A good bass into a good amp. Nothing else needed IMO!

[dave74200]

1 hour ago, fretmeister said:

Actually that's a very good point.

What if the composer likes that tone? Did he write the music for him or for you?

Just because an audience member doesn't like the tone doesn't mean the composer / bassist does't like it.

He’d write it for me, a potential listener, unless he was a fool.

Edited September 5, 2020 by dave74200
My text was edited.

[Bill Fitzmaurice]

In 55 years of playing I've never used any effects. I get a variety of tones, but they're sourced in technique, not electronics. What I can't get with my fingers I don't care about. I play six string as well, and for that I have a rack full of effects, because you can't duplicate time based effects with technique. Different jobs, different tools.

[jimmy23cricket]

Top bully work there @Beedster and @fretmeister backed up nicely by a mod.

Feels a bit like the “other” thread. 

Nice balanced view from @Lozz196 and @la bam 

[Beedster]

Just now, jimmy23cricket said:

Top bully work there @Beedster and @fretmeister backed up nicely by a mod.

Feels a bit like the “other” thread. 

Nice balanced view from @Lozz196 and @la bam 

Grow up, we were staying our opinion, he stated his. People calling bully is exactly that, bullying. 

[jimmy23cricket]

Just now, Beedster said:

Grow up, we were staying our opinion, he stated his. People calling bully is exactly that, bullying. 

Will do bud. 

[fretmeister]

1 minute ago, jimmy23cricket said:

Top bully work there @Beedster and @fretmeister backed up nicely by a mod.

Feels a bit like the “other” thread. 

Nice balanced view from @Lozz196 and @la bam 

Nobody bullied anyone. Robust rebuttals were put to the original premise.

That’s all.

 

The OP wasn’t remotely balanced.

[jimmy23cricket]

8 minutes ago, fretmeister said:

Nobody bullied anyone. Robust rebuttals were put to the original premise.

That’s all.

 

The OP wasn’t remotely balanced.

“Robust rebuttals”. Cool.

The first two responses don’t read that way at all. They read like a classic forum rats response to a chap just reaching out for a chat.

Anyway. Apologies for the perceived calling out. 
 

Amps and basses rule.

 

 

[grandad]

Some years back I was forever buying and selling amps and basses, trying out pedals, and as I ran the PA always up-grading something or other.

Recently I've gone the other way and down-sized and simplified everything. Sold most of my studio stuff and the only pedal I have is a Beatbuddy.

I think it's old age and getting lazy, can't be bothered fiddling around to much or having to learn to navigate my way through a multi-layered set of instructions on a tiny LED screen.

I often record on cassette or just fiddle around on Audacity.

Whatever you enjoy doing go for it. It's no good thinking I wish I'd tried this or that - find out if you do.

There's no one size fits all.

By the by, I have driven an automatic for some years now.

 

[Beedster]

12 minutes ago, jimmy23cricket said:

“Robust rebuttals”. Cool.

The first two responses don’t read that way at all. They read like a classic forum rats response to a chap just reaching out for a chat.

Anyway. Apologies for the perceived calling out. 
 

Amps and basses rule.

 

 

But that really wasn’t reaching out for a chat, it was ‘hey, I know better than the rest; why do all these idiots produce bass tone that doesn't meet my high standards?’, then nicely backed up by his post at the top of this page which suggest that musicians should write music to please him or they are ‘a fool’. My rig in fact meets his exacting standards of simplicity and tonal perfection, so I agree with his tastes, just not his insistence that those who don’t agree or confirm are doing so in error or ignorance

[Beedster]

21 minutes ago, grandad said:

Some years back I was forever buying and selling amps and basses, trying out pedals, and as I ran the PA always up-grading something or other.

Recently I've gone the other way and down-sized and simplified everything. Sold most of my studio stuff and the only pedal I have is a Beatbuddy.

I think it's old age and getting lazy, can't be bothered fiddling around to much or having to learn to navigate my way through a multi-layered set of instructions on a tiny LED screen.

I often record on cassette or just fiddle around on Audacity.

Whatever you enjoy doing go for it. It's no good thinking I wish I'd tried this or that - find out if you do.

There's no one size fits all.

By the by, I have driven an automatic for some years now.

 

Bass tech and automotive consistency

[Bill Fitzmaurice]

27 minutes ago, grandad said:

By the by, I have driven an automatic for some years now.

As have I. When it's encased within a BMW it's a moot point. 😊

[Bolo]

It seems to me like the OP states something along the lines of 'when I noticed effects being used I didn't like the way the bass sounded, therefore all bass sounds that use effects are bad'. Reinforcing that with 'the sounds I like will outperform sounds that I do not like, always'.

Maybe asking people if they have examples of bass with effects sounding good could have made discussion more interesting than a yes/no situation.

[Beedster]

3 minutes ago, Bolo said:

It seems to me like the OP states something along the lines of 'when I noticed effects being used I didn't like the way the bass sounded, therefore all bass sounds that use effects are bad'. Reinforcing that with 'the sounds I like will outperform sounds that I do not like, always'.

Maybe asking people if they have examples of bass with effects sounding good could have made discussion more interesting than a yes/no situation.

Nicely put

[Lozz196]

I think the thing with effects is that many over-use them, to the detriment of the instrument being played. I watched a vid on YouTube about Mick Mars of Motley Crue and the amount of effects he used on his core tone was pretty substantial, but each when analysed seemed to add only a minimal difference. However when all added together the tone was much bigger than the guitar on its own, but it was difficult to identify what was doing what. Now certainly in MMs case he sounded much better with all the effects layering, but if any one of those effects had been more prominent it may well have ruined his sound. I suppose what I’m trying to say is maybe less is more, and it’s the over-use that people like Dave and myself find we aren’t that keen on.

[stewblack]

I find this quite an interesting subject. I have always been drawn to the world of effects, but then would shy away from the godawful racket I invariably produced with them. 

I'd then tell anyone I could back into a corner for long enough that I don't need them, it's all in the fingers. 

I try not to be so pompous these days. I've come to realise that I was the problem. You see for all the ill chosen words the op has a point. The less between the bass strings and the speakers the easier it is to get the sound. Once you start adding variables it is more difficult to narrow down the options. I could never be arsed with the hard work. 

In lockdown I've spent a lot of time learning how effects dovetail with my style. What works and what doesn't. Invariably now I use them sparingly. A couple are always on, a couple produce specific sounds for specific situations, and occasionally, just occasionally, I use one because it sounds so damn cool! 

 

 

[Beer of the Bass]

Effects do require some extra thought and preparation to work well live. I don't use more than occasional fuzz and a Mutron clone that pops up even less frquently, but even with those it's noticeable that what sounds great through a bass rig during rehearsals doesn't always play well live when you bring a DI into the equation.  I don't take this to mean I shouldn't use them, just that there's a slight learning curve to really get them working well.

[Nebadon2000]

I hear what the OP is trying to express. I don't use pedals but I have a 'Purist complex' [same with home audio] and I am a tad OCD about it. 

But I have seen and heard more than a few Great Bassist with full pedal boards sound great; most likely because they know how to use them.

I did borrow a distortion pedal for 1 song we did by Muse 'Starlight' but latter just cranked gain, bass mid and treble on amp worked fine😀

I also  am aware Civility is extinct in current times and rudeness and mocking is justified behind the self deception of 'it was just my opinion' and weak denial of Obvious context.  Kinda cowardly IMO😀

I am also very capable of rudeness and mocking but own it and will apologize if forced.

That said I apologize for 'Cowardly Comment' s was unnecessary.

[Baloney Balderdash]

[Beedster]

7 hours ago, Nebadon2000 said:

I hear what the OP is trying to express. I don't use pedals but I have a 'Purist complex' [same with home audio] and I am a tad OCD about it. 

But I have seen and heard more than a few Great Bassist with full pedal boards sound great; most likely because they know how to use them.

I did borrow a distortion pedal for 1 song we did by Muse 'Starlight' but latter just cranked gain, bass mid and treble on amp worked fine😀

I also  am aware Civility is extinct in current times and rudeness and mocking is justified behind the self deception of 'it was just my opinion' and weak denial of Obvious context.  Kinda cowardly IMO😀

I am also very capable of rudeness and mocking but own it and will apologize if forced.

That said I apologize for 'Cowardly Comment' s was unnecessary.

On reflection it was a slightly more combative than necessary exchange of strongly held views

Hope all's good in N.C.

[Beedster]

7 hours ago, Nebadon2000 said:

I hear what the OP is trying to express. I don't use pedals but I have a 'Purist complex' [same with home audio] and I am a tad OCD about it. 

But I have seen and heard more than a few Great Bassist with full pedal boards sound great; most likely because they know how to use them.

I did borrow a distortion pedal for 1 song we did by Muse 'Starlight' but latter just cranked gain, bass mid and treble on amp worked fine😀

I also  am aware Civility is extinct in current times and rudeness and mocking is justified behind the self deception of 'it was just my opinion' and weak denial of Obvious context.  Kinda cowardly IMO😀

I am also very capable of rudeness and mocking but own it and will apologize if forced.

That said I apologize for 'Cowardly Comment' s was unnecessary.

On reflection it was a slightly more combative than necessary exchange of strongly held views

Hope all's good in N.C.

[Nebadon2000]

3 hours ago, Beedster said:

On reflection it was a slightly more combative than necessary exchange of strongly held views

Hope all's good in N.C.

Fairly good here in NC but no gig's and no new songs to learn give me to much time to enter into drama on forums😀

OP could have framed post different and avoided 'diverse' replies

[Frank Blank]

[Nobatron]

A great player will sound great on a crappy bass through a reasonable amp. However FX can be used effectively to get a particular sound. Usually those who sound great with FX will also sound great with them bypassed, but they'll know what they're going for with them.

So far I don't use much in the way of FX aside from sometimes a light overdrive and possibly some compression added at the desk to the taste of the sound tech. Playing in a function band I'm starting to think of upping my FX game to better replicate some recordings, especially when playing something originally played on a synth. Mostly thinking octavers and envelopes. I could (and do) play the same songs without and get good results, but if I can do something that sounds that bit better, or closer to the recording then why not?

Also some people use FX to do really creative things, or to get a particular sound. Take Royal Blood for example. That band wouldn't work without his FX chain and multiple amp setup.

So yeah, if you don't want to use FX no one is forcing you. But they're tools that can be used in cool ways so it would be stupid to discount them for any purpose for the sake of being purist.

[Nebadon2000]

On 06/09/2020 at 15:33, Nobatron said:

it would be stupid to discount them for any purpose for the sake of being purist.

Then call me stupid, it is somewhat impolite though😀

If I played with a Cover band in which a pedal was needed for certain songs or original band and was looking for particular tone on a few songs; I would most likely look into a Digital multi pedal unit with presets and only plug into it when needed when playing live or recording. The rest of the time would be 'Stupid Purist'

PS; I understand you were calling the 'Act' stupid not the person

Edited September 8, 2020 by Nebadon2000

[Stofferson]

I use a few fuzz pedals and a bit of gain and bass wah for parts of the songs I write.

These are just editions to my standard clean tone. I wouldn't say I can get a fuzz tone with just my technique, would have saved me a few quid over the years 😂

Never been into time based effects, just not my bag.

Always been of the mindset of whatever floats your boat man, there's stuff I don't like and stuff I swear by, each to their own.