@7:00 "The ZEN doesn't do a clean"....yeah just like your amp. Clean Holland AC30? Your "clean" isn't really clean. Most tube guitar amps will distort on the cleanest settings.
i have a multi effects module, and was wondering if the tone is too unique to dial in. like, could i tweak some settings too get the sound? also, how much would some mods and a new paint job run me?
i've already got a Blues Driver from Boss for my blues sounds, but i'm looking for a good rock overdrive pedal (not too expensive of course :D). anyone got any suggestions?
awesome video! i have the bad monkey. and i love it! and also.... fucking love the people that comment on here! haha! havent really laughed like that in a while! :D thanks!
Just my old band guy opinion, but I've owned an arsenal worth of dirt pedals over the last 29 years and I don't have as big of a beef against the Bad Monkey as you seem to. I did my own test with a Monkey against a reissue TS-808 ( back in the day, I had an original one), and a TS-5 and I found the Monkey to have more bass and gain than the other Tube Screamers. The 808 sounded more open and clear, but the Monkey was a bit more full.
I think the hothead sounds good. But you can't understate the fact that this test is being done through a good guitar and amp. Player, guitar, and amp should be considered before any pedal.
There's nothing wrong with the Bad Monkey. It works, it has its own character, and if that's what you like, you can get a decent overdrive sound without paying a lot for a TS or some boutique stuff.
On the other hand if you are a snob, or just die to get "that" sound, save some money and buy the expensive one, and you will surely feel good about it. Nothing wrong with that either.
I haven't commented on many videos, but just thought I'd add, that I bought the Bad Monkey on many good reviews I found online for some reason. I found it to absolutely ruin the tone of any good tube amp I played it through, including an old Ampeg Reverberocket, a Tweed Deluxe clone I built, and a simple plexi styled kt66 amp I built. It was just terrible. I was much better off with an anolog clean boost such as an EH LPB-1. I think if this pedal helps your tone you have a bad amp.
@guitargumption I use a Revererocket and 2 Bad Monkeys... I use to use 2 "ORIGINAL" TS808s, but found the Monkeys to be much more warm and flexable. I have a great Texas Tone. I think it just depends on what you are trying to do? If you want that Austin SRV sound, then sure 2 TS808s will do it. But 2 Bad Monkeys do it better ;) Granted he is using a TS9 in the video, but that's just a joke... There is no comparison between a TS9 and the BM. BM wins every time. BM is set up wrong...
I've been playing the same old Ibanez TS9 forever- bought it from a pawn shop back in the days before it became a hot commodity and all the followers had to have one... I love it, wouldn't sell it, but I'm an objectivist... type. If I didn't already have one, I wouldn't feel the need to spend a pile of money to get one when the Bad Monkey is available for waaaaaaaaay cheaper. So much 'gear logic' is based on the same voo-doo superstitious bullshit that causes Orientals to drink Rhino Horn tea.
@rrgert4 i have the hot head. its eh. does the job for 30 dollars... i got it used for 20 i heard the bad monkey kicks its ass.. you should try both. the hot head is more of a heavy really distorted distortion.. the bad monkey is a nice bluesy less drive overdrive pedal. hope that helps? :)
@giggs102 yeah i tried the hothead out... it was kinda high gainy, rough pedal.. treble much... diddnt buy it , got a Boss Ds1 used instead... im happy with it , but a bad monkey would be nice !
@hq72hotmale The Bad Monkey is wired into a bypass loop. The pedal stays on constantly, and the loop routes the guitar signal through the Bad Monkey or bypassing the Bad Monkey, depending on the switch. In essence, the Bad Monkey is turned on and off remotely, even though the light stays on. I did it this way in order to demonstrate the tone suck at the beginning of the video.
Being a baby myself, I would like to thank Passenger95 for filming this video from a "baby's eye view" . I enjoy the softness of a nice shag carpet on my little baby knees& palms.My tiny ears believe the ZenDrive to be a bit more transparent,the AnalogmanTS-9 excels at a raw, CrazyHorse-esqueness & the BM close enough to both to make most babies happy while having money left over for fresh diapers and Gerber.My baby senses wonder what reaction single coils might have.
This was interesting. I have the Zendrive and the Bad Monkey side by side on my Pedalboard and they are VERY similar. Some folks feel the need to insist Boutique pedals sound better because they cost more, but not me. I bought my Zen when i had a few extra bucks, but to be honest i've recomended the BM more because in todays economy , the differance in sound is minor, but the differance in $ is huge. I love both for sure, but for the money, get the Bad Monkey.
@LearnChristianMusic1 Ya, it's not bad with solid state amps. But in my humble opinion, everything sounds better through a tube amp. Even a cheaper tube amp like the Epiphone Valve Junior. :-)
@johnnysomersett That's a good point. However, one of the main things I've noticed about tone suck is what it does to the dynamics and feel of my rig, which in turn hurts my playing. So in that sense, it's fairly important to me.
Yes, I have heard the digitech bad monkey to be superior to other pedals and the other way around. But when I saw this video, the zen one sounded best to me. I would like to see these compared to maybe a boss blues driver.
@PyschoMechanix40 i got one free when i bought my whammy pedal. it served its purpose, but it sucks all the tone out of your guitar (at least thats how mine acted)! i want to think i'm no elitist, but in my honest opinion (if it means anything to anyone), the ibanez works better. and true bypass is always a plus!
@PyschoMechanix40 Personally, one of my favorite drives is the Ibanez TS7. It can be had for a used price of less than half of the Bad Monkey. So I think that everyone who likes the Bad Monkey is an elitist scrub. ;-) hehe All in good fun. Cheers, bro!
I fully agree that the Bad Monkey is inferior to the others. With that being said, you simply cannot deny that for 30 clams, that bitch sounds pretty good. I have been playing for 20 years, and I use all boutique stuff now, but if I were a kid starting out and looking for a quick OD solution, the Band Monkey is a great way to go. You are comparing a Mustang to a Ferrari. Yeah, the mustang is pretty fast and cool, but it will never quite be a Ferrari. . . .
Okay--this is gonna sound bizarre, but I don't have my amp yet and I'm getting all of these pedals even though I don't play guitar . I need you to supply a schematic of each pedal and a brief description of how airplanes can fly .Please help-----and which one of Zsa Zsa's legs got amputated ? Left or right ? I am the singer of an all-Muslim Sonic Youth cover band that only plays instrumentals. Thank you .
@OctomomsBaby Schematics are available online, airplanes don't really fly...it's all a conspiracy, all 3 of Zsa Zsa's legs got amputated, and any Sonic Youth cover band can't be a bad thing. Cheers!
Very usefull video! I agree with Passenger95 that the BM does not 'kill' the other 'boutique' (whatever that means!!!!) ones, but for the price you have a very good overdrive pedal (same for the sd-1 in my opinion). What this vid also proves is that the pricing of the so called 'boutique' pedals is way out of line! The diffenrence in sound does not justify the difference in price! If a BM does 40 dollars, then a modified TS-9 or any other drive pedal in that category should cost 90 and no mo'!!!
@luit13 Great comment. Ya, I think it just depends on what you want to spend on tone. For me personally, I don't mind spending double for an Analogman, but I won't spend $300 for some of the boutique ts clones. :-)
@punkiassjunki yessir. Doesn't necisarily make them good or not. I've got an sd1 that i like well enough. But I dont have a tube amp to use with it yet. So amp will make a difference in whether or not it is worth it.
@guitarcapo That may very well be true. :-) On the other hand, an audience may be caring when some of these pedals won't cut through a mix in a live setting, and suddenly there's no guitar.
@guitarcapo Interesting. In my humble experience, I'll take good source tone over anything done at the soundboard. And there seemed to be a difference to my ears. But you may very well be right that I could be buying into the internet hype. :-) I guess in the end we all just have to trust our ears and play whatever gear helps us make good music. :-) Cheers!
@guitarcapo internet hype? the bad monkey sucks tone, listen again, both other pedals laugh at it and the people who make it know it doesn't hold up THATS WHY IT'S CHEAPER....bloody hell..
@miguelpessanha91 Personally I think that the SD-1 is not the best overdrive pedal when you use it as your main source of overdrive (in front of a clean amp, I mean). But when used to give an amp on 'the edge' that extra push, it's one of the best there is!
OK this is gonna sound weird but I don't have my guitar yet and I'm getting one of these but the grunge pedal.... I need a clear description of ow you plug these pedals in... please help. oh and by the way.... bad monkey or grunge?
@moseseseseses Apologies for the horrible display. I had the pedals lying around and figured, 'Hey maybe this can help somebody if I try them all next to each other.' Obviously, it was not up to your standards; but those leads are as good as you're gonna get from my steely hands. haha If you want 'real leads', I'd suggest purchasing or borrowing these three pedals and filming your own video. That way you will no longer be subjected to this horrible display. lol Cheers, my friend!
Tone suck sounds similar to that of the Digitech Whammy 4. Seems like both are fixable though.
If I could get the pedal for like $15 and mod it to alleviate the tone suck, I'd probably use it. I'm a tweaker; I've replaced all my Strat's pickups and I like trying odd combinations like using nice boutique pedals with ridiculously cheap ones. I'm not looking to copy anyone, I'm exploring, dammit!
Really though, I find that a lot of my favorite players often use some cheap pedals.
well tube screamers have to be modded to get the full potential, and they sale modded Bad monkeys that do not suck tone, and those things kill for the price, where as tube screamers are WAY more, then to mod em is even WAYYY more.
@GuitarAnus8 I've played one of the modded Bad Monkey's, and didn't think it sounded much different than a stock one. Of course, I may just purchased a poorly modded one.
@adenbum What is because I have a Les Paul? Good sound? Bad sound? Pedals not reacting right? Have no good recordings ever been made with a Les Paul in history? ;-) Cheers!
I think the BM really shined on the neck pickup comparison. Outside of Its price range, it certainly isn't the best pedal out there, but when price is factored in, it's definitely on the short list.
I got my Bad Monkey through Guitar Center Used for $9.99 and let me tell you that through my Computer Soundcard using the Mixer input the pedal sounds great.
I also have the Route 66 from Visual Sound which is the best overdrive/compression pedal that doesnt cost an outrageous amount of money and I would say that the Bad Monkey isnt that far behind. For once Digitech did something right.
@narancor So the Bad Monkey in this video is eq'd incorrectly? I'm confused, because there have been a bunch of comments here that say that they thought the Bad Monkey actually sounded better than the other two pedals in this video. In which case, the eq'ing did what it was supposed to do. If you didn't like the sound of it, which parts didn't you like? I'd love to chat gear and possibly learn something, but I'll need more specifics. :-) Cheers!
I know man, I returned it though. But they would only give me credit. So now I have $75 credit at an overpriced music store. But in Canada I saw it at an average priced music store (axe) for $60 so I guess it's quite a bit cheaper generally in the states.
I couldn't believe how good the BM sounds. I heard a local guy jamming through one, via an Orange TT, into a Mesa 2 x 12 vertical cab and a Strat, it sounded awesome!
thanks for this. i always appreciate comparative reviews that deal with relative value as opposed to just which item is overall better. My personal favorite OD is the Jetter Tritium and Jetter Helium - both of which I have played, neither of which I can afford currently. It's easy to say pedal A is better than B, but is it really 6 or 7 times better ? Finally, PhilX uses Bad Monkey and he is SuperGreat so I do support the Monkey.
@mongoose979 Gotcha. Ya, I've heard the Jetter stuff is great! But you're right...most things, even the better ones, aren't 6 or 7 times better. hehe Have an awesome day!
The test was skewed by the Bad Monkey's LOW/HIGH settings. The 12 O'clock settings are the starting point, not the optimum settings for tone.
I get a really useful solo boost with a slight crunch without altering my amp's tone with mine. And the sustain and individual note definition are as good as any stompie on the market. Think outside the 12 O'clock box.
@HOUNDDAWG Thanks for the perspective on that approach. Personally, I hold to a different approach, where I believe that no pedal has optimum settings for tone. It just all depends on what amp you are using. I went through all the tone settings on the Bad Monkey, and ended up filming the ones that sounded best with my amp. I really was trying to make this pedal sound as good as possible! haha For other people's amps, perhaps further up on the tone knobs sounds the best for them, although...
@HOUNDDAWG ...usually with drive pedals and amps, turning up all the tonal controls together, is the same as turning up the level knob. It may be different with the Bad Monkey, but that's how it has been with most of the amps and pedals I have played. Again, thanks for the perspective, and have a great evening. Cheers!
I'm not the biggest fan of overdrive, but if I get one it'll definately be the bad monkey (mainly the price), unless I find $200 to buy the mudhoney od. That pedal is sweeeeeet.
Thanks for nothin'... I loved the Monkey so much I bought a 2nd one, and for a while had both on my board. Then I watched this, and had to do an extensive "tonesuck test" on all my pedals. The two surprising winners were the '82 TS9 and the DOD FX80B compressor, almost no loss at all. The Maxon OD808 isn't too bad, but my old Ibanez top-jack series pedals (DDL20, DCL, CP10) didn't fare so well. Bad Monkey? The worst tonesuck I've ever heard. I'll get rid of them and buy a Hardwire CM-2.
@negriljerry Very interesting! Ya, tone suck can be terrible. You're right, the Bad Monkey and the old Ibanez pedals did have a lot of it. I'm surprised that that DOD didn't have much tone suck. Very cool. Cheers!
Zen drive sounds nice...but not that much nicer for the money to beat out the Monkey. Besides, like it was stated before, why two boutique/modded pedals against one stock model? Not a fair fight, IMO.
@stevecloud No, definitely not a fair fight, in my humble opinion. However, a lot of people say that the Bad Monkey trumps both those boutique/modded pedals...so I figured, why not play them side by side and see? Cheers!
these kind of videos would be even better if they were blind tests, meaning the listener doesn't know which pedal he or she is hearing. it would be like doing a taste test when you know which drink you're drinking. makes no sense. humans are VERY prone to the power of suggestion, to status symbols, etc.
um... okay. A $40 stock mass-manufactured pedal, versus a $100 pedal that's then been modded by one of the best in the business, and another handmade pedal running at a higher voltage... with "close to the same settings"...
@tony93666 lol I absolutely agree! Not a fair fight. However, you would be surprised the number of people who listen to this video and still prefer the Bad Monkey over the more expensive and handmade pedals. So even though price-wise, and maybe even in my opinion, these pedals are in different classes, a lot of great guitarists disagree. So, I shot a video of them side by side, and the truth about it is whatever your ears tell you. Thanks for watching and have a wonderful day! :-)
It's seen as cool these days to slag on the tubescreamers, but I think they're still among the best ODs you can get. TS-9, 808. etc., especially with mods. Love that midrangey drive.
I think the BM might have been a little closer if it was EQed up a tad on both settings. Would have given it a little beefier sound and also a bit more high end bite. TS9 and ZD still would have beaten it, but it's surprising how close the BM can get.
Nice demo - one of the best I've seen on any pedals - thanks!
Thanks, bro. Ya, it usually works better just to relax. In that particular instance, the guy actually emailed me afterwards and was way cool about the whole thing. Plus, I don't claim to know everything......so on some levels he was probably actually right. haha
Sure, that might work! The Bad Monkey might be a little fat for that though...the Analogman TS9 might do a slightly better job. Just my humble opinion. :-) Cheers!
With the bad monkey you gotta mess with the EQ a lot to the sweet spot. I use mine with the level at 10 o'clock, the low at 4 o'clock, and the high at 4:30. Th gain I change all the time, though.
Very interesting. In my humble experiences, the if you have to boost the eq knobs to the same setting, it's the same as turning the gain up. The pedals that have sounded best to me, are the ones where the eq tweaking is not for the sound of the pedal, but to match it to your amp. But, as always, I could be very wrong. Next time I get my hands on one of these, I'll try out your suggestion. Have a wonderful day.
Which is entirely possible. :-) haha Could you be more specific about where I was wrong, though? I enjoy having conversations between differing views, as it gives me the chance to become more rounded in my opinions; but it is difficult to do that when the criticism is so cryptic. Was it the Bad Monkey I was wrong about? Did I judge it too harshly? Or not harshly enough? Thanks, and I look forward to chatting with you!
@7:00 "The ZEN doesn't do a clean"....yeah just like your amp. Clean Holland AC30? Your "clean" isn't really clean. Most tube guitar amps will distort on the cleanest settings.
Hereistone 2 weeks ago
@4:57 BUZZZ wtf? Les Pauls dont buzz?
Hereistone 2 weeks ago
I think the bad monkey sound better
randomtwit 3 weeks ago
i have a multi effects module, and was wondering if the tone is too unique to dial in. like, could i tweak some settings too get the sound? also, how much would some mods and a new paint job run me?
bassharmonica1 1 month ago
Should put more '' low '' on your bad monkey
Duroduro666 1 month ago
i've already got a Blues Driver from Boss for my blues sounds, but i'm looking for a good rock overdrive pedal (not too expensive of course :D). anyone got any suggestions?
EriksAnarchy512 1 month ago
@EriksAnarchy512 Check out the delta labs RD-1. $50 bucks for a solid rock distortion.
flyingbassman5 3 weeks ago
awesome video! i have the bad monkey. and i love it! and also.... fucking love the people that comment on here! haha! havent really laughed like that in a while! :D thanks!
madcheshire77 2 months ago
Just my old band guy opinion, but I've owned an arsenal worth of dirt pedals over the last 29 years and I don't have as big of a beef against the Bad Monkey as you seem to. I did my own test with a Monkey against a reissue TS-808 ( back in the day, I had an original one), and a TS-5 and I found the Monkey to have more bass and gain than the other Tube Screamers. The 808 sounded more open and clear, but the Monkey was a bit more full.
typsypyg 2 months ago
man i searched that ibanez screamer and on the internet it costs 500$ why is that?
MatKiller1197 2 months ago
I think the hothead sounds good. But you can't understate the fact that this test is being done through a good guitar and amp. Player, guitar, and amp should be considered before any pedal.
catboyzee123 2 months ago
There's nothing wrong with the Bad Monkey. It works, it has its own character, and if that's what you like, you can get a decent overdrive sound without paying a lot for a TS or some boutique stuff.
On the other hand if you are a snob, or just die to get "that" sound, save some money and buy the expensive one, and you will surely feel good about it. Nothing wrong with that either.
TheChinovnik 2 months ago
Ts9 actually sounds best to me. Fatter than the others but still tight.
hellsSG 3 months ago
I haven't commented on many videos, but just thought I'd add, that I bought the Bad Monkey on many good reviews I found online for some reason. I found it to absolutely ruin the tone of any good tube amp I played it through, including an old Ampeg Reverberocket, a Tweed Deluxe clone I built, and a simple plexi styled kt66 amp I built. It was just terrible. I was much better off with an anolog clean boost such as an EH LPB-1. I think if this pedal helps your tone you have a bad amp.
guitargumption 4 months ago
@guitargumption oh thats bad. How is the ts9?
hellsSG 3 months ago
@guitargumption I use a Revererocket and 2 Bad Monkeys... I use to use 2 "ORIGINAL" TS808s, but found the Monkeys to be much more warm and flexable. I have a great Texas Tone. I think it just depends on what you are trying to do? If you want that Austin SRV sound, then sure 2 TS808s will do it. But 2 Bad Monkeys do it better ;) Granted he is using a TS9 in the video, but that's just a joke... There is no comparison between a TS9 and the BM. BM wins every time. BM is set up wrong...
mydadcanwoopyourdad 2 months ago
I've been playing the same old Ibanez TS9 forever- bought it from a pawn shop back in the days before it became a hot commodity and all the followers had to have one... I love it, wouldn't sell it, but I'm an objectivist... type. If I didn't already have one, I wouldn't feel the need to spend a pile of money to get one when the Bad Monkey is available for waaaaaaaaay cheaper. So much 'gear logic' is based on the same voo-doo superstitious bullshit that causes Orientals to drink Rhino Horn tea.
LandonInFlorida 4 months ago
Comment removed
LandonInFlorida 4 months ago
bad monkey or hot head ?
rrgert4 5 months ago
@rrgert4 i have the hot head. its eh. does the job for 30 dollars... i got it used for 20 i heard the bad monkey kicks its ass.. you should try both. the hot head is more of a heavy really distorted distortion.. the bad monkey is a nice bluesy less drive overdrive pedal. hope that helps? :)
giggs102 4 months ago
@giggs102 yeah i tried the hothead out... it was kinda high gainy, rough pedal.. treble much... diddnt buy it , got a Boss Ds1 used instead... im happy with it , but a bad monkey would be nice !
rrgert4 4 months ago
you have the bad monkey on while trying to demonstrate the clean boost settings for the other pedals ?
hq72hotmale 5 months ago
@hq72hotmale The Bad Monkey is wired into a bypass loop. The pedal stays on constantly, and the loop routes the guitar signal through the Bad Monkey or bypassing the Bad Monkey, depending on the switch. In essence, the Bad Monkey is turned on and off remotely, even though the light stays on. I did it this way in order to demonstrate the tone suck at the beginning of the video.
Passenger95 5 months ago 3
Dude.. It's green, and it's called a "Bad Monkey" that such a cool name it beats anything!
ellis252 5 months ago 6
@ellis252 You have a point. ;-)
Passenger95 5 months ago
Being a baby myself, I would like to thank Passenger95 for filming this video from a "baby's eye view" . I enjoy the softness of a nice shag carpet on my little baby knees& palms.My tiny ears believe the ZenDrive to be a bit more transparent,the AnalogmanTS-9 excels at a raw, CrazyHorse-esqueness & the BM close enough to both to make most babies happy while having money left over for fresh diapers and Gerber.My baby senses wonder what reaction single coils might have.
OctomomsBaby 6 months ago 7
@OctomomsBaby Next time I own any of those three pedals, I'll try to film another with singles. :-)
Passenger95 6 months ago 2
This was interesting. I have the Zendrive and the Bad Monkey side by side on my Pedalboard and they are VERY similar. Some folks feel the need to insist Boutique pedals sound better because they cost more, but not me. I bought my Zen when i had a few extra bucks, but to be honest i've recomended the BM more because in todays economy , the differance in sound is minor, but the differance in $ is huge. I love both for sure, but for the money, get the Bad Monkey.
Mandomule 7 months ago
@Mandomule Awesome comment. Well said, bro. :-)
Passenger95 6 months ago
so does it work good with solid state amps
LearnChristianMusic1 7 months ago
@LearnChristianMusic1 Ya, it's not bad with solid state amps. But in my humble opinion, everything sounds better through a tube amp. Even a cheaper tube amp like the Epiphone Valve Junior. :-)
Passenger95 6 months ago
i love the Bad Monkey, in my opinion it´s a little bit better sounding than the TS9
paulheavenly 7 months ago
@paulheavenly Cool! Glad it's working out for ya!
Passenger95 6 months ago
Tone suck. hmmmm
In a live setting, aint no body gonna be able to tell the difference. People worry too much.
johnnysomersett 7 months ago
@johnnysomersett That's a good point. However, one of the main things I've noticed about tone suck is what it does to the dynamics and feel of my rig, which in turn hurts my playing. So in that sense, it's fairly important to me.
Passenger95 6 months ago
Yes, I have heard the digitech bad monkey to be superior to other pedals and the other way around. But when I saw this video, the zen one sounded best to me. I would like to see these compared to maybe a boss blues driver.
ThePeljo 9 months ago
@ThePeljo I agree...the Zen was my favorite, too. Cheers!
Passenger95 6 months ago
BAAAAAD MONKEY!!!!!!!
sfentonas11 10 months ago
@sfentonas11 Nice.
Passenger95 6 months ago
All the people who are talking shit about the bad monkey are elitist scrubs.
PyschoMechanix40 10 months ago
@PyschoMechanix40 i got one free when i bought my whammy pedal. it served its purpose, but it sucks all the tone out of your guitar (at least thats how mine acted)! i want to think i'm no elitist, but in my honest opinion (if it means anything to anyone), the ibanez works better. and true bypass is always a plus!
nicktight423 7 months ago
@nicktight423 Pretty much my same experience, too. Great points.
Passenger95 6 months ago
@PyschoMechanix40 Personally, one of my favorite drives is the Ibanez TS7. It can be had for a used price of less than half of the Bad Monkey. So I think that everyone who likes the Bad Monkey is an elitist scrub. ;-) hehe All in good fun. Cheers, bro!
Passenger95 6 months ago
I fully agree that the Bad Monkey is inferior to the others. With that being said, you simply cannot deny that for 30 clams, that bitch sounds pretty good. I have been playing for 20 years, and I use all boutique stuff now, but if I were a kid starting out and looking for a quick OD solution, the Band Monkey is a great way to go. You are comparing a Mustang to a Ferrari. Yeah, the mustang is pretty fast and cool, but it will never quite be a Ferrari. . . .
Smithha85 11 months ago
@Smithha85 Great point! Well said. :-)
Passenger95 6 months ago
Okay--this is gonna sound bizarre, but I don't have my amp yet and I'm getting all of these pedals even though I don't play guitar . I need you to supply a schematic of each pedal and a brief description of how airplanes can fly .Please help-----and which one of Zsa Zsa's legs got amputated ? Left or right ? I am the singer of an all-Muslim Sonic Youth cover band that only plays instrumentals. Thank you .
OctomomsBaby 11 months ago 33
@OctomomsBaby Schematics are available online, airplanes don't really fly...it's all a conspiracy, all 3 of Zsa Zsa's legs got amputated, and any Sonic Youth cover band can't be a bad thing. Cheers!
Passenger95 11 months ago 24
@OctomomsBaby All-muslim sy cover band? That's the most badass thing I've heard all day.
XpumpkinheadXhearseX 8 months ago
@XpumpkinheadXhearseX its a joke if you didnt catch the "singer" in an "All instrumental" band thing
ILoveallguitars 7 months ago
@ILoveallguitars Does that make it less badass?
XpumpkinheadXhearseX 7 months ago
@OctomomsBaby What makes that comment even more bizarre is that it was written by Octomom's Baby.
slpplexi1969 6 months ago
I like 'em all. Zen has a combination of grit and clarity that sets it apart but I could see any of them being right at the right moment.
whaaaaateverful 1 year ago
@whaaaaateverful Good point!
Passenger95 11 months ago
Very usefull video! I agree with Passenger95 that the BM does not 'kill' the other 'boutique' (whatever that means!!!!) ones, but for the price you have a very good overdrive pedal (same for the sd-1 in my opinion). What this vid also proves is that the pricing of the so called 'boutique' pedals is way out of line! The diffenrence in sound does not justify the difference in price! If a BM does 40 dollars, then a modified TS-9 or any other drive pedal in that category should cost 90 and no mo'!!!
luit13 1 year ago
@luit13 Great comment. Ya, I think it just depends on what you want to spend on tone. For me personally, I don't mind spending double for an Analogman, but I won't spend $300 for some of the boutique ts clones. :-)
Passenger95 11 months ago
can someone tell me if these pedals are analog or digital
boss sd-1
boss os-2
digitech bad monkey
ibanez tube screamer
punkiassjunki 1 year ago
@punkiassjunki analog man.
hxcFluffy 1 year ago
@hxcFluffy ALL of them are analog?
punkiassjunki 1 year ago
@punkiassjunki yessir. Doesn't necisarily make them good or not. I've got an sd1 that i like well enough. But I dont have a tube amp to use with it yet. So amp will make a difference in whether or not it is worth it.
hxcFluffy 1 year ago
@punkiassjunki Yep. :-)
Passenger95 11 months ago
@punkiassjunki analog
hxcFluffy 1 year ago
@punkiassjunki Ya, as others have said, analog.
Passenger95 11 months ago
BM sounds close enough.this is really an exercise in tedium. The only people caring are gear geeks.
guitarcapo 1 year ago
@guitarcapo That may very well be true. :-) On the other hand, an audience may be caring when some of these pedals won't cut through a mix in a live setting, and suddenly there's no guitar.
Passenger95 11 months ago
@Passenger95 Well I'll take a good mixer at the soundboard over some boutique pedal any day.
I don't notice any difference in the Bad Monkey in that regard at any rate. Seems like more internet hype to me.
guitarcapo 11 months ago
@guitarcapo Interesting. In my humble experience, I'll take good source tone over anything done at the soundboard. And there seemed to be a difference to my ears. But you may very well be right that I could be buying into the internet hype. :-) I guess in the end we all just have to trust our ears and play whatever gear helps us make good music. :-) Cheers!
Passenger95 11 months ago
@guitarcapo internet hype? the bad monkey sucks tone, listen again, both other pedals laugh at it and the people who make it know it doesn't hold up THATS WHY IT'S CHEAPER....bloody hell..
TheLydianRocks 10 months ago
wiht that guitar and that amp the three pedals sound so warm and nice!
which pedal do you think is better the sd 1 or the BM?
miguelpessanha91 1 year ago
@miguelpessanha91 Personally, I like the SD1. But I know a lot of people would disagree. Cheers!
Passenger95 1 year ago
@Passenger95 i tried the BM today, and it sounded a lot warmer than the sd 1. I think in the BM the bass and treble knobs are very useful! Cheers
miguelpessanha91 1 year ago
@Passenger95 I wont disagree with you, the SD1 is a bloody nice pedal!
iceman10129 1 year ago
@miguelpessanha91 Personally I think that the SD-1 is not the best overdrive pedal when you use it as your main source of overdrive (in front of a clean amp, I mean). But when used to give an amp on 'the edge' that extra push, it's one of the best there is!
luit13 1 year ago
OK this is gonna sound weird but I don't have my guitar yet and I'm getting one of these but the grunge pedal.... I need a clear description of ow you plug these pedals in... please help. oh and by the way.... bad monkey or grunge?
CharlieBitMyNose1 1 year ago
@CharlieBitMyNose1 Guitar-->Bad Monkey input-->Bad Monkey output-->amp. And I'd get the Bad Monkey over the Grunge, in my humble opinion. :-)
Passenger95 1 year ago
A HORRIBLE DISPLAY. REAL LEAD NEEDS TO BE PLAYED WITH THESE PEDALS SO THAT PEOPLE CAN REALLY HEAR THE DIFFERENCE.
moseseseseses 1 year ago
@moseseseseses i was thinking the same thing....
dobby240 1 year ago
@dobby240 As was I. ;-)
Passenger95 1 year ago
@moseseseseses Apologies for the horrible display. I had the pedals lying around and figured, 'Hey maybe this can help somebody if I try them all next to each other.' Obviously, it was not up to your standards; but those leads are as good as you're gonna get from my steely hands. haha If you want 'real leads', I'd suggest purchasing or borrowing these three pedals and filming your own video. That way you will no longer be subjected to this horrible display. lol Cheers, my friend!
Passenger95 1 year ago
Tone suck sounds similar to that of the Digitech Whammy 4. Seems like both are fixable though.
If I could get the pedal for like $15 and mod it to alleviate the tone suck, I'd probably use it. I'm a tweaker; I've replaced all my Strat's pickups and I like trying odd combinations like using nice boutique pedals with ridiculously cheap ones. I'm not looking to copy anyone, I'm exploring, dammit!
Really though, I find that a lot of my favorite players often use some cheap pedals.
787Bisurdaddy 1 year ago
@787Bisurdaddy Great comment! Yes, without the tone suck, it would open up a lot more.
Passenger95 1 year ago
boss os2 is the way to go. u got overdrive and distortion in one.
punkiassjunki 1 year ago
@punkiassjunki Thanks!
Passenger95 1 year ago
In this case I can see I get what I pay for, the bad monkey is horrible....
scottladoucheable 1 year ago
@scottladoucheable I didn't care for it as much as the others, either. But some people dig it!
Passenger95 1 year ago
well tube screamers have to be modded to get the full potential, and they sale modded Bad monkeys that do not suck tone, and those things kill for the price, where as tube screamers are WAY more, then to mod em is even WAYYY more.
GuitarAnus8 1 year ago
@GuitarAnus8 I've played one of the modded Bad Monkey's, and didn't think it sounded much different than a stock one. Of course, I may just purchased a poorly modded one.
Passenger95 1 year ago
@Passenger95 its becuse you have a les paul
adenbum 1 year ago
@adenbum What is because I have a Les Paul? Good sound? Bad sound? Pedals not reacting right? Have no good recordings ever been made with a Les Paul in history? ;-) Cheers!
Passenger95 1 year ago
@Passenger95 nope no good recordings that i can think of
adenbum 1 year ago
I think the BM really shined on the neck pickup comparison. Outside of Its price range, it certainly isn't the best pedal out there, but when price is factored in, it's definitely on the short list.
jnkhd 1 year ago
@jnkhd You're totally right on with that. :-)
Passenger95 1 year ago
I paid 25$ shipping included from a website that sell used items !!!
carakenio 1 year ago
@carakenio whats the site??
TheIn2Nation 1 year ago
@carakenio Nice!
Passenger95 1 year ago
I got my Bad Monkey through Guitar Center Used for $9.99 and let me tell you that through my Computer Soundcard using the Mixer input the pedal sounds great.
I also have the Route 66 from Visual Sound which is the best overdrive/compression pedal that doesnt cost an outrageous amount of money and I would say that the Bad Monkey isnt that far behind. For once Digitech did something right.
koval529 1 year ago
@koval529 $10? Right on!
Passenger95 1 year ago
you said it yourself...the bad monkey sucks tone....end of shootout
HackerGuitarist 1 year ago
@HackerGuitarist It does suck some tone in bypass, unfortunately.
Passenger95 1 year ago
equalize the bad monkey right as others rewieus and you will see.
narancor 1 year ago
@narancor So the Bad Monkey in this video is eq'd incorrectly? I'm confused, because there have been a bunch of comments here that say that they thought the Bad Monkey actually sounded better than the other two pedals in this video. In which case, the eq'ing did what it was supposed to do. If you didn't like the sound of it, which parts didn't you like? I'd love to chat gear and possibly learn something, but I'll need more specifics. :-) Cheers!
Passenger95 1 year ago
"It's a 30 dollar pedal."
What the fuck!? I just paid $75 Canadian for a Bad Monkey today!
Levi790 1 year ago
@Levi790 Ah, bummer! Check out The Gear Page emporiums. They go used for $25 sometimes. :-)
Passenger95 1 year ago
@Passenger95
I took that shit back LOL. pretty good pedal though I tried it out.
Levi790 1 year ago
@Levi790 Ya, not a bad pedal at all!
Passenger95 1 year ago
@Levi790 You got ripped dude! I paid $35 US for mine. Worth every penny, but I couldn't say that if I dropped $75 I don't think.
HeWhoWalksAmong 1 year ago
@HeWhoWalksAmong
I know man, I returned it though. But they would only give me credit. So now I have $75 credit at an overpriced music store. But in Canada I saw it at an average priced music store (axe) for $60 so I guess it's quite a bit cheaper generally in the states.
Levi790 1 year ago
@Levi790 everything is cheaper in the states. That's why it's so hard to play on the price is right!
LeamonsRgood 1 year ago
@LeamonsRgood lol
Passenger95 1 year ago
@Levi790 Ya, things seem to be cheaper here sometimes. I think it's 'cause of customs costs elsewhere.
Passenger95 1 year ago
@Passenger95
Yeah, alot of music gear is quite a bit more expensive up here. Good video though man.
Levi790 1 year ago
@HeWhoWalksAmong Ya, pretty nice for $35. I agree. :-)
Passenger95 1 year ago
More people need to do demos like this, kudos. Also, what kind of guitar are you playing?
Aparashi 1 year ago
@Aparashi Thanks for the kind words! :-) And I believe it was a Prairiewood in this video.
Passenger95 1 year ago
zendrive very smooth
brooklynstudio 1 year ago
@brooklynstudio Totally agree. Those Hermida pedals are special. :-)
Passenger95 1 year ago
for more then half the price of a tube screamer, it offers pretty solid overdrive.
logen99999 1 year ago
@logen99999 Very true!!
Passenger95 1 year ago
sorry for that silly comment, i am furious when i see people with pedals like candys, a lot of it and then they are boring of them
and have an awesome day too xDDD and sorry my english!
i dont understand what u are saying about BM, but i have buyed one and its AWESOMEEEE
Y3n2008 1 year ago
@Y3n2008 No worries! Glad you're enjoying the pedal. :-)
Passenger95 1 year ago
I had BM, it's great for a $30 pedal but I sold it once I got my TS9
Merkin9to5 1 year ago
@Merkin9to5 Good times. Either is good, but ya...I might vote for a TS9 or modded one.
Passenger95 1 year ago
I couldn't believe how good the BM sounds. I heard a local guy jamming through one, via an Orange TT, into a Mesa 2 x 12 vertical cab and a Strat, it sounded awesome!
mazsenior 1 year ago
@mazsenior Right on! What kind of strat?
Passenger95 1 year ago
@Passenger95 Just a stock American!
mazsenior 1 year ago
@mazsenior Wow! Right on!
Passenger95 1 year ago
@mazsenior Way cool!
Passenger95 1 year ago
thanks for this. i always appreciate comparative reviews that deal with relative value as opposed to just which item is overall better. My personal favorite OD is the Jetter Tritium and Jetter Helium - both of which I have played, neither of which I can afford currently. It's easy to say pedal A is better than B, but is it really 6 or 7 times better ? Finally, PhilX uses Bad Monkey and he is SuperGreat so I do support the Monkey.
mongoose979 1 year ago
@mongoose979 Gotcha. Ya, I've heard the Jetter stuff is great! But you're right...most things, even the better ones, aren't 6 or 7 times better. hehe Have an awesome day!
Passenger95 1 year ago
The test was skewed by the Bad Monkey's LOW/HIGH settings. The 12 O'clock settings are the starting point, not the optimum settings for tone.
I get a really useful solo boost with a slight crunch without altering my amp's tone with mine. And the sustain and individual note definition are as good as any stompie on the market. Think outside the 12 O'clock box.
HOUNDDAWG 1 year ago
@HOUNDDAWG Thanks for the perspective on that approach. Personally, I hold to a different approach, where I believe that no pedal has optimum settings for tone. It just all depends on what amp you are using. I went through all the tone settings on the Bad Monkey, and ended up filming the ones that sounded best with my amp. I really was trying to make this pedal sound as good as possible! haha For other people's amps, perhaps further up on the tone knobs sounds the best for them, although...
Passenger95 1 year ago
@HOUNDDAWG ...usually with drive pedals and amps, turning up all the tonal controls together, is the same as turning up the level knob. It may be different with the Bad Monkey, but that's how it has been with most of the amps and pedals I have played. Again, thanks for the perspective, and have a great evening. Cheers!
Passenger95 1 year ago
I'm not the biggest fan of overdrive, but if I get one it'll definately be the bad monkey (mainly the price), unless I find $200 to buy the mudhoney od. That pedal is sweeeeeet.
MrBlink41SUM 1 year ago
@MrBlink41SUM Ya, for sure...great drive for the money. :-) Cheers!
Passenger95 1 year ago
The Bad Monkey will sound like a Tube Screamer if you change the C5 cap to .022uF it gives it a good mid hump.
dr6926 1 year ago
@dr6926 Awesome! Thanks for the info!
Passenger95 1 year ago
Thanks for nothin'... I loved the Monkey so much I bought a 2nd one, and for a while had both on my board. Then I watched this, and had to do an extensive "tonesuck test" on all my pedals. The two surprising winners were the '82 TS9 and the DOD FX80B compressor, almost no loss at all. The Maxon OD808 isn't too bad, but my old Ibanez top-jack series pedals (DDL20, DCL, CP10) didn't fare so well. Bad Monkey? The worst tonesuck I've ever heard. I'll get rid of them and buy a Hardwire CM-2.
negriljerry 1 year ago
@negriljerry Very interesting! Ya, tone suck can be terrible. You're right, the Bad Monkey and the old Ibanez pedals did have a lot of it. I'm surprised that that DOD didn't have much tone suck. Very cool. Cheers!
Passenger95 1 year ago
@negriljerry I bought 2 myself i run 1 all the time as my rythem setting and then kick on the other for my lead setting
epiphonelp100g 1 year ago
@epiphonelp100g Right on!
Passenger95 1 year ago
this guy have a lot of money but he plays bad
Y3n2008 1 year ago
@Y3n2008 Well it's a demo of what the pedals sound like, not his skills.
And he doesn't play that bad.
29396 1 year ago
@29396 haha Thanks, man.
Passenger95 1 year ago
@Y3n2008 Well, I disagree on the having a lot of money part. Most of these pedals I'm forced to sell after I do the demo.
But you're right on with the playing bad part! haha I'll try to up my skills and then do another demo for ya. Have an awesome day! :-)
Passenger95 1 year ago
@Passenger95 Well handled. Well Handled indeed.
TheSchoolsux345 1 year ago
@TheSchoolsux345 Thanks. :-)
Passenger95 1 year ago
check the Vids with Phil X at frettedamerica. He plays a lot with the Bad Monkey and it sounds awesome!
TobPio 1 year ago
@TobPio Will do. Thanks!
Passenger95 1 year ago
I got a BM for $20 so it wins.
cgravier 1 year ago
@cgravier That is very true...the Bad Monkey is probably the best od for the value. Have a great day!
Passenger95 1 year ago
The bad monkey owns them all.
newmilleniumband 1 year ago 2
@newmilleniumband haha Glad you dig it, bro! Cheers!
Passenger95 1 year ago
Zen drive sounds nice...but not that much nicer for the money to beat out the Monkey. Besides, like it was stated before, why two boutique/modded pedals against one stock model? Not a fair fight, IMO.
stevecloud 1 year ago
@stevecloud No, definitely not a fair fight, in my humble opinion. However, a lot of people say that the Bad Monkey trumps both those boutique/modded pedals...so I figured, why not play them side by side and see? Cheers!
Passenger95 1 year ago
That zendrive sound nice.
MrMassiveTone 1 year ago
@MrMassiveTone I agree! :-)
Passenger95 1 year ago
these kind of videos would be even better if they were blind tests, meaning the listener doesn't know which pedal he or she is hearing. it would be like doing a taste test when you know which drink you're drinking. makes no sense. humans are VERY prone to the power of suggestion, to status symbols, etc.
peskypesky 1 year ago
@peskypesky Great point! I'll try to do a blind test on a couple pedals tomorrow. Have a great evening!
Passenger95 1 year ago
um... okay. A $40 stock mass-manufactured pedal, versus a $100 pedal that's then been modded by one of the best in the business, and another handmade pedal running at a higher voltage... with "close to the same settings"...
FAIL.
tony93666 1 year ago
@tony93666 lol I absolutely agree! Not a fair fight. However, you would be surprised the number of people who listen to this video and still prefer the Bad Monkey over the more expensive and handmade pedals. So even though price-wise, and maybe even in my opinion, these pedals are in different classes, a lot of great guitarists disagree. So, I shot a video of them side by side, and the truth about it is whatever your ears tell you. Thanks for watching and have a wonderful day! :-)
Passenger95 1 year ago
It's seen as cool these days to slag on the tubescreamers, but I think they're still among the best ODs you can get. TS-9, 808. etc., especially with mods. Love that midrangey drive.
I think the BM might have been a little closer if it was EQed up a tad on both settings. Would have given it a little beefier sound and also a bit more high end bite. TS9 and ZD still would have beaten it, but it's surprising how close the BM can get.
Nice demo - one of the best I've seen on any pedals - thanks!
serotone9 1 year ago
@serotone9 Gotcha. Thanks for the tips! Have an awesome day!
Passenger95 1 year ago
The Bad Monkey vs the Green Screamer, your thoughts?
birdiejoehoaks 1 year ago
@birdiejoehoaks Hmm...probably the Green Screamer, but it's been awhile. :-)
Passenger95 1 year ago
Demo starts at 2:20.
dorielementary 1 year ago
@dorielementary Yep, I'm long-winded. :-) hehe
Passenger95 1 year ago
My friend i am an amateur guitarist and i play in a band punk rock and alternative rock would this pedal fix for my style..??
1994mitsaras 1 year ago
@1994mitsaras Probably very well! :-)
Passenger95 1 year ago
l love how you dealt with that guy who told you you know nothing, lmpressive ,l learned from this
loganbramhall1989 1 year ago
Thanks, bro. Ya, it usually works better just to relax. In that particular instance, the guy actually emailed me afterwards and was way cool about the whole thing. Plus, I don't claim to know everything......so on some levels he was probably actually right. haha
Passenger95 1 year ago
hey would you suggest the bad monkey for a TS-808 sound with a strat, very texas style.
loganbramhall1989 1 year ago
Sure, that might work! The Bad Monkey might be a little fat for that though...the Analogman TS9 might do a slightly better job. Just my humble opinion. :-) Cheers!
Passenger95 1 year ago
With the bad monkey you gotta mess with the EQ a lot to the sweet spot. I use mine with the level at 10 o'clock, the low at 4 o'clock, and the high at 4:30. Th gain I change all the time, though.
Ilovemyfender2 1 year ago
Very interesting. In my humble experiences, the if you have to boost the eq knobs to the same setting, it's the same as turning the gain up. The pedals that have sounded best to me, are the ones where the eq tweaking is not for the sound of the pedal, but to match it to your amp. But, as always, I could be very wrong. Next time I get my hands on one of these, I'll try out your suggestion. Have a wonderful day.
Passenger95 1 year ago
I too like my drives to be transparent, and that is the most transparent setting I found. Oh, and you have a good day as well :)
Ilovemyfender2 1 year ago
Ok, cool! If I ever buy one again, I'll try it out. Thanks, bro! Cheers! :-)
Passenger95 1 year ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
you dont know what the fuck you`re talking about
RJiminez51 1 year ago
Which is entirely possible. :-) haha Could you be more specific about where I was wrong, though? I enjoy having conversations between differing views, as it gives me the chance to become more rounded in my opinions; but it is difficult to do that when the criticism is so cryptic. Was it the Bad Monkey I was wrong about? Did I judge it too harshly? Or not harshly enough? Thanks, and I look forward to chatting with you!
Passenger95 1 year ago