SANSAMP vs. Aguilar ToneHammer pre-amp/DI pedal for your bass and why?

[lungimsam]

If you have used both, which do you like better and why?
Doesn't matter which model of either.
I am only talking about the small pedals, not the rack mounted units or actual amp heads.
Thanks!!

 

[lungimsam]

Well, no answers yet, so….I’m gonna try to find out on my own.
Have been using Tonehammer for a year or so. Sansamp BassDriverDI arrives Sunday.
Will report back with sound samples on the Starfire, I hope.

 

[mgod]

Exactly - why?

 

[lungimsam]

Just for fun or whoever might be interested.

 

[mellowgerman]

I've never played through a tone hammer but have owned a couple of Sansamp BDDI pedals over the years. The Sansamp is a great preamp and DI (though I did find myself wishing there had been a "mid" EQ control), but like I've found with most bass amp simulator pedals, that function works better when you're playing a Fender Precision or Jazz bass. You might be able to dial in a drive tone that you like with a Starfire, but it won't sound a whole lot like an overdriven SVT.(which was the aim of that pedal).

I think with any kind of emulator/voicing kind of function, pedal manufacturers have to work within certain limitations. There's just no way to make a pedal sound and respond exactly like a 90-lbs tube amp head, so they have to pick a starting point, and it's safe to say that the vast majority of their customers will be using a Precision or Jazz or some kind of related design. As a result, I think when you come at the pedal with a big billowing, broad-frequency signal like Bisonics put out, the pedal starts to act a little less as intended. Of course, nowadays there is quite a variety in the flavors of Bisonics and it's quite possible that the NS reissue pickup falls a little closer to a traditional Jazz bass type of signal. Though you're still on a short scale with a pickup in the far neck position, so that will still bring a good bit more low end to the party.

Curious to see what you think

 

[lungimsam]

The SanSamp BassDriver now has a mids control which can be clicked between two frequencies.
The Tonehammer has a mids knob so you can sweep through mids freuencies. So more flexibility there, though I find myself consistently landing on the high end of that spectrum.

But I am more interested in getting a different sounding low end than the ToneHammer has.
I have heard some players on the SanSamp getting a different sounding bottom end that I like better than what the ToneHammer gives.

All my basses seem to behave well with the ToneHammer. Fender, Guild, Gibson, Ric all sound good and respond similarly to it. They all have single coils. Am hoping they will do likewise on the SanSamp. Just hoping to get that flabbier sounding low end I am hearing from the SanSamps. The ToneHammer is sort of boomy.

 

[mellowgerman]

I certainly didn't mean to suggest that a Guild wouldn't sound good with a Sansamp, just that the classic SVT amp sound that people expect from these pedals, might not be in the cards if a bass is being used that falls outside of the "ordinary bass signal" spectrum. It will likely still function as a very nice preamp and you may well find that you love the drive on tap. I just make note of the SVT sound because my Sansamp pedals never sounded very much like an SVT with anything other than some flavor of P or J bass.

 

[lungimsam]

I know what you mean, mellow.
I'm glad you mention it because I wanted impressions from Guild players. So that is perfect.
The good thing is, I don't even know what an SVT sounds like, so it is ok with me to not sound like one. As long as it sounds good to my ears.

 

[lungimsam]

Sansamp going back. Sticking with the Tonehammer.