"must have" effects

thespentpenny · #1 10-20-2009, 02:09 AM

I'm new to so many things on the bass. I've been playing for a while now (3 years) I don't mean that it's been a long while, just a little while....

Anyway, I'd love to hear some input on what are your "must have" bass effects pedals, and what they do.

I love a good, warm, mellow but creamy bass tone. I have a fender Aerodyne jazz bass, it's new to me, and I've been adjusting the neck, bridge etc. It's gonna need some work still, but it's more than functional as it is...anyway.

Yeah, what are your favorite bass effects, which do you use regularly.

Also, I play in a church praise and worship band mainly, and use a fender bassman I think it's a 60 watt amp there, just have a little practice amp here.

JimmyM · #2 10-20-2009, 03:04 AM

I have no must have. I could do everything I do with a clean tone and be fine. But I do use a few. For some types of music distortion is a must have. That's really the only effect I think is needed, although the other ones are quite fun indeed.

Jacob J · #3 10-20-2009, 03:06 AM

I think you could appreciate some good chorus. I have EBS UniChorus and I really like it. Great sound and stable construction. I use it mainly in our 80´s styled songs

So I definitely recommend you chorus. Could really fit into style you play.

jetofuj · #4 10-20-2009, 03:08 AM

There is nothing like "must have" bass effects pedals. But as Jimmy said, pedals are fun!

whoapower · #5 10-20-2009, 12:45 PM

The only must have is the one you don't have right now. After you get that one, there will be another must have.

Just coming into this forum is how the effect illness sets in.

Ayliffe · #6 10-20-2009, 12:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by whoapower

The only must have is the one you don't have right now. After you get that one, there will be another must have.

Just coming into this forum is how the effect illness sets in.

+1

I had 0$ in effects a year ago, since i started lurking this sub-forum, i've spent $1300 on effects, and i want more....

Hipnotic2005 · #7 10-20-2009, 12:51 PM

VT bass..

RickenBoogie · #8 10-20-2009, 12:54 PM

A tuner is a must. Everything else is gravy. I like gravy.

pdubya · #9 10-20-2009, 12:58 PM

aphex aural exciter line 6 filter modeller digitech whammy ibanez bass synth a korg tuner.stop me b4 I become a guitarist!

**rhino333** · #10 10-20-2009, 12:59 PM

After all these years and a trunk full of effects, everyone was a must have at one time and usually becomes "must have" at a future time. My current "must have" is a Boss GT-6B.

stflbn · #11 10-20-2009, 01:07 PM

About any of choice in subtle amounts to taste. Lately a tad of chorus and delay to thicken a bit, then a bit of octave as needed.

Fullmetal · #12 10-20-2009, 02:14 PM

There's a few things I see as "Must Have".

You must have a Tuner.
You must have some Modulation.
And you must must MUST have some dirt!

I like to use a bit of everything from the three dirt groups.
Overdrive, Distortion and Fuzz.

Of course, my "Must Have" pedal is always the next one I'm saving up for.

jokerjkny · #13 10-20-2009, 02:28 PM

seems like you're trying to spice an otherwise boring setup.

try the VT bass. i had mine sitting in the closet, since i was using its very versatile cousin, the sansamp paradriver for my dirt sounds, but dang, the array of dirt sounds in this thing are incredible. from thick to wooly, to sheer freakout edgy blasts, it can do literally everything for me now.

ebs octabass is another fun one to add some meat when your lines drift into the upper end of the fretboard.

try a chorus or even a flanger, too, or both, ala the fulltone choralflange. great for adding a little post punk / cure like tastiness to a bass line.

course, i kinda shy away from most compressors, but adding just a touch w/ a quality pedal really evens out the boomier bigger notes below the low E on my 5 strings.

guroove · #14 10-20-2009, 02:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimmyM

I have no must have. I could do everything I do with a clean tone and be fine. But I do use a few. For some types of music distortion is a must have. That's really the only effect I think is needed, although the other ones are quite fun indeed.

+1

I never use any effects. I sometimes toy with the bass wah, and fuzz boxes, but nothing is a must have. For a little while, I had a huge funk band, and I only had 2 effects. I had a stereo flanger and an envelope filter. The flanger split my signal, and one side went to the envelope filter which went to a dirty old ampeg. The tubes in the ampeg helped to control the bass surge that came in when the envelope effect decayed. The other side went into an SWR rig. That setup was unreal, but moving to NYC totally changed the way I prepared for gigs. Now I just grab my bass and my cable, and I'm good to go.

Bassmike62 · #15 10-20-2009, 04:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jetofuj

There is nothing like "must have" bass effects pedals. But as Jimmy said, pedals are fun!

+1

Pedals are not a must, but they are mostly for fun ! Stuff like tuners and compressors are mostly utilities as opposed to being effects.

Gadgets like preamps (Tone Hammer, SansAmp Bass Driver, MXR M-80), chorus, flangers, filters (Bassballs !!!!) and octavers are fun and can really add to your sound.

The key is not to go overboard, but it all depends on the song and maintaining tone.

But mostly, it's all about FUN......

Kromwarp · #16 10-20-2009, 05:33 PM

as has been said before, there really is no must have effect, but I also enjoy using effects. I would go with a Tech 21 Bass Driver DI or hartke VXL Bass Attack and a chorus pedal of somekind