–from just a hint of grit all the way to blow your face off. To me, the color of the overdrive was fairly neutral, which allows the pedal to be used for a variety of song genres. The blend control was the winner, as it allowed me to dial in the exact tone I was looking for. So to me, this no-frills pedal focuses on one job, and it does that job very well.
- Pricing and Availability on Amazon: Ampeg Scrambler Bass Overdrive Pedal
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