ditched my effects and got my dream sound

[leroydiamond]

Have been using a Boss GT-6B for years. At the weekend I decided to go without it and My bass sound improved significantly as a result. Straight out of the guitar and into the amp. Think thats me finished with effects.

[JapanAxe]

+1 to that! I started with a Boss ME8B (IIRC), then had auto-wah, phaser and overdrive, then just overdrive, now - nothing!

[thisnameistaken]

I used to get a bad sound through my effects units too. Rather than removing them I just found the best way to bypass them when I'm not using them, now my bass sounds just like it ought to whether I've got my pedalboard in the signal chain or not.

But by all means throw the whole lot away if you're happy with no effects.

[Norris]

I have a GT-6B & use it most of the time for a bit of valve emulation, but I have also set up a 'clean' (bypass) patch on it

[merlin]

due to a lack of stage space one night I did not use them,not used them since,and Im much happier

[SlapbassSteve]

I've got a pedalboard I've spent about £500 on and and only used once or twice. With a lead and acoustic guitar to cut through, and playing in a covers band so having to keep things reasonably tasteful, 9/10 times they're barely noticable anyway. The tone cuts through the mix far better just straight into the amp, although I do sometimes miss the compressor.

[leroydiamond]

[quote name='Norris' timestamp='1353936253' post='1879878']
I have a GT-6B & use it most of the time for a bit of valve emulation, but I have also set up a 'clean' (bypass) patch on it
[/quote]

For me what made the GT6B attractive was that it was a true bypass processor. However I feel that a good quality cable going direct from the bass guitar to the Amp is just going to give you a purer tone. It offers the path of least resistance. The more equipment you have interfering with the signal,the more you will interfere with the tone. Its forced me explore the options of the onboard preamp on my bass rather just tweak different patches. But with the significantly improved tone I achieved when removing the GT6B, I am happier.

[KevB]

I vaguely recall having a GT6B, it's the red one right? I think i got it because all the guitarists were using multi fx units and I thought I needed one to fit in. I twiddled and fiddled with the thing for a couple of months then sold it for about what I paid so no damage done. I think it tought me that I was mistakenly buying gear and then looking for a reason to use it. What I should be doing (and have done ever since) is having a situation established where I required some specific sound and only then going out and buying what was required to fill the demand. I still have junk lurking in cupboards bought on a whim that I'll probably struggle to give away.

[leroydiamond]

[quote name='KevB' timestamp='1353948526' post='1880114']
I vaguely recall having a GT6B, it's the red one right? I think i got it because all the guitarists were using multi fx units and I thought I needed one to fit in. I twiddled and fiddled with the thing for a couple of months then sold it for about what I paid so no damage done. I think it tought me that I was mistakenly buying gear and then looking for a reason to use it. What I should be doing (and have done ever since) is having a situation established where I required some specific sound and only then going out and buying what was required to fill the demand. I still have junk lurking in cupboards bought on a whim that I'll probably struggle to give away.
[/quote]

I liked the sounds I could get off the GT6B. I play in a covers band so could get sounds close to Muse etc when required. I thought it was a good unit. Had it for several years and never let me down. just prefer the truer tone that going direct from guitar to amp offers

[SteveK]

I'm confused!
So, are you guys that have ditched their FX saying that the 'Bypass' isn't a true bypass? Or are you saying that you weren't judicious in the application of the FX.
The OP seems to be saying that even bypassed his GT-6B degraded the signal.

[leroydiamond]

[quote name='SteveK' timestamp='1353952040' post='1880188']
I'm confused!
So, are you guys that have ditched their FX saying that the 'Bypass' isn't a true bypass? Or are you saying that you weren't judicious in the application of the FX.
The OP seems to be saying that even bypassed his GT-6B degraded the signal.
[/quote]

Boss say The GT6B is true bypass. That may be the case, but i found that even in true bypass mode it sucked my tone when compared with the signal going directly from the guitar to the amp.

[Beer of the Bass]

In my first band (in about 1996) I had the first edition Zoom 506. I used it on just a couple of songs and bypassed it the rest of the time. One day I forgot to bring my power adaptor to a rehearsal and went without the Zoom. When we were done, the drummer said to me "Hey, your bass sounded great today, so much better than usual. Did you change something?". I don't think I used it again after that. I hope multi FX have got better since then!

[Roland Rock]

[quote name='KevB' timestamp='1353948526' post='1880114']
.... having a situation established where I convinced myself I required some specific sound and only then going out and buying what was required to fill the percieved demand.
[/quote]

Fixed for a description of the basis of all gas :-)

[urb]

[quote name='KevB' timestamp='1353948526' post='1880114']
I vaguely recall having a GT6B, it's the red one right? I think i got it because all the guitarists were using multi fx units and I thought I needed one to fit in. I twiddled and fiddled with the thing for a couple of months then sold it for about what I paid so no damage done. I think it tought me that I was mistakenly buying gear and then looking for a reason to use it. What I should be doing (and have done ever since) is having a situation established where I required some specific sound and only then going out and buying what was required to fill the demand. I still have junk lurking in cupboards bought on a whim that I'll probably struggle to give away.
[/quote]

This is exactly my fear at the moment - I'm liking using a couple of pedals again for the first time in a long time, but 99% of the time I just change the tone on my bass - deeper for groove stuff, more mid-orientated for solos etc and fingerstyle - and that's it... I was going down the 'computer music' road earlier this year and while I love all that Ableton stuff and will continue using it - nothing beats PLAYING pure and simple - get your sh*t together on the bass and MAKE MUSIC - not silly noises on your bass... and then use that as an excuse not to be able to play something well - sorry rant over... I love FX but there's so many out there today that all do wonderful things it's tempting to get completely sidetracked into that world - most of the playing situations you find yourself in don't require a boat-sized pedal board - even though looking bloody wicked (!) - most of the time a couple of useful and effective pedals will do. Good tone comes from your fingers, feel and musical knowledge - and a half-decent bass and amp set up.

[thisnameistaken]

[quote name='leroydiamond' timestamp='1353963954' post='1880375']Boss say The GT6B is true bypass. That may be the case, but i found that even in true bypass mode it sucked my tone when compared with the signal going directly from the guitar to the amp.[/quote]

If it is true bypass then you may well still have been experiencing 'tone suck' from your cables.

Bear in mind that if you're running a pedalboard you're probably running twice the length of cable that you would ordinarily be using (guitar->board, board->amp). If you are then you need to make some effort to buffer your signal along the way to preserve the high end - true bypass will not do that for you. Put a good line driver in the middle and you'd get exactly the same sound you'd get if you went straight to the amp.

The problem was your understanding of how your gear works, not your gear. As is often the case.

[leroydiamond]

[quote name='thisnameistaken' timestamp='1354013422' post='1880720']

If it is true bypass then you may well still have been experiencing 'tone suck' from your cables.

Bear in mind that if you're running a pedalboard you're probably running twice the length of cable that you would ordinarily be using (guitar->board, board->amp). If you are then you need to make some effort to buffer your signal along the way to preserve the high end - true bypass will not do that for you. Put a good line driver in the middle and you'd get exactly the same sound you'd get if you went straight to the amp.

The problem was your understanding of how your gear works, not your gear. As is often the case.
[/quote]
I am aware of the ongoing discussion of True bypass V Buffer. Different players have different opinions. little consensus here.
I have used a sansamp preamp in the past and it has an fet buffer but I found it deteriorated the tone and certainly did not give not the same sound as what i would get when i went straight to my amp. I use High end 10ft. cables and a Sadowsky NYC bass. In my experience a 10 ft cable directly from the guitar to the amp is going to give you a better tone than a guitar~board~board ~amp set up regardless of whether the pedal is buffer or true bypass.

[xgsjx]

It really depends on what type of music you're playing. Some songs won't sound right with just clean bass, other's sound guff with wads of effects.

[thisnameistaken]

[quote name='leroydiamond' timestamp='1354015432' post='1880753']
I am aware of the ongoing discussion of True bypass V Buffer. Different players have different opinions. little consensus here.[/quote]

If there is no consensus then it's because a lot of people are stupid.

Everybody knows cable capacitance deteriorates audio signals. This is a proven phenomenon. 'True bypass' does nothing to improve this situation so naturally if you add more cable you lose more signal. This is not a matter for opinion, it's simply true.

[quote name='leroydiamond' timestamp='1354015432' post='1880753']I have used a sansamp preamp in the past and it has an fet buffer but I found it deteriorated the tone and certainly did not give not the same sound as what i would get when i went straight to my amp.[/quote]

Then it's a crap buffer using poor quality components. Use a better one.

[quote name='leroydiamond' timestamp='1354015432' post='1880753']I use High end 10ft. cables and a Sadowsky NYC bass. In my experience a 10 ft cable directly from the guitar to the amp is going to give you a better tone than a guitar~board~board ~amp set up regardless of whether the pedal is buffer or true bypass.[/quote]

The board itself - if it really is 'true bypass' - will make practically no difference, it will only add a few inches of cable to your setup and nothing more. The big difference is doubling the length of your cable run and not fixing the problem you've created by doing that.

[leroydiamond]

[quote name='xgsjx' timestamp='1354016853' post='1880781']
It really depends on what type of music you're playing. Some songs won't sound right with just clean bass, other's sound guff with wads of effects.
[/quote]

I agree. Working in a covers band demands that I use effects. The difficulty is that when you want the pure tone from your instrument (which is what I require 80% of the time) my abiltiy to access it is hampered by the very fact that I am using an effects unit. The Hi Fi analogy might be an interesting comparrison. Many high end HI FI manufacturers no longer offer tone options on their amps. The goal here is to get the signal from source (eg CD player) in as short and clean a path as possiible through the amplification process and outputted to the speakers in order to acquire optimum sound. It may be the case that the same might be true for musicians if they are after the true tone of the instrument.

[pendingrequests]

I've been playing covers for the majority of my playing career and have never needed effects. Only until recently, I use a chorus pedal on 'Don't Stop Believing'

I play a range of stuff and don't see why I need a £80 pedal for a sound that will be used once or twice, where a punter won't come up to me at the end and say "Excuse me, but your bass tone for Stuck In The Middle With You doesn't have the same tone as the record, I will be telling the management not to pay you".

I understand everyone is in a different situation and maybe plays different covers and music to what I am. I'm just a very big supporter of less tech and pedals and more classic tone and sound.

[thisnameistaken]

[quote name='pendingrequests' timestamp='1354019061' post='1880823']I understand everyone is in a different situation and maybe plays different covers and music to what I am. I'm just a very big supporter of less tech and pedals and more classic tone and sound.[/quote]

And yet - according to your signature - you have four Boss pedals in a row before your bass signal gets to your amp?

Boss buffers aren't the worst in the world (and they are certainly better than nothing) but they do make a noticeable difference to your sound. If you do want to use those pedals and still have a quality bypass signal you would benefit greatly from bypassing them all with a loop pedal that uses better quality components.

[xgsjx]

[quote name='leroydiamond' timestamp='1354018153' post='1880798']
I agree. Working in a covers band demands that I use effects. The difficulty is that when you want the pure tone from your instrument (which is what I require 80% of the time) my abiltiy to access it is hampered by the very fact that I am using an effects unit. The Hi Fi analogy might be an interesting comparrison. Many high end HI FI manufacturers no longer offer tone options on their amps. The goal here is to get the signal from source (eg CD player) in as short and clean a path as possiible through the amplification process and outputted to the speakers in order to acquire optimum sound. It may be the case that the same might be true for musicians if they are after the true tone of the instrument.
[/quote]

It depends on the pedals, power & cables that you're using. If you get good quality fx, PSUs & cables, then there's no reason why you can't get a pure tone fro your bass.
I prefer the sound of my bass going through the non-true bypass on the Moog LPF as it has a slightly fuller sound, but if I want the sound bypassed, I can via a looper.

The main point of having tone controls on an amp (even for hifi) is to tailor the sound to suit the room acoustics. Your hifi will sound different in your bedroom from your living room. My opinion of those who leave tone controls off amps is it's for marketing to the uneducated audiophiles (I'm not saying audiophiles are uneducated BTW).

[leroydiamond]

[quote name='thisnameistaken' timestamp='1354018079' post='1880797']
If there is no consensus then it's because a lot of people are stupid.

Everybody knows cable capacitance deteriorates audio signals. This is a proven phenomenon. 'True bypass' does nothing to improve this situation so naturally if you add more cable you lose more signal. This is not a matter for opinion, it's simply true.



Then it's a crap buffer using poor quality components. Use a better one.



The board itself - if it really is 'true bypass' - will make practically no difference, it will only add a few inches of cable to your setup and nothing more. The big difference is doubling the length of your cable run and not fixing the problem you've created by doing that.
[/quote]

OK then all those that use true bypass are stupid. Guess all you guys using EBS, Markbass, and other true bypass effects best chuck them in the thrash.
I have fixed the problem. I have ditched my effects,so i need not depend on any electronic circuit, buffered or otherwise to manipulate my tone.

[leroydiamond]

[quote name='xgsjx' timestamp='1354020959' post='1880854']
It depends on the pedals, power & cables that you're using. If you get good quality fx, PSUs & cables, then there's no reason why you can't get a pure tone fro your bass.
I prefer the sound of my bass going through the non-true bypass on the Moog LPF as it has a slightly fuller sound, but if I want the sound bypassed, I can via a looper.

The main point of having tone controls on an amp (even for hifi) is to tailor the sound to suit the room acoustics. Your hifi will sound different in your bedroom from your living room. My opinion of those who leave tone controls off amps is it's for marketing to the uneducated audiophiles (I'm not saying audiophiles are uneducated BTW).
[/quote]
Dont agree. High end Hi Fi is about careful matching of your components in order to get the optimum sound to suit a given situation. Tone controls help when the marching is not optimum in order to compensate. Pity though that all Hi Fi buffs who use high end amps without tone controls are uneducated audiophiles

[thisnameistaken]

[quote name='leroydiamond' timestamp='1354026497' post='1881009']
OK then all those that use true bypass are stupid. Guess all you guys using EBS, Markbass, and other true bypass effects best chuck them in the thrash.[/quote]

Are you reading my posts before you reply to them? There's nothing stupid about using boxes with true bypass switching so long as you understand what that means and what the benefits (and drawbacks) are. If you do then you can make it work for you. If you don't then you'll probably end up making an incorrect assumption about why your bass sounds like sh*t, followed by a triumphant thread about how you heroically threw the baby out with the bathwater.

[quote name='leroydiamond' timestamp='1354026497' post='1881009']I have fixed the problem. I have ditched my effects,so i need not depend on any electronic circuit, buffered or otherwise to manipulate my tone.[/quote]

Good for you. All that was left for me to do is explain it to all the potential readers that may come in here with similar problems so they don't make the same mistakes that you made. Now you have served as an warning to others, so it's all good.