A casual bassist's first three pedals?

[HelpImaRock]

With an active bass, you may not need anything past a tuner. Anything else you add should be because you recognize a specific need.

Regarding tuners, if you want to use a headstock tuner, I personally like the TC UniTune. That said, I use a pedal tuner. My tuner of choice is the Sonic Research Turbo Tuner. I like the display the best, especially in daylight while wearing sunglasses.

No matter which tuner you choose, please choose one. Nobody wants to hear you tune onstage. And watching you tune poorly, without a mute, is painful.

 

[Zbysek]

Regarding tuners, if you want to use a headstock tuner, I personally like the TC UniTune. That said, I use a pedal tuner.

+1

 

[bass12]

I've done a lot of the kinds of gigs you're describing (duo, straight into the board) with no pedals other than a tuner, and I never felt anything was missing. Having said that, I think pedals generally fall into two categories: problem solvers/sound sculptors and "effects". In the first category are things such as compressors, HPFs and preamps; in the second are things such as envelope filters, octavers and fuzz. There can also be crossovers (e.g., extreme compression or EQ being used as an effect).

For my personal taste, compression is something to be left to FOH. If whoever is running sound sees fit to add compression to my signal then they can have at it. But a compressor is certainly not a requirement. HPFs can be extremely useful for tightening up/eliminating boominess. If boominess/unwanted low end has been an issue for you then an HPF pedal (such as the Broughton) would be helpful. If you want more control over your EQ then a preamp is a great idea (I've been using the Genzler Magellan Pre - which also has an HPF - and really like it).

For effects it depends on what might be required for certain songs or what you might enjoy experimenting with. The effect pedal I get the most mileage out of is an octaver (I like the MicroPOG, partly because it tracks very well and offers both lower and upper octaves, though some people find it a bit "digital" sounding). The second effect pedal I get the most use out of is an envelope filter (usually a Broughton JoshWah), but that's largely because there are songs I have to play that incorporate that effect.

If you want to have a bunch of options at your toe-tips then a multi-effect unit like the Zoom or Line 6 Bass Pod might be the way to go.

 

[ImTheOnlyOne]

Turbo Tuner
EXH Bass Soul Food
A pack of 9v batteries
A small Phillips head screw driver
A 6" 1/4" "L" patch cable to connect the two
A small no-skid rubber bar mat
A zipper bag in which to tote it all

 

[FullumMusic]

For the first 30+ years that I played bass, a tuner pedal was pretty much the only pedal I owned....

I didn't even have a tuner for the longest time. I just tuned by ear to the guitarist or the keyboard because i wanted to be tuned to the rest of the band, not myself in isolation. Too many times back in the 90s, the two guitarists would tune to their own cheap tuners, but weren't in tune with each other. Everyone would be "in tune," but we weren't in tune with each other. We'd get into arguments like, "Hey, we're not in tune!" "yeah but i used my tuner" "And i used my tuner", "Yeah, but we're not in tune with each other. The tuners aren't calibrated properly or something. One person should tune to the tuner, and then we should all tune to that person." A lot of times they'd refuse and that's usually the moment i knew i was about to quit that band.

(And don't get me started on guitarists who would only tune by ear to themselves by playing all the open strings at once, without ever checking a reference tone.)

Or if i was at home, tuned to the CD/tape i was playing along to because so many were slightly off from A440 standard.

These days tuners seem to be good enough that everyone can tune with their own cheap clip-on and get close enough to sound in tune with each other. Except, i'm surprised at how many people can't tune by ear anymore.

 

[AngelCrusher]

I think we are firmly in the digital era where a multifix pedal like the fx stomp can do so much. It tunes and mutes which is pretty much the first thing you should get anyway.

I gigged for years with just a tu 2 and maybe a dirt pedal. Bass has evolved a bit to more of an effect driven sound, but that depends the genre too.

If you can save up for something like an hx stomp it pretty much gives you everything plus it has a headphone out for practicing, which is awesome.

Then if you get into studio recording a preamp can go a very long way to o making your tone record perfectly. So I’d say to save up for one of those down the road.

 

[micguy]

Don't need no tuner even. 'A' should be in your soul. harmonically tune the other 3 strings or tune to your guitarist. I got by 30 years w/o owning one

Every time I go on stage, I check my tuning. In none of those situations would it be OK to tune by ear. Most gigs nowadays, you need to be in tune from note one. Which means either a tuner pedal or a clip on tuner.

 

[buldog5151bass]

I'm not anti-effect, but that kind of music doesn't really call for effects. Other than maybe a pedal tuner, there are better ways to spend your money. If you want a different tone, maybe try different strings.

 

[nickpc]

I just started on this same kind of journey. What I've come up with is:

Fender Downtown Express - DI, 3-band EQ, Overdrive and Compressor all in one pedal
Tuner - Boss TU-3 in my case, but that's more because it was what the store had on the shelf

I added a board to mount them on and a OneSpot with the multi-plexer to power them and I'm very happy for now. I can go from a clean signal to the DI to doing a LOT to my sound with the touch of 3 footswitches.

 

[Jakeman]

Doesn't sound like the music you're playing really needs effects. If you really want to get something, and it sounds like you do, then more power to you. There's really two different paths to take here. One, you could further shape your tone for the gigs with compressor, EQ, mild dirt, etc. Or, and this may go against other recommendations, you could get more "exciting" pedals to play with at home while you continue to hone your skills live, clean. Could be a fun way to go, all depends on your specific priorities. If you go the second route, I'd suggest getting an octaver, fuzz or envelope filter. Maybe even a delay to play against at home. Fair warning though, goofing with effects on a gig can be an embarrassing quagmire if anything goes wrong, and it seems something always goes wrong. This from someone who, yes, uses effects now, but went 20 years bass > amp.

 

[bherman]

Another guy in the no pedal camp. I have and use a pedalboard in live settings (tuner, preamp because I double on electric and upright and need it for switching, impedance, and levels, chorus pedal for 1 song, octave pedal for 1 song). I also regularly play with a mostly acoustic act as well as cover a blues/rock jam and don't use any pedals for either. Honestly if just starting out, they're more of a distraction than anything (in my opinion). I only use preamps when I have something specific that I need to address, and never found compressors that useful to me.

So my advice - focus on playing, if you find that you need something down the line, add it.

 

[MultiScaleMale]

Get a quality tuner. Sonic Research's Turbo Tuner is the best out there, IMHO. Accurate and fast so you don't overshoot when you're tuning. After that, maybe a Creation Audio Grizzly. These aren't the rock bottom prices in their category, but "buy once, cry once" will usually save you a lot of money in the long run.

 

[bigdaddybass12]

IMO you don't need any sort of tone shaping pedal, specially if your bass is active, other than a tuner for playing folk/pop/country music, assuming that you will be playing through an amp for monitoring + use a DI for FOH.. unless of course you want to have a specific effect's sound like a chorus/delay etc..

There is a massive amount of consumerism / easy dopamine chasing from gear acquisition, and we are flooded with gear promotion/ads in social media promising all kinds of miracles: buying stuff is a much more immediate rush/reward than practising and improving over time, but from my experience it's a pretty futile exercise, you end up just sounding like yourself anyway.

I say this as someone who has a bunch of expensive pedals .. that I don't really need but enjoy playing with as I have disposable income now, but it's not really a "I need this to play gigs". I've been playing for over 25years, and the first time I had a need for a preamp pedal was when I stopped using an amp as stage monitor and switched to in-ears, and needed a way to shape my monitoring tone, and this was 15 years into my bass playing career.

Just my experience of course

PS (one very large and often overlooked tone improvement device is a set of fresh strings .. that can make a lot more difference than a fancy preamp if you happen to have old strings on )

Yes on this, I have a full time bass pro, plays really nice gigs, never seen him with a pedal. His basses vary from Squier to Fodera. I do admit I would like a 3 band eq for my Fender p

 

[LowendG]

For more traditional/classic reggae you don't "need" any effects pedals (but of course you need a tuner). Just get the bass sounding right and work on your technique. But for more modern stuff it could be fun to play around with maybe an octaver, or perhaps an envelope filter of some kind. Very subtle dirt can be useful (like, approximating a little amp grind). But still, not necessary at all. As for compressors, well, I'd just be wary of slapping one on there and over-doing it, undermining your actual technique.

 

[amper]

A casual bassist's first three pedals?

tuner, compressor, preamp/DI

I would add to this that you should strongly consider owning your own studio/stage DI box, like a Countryman Type 85/Type 10 or Radial Engineering JDI/J48. In most cases, the venue or studio will be able to provide you with a direct box, but it doesn't hurt to always have your own that you prefer and trust.

After this, you should also strongly consider an HPF, to help correct for rooms with poor acoustics, and lighten the load on your bass amp, if you use one. I would only consider other EQ if there is a specific sound you are looking for that you can't get out of what you already have.

After that, lately, I have become enamoured of the Boss NS-1X Noise Suppressor. It's the first noise suppressor/noise gate I've ever heard that doesn't mangle my signal.

Beyond that, effects are a matter of personal taste. Always start with the utility gear.

 

[ThudThudThud]

You can't go wrong with a Sansamp BDDI if that's the sound you're after. It doesn't have a compressor though and you're kinda stuck with the Sansamp sound.

This is true, but it does inherently add subtle compression.
I used a SABDDI v1. from the early 90s until about ten years ago. If I were to start again, I'd get the ParaDriver.

 

[dustinymichaels]

Hey folks, long term lurker/occasional contributor. Well, after trying several times in my adult life, I guess I'm officially a bassist! A great trade offer on a Fender Precision Deluxe Special Active (those words might be in the wrong order... it's their top line MIM active PJ) fell into my lap in the Fall, and I have been casually gigging ever since at small bar shows backing up a guitarist in a duo.

It's been a really fun way to learn, and having a decent bass out of the gate is a big plus. So of course, now I'm looking at an effect or two. I'm playing into a DI box straight into the house, no amp. I just bought an EHX Bass Clone, and thinking about a preamp pedal (IE, a Sansamp, Nux Melvin Lee, etc) and maybe a compressor.

We're usually doing folkie-stuff, with some reggae, pop, and country. Actually, a fair bit of reggae. But the main thing is that i'm more or less backing up a lead vocalist playing with a mostly clean guitar tone (either acoustic or a semi hollow electric).

Not looking to break the bank, but I don't want to buy something I don't need, or that I'll replace in a year.

What would you guys suggest to flesh out a decent casual rig?

I wouldn't leave the house without 2... Boss TU-3 Chromatic tuner, tried and true. Compressor, I like the Vise Grip from Seymour Duncan.

 

[coy garcia]

Sansamp is great for getting an amp tone through a PA system. I have several pedals but I only use them at home for fun like a looper, distortion etc... In the real world I find a clear uncolored bass tone works for me. Lots of people like compressors but for me I like to play with dynamics especially in a setting like you describe.
Sometimes less is more but even this is subjective.

 

[Pyrrho Epoche]

 

[waveman]

Zoom MS 60B is my #1 recommendation. Great tuner an many effects that can be useful in live situations and many more to goof off with.

DI - I am still looking for the one thing that I like the most, but on average the BDDI performs best in a multitude of situations for me for the money. It can be used as not-engaged DI and distortion or provide a different sound for certain songs, or be the always on thing you front run your bass through or front with others pedals