How low can you go? Find out with Earthquaker's first bass pedal the new Blumes Low Signal Shredder. Derived from their Plumes guitar pedal, the Blumes brings the same tri-mode flexibility and even greater gain potential that makes the Blumes much more than just a TS-808 style pedal. And at a price of just $99, it's also a great value

With three different operating modes, the Blumes can serve many different functions. In either the symmetrical (mode 1) or asymmetrical modes (3) the Blumes can range from mildly crunchy to full-on fuzz bass. Asymmetrical mode is a little clearer and more brilliant, but with that comes some string noise. Flat wound strings would probably make the tone a little smoother and more forgiving for players that like to slide around a lot. Fuzz bass always reminds us of two things, The Beatles "Think for Yourself" and a whole lot of Ben Folds Five. An overdriven fuzzy bass is a great way to fill out a sparse arrangement -- such as early Ben Folds -- and puts down a great low layer that the rest of the band can lean on.

Mode 2 is described as pure Op Amp boost mode, but we found that with our test rig (Quilter Bass Block 800 and G&L L-2000 in active mode) it produced some light breakup even at low levels of gain. This is a good setting for old fashioned tube amp-like bass that is just a little fuzzy around the edges. In the world of clean Class D amps, Mode 2 adds a much needed touch of organic character. One could easily find a suitable setting and leave it on most of the time. 

For bass players that typically play with no effects, you might use the Blumes more than you think. It can be used to add old-school tone to an otherwise perfectly clean rig, or in more aggressive settings as a situational effect to bring a new twist to your music. Bass players deserve to have fun too, and if music is a race to to the bottom, the Blumes is a winner. 


In the words of Earthquaker Devices:

Blumes™ Low Signal Shredder is the first EarthQuaker Device created specifically for bass players! The industrious Blumes™ is also the perfect pedal for guitarists’ deep overdrive needs, especially for the drop-tuned masters.  

While embodying most of the kick ass characteristics and features of the Plumes™, we went ahead and modified this circuit with double the gain and a deeper bass response to retain all the low end. Lower gain settings provide all of the crunchy tone found in the Plumes™, but once you get above noon on the gain control, that’s where the similarities stop. Now you’re in bass country, baby!  

This all-analog tri-mode overdrive with soft clipping carries the torch of the classic TS-808 screamer circuit but has a voice all its own. And thanks to its +/- power supply it utilizes bipolar power, which offers more dynamics, clarity, and all of the headroom one could ever desire. The end result is a more three-dimensional tone with added clarity that really pushes a nice tube amp over the edge.

And much like the Plumes™, this pedal offers three different clipping options to meet all those low end face melting needs.

Mode 1 is symmetrical LED clipping that utilizes a pair of light emitting diodes. This is the crunchiest setting the Blumes has to offer. This signal is less compressed and way more open with tons of output.

Mode 2 is a clean pure OpAmp gain boost mode. This eliminates the soft clipping diodes altogether, resulting in straight OpAmp drive. This will be the loudest output with the fullest frequency response, which can be used as a clean boost from 0-11 o’clock.

Mode 3 is an asymmetrical silicon diode arrangement similar to the stock screamer but with more output and clean clarity, which provides more transparent tone. Using this mode gives a warmer low-end response and lower output. It’s fuzzier with half the output and is the most compressed.  

Specs:

• Bass overdrive based on a modified Plumes
• Deep bass response
• Twice as much gain as the Plumes
• Features 3 different clipping options: symmetrical LED, asymmetrical silicon, and no diode OpAmp drive
• Operates on internal bipolar power for more headroom and signal integrity
• All-analog signal path
• True bypass
• Silent relay-based switching with Flexi-Switch® Technology
• Lifetime warranty
• Current Draw: 25 mA
• Input Impedance: 10 MΩ
• Output Impedance: 100 Ω