Anyone playing bass clean with no effects?

[saabfender]

... Please don't post this in the Effects sub-forum. They have a strict policy against "effects are unnecessary" type threads.

Strikes me more as an "Are effects necessary?" post. Such introspection should hardly be discouraged unless a member of the Stompbox Industrial Complex that Ike warned us about.

 

[Passinwind]

I just love the sound of my bass with no effects at all.

I prefer mine with no amp at all, or anything to plug in anywhere. But that doesn't always work so well in front of an audience, so I do whatever will work well in that scenario. I can't stand having stuff on the floor though, except my feet. So when I use EFX they are generally rack mount ones.

 

[Fender_Bender]

Tiny amount of compression is all I use.

 

[CharlieMac]

I'd love to use pedals, but I just can't find any that actually improve my sound except maybe a bit of compression.
I keep buying them and being disappointed.

 

[micgtr71]

I enjoy playing through the occasional effect, but live it has always been bass straight to amp.

 

[Keger Jupit]

To OP; No effects most of my 30 yrs. playing. I like a little compression, I've owned an envelope filter & octave pedal, but only use compression (lightly) now. I'm not opposed to the other two, just don't need. I've never had a problem with effects, I just prefer to move tons of air with a solid, clear, clean, articulate, fat, supportive tone that only non-effected bass can...at least in my case.

The first time I saw King's X live was '92 (dUg was still named Doug, & still sported the mohawk & Redcoat military jacket!), & they hadn't fired Sam Taylor as their producer yet. I could...not...BELIEVE...Doug's sound in a live setting! It completely melted my face & set my hair on fire! I was standing about 12 ft. from his rig, so I got to hear HIS tone, not the sound man's interpretation (although he did a great job, much love to the sound guys!).

Bottom line: do what works for you, in each setting, for each song. As with the lines we all chose to play, we should try to give the song what it needs & asks for, no less, maybe a little more

...I think I need an envelope filter again...DAMN YOU GAS!!

 

[dbsfgyd1]

I just love the sound of my bass with no effects at all. ( I haven't ever used them live but tried a couple in a shop and it wasn't that I didn't like the effect ( envelope filter ), I didn't like what they took out of my sound, whether on or off. But in reality I have no need for them.

I wonder if the desire to play clean through a clean bass rig is popular these days as most gigs I go to the bass player has one or more effects pedals in their board.

I don't have any axe to grind with anyone using effects, as where I've heard them being used they work bang on with the music.

I don't have an axe to grind either. If you look at my icon expanded, especially the EQ on the preamp, that is it. For almost 15 years now, I play with my PBJ with both pickups all the way up, and the tone all the way up as well. My active Warwick is set to flat, volume up all the way. Any other adjustment I need to make are done with the fingers.

That said, I don't play a lot of progressive type music, but mostly commercial offerings that don't require effects. Rest assured, if I needed effects for my musical projects, I'd have no problem using them.

 

[Cage]

I just love the sound of my bass with no effects at all. ( I haven't ever used them live but tried a couple in a shop and it wasn't that I didn't like the effect ( envelope filter ), I didn't like what they took out of my sound, whether on or off. But in reality I have no need for them.

I wonder if the desire to play clean through a clean bass rig is popular these days as most gigs I go to the bass player has one or more effects pedals in their board.

I don't have any axe to grind with anyone using effects, as where I've heard them being used they work bang on with the music.

I don't know if it's the in thing, but I have been playing for 40 years with just a bass and and cord

 

[Blaze Barlow]

I just love the sound of my bass with no effects at all. ( I haven't ever used them live but tried a couple in a shop and it wasn't that I didn't like the effect ( envelope filter ), I didn't like what they took out of my sound, whether on or off. But in reality I have no need for them.

I wonder if the desire to play clean through a clean bass rig is popular these days as most gigs I go to the bass player has one or more effects pedals in their board.

I don't have any axe to grind with anyone using effects, as where I've heard them being used they work bang on with the music.

only using a rackmounted preamp..I have a lexicon multieffects processor in my rack..but rarely use it..only for special effects on a song or two from time to time..it more of a "wow" factor..

 

[juancaminos]

No effects here. Of all my effects the only thing I have left is a Korg multi pedal...not sure where it is, I put it somewhere 20 years ago.

 

[Hurricane Jimmie]

So Anyway, I've always plugged straight into the amp. How many times have you seen the guitar player bent over adjusting a pedal trying to get 'their tone'?
I would find pedals too distracting..... plus I'm happy with the way I sound.

 

[Steadfast]

I only use pedals in my original band. I use them to get a guitar sound. Kinda like royal blood but jazz/funk stuff. I loop bass,guitar and sax. Everything I else I play straight to amp

 

[bassbenj]

I have a compressor built into my Carvin amps which sometimes I turn up a bit. My Fender Amp (BXR 200) has a built in chorus which when I first got it was addicted to, but now I hardly ever use it. As an external pedal I have a Bad Monkey that has been modded for bass. (I also have an unmodded one I use on guitars) I use it if I want just a mild distortion and the bass mod of it keeps the tone still sounding like a bass, But I haven't used it for a long time because the kind of music I'm playing now doesn't call for it. I do have an old big multieffects pedal that once I used a lot even to the point of using the stereo outputs and two amps! Which dare I say it, sounds REALLY good! At one point I was really into all that wild effects stuff and really dug it, but It hasn't been out of the case for a long time mostly like I said because this music doesn't call for that kind of thing. I keep thinking about maybe getting a new octave pedal because the octaver on my big multi-pedal is old and does not track the full range of a 6 string bass well. But with a 6 string bass I don't really feel much need for an octave pedal. So...

Oh one thing I forgot to mention is my big pedal had some "emulator" settings to sound like various basses etc. which back then I sort loved , but now that I actually own some of the "emulated" basses, I have no need for faux bass sounds.

 

[Tony In Philly]

I have a pedalboard, but I almost never take it to gigs anymore. Nobody in the audience has complained thus far.

 

[logdrum]

Depends

 

[Bassmunnky]

Compressor
Octave Pedal (on occasion"
Tonehammer Di

That's it nothing drastic

 

[PWRL]

I did, for many years in my main band. We're not active anymore, other than the occasional get-together about twice a year or so. I still run with no effects when we do play, though. I just keep the gain up for a little natural overdrive.

 

[selowitch]

After all the basses, guitars, microphones, strings, cables, amplifiers, etc. that I buy, I don't have any room in my budget for pedals.

 

[robthebassplaye]

My gigging rig consists of a Shure Axient Digital Wireless straight into a Crown Amp, into either a pair of Edens 410's, or a Mark Bass 410 depending on the SR at the event. I don't even use a preamp, just get the tone I want from my active basses (primarily Sadoswky NYC 5's). I have lots of fun FX at home (Zoom, Digi, Bass Pods, etc) but they never make it out of the house... Just for fun. Not for work.

 

[trailer]

Every practice, every rehearsal and every gig...fingers, bass, amp and cab.