Electro Harmonix BASS9 Bass Machine User Guide

Quick guide from the manual

The BASS9 Bass Machine is designed to transpose electric guitar signals one to two octaves down, providing realistic bass sounds without the need for special pickups. For best results, use a bass amplifier, especially for live performances, and play with your fingers rather than a pick.

Getting started

Connect the supplied power adapter to the 9V power jack. Plug your instrument into the INPUT jack and your amplifier into the EFFECT OUTPUT jack. Start with the DRY knob at minimum and other top-row knobs at 12 o'clock. Select a preset, such as PRECISION, and engage the footswitch to activate the effect.

Controls and I/O jacks

• DRY VOL: Controls the volume of the untreated instrument signal at the EFFECT OUTPUT jack.
• EFFECT VOL: Controls the overall volume of the selected bass patch.
• MODE KNOB: Selects the bass patch.
• INPUT JACK: Connect your instrument or another effects pedal here.
• DRY OUTPUT JACK: Outputs the dry signal from the input, buffered.
• EFFECT OUTPUT JACK: Outputs the mixed signal (dry and effect) or the buffered bypass signal.
• BYPASS FOOTSWITCH: Toggles between effect mode and buffered bypass.

Preset descriptions

The BASS9 features nine distinct bass patches, each with unique CTRL 1 and CTRL 2 functions to shape the sound, ranging from standard bass emulations (PRECISION) to synth-like textures (SYNTH, 3:03, FLIP-FLOP) and specialized effects like BOWED or SPLIT BASS.

Performance tips

• Place the BASS9 as the first pedal in your effects chain for best tracking.
• Avoid placing distortion or overdrive pedals before the BASS9, as this can muddy the signal.
• Experiment with your guitar's pickup positions and picking styles to influence the final bass tone.

Specifications

• Buffered bypass: Yes
• Input impedance: 1M Ohm
• Output impedance: 500 Ohm
• Current draw: 100mA