Anyone playing bass clean with no effects?

[Inara]

Except in my solo set, where I use an octaver, chorus, and delay, I don't use pedals. I don't like distorted bass tones, and for the vast majority of my playing just prefer an unaffected tone, other than a bit of compression sometimes (built-in SpectraComp on my TC Electronic amps).

 

[eldorado2001]

No effects, no pedals to clutter up my life.

 

[primusfan1989]

95% of the time Im playing clean, Bass straight into the amp

 

[TrevorR]

Never played with any for many many (read nearly 25 or 30 years) but over the last 5 years have been having fun experimenting with a few to add particular textures and sounds to particular songs. No of course, in reality, 80% of the time I'm still playing clean and un-effected with the pedals switched out of the signal chain between my tuner and the Sansamp VT Bass DI that I use as an amp/ speaker sim to feed FOH. Do I need them? No, but it can be fun to have them available for a change of mood or tone.

Here's my "before" gig rig...

And "after"...

 

[Paulabass]

If the gig is going to be ALL RnB, I use a comp, and if there's gonna be some funk, I bring a filter.

 

[jamro217]

If this was in the effects forum we'd all be banned for life. I can't believe how many bassists consider compression an effect rather than part of the overall EQ setup. That's like considering a graphic equalizer or a BBE an effect. The only pedals I use with the bass are an MXR flanger, an envelope filter, and a bass phaser. These are usually at home, gigs are just bass > compressor > preamp > amp. Split channel to the DI. Haven't tried the Ric-O-Sound live. Maybe someday.

 

[arbiterusa]

Strictly clean

 

[mattj1stc]

I'm not sure if this counts as clean, but my amp has much more elaborate controls on it than the pedal I use (VT Bass). I go from bass to VT pedal to the back of my amp, bypassing all of its complicated controls. More than enough tonal options and EQ adjustments for me.

 

[Spidey2112]

I play clean, right now... slowly implementing a few pedals, to enhance what we're doing, not take it over.

 

[Chris Szatny]

I tried various pedals early in my career but haven't used any at all in the past 20 years. I love the tone I get from my gear and don't need anything else. I suppose if you play a particular type of music and are trying for a particular sound, sure, if you need a pedal to achieve that, by all means use one, or two. Maybe I'm just a purist, old school bassist. If you love what you are hearing from your gear...and it can be accomplished without pedals...keep it simple. I own 3 awesome basses and have great amps and cabs. They do the job quite well for me as is.

 

[Liam Wald]

Jazz Bass (1977 Aria Pro-II Lawsuit) into Mesa D-800 and a pair of 1x12's is the sound I prefer. I never use outboard effects.

 

[Eminor3rd]

No pedals here.

 

[Real Soon]

Depends.

In one outfit, I need a vintage overdrive for certain songs to sound the best they can, and in another, a modern overdrive + a slight bit of detuned thickness + a distinct compressor effect + octave down + fuzz + analog delay oscillation effects + a looper pedal + possibly a phaser & glitch texture effect. I like preamp tone control in both.

Most one-off gigs, though, I've shown up with a bass and an amp. The simplest tools to get a good sound and good job done.

 

[Slevage]

Me 99% of the time.
I used to use lots of effects when I played in a duo. Acoustic guitar and me on 6 string bass—- I did the "guitar " solos.

 

[Larchi]

Are you looking to start your own "No effects Club"?

 

[JACink]

This thread is like a get together of all those that aren't allowed to post in the effects forum!!

 

[KohanMike]

I play completely clean, no pedals at all. The leader of our uke group has a Fishman amp and uses reverb, but I like plain old bass only with some tone adjustment depending on the room we play.

 

[iwearpumas]

I never use effects.

 

[TDR1138]

whatever I use is always on for the full set, so it's more of a tone shaping thing than an effect. I generally play through a DI with no amp, so pedals just give me a little control.

With my G&L L-2000/L-1000, I'll use a comp with very low compression, just to smooth things out a little. With my passive P or J basses, I'll use a Beta with the drive so low that it only breaks up if I'm really plucking hard. Everything goes into a parametric EQ pedal to fine tune things and then into DI. Oh, and there's a tuner in the mix, too.

I've had fuzz, chorus, flanger, envelope filters... never found much use for them other than mild amusement at home. Maybe used the flanger on a song or two years ago, but everything has since moved on.

 

[OrganicRobot]

I Never use any pedals (other than a tuner). I want to use them. I've tried many times. I always end up with a tube amp and gain set high.