The Flattley Bass Chief is a bass overdrive pedal from UK maker Flattley Guitar Pedals, listed at $349 at the time of Guitar World's 2022 review1. It sits in the bass pedals field alongside its sibling, the Flattley Bass Poison Ivy, which the same review covered as a fuzz counterpart1.
Controls and how it works
The Bass Chief carries five controls: Blend, Volume, Overdrive, Bass, and Treble1. The Blend control is the one bass players usually look for first in an overdrive: it lets you keep clean signal underneath the distorted layer, which is how the pedal holds onto its low end. The Overdrive control sets the amount of drive, Volume sets output level, and the Bass and Treble controls shape the tone.
The pedal also has an illuminated halo ring around its footswitch. Guitar World's reviewer found it "very cool, too, and useful in low-light situations"1, which matters on a dark stage when you need to see which pedal is on.
The Bass Chief and the Bass Poison Ivy were recently updated for a more convenient layout, according to Guitar World's review, so earlier versions may look different from current units1.
What reviewers said
Guitar World's reviewer Joel McIver reviewed the Bass Chief alongside the Bass Poison Ivy in July 2022 and summed up its tones as "Great overdrive tones"1. On the sound itself, he found that the pedal "retains plenty of low end when distorted, always the goal of any bass overdrive, and that the overdriven tone is relatively smooth to the ear"1. He described the overdrive character as creamy and saturated1, and called the pair of pedals highly user-friendly1.
Videos
Flattley Guitar Pedals
Mad Steex
the wetter bass
Questions
Is the Flattley Bass Chief true bypass?
Yes. Guitar World's review lists the Bass Chief as true bypass, meaning the pedal is removed from your signal chain entirely when switched off, so your clean bass tone passes through untouched.
What power does the Flattley Bass Chief use?
The Bass Chief runs on 9-volt DC power, as listed in Guitar World's review. As with most compact overdrive pedals, a standard center-negative 9V supply is the usual way to power it on a pedalboard.
Where is the Flattley Bass Chief made?
Guitar World's review lists the Bass Chief as made in the UK. Flattley Guitar Pedals is the maker behind it.
Does the Bass Chief have a clean blend control?
Yes. Alongside Volume, Overdrive, Bass, and Treble controls, the Bass Chief has a Blend control, which lets you mix clean bass signal back in under the overdrive so the low end stays full.
What is the halo ring on the Bass Chief?
The Bass Chief has an illuminated halo ring around its footswitch. Guitar World's reviewer called it very cool and noted it is useful in low-light situations, such as a dark stage.
Sources (1)
- Flattley Bass Chief and Bass Poison Ivy review, Guitar World, 2022-07-14
