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Do I really need to use pedals ... and if so, which one(s)?

R

Ralph124C41

Sep 20, 2012
517
452
#1
Hello,

This is a strange question I guess but here is my situation. As I wrote in another post I'm in my 70s and hadn't gigged in nine years but was asked to fill in for a local band through the summer. I've played five gigs and have eight more and then the season is done. I don't know what will happen after that but I doubt I will play bass again, at least not for pay.

We play typical songs but nothing really past hard rock ... and even the softer side of that. We've play mostly at RV places and restaurants, so mostly outside or under a pavilion. There is one more bar on our gig schedule and I don't know much about it except that it in an upscale section of a resort town.

So far I've been getting by basically no pedals except for a tuner. I've also used some of the bass presets on my Sonicake Matrix (version 1) which I sort of like ... but at a recent gig it just didn't seem to want to work.

I've been using an old Fender Bassman 150 that has a four-dial EQ settings for mids ... which I still haven't figured out very well. It also has a built-in compressor (which I understand is pretty tame) and a contour switch and other controls. I've switched over to an Ibanez TMB100 which has those active bass and treble EQs controls so it does have a lot of diverse settings.

Finally my question: Do I really need to buy a pedal of some sort ... especially because in all likelihood it will be an expense for an item I will use for our eight gigs and then never use again. Of course I can sell it but I doubt I'd ever use it again. Nobody in the band has complained about my spartan setup ... but I sort of would like to "go out with a bang" in my last gigs. Our next gig is the band's most important ... in about 10 days at the county fair.

I don't really use effects on bass. When I started playing in the mid-1960s nobody seemed to use pedals. It was just the player, his or her bass, and an amp. And' I've tried to follow that minimalist approach to my gigs in the ensuing decades.

But if I WERE to add a pedal .... what would you folks recommend? I'm thinking maybe something with some presets and there really is no single effect I want to try.
 
#3
If you want to, use what you want and what sounds good to you and in the song.

Budget will dictate what multi-effect may work for you, but look at used Zoom and Line6 HX line units. It will be more than you would need and they should be easy enough to move along when you're done.
 
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#6
If you're happy with where you are at with sound, and if it fits with what you're playing, then you don't really need any pedals. But if you're curious, an overdrive is always a nice thing to add to your signal chain. But it's a personal taste thing. Maybe take a trip to your local music store and try a few pedals you never tried? Maybe you can find something you like!
 
#7
I would hesitate to recommend a multi-effects unit because the presets are not always that great and might require tweeking that you may not have time for. Some few recommendations below that aren't out of sight price wise.

A Programmable Sansamp BDDI. Sure there is programming here, but it does not take long. Just set up the EQ and drive like you like it, then save it to a footswitch. Then do the same with two other footswitches and you have three separate tones you can swap between. It can really liven up and beef up your sound.

For some real bang for your buck is a EHX Battalion. Good useable preamp EQ, nice drive section with separate footswitch, and a really decent onboard compressor. Also has a noise gate, but it is really not needed if you aren't playing really high gain stuff. This one gives you two options for tones, clean and driven, unless you want to mess with the EQ during the show, then you could have more.

I think overdrive is a really good choice if not these others. You can utilize an overdrive on all types of music, not just hard rock and metal. An overdrive with additional EQ would be a good bet. Myself, I'd go with a Darkglass Vintage Microtubes or Vintage Deluxe. Other good ones are the EHX Nano Battalion, Billy Sheehan Signature, Sansamp YYZ, and many many more.

For a super duper bang for your buck, there is the Joyo American Sound. The pedal punches way above its price point and has a nice drive sound if you want it.

If price is no issue, there are lots of cool options out there like the Origin Effects Bassrigs, Jad Freer Capo, Noble, various Sushibox preamps, etc.
 
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#8
My mindset with pedals is that they’re there to solve a problem by providing desired additional tone shaping options that aren’t otherwise in the signal chain. IME as someone who plays in a lot of different venues, the benefits of additional tones come with the challenge of dialing them all in for each new acoustic environment. Are you hearing a particular tone in your head that you can’t get from your current setup, i.e. an overdriven bass tone in some of the harder rock songs your band is playing? An OD like a Vintage Microtubes might make a nice contrast to the clean tone coming from your amp. OTOH, in a lot of situations I think it’s important not to underestimate the value of a solid tone that supports the overall mix. I generally just plug straight into my amp these days and prefer the simplicity.
 
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#12
Ralph124C41 said:
Hello,

This is a strange question I guess but here is my situation. As I wrote in another post I'm in my 70s and hadn't gigged in nine years but was asked to fill in for a local band through the summer. I've played five gigs and have eight more and then the season is done. I don't know what will happen after that but I doubt I will play bass again, at least not for pay.

We play typical songs but nothing really past hard rock ... and even the softer side of that. We've play mostly at RV places and restaurants, so mostly outside or under a pavilion. There is one more bar on our gig schedule and I don't know much about it except that it in an upscale section of a resort town.

So far I've been getting by basically no pedals except for a tuner. I've also used some of the bass presets on my Sonicake Matrix (version 1) which I sort of like ... but at a recent gig it just didn't seem to want to work.

I've been using an old Fender Bassman 150 that has a four-dial EQ settings for mids ... which I still haven't figured out very well. It also has a built-in compressor (which I understand is pretty tame) and a contour switch and other controls. I've switched over to an Ibanez TMB100 which has those active bass and treble EQs controls so it does have a lot of diverse settings.

Finally my question: Do I really need to buy a pedal of some sort ... especially because in all likelihood it will be an expense for an item I will use for our eight gigs and then never use again. Of course I can sell it but I doubt I'd ever use it again. Nobody in the band has complained about my spartan setup ... but I sort of would like to "go out with a bang" in my last gigs. Our next gig is the band's most important ... in about 10 days at the county fair.

I don't really use effects on bass. When I started playing in the mid-1960s nobody seemed to use pedals. It was just the player, his or her bass, and an amp. And' I've tried to follow that minimalist approach to my gigs in the ensuing decades.

But if I WERE to add a pedal .... what would you folks recommend? I'm thinking maybe something with some presets and there really is no single effect I want to try.
Click to expand...
You've already been using a pre pedal/di

I'd go for a good one of those, and call it a day. What I like about a pre pedal di, is you run out of that to the board, and then adjust your amp for you. Absolutely nothing changes on the board, but you can get your amp however you need it.
 
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#14
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#15
You might like an EQ or compressor. I like having a graphic EQ pedal when I gig so I can “fix” my tone if I hear something I don’t like. Usually it’s just a tiny boost or cut on one or two frequencies, but it can make a big difference!
 
#16
Playing bass in your situation with no effects is perfectly fine. I would only suggest getting into effects if that is something that interests you and perhaps keeps your playing interesting. There are a number of multi effects that do have presets but those are generally for demonstration purposes so you really need to learn to make modifications for your needs. Some will have an auxiliary input to play along with songs through an amp or headphones. Take a look at this for example Zoom B1 it has a tuner, aux input, plenty of amp sims and nearly any effect you might need. There is a drum loop to use for practice too.
 
#17
I was a full time pro bassist for about 18 years. The only pedal I ever remember using live was a tuner. I ran a 31-band graphic EQ in the effects loop of one rig. The EQ was switched into the circuit when I played upright bass. It was switched out when I played bass guitar.


I typically dial in a clean sound and I don't like using compression on stage. I do however think the audio tech should compress my sound as appropriate for the mix. The audio techs processing doesn't effect what I hear on stage.


The only time I would consider an effects pedal needed is if the original bass line has some sort of effect; for example OD, Octave, Envelope Filter, Phaser, Flanger, Chorus, etc.

I can imagine situations where I would find a compressor useful. For example if I needed more sustain. A compressor could also be useful for slap or possible certain pick tones.

If you are having trouble getting a good sound out of your amp, an EQ could be helpful. However, if you don't understand or enjoy tweaking EQ, you will probably hate it. Probably a better solution is to buy a bass rig you actually like.
 
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#19
I love effects, and at this point prefer individual pedals. This has been an expensive endeavor that has involved a bit of a learning curve. However, this weekend, I had the privilege to play a set with a classic SVT 810 cranked way up for the first time. And I promptly forgot about all my pedal board.
 
#20
I would agree with others here in that you are happy with your sound, and as such don't need any effects pedals.

However, I would pick up a DI pedal for use as a backup in case you lose your amp and need to go direct to the house. Any of the Sansamp DIs would be great. They have tone shaping and light cab emulation circuitry.

When I got back into bass a few months back, and started over with gear, my first purchase was a used Sansamp Bass Driver DI (version 1) I found on Craigslist for $100!
 
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