I have bunches of pedals but I mostly play and record clean unless I'm specifically going for an effected sound (like using an echo or looper). Sometimes slight chorus and/or reverb added when recording, but usually not.
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I use no fx but certainly don't play 'clean'. For decades i chased my tail using all types of overdrive and distortion pedals to try to achieve a sound that turned out to be power tube distortion, and not preamp distortion, which is what pedals emulate. So going with low power tube rigs (I've got 25, 50 and 100 watt options) I'm finally there. And a well designed tube amp will go into a lovely self-compression before it really breaks up that's as good as a studio compressor, forget pedal compressors. So now I've learned my rigs to the point where a lighter touch gives a clean sound, and the more I dig in the more more distorted the sound gets while the self compression keeps it within a proper volume. I'm loving it, it feels like the amp is an instrument as well.
I jettisoned choruses, flangers, phasers etc. long ago, but I'll hold off on talking about that as don't need another pedal feud.
No effects here either. Well, ok, 1 month ago I bought a Big Muff to better cover some Black Keys stuff we were doing, but I'm not crazy about it and don't see me using it much longer. Don't like what it takes away from my tone...
Have a green Russian BigMuff Pi a Morley PowerWah and a Bassballs. Also a Bass pod Live . Used to fool with them at gigs but this is all I need now. Home or away
Wouldn't exactly describe it a clean though. Wonderfully warm.
Wouldn't exactly describe it a clean though. Wonderfully warm.
In a word...no, my signal is highly processed using a Helix, I worked years and spent a mint of money trying to get the sound in my head out..its now my signature tone and sounds like ME...rock on.
Until very recently, and in my current band, I would NEVER play without a compressor. Shedding, I play around with envelope filter, flanger/chorus, and occasional distortion.
Now, and for the foreseeable future, 2018 Stingray and GK212 combo. Bing, bam, boom, done.
Punch, lowend, clear without shrill and piercing, finger or pick done. Selling a DB751-yep-for certain, and maybe-maybe-a cabinet...or two.
Yet, effects do have their place and time...but NOT every single time and note. I am of the opinion that less is more.
Now, and for the foreseeable future, 2018 Stingray and GK212 combo. Bing, bam, boom, done.
Punch, lowend, clear without shrill and piercing, finger or pick done. Selling a DB751-yep-for certain, and maybe-maybe-a cabinet...or two.
Yet, effects do have their place and time...but NOT every single time and note. I am of the opinion that less is more.
Clean, 98% of the time.
While I have a few pedals to tinker with (reverb/delay is nice for solo performance, chorus, octave), the octave is the only one that comes out at a gig, and then not too often. It must be used judiciously*. I have compression on my board (a pretty good one, Keeley Bassist), and while some swear by compression, I really like to make use of the dynamics, not squash them. But, rarely, things need taming esp for DI to PA).
I know several engineers that like to use expanders, rather than compressors, on bass tracks.
The most valuable "pedal" I carry regularly is a nice High Pass Filter (FDeck HPF-Pre 3). That gives me more satisfaction in playing than any other piece of outboard gear. For me, good sounds depends a lot on the proper balance between too much boom and too thin-sounding. The HPF basically lets me dial directly to that sweet spot. I could twiddle knobs all day hoping to accomplish what the HPF does in about 20 seconds of tweak.
* totally off-topic... my seven year old is getting a knack for word-play, he said yesterday that he would "judiciously do dishes, Lee." It's fun to see them grow their brains.
While I have a few pedals to tinker with (reverb/delay is nice for solo performance, chorus, octave), the octave is the only one that comes out at a gig, and then not too often. It must be used judiciously*. I have compression on my board (a pretty good one, Keeley Bassist), and while some swear by compression, I really like to make use of the dynamics, not squash them. But, rarely, things need taming esp for DI to PA).
I know several engineers that like to use expanders, rather than compressors, on bass tracks.
The most valuable "pedal" I carry regularly is a nice High Pass Filter (FDeck HPF-Pre 3). That gives me more satisfaction in playing than any other piece of outboard gear. For me, good sounds depends a lot on the proper balance between too much boom and too thin-sounding. The HPF basically lets me dial directly to that sweet spot. I could twiddle knobs all day hoping to accomplish what the HPF does in about 20 seconds of tweak.
* totally off-topic... my seven year old is getting a knack for word-play, he said yesterday that he would "judiciously do dishes, Lee." It's fun to see them grow their brains.
The only " effect " I have used in 40 years of playing bass is a little compression. Of course, the music I play, Blues, Soul, RnB, doesn't really call for any effects. I play a supportive role in bands, so I never felt the need for effects.
Clean... no fillers... straight Alembic. I don`t consider an SF-2 an effect.
You are playing an Alembic Series Bass. What you describe was one of the first things I noticed about that preamp, when I got my first Alembic in 1976. Commanding tone. But any effect at all detracted from it. With my current Series I, I can get away with a high quality chorus (TC Electronic), and that's about it.
Part of that issue is the amplitude of the signal going into the effects. In 1976, NONE of the effects could handle the Alembic input. Modern effects, at least some of them, are more tolerant, because active basses have become more common. Still there is something about the inherent Alembic tone that just gets degraded by most effects.
Fender styled instruments, OTOH, are MUCH more friendly with effects. My Jazz Basses using the Delano JMVC pickups and Sadowsky preamp are awesome into most pedals that can handle the active signal.
Could be most bass pedals are just designed around the Fender tones and not very friendly to your Alembic, which is an awesome instrument, BTW.
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A Marshall on two Ampegs? 
I had not heard of this particular EH pedal until now, I just looked it up. Seems kinda cool. How do you use it, and what are you observations/bits of wisdom about its deployment? TIA.
In my own playing, I tend towards playing without effects. But I do use the pedals when called for by the part. Chorus for "Don't Stop Believing," Envelope Follower for the bass break in "Hey Ya." That kind of thing. Most of the time mine are off.
Here is my board.
There is a tuner, a boost, and a looper, none of which are really effects; and then Distortion, Chorus, and Envelope Follower, which spend most of their time Off. But nice to have when you want them.
Here is my board.
There is a tuner, a boost, and a looper, none of which are really effects; and then Distortion, Chorus, and Envelope Follower, which spend most of their time Off. But nice to have when you want them.
After over 3 decades without any effects last year I decided to incorporate a chorus (Boss CEB) and an OD (Ampeg Scrambler), after a few catch and release tryouts. After taking some time to figure out the proper settings I now see how these can enhance the tone.
I have a couple of pedals sitting around, each cool in its own way, but I never even pull any of them out except for the always-there tuner pedal.
Well, I do use a looper pedal as a composition tool, but that's not exclusively related to bass.
And I particularly like my Ibanez Bass Tubescreamer for its overdrive sound, but regardless, I essentially always just go: bass->tuner->amp
Well, I do use a looper pedal as a composition tool, but that's not exclusively related to bass.
And I particularly like my Ibanez Bass Tubescreamer for its overdrive sound, but regardless, I essentially always just go: bass->tuner->amp
At home I mess around with a whole pile of stuff.
When out playing, I'll bring along a tuner, a HPF, a transparent compressor, a DI, occasionally a preamp or EQ pedal, and a mild overdrive.
The HPF is left permanently in my amp's effect loop to correct an issue with that amp.
That said, most times everything else but the tuner will remain in my gig bag for the entire night.
Bottom line: Playing at home or in the studio is not the same thing as playing live. Live gigging is not the same thing as playing at home or in the studio.
Different tasks call for different tools and techniques. Pick and choose accordingly.
When out playing, I'll bring along a tuner, a HPF, a transparent compressor, a DI, occasionally a preamp or EQ pedal, and a mild overdrive.
The HPF is left permanently in my amp's effect loop to correct an issue with that amp.
That said, most times everything else but the tuner will remain in my gig bag for the entire night.
Bottom line: Playing at home or in the studio is not the same thing as playing live. Live gigging is not the same thing as playing at home or in the studio.
Different tasks call for different tools and techniques. Pick and choose accordingly.
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Expanders in the studio- only time I've had one applied to my track was in final mix; there was just a little too much hiss and noise coming off my amp (which, itself was being driven by a Big Muff while I was going to town on the bass part)!
For the most part, yeah. I'm in the process of building my pedalboard as a way to improve upon the natural sound of the bass, rather than alter it if that makes sense.
Tuner, compressor, HPF, preamp. I think it's a realistic "no effects" pedalboard.
Tuner, compressor, HPF, preamp. I think it's a realistic "no effects" pedalboard.
