Do bassists need effects?

[Bergerdude]

I ask this because the keyboard and guitarist in my band say they can't notice my effects, and that "no other bassplayer they know" uses effects.

Well the guitarist knows the bassist from Ides of March, but I don't know if he uses effects...lol.

All I use is a Boss VF-1 for chorus, and some flanger.
We have a keyboardist who only can play horn parts or piano parts, and one guitarist. So sometimes it seems like a fuller sound with some effects on bass.

So we are a coverband...so did Van Halen's bassist have effects? The Killer's? Dave Mathew's? Fountains of Wayne?
KISS? Cheap Trick?
To name a few of the bands we cover.

So are there pro bassists (not solo artists) in bands, especially from the 80's, that use effects?

Thanks!
Berg

[bongomania]

Originally Posted by Bergerdude

So are there pro bassists (not solo artists) in bands, especially from the 80's, that use effects?

Hells yes. Pino Palladino, Tony Levin, Flea, Phil Lynott to name a few.

Additionally, please read through this forum for a few pages to answer for yourself the question of whether "bassists need effects".

If your other bandmates can't hear the effects, then you need to change the way you are amplifying, EQ'ing, or blending your signal. It's not a problem with effects, but with whether you know how to use them "effectively" in a band mix.

If they think your effects are not contributing anything to the songs, they are probably right. Again it points to how you use them, not whether you use them.

[manutabora]

Do bassists NEED effects? I would say no. Are effects cool when used on bass? Heck yeah! But I don't think they are necessary, unless of course you are playing a cover where the bassist in the original track used some sort of effect...

Just my opinion, of course. For the record, I don't use effects.

[chicago_mike]

Tell them they dont know any bass players. And next time, tell the guitarist to not use so much distortion and tell the keyboardist to stop playing so many damn chords.

80's bass without effects is...well...something without something to make it complete.

chorus and flange were THE effects for bass in the 80's. lets see..

Duran Duran, Cameo, Van Halen, Kiss, Kajagoogoo, Flock of Seaguls, Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam, Ready for the world..they did "oh sheila", prince, level 42, rush, etc..etc..

[Gubna]

I used to use a MXR Phaser (the little orange one), but that was about it - as far as live for shows. I gave up using it after a few years as I didn't feel it needed to be there, plus there was always the issue of the battery - and whether it needed to be changed or not.

but I'd say it's a matter of choice, and whether or not it fits into a particular situation in a song - does it give it some sort of color? If it's not needed, then it doesn't need to be there.

But that should be something that all of you come to agreement on - not just one person's say. even if it's yours.

[baalroo]

your guitarist sounds like an idiot, of course in all fairness you had to ask us... y'all probably deserve each other.

j/k

[Disappear]

I think that we [bass players] should use effects. Sure the bass is for the low end, but I think bass should have some "texture". Whatever way you choose to get it is up to you. Having said that, there are some effects that just shouldn't be on any bass sound. Distortion. Use a little for some grumble, sure, but max amounts of it just doesn't do any justice. We're not guitar players (well some of us are but from a bassist point of view) I think we should be clear with texture.

[ga_edwards]

Well the fact that there are 100's, if not 1000's of dedicated bass effect pedal, multi's, racks would suggest that your colleagues are talking out of their rectums.

You can pretty much gaurantee that all the bassists your listed used at least one effect, compression, whether applied my themselves or the studio engineer, (although calling compression and effect in the strictest sense is a tenous subject).

80's artists did use other effects too. I mean, where would the 80's be without oodles of chorus judicously coated over almost every guitar and bassline. Listen to Pino Palladino's fretless work, Def Leppards Rick Savage, GnR's Duff McKagan to name a couple. Even before them bassists experimented with things like overdrive (Jack Bruce, Geezer Butler) and synthesis.

There was a video floating around the web of Stu Hamm going through his rig for the Engines tour with Satch. He uses chorus, a whammy for the octaver, delay, and I believe a sansamp for dirt. Still sounds like a bass to me, but helps fill out the sound.

Hell, tell them to listen to Muse if they don't belive bassists can use effects to their best errr... effect

[baalroo]

in all seriousness, it's been said before but it's all about personal taste and perspective.

for example:
I play in an experimental ambient/noise rock group, so for me when I want things to sound really odd I turn OFF the effects and use an unprocessed bass sound.

[Nyarlathotep]

Yes

[David Wilson]

Do bassists need effects? No
Do many bassists, both professional and amateur, use effects? Yes
Ask this question in the effects forum and the response will understandably be a little skewed towards the positive

You mention The Killers. Their bassist uses an overdrive pedal pretty much all the time.

I think more accurate title, given your question, would be "what bassists in popular bands use effects?"

[Lawlzfitzgerald]

do YOU think you need effects. if not, then dont get them.
if yes. then go all the way with effects. no one cares if 80's bands dont use them (they do anyways) you guys may start writing originals at any moment. after that. the skys the limit. youre in full control of your tone. you can sound however you want.
but as long as its what you want

listen to hysteria by Muse. or actually 90% of their songs like the guy above said.
if you wanna get some ideas on what/how to use them

personally i didnt think i needed effects either back when i sucked. i just liked the thought of pressing buttons...with your feet! now ive been well acquainted to something called GAS

[waynobass]

No, they don't.

[JmJ]

Say what you want but but IMO EQ qualifies as an effect. Any time you change your tone after it leaves your instrument it is "effected". Its probably best not to need effects, or anything else for that matter. One of the great things about effects is that they usually have an off switch. Why limit yourself to the tones available from your fingers/Bass/amp?

[AlphaMale]

No good musicians need effects.

But many good bassists and musicians use tone shapers.
Most bassists use these as opposed to effects.

[bassteban]

You might as well ask 'Does the world need bass?'
What does it matter what the keypusher thinks? Or anyone here for that matter? I don't use a lot of effects live, but if/when it serves the song I do. At home, I tinker w/them all the time. If it works for you, do it up. If it gets the rest of the bands' panties twisted(especially if they 'can't really hear it')then that was inevitable. Some folks need* their undergarments adjusted from time to time...

*There's that word again.

[Captain_Arrrg]

Originally Posted by Bergerdude

So we are a coverband...so did Van Halen's bassist have effects? The Killer's? Dave Mathew's? Fountains of Wayne?
KISS? Cheap Trick?

Yes.

Sounds to me like you guitarist and keyboardist are the typical asshats you would expect to mutter such things. Hell, it's probably more likely it's not that they don't hear the effect, they just don't bother listening to what you're doing.

There's someone with the sig of "No one notices what I'm doing- Until I stop doing it"[sic]. I think that describes what's happening to you.

[Captain_Arrrg]

Originally Posted by AlphaMale

No good musicians need effects.

But many good bassists and musicians use tone shapers.
Most bassists use these as opposed to effects.

You heard it here first. Bootsy Collins- Not a good musician. Michael Rutherford- Not a good musician. Chris Squire- Not a good musician. And the list continues....


FAIL.

[kph24]

I think it's all a matter of what you want to do, for example I owned a Boss GT 6b, thought it was the coolest thing ever and then 6 months later never used it, but recently I was playing an MWR military tour for US troops playing covers, some of the covers had effects on the bass lines like Little Sister by Queens of the Stone Age and For Whom the Bell Tolls Cliff Burton Classic. I went out and researched what Cliff used and got a overdrive pedal for a decent price and I felt that it made those songs and others more authentic. Basically I think 1 or 2 effects are a good setup but I don't think there is a need for a $400 board

[T-MOST]

It totally depends on you and the music you play. I love the natural "clean" sound of the electric bass. I'm into Urban Gospel, Old School R&B, Funk & Smooth Jazz. 8 out of 10 songs in these genres dont have any effects on the bass. I do carry an EBS Bass IQ with me which gives me that Bootsy vibe when I want to spice it up a bit. I may also pick up an EBS Bass Chorus to emulate some fretless vibes. I feel Occassional use makes the "effect" that much more special. I wouldn't make use of a digital multi effects pedal even Even though 2 EBS pedals will cost the same $400. So again it's up to you when, where and If you want to use them.