Build Quality:4.9 out of 5 stars
Hardware:4.8 out of 5 stars
Electronics:4.8 out of 5 stars
Sound:4.8 out of 5 stars
Value:4.9 out of 5 stars
Average:4.8 out of 5 stars

Check on Amazon

Pros:

  • Wide range of chorus
  • Accentuates low-end
  • Offers noiseless operation

Cons:

  • Treble can have some hiss at maximum settings
  • Rate transition could be a bit smoother

Whether you’re writing your own pieces or you’re still learning some techniques based on other guitarists’ music, you need a pedal that will inspire you. You need a bass chorus that will awaken your inner artist, cause your creativity to flow as a river, and let those ideas come to your mind interminably. Even though you can find that particular feature in every model, there are some devices that are steeped with inspiration. They aren’t merely tools for adding something to your sound, they are the very stars of every single note you create. You shouldn’t take such units for granted, since they aren’t as common as you might expect.

And who else would create a pedal that always forces me to experiment with new sounds if not Electro-Harmonix. This brand has always been a dear friend of musicians, be it bassists or electric guitar players. Their pedals have turned the world upside down a couple of times with their innovation and intuitiveness. This time they are catering to bassists, in particular, with their Bass Clone. This compact device is capable of being spontaneous and predictable at the same time. Such a nature will help you unleash your potential and take another step towards becoming a professional. Keep on reading if you want to find out what makes this unit so special. Let’s get started!

Features

Bass Clone is based on the same circuitry that was featured in the Small Clone. Whether you’ve experienced with it or not, you would have heard how perfect that circuitry was. But it had one huge con: though it could be played with bass, it wasn’t made for it. So Electro-Harmonix decided to repeat the circuitry but add qualities that would accommodate it to bass guitar.

If you have not used the original, you might not have the idea of what I’m talking about, but that doesn’t matter. Bass Clone has its own features that set it apart from the competition. Moving onto the particular properties, this puppy comes in a durable chassis that has the brand’s proprietary design. It’s really wonderful when manufacturers make sure their products are recognizable. And trust me, you’ll know this is the Bass Clone from EHX even from far away.

More importantly, this bad boy comes with X-Over functionality. It gives you the ability to ignore low frequencies while adding chorus and affect only mid and high range. This way your basses will remain untouched and be more articulate as they are outputted along with the rest of the spectrum. This is a wonderful way for cutting through the mix with your lowest tones.

When turned off, the effect is added to the whole signal. Bass Clone has a true bypass, which means your sound won’t be colored if you decide to skip chorus and pass your signal to another pedal. It has typical powering options i.e. 9V battery and an adapter. As you can see, Electro-Harmonix has managed to modify the legendary circuit of Small Clone for the sake of bass and, as a result, provided us with a spectacular device.

Controls

In order to achieve the sound you’re looking for, you’ll have to mess around with four encoders and a single switch. Finding the right combination is key to success, just like with other units. However, here things are even easier than in other cases. The functionalities of each control are indicated with precise labels, letting you know what is what right away. It’s also true that you will be able to tweak this one blindfolded once you figure out how each setting alters your tone.

What we have here is a typical package (except for X-Over): Depth modifies the intensity of modulation, while Rate changes its speed. Even if we had these two, we’d still be able to nail a decent sound out of this one. But we have more. Bass attenuates or amplifies lower frequencies in the original signal, while Treble does the same thing for a higher spectrum in the wet sound. X-Over cuts the bottom end from the spectrum, leaving only middle and higher ranges for chorus in the up position. Unfortunately, we don’t have a Volume control, which would a bit more precise to the tweaking process. Lastly, there’s a footswitch on the bottom of the pedal – it activates the unit or triggers true bypass mode.

EHX BASS CLONE Sound

Electro-Harmonix Bass Clone offers a lot of versatility even without sophisticated features. In manages to bring diversity to the table via simple controls. It’s made possible due to the fact that each of its controls has a wide range. You are left with different results even when you take tiny steps. By experimenting with various combinations, you can either duplicate your bass sound, add a fast and pronounced chorus or just thicken up the whole sound. I’ve mentioned earlier that we don’t have level control here and even though I’d prefer the option to change the volume manually, I didn’t lack it as much as I expected initially.

X-Over is a great option if you don’t want to add chorus to your low-end but still steep the rest of the spectrum with the effect. It does retain the original qualities of your bass, but the effect gets milder. This can be perfect for those scenarios when chorus is used for fattening your sound and it doesn’t occupy a leading position. It should be noted that Bass Clone has noticeable hiss when Treble is maxed out, however, it isn’t that big of a problem during live performances. Other than that, this puppy doesn’t have any issues.

Conclusion

To sum up everything said above, Electro-Harmonix has surprised us once again with their Bass Clone. This baby has everything we loved about its predecessor, but its internal components are made for bass. This way we have the ability to utilize admired sounds with low-end and submerge ourselves and our audience with heavenly bass. Now you can see why this puppy awakens my creativity. It’s time to see if it does the same for you. Good luck! 

Check Availability

Click here to view more from 5 Best Bass Chorus Pedals.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.