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A casual bassist's first three pedals?

#41
Almost sounding like a shill here but aside from the tuner get a Source Audio ZIO Bass Preamp DI . I has a very usable 2 band EQ, A Pultec type scoop, Grit and HPF. It has very quiet DI. I used it the first time yesterday on a gig and it delivered. It will be great for your reggae numbers. For duos a chorus or octaver is really useful. Do not count a pedal tuner in your 3 pedals :D
 
#42
Tuner
overdrive
compressor

If you are like me and have a clip on tuner, a decent 3rd pedal option could be a multi effects pedal. The Zoom MS60B is great for experimenting with a ton of sounds, has a pedalboard friendly shape, and isn't expensive. I like to try an effect idea first with my Zoom, and if I like it buy a dedicated pedal for use with the band.

The best option is probably the new Line6 Hx one, but that's about twice as expensive.
 
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#44
I agree with those saying that good technique reduces the demand for gear and that an active tone stack on your bass is a lot already.

If you're DIing to FOH, I may add that there are some nice always-on effects to consider.

I would consider an amp-sim pedal such as the tech21 VTDI simply for its ability to be flat if desired (I've had alot of success with it). The treble roll-off of amp sims tends to be steeper than the tone knobs on basses (2nd-4th compared to 1st order). This may be desirable. Many also feature some bass roll off in the subs which can help tighten the tone, especially for bass heavy genres like reggae. OFC the EQ controls on pedals may be different from those on the bass which can be helpful for added versatility. Obviously, a bass cannot distort on its own (except for the darkray I guess) so any amount of warmth to overdrive is an added feature commonly available on these types of pedals. With warmth rounding out transients which is often desirable for smooth and inobtrusive sounds.

While note evenness can be largely addressed with good technique some other thoughts are:

Compressors can also shape the attack/sustain characteristics in ways that playing cannot. You can set a compressor for fast attack, release to squash just the attack of notes for a super sustained sound which cannot be done with RH technique. Inversely you can set a slow attack and fast release for added percussion. Alternatively, you could play like Geddy (who themselves has a lot of fx) but then you're contending with fret buzz, strings bottoming out on the PUs and potential for fatigue and tension in your RH.

For compressors, I hear people swear by the Empress Bass Compressor and some more niche picks. A website called Ovnilab has one of the most comprehensive compressor review archives I know of.

Otherwise, there's situational effects such as fuzz and chorus. As others have said, these are just for your wants and tastes. One consideration is that without an amp or amp-sim, many distortions/fuzzes may sound too bright because they are designed to be followed by a treble roll-off of an amp.

I will say many people seem to swear by the way-huge pork and pickle drive and frankly I don't have much experience with choruses but Boss products are usually pretty good so maybe a CEB-3.
 
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#45
I have distortion, chorus and hpf on my board. In the last few years I've used distortion on one tune and never used the chorus at all. The HPF is a good thing for me because I sometimes slap the bridge with my palm as percussion, but if I didn't do that I wouldn't have it. So I'm in the no need for FX camp as well. I've come to believe that in the folk/playing with acoustic instruments realm I play in that if what I'm playing is right FX won't enhance it, and if it's wrong FX won't save it.
 
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#47
Zooberwerx said:
As already mentioned, I'd snag a mid-tier multi-FX (Zoom? Boss?) instead of inundating my board with a bunch of sparsely-used pedals...that comes later in the evolutionary process. A nice compact combo or component rig wouldn't hurt either. The defining term here is "casual" and to that I'll add "used / secondhand".

Riis
Click to expand...
I wish I had done this at the start or tried a bunch of pedals at a shop before buying anything. Hearing the sounds with your own ears should clarify very quickly what you like and what you don't. Then if you want to upgrade, you've narrowed your options early.
 
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#48
A tuner and a multi-effects unit is a good start, especially if the multi effect has a headphone jack for more practice (more practice always being better than more pedals). If you are looking for a small amp that is also a multi-effects platform, tuner, modeler, DI, digital audio interface, and headphone amp - A Rumble Studio 40 is pretty great. I got one and found it very helpful for figuring out what kind effects/amps/speakers I prefer.
 
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#51
I think you've got the right idea more or less, a compressor is a very useful tool and a lot of players (myself included) really like preamp DI pedals. There are a lot out there that all have unique voicing, it's matter of personal preference which one you'll be happiest with.

It doesn't sound like you need fuzz or distortion or an envelope filter for what you're playing, but a little bit of "grit" actually sounds nice in a mix, even in cleanish settings like what you're describing. Think tube amp on the verge of breakup, not all the way to roaring but just enough to soften the edges. Some preamp pedals will do this (Sansamp being one), you can also find actual tube DI preamps with a 12AX7 if you want the Real Deal but analog can sound nearly as good for a fraction of the cost.

A tuner pedal is great to have as well, it doubles as a mute switch so you're not making noise in between songs or while tuning up. Boss makes a pretty reliable one, I also have a TC Electronic Polytune clip-on that I really like but they also make that in a pedal box format. It's more precise than many others I've used.

A high pass filter is another good utility pedal to have. I love my Broughton.
 
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#52
IMG_0144.jpeg

About $125 used. The Swiss Army knife of bass. A total practice station. A veritable tasting menu of effects and amps for the price of one pedal.
Works great for guitar as well.

Also serves as a DI, interface, drum machine, and surprisingly good looper.
 
#54
i think an OC-2 or something else (but... an OC-2) is a universal item. we all love it.

the rest really depends on who you are and what you do.

a nice preamp/tube amp sim/amp in a box is a very practical/useful item, but lots of players have zero use for them. various dirt, fuzz, and all that can be in a similar situation.

if i'm using effects, my top item is my leslie simulator. but, few few other bass players would ever use such a thing. it's very personal...

but an OC-2 is a great place to start.
 
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#55
My suggestion would be a Zoom B1xFour for a broad selection of effects, tuner, practice tool with aux in and drum loops and headphone out, expression pedal for various functions especially for volume, inexpensive and durable. All that for about what you will spend for one effect. Once you find the effects that are best for you then you can shop for effects in that vein.
 
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#56
The beauty of bass is that it doesn't need pedals. Lately bass players have been lured into joining guitar players on their never-ending quest of pedals and distortion to a much greater degree than before. 20 years ago I don't remember any local bass player having any pedals, let alone the whole board that seems typical now. I used to use an ODB-3 sometimes and that distorted bass sound was an easy way to stand out back then. Now you stand out more if you're totally clean. It's probably best for every new bass player to go at least the first 5 years with nothing but a tuner. Once you have that relationship with the strings and pickups and all that, some pedals can be awesome. There are some very iconic bass parts that would not have been possible without an octaver, big muff, chorus, etc. I love compression myself, and I use a lot in order to purposely get that stealthy, overcompressed Tony Levin style sound. But that would not have been good to have when I was first starting out.
 
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#58
FullumMusic said:
You don't NEED any pedals. I bought a couple of distortion pedals and a Wah pedal when i was a teen. Before i was out of high school i sold them all. Played bass professionally without any pedals for nearly 25 years.

So, because you don't need any pedals, your first three pedals should be whatever you think sound cool. Seriously.
Click to expand...

Lots of great points in your post. I know no one “needs” pedals/effects, but me personally, I think they’re important because they can play such a huge part in a player’s creative development.
 
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