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Ampeg Scrambler Bass Overdrive Pedal: The Pedal Box

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.

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Ampeg Scrambler Bass Overdrive Pedal: The 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.

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Ampeg Scrambler Bass Overdrive Pedal: Side Input and Output Jacks

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".

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Ampeg Scrambler Bass Overdrive Pedal: Power Input Jack

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.

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Ampeg Scrambler Bass Overdrive Pedal: Bottom of the Pedal

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.

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Ampeg Scrambler Bass Overdrive Pedal: Inside the Pedal

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.

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