at higher settings. It’s the
most bass-centric feature
of the pedal, though I also
found it to be very cool with
distortion or an envelope
filter before, leaving some
of those effects to creep
into the signal in contrast
to the chorused tone.
The crossover also makes
the pedal something that
players of regular six-string
guitars should check out,
because it does lend a
clarity that even a lot of
guitar chorus effects lack.
it closer to the old Small
Clone’s richness, and the
Treble control accented the
overtones of the chorus
nicely. Turning the Rate
and Depth knobs all the
way up on the Bass Clone
didn’t sound the same as
the Depth switch up and
turning the single knob of
the Small Clone all the way
up. The Small Clone is much
more over the top, and its
“underwater” sound is much
more intense. The experiment
made me really appreciate
I was interested in comparing the crossover switch on the
the Bass Clone’s tone with an Bass Clone, which let a lot of
the natural feel of the bass sit
old Small Clone. My friend’s
underneath the chorus sound,
old late-‘90s big box model
especially at these extreme
that he’s owned for years
was the one I got a chance to settings. It’s interesting that
compare with. I would say the the single knob Small Clone
sounds so good at almost all
Bass Clone’s tone definitely
has the Small Clone vibe; that positions, although there are
kind of chiming overtone and combinations of Depth and
Rate on the Bass Clone that
swirly texture that separates
produce sounds the Small
it from other famous chorus
Clone can’t reach. Specifically,
pedals. However, the old
Small Clone felt a little juicier you can get some excellent
and a little deeper sounding. seasick vibrato and warble
that is more rhythmically
With the crossover off and
matched to your bass line
EQ controls flat, the Bass
with careful adjusting of the
Clone was a little brighter
Depth and Rate knobs.
in most settings. With the
crossover on, increasing
If you are really wondering
the Bass control brought
which of the two to get, I
think it depends on your
setup. If you’ve got a blend
or loop pedal to mix in your
dry bass with modulation, I’d
probably go with the classic
Small Clone or its newer
version, the Neo Clone. If
you’ve got a simpler setup,
the Bass Clone offers a lot
tighter low-end with very
useful EQ adjustments, and
would probably be the better
pick for your signal chain.
The Small Clone is an
outstanding effect, and the
Bass Clone proudly carries
its legacy. I couldn’t help but
smile playing “Frizzle Fry”
with it (at least the parts of
that song I am capable of
playing), so this is one clone
out there that feels fresh.
WHAT WE LIKED
Classic Small Clone
overtones and vibe. The
Bass and Treble knobs are
powerful and add a lot to
the effect. The Crossover
switch is handy; guitar
players should like it, too.
CONCERNS
Not quite as deep sounding
as the old Small Clone to
which I compared it.
ToneReport.com
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