The Flattley Bass Chief is a bass overdrive pedal from Flattley Guitar Pedals, a UK maker. It is built around a simple idea for bass players: an overdrive that keeps the low end intact when the gain is pushed, rather than thinning the fundamental out. Guitar World's reviewer Joel McIver found it "retains plenty of low end when distorted, always the goal of any bass overdrive," and described its tone as "the creamy saturated overdrive of the Bass Chief"1.
It was reviewed alongside its sibling, the Flattley Bass Poison Ivy, a bass fuzz, with both pedals listed at $349 each at the time of the review1.
Controls
The Bass Chief keeps its panel simple, with five controls covering the usual overdrive needs plus the clean blend bass players look for1.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Blend | Mixes clean signal with the overdriven signal |
| Volume | Sets the pedal's output level |
| Overdrive | Sets the amount of drive |
| Bass | Shapes the low end |
| Treble | Shapes the high end |
The Blend control is the one that matters most for bass use: it lets you keep a clean low end underneath the saturated signal, which is how the pedal holds onto its fundamentals while the overdrive does its work on top1.
What reviewers said
Guitar World's review, published in July 2022, was positive on the pedal's core job. Joel McIver's verdict on the tones1:
"Great overdrive tones."
He also noted that the overdriven tone is "relatively smooth to the ear," and that the pedal keeps its low end under distortion, which he called "always the goal of any bass overdrive"1.
On the hardware side, the review highlighted the pedal's illuminated halo ring: "The illuminated halo ring is very cool, too, and useful in low-light situations"1. The reviewer described both Flattley bass pedals as highly user-friendly, and noted that the pair had been recently updated for a more convenient layout1.
How it fits in the range
The Bass Chief sits on the overdrive side of Flattley's bass line, paired with the fuzz-based Bass Poison Ivy1. The company's wider range, covered elsewhere on the site, leans toward guitar gain stages, including the Revolution dynamic overdrive, the Centurion transparent overdrive and The Joker. For a broader look at the effect type, see the site's guide to Overdrive Pedals.
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Questions
Is the Flattley Bass Chief true bypass?
Yes. Guitar World's review lists the Bass Chief as true bypass, so when the pedal is off, your bass's signal passes through without the circuit loading it. That matters on a bass board, where preserving the fundamental and the attack of each note is usually the priority.
Where is the Flattley Bass Chief made?
The Bass Chief is made in the UK. Guitar World's review of the pedal lists its country of manufacture as the UK, and Flattley's pedals have continued to be described as UK handmade in later coverage of the company's range.
What power does the Flattley Bass Chief need?
The Bass Chief runs on 9-volt DC power, as listed in Guitar World's review. As with most compact pedals, a standard center-negative 9V supply or battery-style connection is the usual arrangement, and a clean, isolated supply is the safe choice on any pedalboard.
Does the Flattley Bass Chief have a blend control?
Yes. The Bass Chief has a Blend control alongside its Volume, Overdrive, Bass and Treble controls. A blend lets you mix some of your clean bass signal back in with the overdriven signal, which is a common way bass players keep definition and low-end weight under distortion.
How much does the Flattley Bass Chief weigh?
Guitar World's review lists the Bass Chief at 12.3 oz. That is light enough that it will not weigh down a pedalboard noticeably, and it reflects the compact, user-friendly format the reviewer described for Flattley's bass pedals.
Sources (1)
- Flattley Bass Chief and Bass Poison Ivy review, Guitar World, 2022-07-14
