GABRIEL!
ok that aside.. dear mr. threadstarter, you have NO IDEA how excited i am whenever i see the word
BASSBALLS.
first and foremost, it is NOT an overdrive/distortion/fuzz pedal per se, unlike that other 2 on the above list (even though it does have a distortion switch, more on that later).
the bassballs is technically known as an envelope filter. too technical, no? to put it in simpler terms, it's an
auto-wah. it wahs your sound according to how
sensitive you have set the pedal to be with the
Response knob. basically, rolling the knob clockwise would increase the sensitivity.
the more
sensitive the pedal is, the stronger the wah-ing. sensitivity is also affected by how much
gain (or dry signal) you are allowing into the pedal, as well as the strength of your attack on the strings (how hard/soft you are plucking/picking/strumming/whatevering the strings).
http://soft.com.sg/forum/gear-bass/72466-what-does-envelope-filter-does-bass.html#post682940 for a more technical explanation by shinobi of the envelope filter.
the distortion switch does what it says: it distorts the sound produced. also seems to add gain, from what i can hear, which increases the sensitivity.
interesting combinations would be to pair it up with another distortion instead of using the distortion switch which comes with the bassballs. it makes the sound really boomy and should cut through the mix with ease, when necessary.
another pedal which goes well with the bassballs (i have yet to use other envelope filters, so i won't endorse the use of others as of now) is a chorus pedal. brilliant for funk, whether you be slapping and popping or just simply playing finger style.
on the whole, the bassballs is a VERY flamboyant pedal to own and use. it is definitely not an overdrive/distortion/fuzz, but that doesn't discount it from being able to hold its own. the petite size of the pedal is also a turn on, seeing as to how precious real estate is on everyone's pedalboard.
retails for $150, i think.
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=QpncRw7ridE -> video demo of the bassballs by Peter Stroud.
