BassAdder60 Posted June 12, 2021 Share Posted June 12, 2021 As a guitarist I remember the endless search for different tones and sounds that complimented the sound for certain songs As a bassist I do like the raw amp tone / bass tone etc with onboard grit / warmth Do I need any effects that would give me more scope ? Would a simple Boss or Zoom multi fx suffice ? Do most of you run effects in front of amp ( easier ) compared to fx loop I’m thinking the added sounds would be helpful filling my sound out during guitar solos ( three piece rock band ) Which ever way not looking to spend much over £200 tops Incidently I now have the four way Ashdown footswitch so I can turn on Sub or Drive as required Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_b Posted June 12, 2021 Share Posted June 12, 2021 I have never gigged a pedal. I've owned a few but they were bought with half an intention, rather than a need, and sold on pretty quickly when I realised that the sound of a good bass through a good rig is all I and the music I play need. As per the other thread. . . you don't need to "fill out" your sound in guitar solos. You really, really don't! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassAdder60 Posted June 12, 2021 Share Posted June 12, 2021 1 minute ago, chris_b said: I have never gigged a pedal. I've owned a few but they were bought with half an intention, rather than a need, and sold on pretty quickly when I realised that the sound of a good bass through a good rig is all I and the music I play need. As per the other thread. . . you don't need to "fill out" your sound in guitar solos. You really, really don't! Good to hear this as I was thinking already along these lines Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kev Posted June 12, 2021 Share Posted June 12, 2021 Don't feel like you should start using them unless you are genuinely missing something. Sometimes, clean bass just works! Genre of music I play in, clean bass would be a complete no-go if I had any intention of being heard in the mix. It all depends on the context. If you want to dabble though, I'd forget single pedals and go for a cheap multi effects, like you say from Zoom. Flick through and get an idea of what sounds you like, and either stick with it or search out solo pedals to improve on it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jus Lukin Posted June 12, 2021 Share Posted June 12, 2021 (edited) - Edited March 14, 2022 by Jus Lukin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SumOne Posted June 12, 2021 Share Posted June 12, 2021 16 minutes ago, Kev said: It all depends on the context. That's exactly it, there are always some 'tone is all in the fingers - no need for effects pedals' people but generally they are playing something like motown (and often they are getting different tones via owning many Bass guitars, different strings, amps and cabs etc. which is stuff certain pedals can sort of do). You'd be hard pressed to do envelope filter sounds or big fuzzy riffs or synth sounds without effects pedals....but perhaps those sounds don't go with what you play so aren't needed. They're fun to practise with though so a cheap multi fx like zoom is probably worthwhile to test the waters. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waddo Soqable Posted June 12, 2021 Share Posted June 12, 2021 I'd also say a multi fx thing....bear in mind they generally have a tuner, which is handy on stage, provided it's a clear display with nice "lighting up bits".... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BadHands Posted June 12, 2021 Share Posted June 12, 2021 Only you can decide if you need something for a change of sound. A multi effects pedal could be perfect to begin experimenting with sounds; just remember that it's easy to confuse not liking the effect itself (For instance envelope filters) with that-pedal's-version of an envelope filter. I'd always recommend doing some digging into what effects - if any - are/were used by your favourite players or on your favourite songs. As a rule, I always go straight into the front of the amp. As far as filling out the sound, it depends if as a band you feel it needs filling out. The examples I always use of pulling that off nicely are Tim C in Rage and Chris Wolstenholme from Muse. They usually do so with careful use of distortion/fuzz. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dand666 Posted June 12, 2021 Share Posted June 12, 2021 A good amp and a good compressor. Done. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SumOne Posted June 12, 2021 Share Posted June 12, 2021 20 minutes ago, dand666 said: A good amp and a good compressor. Done. Might be tricky to sound like this though: 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fretmeister Posted June 12, 2021 Share Posted June 12, 2021 If you are playing Muse tunes you need some. If you are playing root 5th country you won’t. FOH will be compressing you anyway. I always use a compressor as I like the extra control it gives me, and I often have a HPF, particularly on hollow stages. Then I have an octave, filter, synth and drive depending on the set list. The drive is usually set for a bit of warmth rather than outright drive. Just to give the difference between some thing modern / super clean and an old Ampeg. Im probably going to add a good EQ pedal though. Such a useful tool for finding and getting rid of annoying frequencies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doddy Posted June 12, 2021 Share Posted June 12, 2021 Do you need effects? It depends what gigs you're doing. Personally, I use effects on nearly all of my gigs. My standard set up is octave, envelope filter, and overdrive, but I'll often add in chorus, fuzz, sub, and synth pedals. I could probably do most of my gigs with clean bass if I wanted to but bandleaders tend to love it when I bring my effects, and some have even asked for certain sounds. You can get some great multi effects, but I prefer individual pedals because I find them easier to use and I generally prefer how they sound. I've got a nice little pedal collection going on. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jus Lukin Posted June 12, 2021 Share Posted June 12, 2021 (edited) - Edited March 14, 2022 by Jus Lukin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lee650 Posted June 12, 2021 Share Posted June 12, 2021 (edited) 3 hours ago, Doddy said: I've got a nice little pedal collection going on. That's an understatement 😂 x Edited June 12, 2021 by lee650 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stewblack Posted June 12, 2021 Share Posted June 12, 2021 I started with a Zoom B1on a couple of years back. Got all the noises I could ever need. Now, I have a collection of pedals so ludicrously out of control, I can seldom find them all. My favourite bass sound is a P Bass with flats into an all valve head and two 15" cabs. But endless pedal buying, selling and fiddling is a hard habit to break. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Downunderwonder Posted June 12, 2021 Share Posted June 12, 2021 11 hours ago, BassAdder27 said: £200 You aren't going to be running many pedals at that rate. If you need them, you need them. If you don't, you don't. The common factor in those facts is YOU. I have never tried a modern bass Zoom but lots of people like what they do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulThePlug Posted June 12, 2021 Share Posted June 12, 2021 (edited) Individual pedals are easier to use and get to grips with, but with a Zoom you can set a Patch for each song each with up to 5 effects! Connect to Guitrar Lab or ToneLib and Change patches, rename, add remove effects etc. Had a B1Four but sold it and got the older B1on as they have different Amp Sims... check the Zoom Site Downloads for a list of Amps and Effects. I mainly use it as a headphone amp and have cleared all the original patches and replaced a bank of them with just the Marshall Super Bass Amp and 4x12 Cab Sim with various EQ settings and different amounts of Drive. Then a bank of patches some adding a Chorus, some adding a Phaser and some adding a Flanger... just to add a bit of 'space and movement' to the sound. Thats about it for me. I've yet to have a play with the different Compressors to see what they are all about. Got a Cheapy Chorus (£12) FS if ya fancy giving that a go? Nice 'Thickener' to a Clean or Driven Sound. Edited June 12, 2021 by PaulThePlug Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lee650 Posted June 12, 2021 Share Posted June 12, 2021 The title of this thread sounds just like my wife 🙄😂 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyTravis Posted June 12, 2021 Share Posted June 12, 2021 10 minutes ago, lee650 said: The title of this thread sounds just like my wife 🙄😂 I spoke to her. She doesn’t need you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lee650 Posted June 12, 2021 Share Posted June 12, 2021 44 minutes ago, AndyTravis said: I spoke to her. She doesn’t need you. Wow!! You did speak to her 😂 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doddy Posted June 13, 2021 Share Posted June 13, 2021 15 hours ago, Jus Lukin said: I generally agree, Doddy, but I think for someone who doesn't quite know what they're after, a multi is a wider-ranging and cheaper starting point. As Kev says, the effects which do work out can then be improved upon with high quality individuals, without the pedal-go-round many of us have been on. 😄 I totally agree that multi effects are a good starting point if you don't really know what you want. I just always recommend individual pedals because I don't like menu diving. 13 hours ago, lee650 said: That's an understatement 😂 x 😆 Yeah, it's a pretty big collection really. What can I say? I love pedals. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lee650 Posted June 13, 2021 Share Posted June 13, 2021 50 minutes ago, Doddy said: 😆 Yeah, it's a pretty big collection really. What can I say? I love pedals. It's a beautiful collection! I live my pedals too, unfortunately I can't afford a huge collection and have to sell some to buy more 🙄😁 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lozz196 Posted June 13, 2021 Share Posted June 13, 2021 I used to use a Tech21 Para Driver for my eq, as I used so many shared/provided rigs I wanted to make sure my sound was always the same. It wasn’t a generic sound, couldn’t always be achieved by just the amp on the day. Now I’m not in that band I just get a good sound from my amps, either Ashdown ABM600 or RM500, Shape on, minimal drive & some compression, good to go. Compression very helpful as on solos I can dig in a bit if needed and get more drive but without volume spikes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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