The Tech 21 XXL Bass is a distortion pedal for bass made by Tech 21. The maker describes its character plainly: "Obese, megalithic, dynamic distortion is what it's all about." The pedal is no longer in production; Tech 21 lists it in its archive, with the original XXL in production from 1995 to 20001.
What it does
The XXL Bass is built around the XXL's Warp control. Tech 21 says the Warp control "manipulates the structure and balance of odd and even harmonics and influences their relativity to the dynamics of your instrument and your playing style"1. In other words, it is not a fixed amount of grit: the harmonic content of the distortion shifts with how hard and how you play.
The Bass Edition adds a level-compensated Tone control, which Tech 21 highlights as its distinguishing feature over the original1.
The maker also describes how the pedal responds to touch: "you can achieve a variety of results, even within the same setting, depending on the manner and force of your pick attack"1. That makes the XXL Bass a dynamics-driven distortion rather than a set-and-forget one.
The XXL Bass is discontinued. Tech 21 keeps its page in the archive section of its site, so current production Tech 21 bass pedals such as the SansAmp Bass Driver DI V2 or the dUg Pinnick are separate, still-made designs.
History and reception
The original XXL ran from 1995 to 2000. Tech 21's own account of how it landed is candid: "some guitar players considered the XXL a little too over-the-top(!). Oddly enough, certain bass players seemed to like it just fine"1. That reception is what led to the Bass Edition, with its level-compensated Tone control aimed at bass-specific use1.
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Questions
Is the Tech 21 XXL Bass still in production?
No. Tech 21 lists the XXL Bass in its archive, and the original XXL was in production from 1995 to 2000. The pedal is no longer made, so players looking for one today are dealing with a discontinued design rather than a current product line.
What does the Warp control do?
According to Tech 21, the XXL's Warp control manipulates the structure and balance of odd and even harmonics and influences their relativity to the dynamics of your instrument and your playing style. In practice, the maker says the pedal responds to the manner and force of your pick attack, so the same setting can produce a variety of results.
Sources (1)
- XXL Bass, Tech 21 NYC, 2019-06-24
