MXR M 89 Bass Overdrive

I've been searching a while for the perfect overdrive and have been through quite a few along the way. I'm in a rock setting mainly doing covers. I needed something to add some grit without sounding muffled or get buried in the mix. I had a few contenders along side the MXR. Mainly from Aguilar and Darkglass. The MXR, for me was the clear winner. One strong issue - it doesn't scoop the mids. Scooped mids may be ideal for various types of metal and sound really great and aggressive soloed. But in a band setting it is easily buried especially with distorted guitars on top.

The MXR M89 is super easy to dial in. The clean knob is really subtle and is great in order to preserve the punch and definition, especially at higher drive setting. The drive goes from slightly overdriven (very tube amp like IMO) to full out distortion. The tone control is great for fine-tuning your attack. I sometimes wish it could boost the treble a bit more, but over all very effective. The sound of the pedal is best described as dark and aggressive. My favourite sounds are achieved with drive between 7 and 12 o'clock. For more over the top distortion I prefer my MXR M80 or M84.

There may be alternatives with more features and tonal options, but at this price point this is really tough to beat. If you're looking for a pedal to push your bass through the mix with attitude this is it!