If you could only have one pedal or effect in your arsenal?

[sprag]

I change my board around quite a bit but my DHA VT2 standard is always on there and I have more dirt than anything else. So that would be my choice.

[vbchaos]

My wahwah!! If i had to, i could get overdrive from my preamp, but i would never ever play without a wah!

[hashtagbass]

Tech 21 VT Bass (possibly an EDEN WTDI when I get my grubby hands on one)

[Hobobob]

Always makes me laugh when people post in the Effects forum about how they don't use effects.

[Adamixoye]

This is brilliant.

Originally Posted by Dark Barn

TB needs a Fingers sub-forum for folks like you.

[Roscoe East]

Originally Posted by tigerdean

I play classic rock - modern rock covers and have always ran effect free. If you could have only one pedal or effect in your arsenal or were buying your first pedal or effect then what would it be and why?

Are you asking about me personally, what I would do knowing what I do about the music I play? ...or are you asking me to answer as if I'm you, i.e., someone who plays "classic rock - modern rock covers"?

- If the former: Electro-Harmonix 16 Second Digital Delay (the original circa 1980 model, not the reissue).

- If the latter: Tossup between a Musitronics Mu-Tron III, or a Tech21 VT Bass.

[Roscoe East]

Originally Posted by RAMUSIC

I would stick with my vintage '84 ProCo Rat, which was my first pedal and is still my most used. I almost ALWAYS have it on unless I need something cleaner or severely heavier.

Apologize for the thread hijack, but...don't you find the Rat rolls off too much low end for constant use on bass? I've got one (circa 1987) and while it's killer for those times I want a nasty cutting conspicuous fuzz tone, I find it doesn't have enough bass to use for actual basslines.

[indiefan4000]

Diamond Bass Compressor. No question. No matter what style I play, it smooths my dynamics, adds sustain, and either adds beefy lows or a little top end clarity depending on how I adjust the EQ knob.

[kevteop]

OC-2 probably. But I like to colour it with other stuff.

A good Ring Modulator would be my other choice.

I don't play rock music at all though.

[caeman]

If I absolutely could only have one pedal to use, it would be the WMD Utility Parametric EQ.

And a 24v adapter for it.

[mcrawfordmusic]

If I could only have one 'effect' pedal, right now it would be my Boss OC-2. Tone wise, I always chuck my Sansamp in if I'm not using my own rig. So I guess that would be the one and only.

[tigerdean]

Wow, what a great wealth of input from everyone. Gives me a lot to think about & which direction I want to start.

[zeb_bass]

line6 m5

[FilterFunk]

Originally Posted by Dark Barn

TB needs a Fingers sub-forum for folks like you.

Perfect response!

[gastric]

Assuming I can still have a pedal tuner in addition to my one choice I'd choose a quality OVERDRIVE. You can usually dial in slight dirt to sounds approaching fuzz, particularly if driving a tube amp.

[caeman]

Originally Posted by hsech

I must be an old fart. Just give me a head with a tube pre amp, a gain and a master volume. I never use effects on bass or guitar.

So, your effect pedal is actually a TUBE AMP. Because, TUBES are an effect on the signal. Otherwise, just plug straight into a power amp.

You see, Mr. Old Fart, some of us don't use amps. Thus, a pedal replaces your tube-base preamp section. And the PA system is our power amp section.

[fivestringgecko]

Originally Posted by caeman

You see, Mr. Old Fart, some of us don't use amps. Thus, a pedal replaces your tube-base preamp section. And the PA system is our power amp section.

Lol. And this may be sacrilege in the effects forum, but some of us are even trying out virtual effects solutions for playing without an amp. I've been running into more and more ampless gigs lately and have started exploring using my iPad as my pedalboard with apps like Amplitube and more recently Jamup to replace my pedalboard.

An overdrive was definitely in the running for my "only one" pedal, but I'm such an envelope junkie... Lol

5sg.

[NKUSigEp]

Mountainking Megalith.

[scottfeldstein]

Originally Posted by AndyLES

MXR M80. It can be a DI, preamp, distortion box, EQ, signal splitter, mute box (set one channel's volume all the way down)....heck, it even has a basic noise gate.

I use it at every gig.

I'm hoping to find out how right you are very soon. Got the M80 on my Christmas wish list!

But if not that one, a similar pedal. A SansAmp, a B7K, a Tone Hammer... something that'll give you a decent DI, an EQ and some overdrive. They may not always be the sexiest pedals out there, but they're probably the most used.

[RickenBoogie]

If I really could only have ONE pedal, I'd go with a big Boss multi, like the ME50B.