jonnpip Posted August 29, 2013 Share Posted August 29, 2013 In the 30 yrs of playing bass in covers bands and playing at pubs around my county ive never used any pedals or effects,but now im thinking "ok give it a go" but where do i start,what do i buy,maybe something that gives me more tone or maybe a nice effect, im guessing if its just covers im playing id only use a effects pedal on maybe one or two songs ? Some advice please would be great,i have to mention tho at the moment ive got a great sounding rig but am i missing out on a area of bass playing ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xgsjx Posted August 29, 2013 Share Posted August 29, 2013 I'd suggest getting a decent multi fx pedal. This way you can learn which effects do what & if at a later date you want stomp boxes, you'll have a good idea of what you're after. Multi fx aren't so good at dirt effects such as overdrive or fuzz, but they're getting better & you could always add a separate dirt box if needed. Here's a link to a member's page that explains almost everything about effects. Start at part 1. It's a good & informative read. http://sheponbass.co.uk/blog/?category=Signal+Chain+BASSics Oh, & welcome to the good side. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pinball Posted August 29, 2013 Share Posted August 29, 2013 Hi I can just pass my personal experience. I thought I'd try some effects pedals and would start with some distortion/fuzz. I bought a little boss unit but it didn't hit the spot at all and I found what I was looking for in a Harkte Bass Attack, which is described as a tone sharpening pre-amp. This and my Digitech Bass Synth Wah Envelope filter are what I use most. The Synth Wah gives you a lot to play with for the money. Another great envelope filter is a Bass Balls but it has less variations than the digitech Take your time and if your not sure buy 2nd hand from here as you can experiment and get your money back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonnpip Posted August 29, 2013 Author Share Posted August 29, 2013 Thanks chaps, sound advice, maybe i should look on youtube and hear the effects & tones from different makes on there videos, or maybe i ought to go in a good music shop and play around on some. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grangur Posted August 29, 2013 Share Posted August 29, 2013 [quote name='xgsjx' timestamp='1377758046' post='2191308'] I'd suggest getting a decent multi fx pedal. This way you can learn which effects do what & if at a later date you want stomp boxes, you'll have a good idea of what you're after. Multi fx aren't so good at dirt effects such as overdrive or fuzz, but they're getting better & you could always add a separate dirt box if needed. Here's a link to a member's page that explains almost everything about effects. Start at part 1. It's a good & informative read. [url="http://sheponbass.co.uk/blog/?category=Signal+Chain+BASSics"]http://sheponbass.co...l+Chain+BASSics[/url] Oh, & welcome to the good side. [/quote] I don't know a lot about effects, but I've recently bought a Zoom B3. It's not only a multi-effects box, but also connects your bass to the PC for recording. It's a simple drum machine and a looper. The B3 allows you to have 6 effects loaded for quick access at any one time. So it should handle your needs. Richard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andydye Posted August 29, 2013 Share Posted August 29, 2013 [quote name='jonnpip' timestamp='1377756279' post='2191304'] In the 30 yrs of playing bass in covers bands and playing at pubs around my county ive never used any pedals or effects,but now im thinking "ok give it a go" but where do i start,what do i buy,maybe something that gives me more tone or maybe a nice effect, im guessing if its just covers im playing id only use a effects pedal on maybe one or two songs? [/quote] What kind of covers are you doing matey? That might help steer you in the right sonic experimentation areas... I play mostly covers and have a variety of effects to help me make noises comparable with the original version we're using... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andydye Posted August 29, 2013 Share Posted August 29, 2013 (edited) You've got as wide a variety of stuff as we do, lots of funk, pop and some rock... I'd have a look at a compresssor, octaver and a little dirt as that'll cover most bases on those songs...? Edited August 29, 2013 by andydye Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RAY AGAINST THE MACHINE Posted August 29, 2013 Share Posted August 29, 2013 Just buy the boss me 50 b which some lovely bloke has for sale Basic, uncomplicated and fun Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xgsjx Posted August 29, 2013 Share Posted August 29, 2013 [quote name='RAY AGAINST THE MACHINE' timestamp='1377773167' post='2191536'] Just buy the boss me 50 b which some lovely bloke has for sale Basic, uncomplicated and fun [/quote] Bassist that I saw playing for David Phelps had a Sadowski into a ME50b to a Super Redhaed combo & had an excellent sound. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uncle psychosis Posted August 29, 2013 Share Posted August 29, 2013 I'm going to be a bit of a heretic here......don't buy effects just for the sake of it. It can become horribly addictive and distract from more important things like just playing! If there are particular sounds you want to get that you can't currently then thats a different matter... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonnpip Posted August 29, 2013 Author Share Posted August 29, 2013 Good point uncle,in all honesty out of a 2 hour set i play maybe half a dozen maybe needs twerking up a bit, just my thoughts tho Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sibob Posted August 29, 2013 Share Posted August 29, 2013 I would agree with buying an ME-50B normally, however depends what effects you want to use. For example, the Octaves and Envelopes are on the same 'pedal' and so can't be used at the same time (ignoring the expression pedal here). Overal it's a great pedal (I own it), however the drives are lacking IMO. Line6 M9 or Zoom B3 perhaps. My covers board is just individual pedals; Tuner, Octave, Envelope Filter and Overdrive/Distortion. It all gets used fairly sparingly, but just adds colour when necessary Si Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonnpip Posted August 29, 2013 Author Share Posted August 29, 2013 cheers si.....appreciated.....its a sea of pedals out there... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonnpip Posted August 29, 2013 Author Share Posted August 29, 2013 This looks intresting, lot of pennies tho,.... [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hvAp9ygCAvw"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hvAp9ygCAvw[/url] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GazWills Posted August 29, 2013 Share Posted August 29, 2013 To echo previous comments, I think the best bet is to listen to a bunch of pedal effect demo's from pro guitar shop, even though they are mostly for guitar, to get an idea of what octave pedals, filters, overdrives, fuzzes, chorus, phasers, flangers etc, actually sound like. I am very much a fan of individual, analog effects, but I think something like a Line 6 M5 may be a great first step, aside from the weak dirt sounds they cover a lot of ground pretty well. A little pedaltrain nano setup with an octave pedal, filter, dirt pedal and modulation pedal will get you 99% of sounds, but yes, it is quite addictive when you start out! Fun though... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonnpip Posted August 29, 2013 Author Share Posted August 29, 2013 good comment gaz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pinball Posted August 29, 2013 Share Posted August 29, 2013 (edited) [quote name='RAY AGAINST THE MACHINE' timestamp='1377773167' post='2191536'] Just buy the boss me 50 b which some lovely bloke has for sale Basic, uncomplicated and fun [/quote] Good call, a great pedal if you want access to a lot of effects in a simple to use multi-effects pedal. I took that approach with my lead guitar and have an ME70. For bass I use less effects with bass so am going down the individual pedal route. This seems to suite me fine so far-I may well still end up with MB50 in the future . There is also a cheaper ME20B that may be worth a look Edited August 29, 2013 by Pinball Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr M Posted September 3, 2013 Share Posted September 3, 2013 [quote name='Grangur' timestamp='1377758921' post='2191317'] I don't know a lot about effects, but I've recently bought a Zoom B3. It's not only a multi-effects box, but also connects your bass to the PC for recording. It's a simple drum machine and a looper. The B3 allows you to have 6 effects loaded for quick access at any one time. So it should handle your needs. Richard [/quote] Another vote for the B3. Buying a multi-effects pedal might seem a bit like diving in at the deep end, but the B3 has some really nice amp models, too. Even if you decide you don't like the funny noises, it's an excellent bit of kit for headphone practice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stratosphere Posted September 9, 2013 Share Posted September 9, 2013 [quote name='Dr M' timestamp='1378224566' post='2197297'] Another vote for the B3. Buying a multi-effects pedal might seem a bit like diving in at the deep end, but the B3 has some really nice amp models, too. Even if you decide you don't like the funny noises, it's an excellent bit of kit for headphone practice. [/quote] I've got one for sale if anyone wants it, too complicated for me ...as new condition, 1 year old. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tauzero Posted September 13, 2013 Share Posted September 13, 2013 [quote name='Grangur' timestamp='1377758921' post='2191317'] The B3 allows you to have 6 effects loaded for quick access at any one time. So it should handle your needs. [/quote] Have you got new firmware I don't know about? AFAIK the B3 is still 3 effects, the G3 is six. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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