Bass Reverb: What's the point?
 

Ok so Ashdown have a new line of pedals. Here's one of them:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLa0YHjw4GU

So here's my question to you cats out there in bass land.

Who the hell uses reverb on a bass?? Does anyone have any examples of reverb being used in a live environment to great effect? What genre would benefit from this being employed even slightly?

I really just need someone to prove to me that this kind of thing actually needs to exist.

A touch can work very well on a fretless, or for trying to fake up DB tone. If you don't like it don't buy it

I've currently got an old Peavey reverb box in my rack, used very minimally to "warm up" my fretless with tapewounds. Not a "Fender Twin Reverb" tone, but just enough to make the fretless sound a bit more "3 dimensional" on some really slow songs, if that makes any sense. Most folks can't even really tell that it's turned on. FWIW, I play older country/outlaw country stuff so my only other effect is mild compression to limit spikes, etc.

I use it with a phaser for some interesting tones, also use it alone on a reggae tune and it gives the song a different feel.

I use a boss reverb for atmospheric instrumental stuff. Works great

Buy it, and leave it full on, all the time, it will be your 'thing'. That is all.

I certainly wouldn't buy it. I think it's a silly notion.

I could understand the application of a light reverb on a fretless, but that quasi spring sound on a fretted bass with a bright tone sounds repugnant and invasive. I shudder to think how any guitarist or pianist would feel if a bassist rocked up with one of these and a grin.

I was just wondering it it's a 'thing' for some type of music I don't listen to.

The guy from Isis uses reverb a lot.

For the Love of Money - a classic!

Recommended if you want to get canned from your band. LOL!

To each his own, I feel it is far from silly, I use it all the time to add a spatial quality in my blues band be it live or recording. Repugnant? Really?:rollno:

For fuzz, man. For fuzz.

I use reverb a lot actually, varying levels based on the effect (buh dum psh) I'm trying to get from it. It works nicely with a delay for creating big, open soundscapes. Makes volume swells sound huge. Adds a certain airiness to slow tempo solos. Used tastefully it can also beef up distortion and fuzz tones.

Its very useful actually but its also really easy to get reverb happy and then it gets really, old really fast.

Ill look for it later but I'm pretty sure Bootsy used it on a bunch of his crazy solos

When I think of reverb and bass, Jean Baudin comes to mind.

If he doesn't chime in here, YouTube some of his stuff and he'll show you how to use a reverb with a bass.

I use reverb all the time. Throughout our set. I'd have two if I had a bigger board..one for volume swells and one for quick spring reverb. Once I get a MythFx Triton again, I'll have two. The Triton has a decent spring style quick reverb.


I use it for chords with a lot of delay for huge swells and spacey ambient parts, just a touch for doubling a melody that sits back in the mix and with fuzz for cello sounds an huge synthy fuzz swells with phaser.

My favorite non-dirt effect.

True enough, A little is all that is needed.

See here's a cool practical application. I mean there's some other stuff on here; like a flanger or some phase effect or something but hey, this is how it could be done right. Cheers.

I can imagine it with a bass vi in like an old spaghetti western soundtrack, or surf music.

FOR THE FUZZ!!!!!!!!!!!! :mad: