Ric5
Inactive
- Jan 29, 2008
- 29,772
- 30,452
- Disclosures
- I like 5, 8, 10, and 12 string basses
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Do you need FX pedals for rock?
- Thread starter Mr.Ace
- Start date
Do you NEED pedals? No, I suppose they aren't necessary. But, I find a nice overdrive and maybe a fuzz come in handy for rock. Delays, Octavers, and Chorus can add some fun sounds to your toolbox as well, though they are more of a "special treat" than a regular use kind of item (but some bands use them more frequently).
No you don't need to but it's always nice to have. I play in a 90s-early 2000s cover band and we play stuff from the Chili Peppers, Killers, Smashing Pumpkins, Rage Against the Machine, Weezer, STP, Sublime, and many many more. I play a P bass through an Ampeg SVT-7Pro and I'd be fine without any pedals. However, I do use a compression pedal that's always on and a Sansamp BDDI that's mostly on. If I want more dirt I'll turn up the drive knob on the BDDI. I am looking into a delay pedal since we will be covering No Shelter by Rage but that will be the only time I'll use that pedal.
I could play all the songs in our set without any pedals at all. Wouldn't make a big difference so it just depends on what you want to hear coming out of your cab.
I could play all the songs in our set without any pedals at all. Wouldn't make a big difference so it just depends on what you want to hear coming out of your cab.
A tuner, lol.
I always suggest this, and will for a loong time to come. Get a Zoom MS-60B, use it for a tuner at least. If you find a song you need a little something more, then it's probably there. I use the limiter as my always on effect with my main board. I have two, so I another one I can use for everything.
I always suggest this, and will for a loong time to come. Get a Zoom MS-60B, use it for a tuner at least. If you find a song you need a little something more, then it's probably there. I use the limiter as my always on effect with my main board. I have two, so I another one I can use for everything.
Three years of gigging and recording with my metal band, probably a dozen pedals, and in the end I came back to my jazz bass thru my GK.
For that list, I would definitely want some overdrive myself. As others have said, "need" isn't usually the word for it. And you may be able to get the grit just pushing your amp. A little will go a long way, you don't want to disappear into the fuzz if the guitarist has a very dirty tone. But I think I wouldn't limit myself to just a clean tone on songs like My Own Worst Enemy, Machine Head and Paralyzer.
If you listen to many isolated bass tracks that sound clean on the track, you may be surprised to hear quite a bit of OD and distortion.
As he should be wary of anyone who tells him he doesn't "need" effects: They are the one who don't "need" them."
There's nothing wrong with needing them or not needing them. It's the judgmental attitude that causes all the problems. I don't get people that think they can decide what someone else needs.
I am pretty sure that I've never specifically told anyone what they should or shouldn't need as far as bass rigs go. I think effects are awesome, they have just never fit into my whole deal.
That was my only point.
I play in a 90's rock/punk cover band. Basically, you can get buy with just your amp and no pedals. But definitely look into adding an Overdrive pedal just to get some grind and depending on the bands and songs you might need a fuzz. But you should be ok with just an Overdrive. Stuff like chorus, delay, filter is very song specific and I haven't played anything yet that would need something like that.
Definitely ask before you walk into a music store. In the Madison, TN Sam Ash the bass room has maybe 300 pedals on display. You don't want to move in and stay a few days to try them all out. Most mentioned are fine, though I never heard my reverb in a live setting - only in a practice room. Chorus can really add to a bass if you have a lead line at times. Fuzz yes, but don't overdo it. A little goes a long way. My most used is probably the Chorus. Be sure to try a bass chorus not a guitar chorus. The bass one usually cuts out around 200 hz or so as it doesn't sound good lower than that. Good luck.
Fat Steve
The poodle bites, the poodle chews it.
I would suggest a drive pedal. The Joyo American Sound is a great way to get an array of driven tones for about $35.
Then yes. Especially with a guitarist that has effects. Sometimes you will need to add an octave or two up to play a clean rhythm guitar part to keep the song musical if he gets too into the effects. solos, time & key changes, etc.
You will want to have the option of a chorus, tape delay. At least I would in that situation.
You should have a compressor in this situation. Just like your EQ you can't really play live without it.
You may be able to rely on the amp for any dirt you want, or not have any dirt in your sound. Both are acceptable, but a dirt pedal also gives you the option to turn it on and off quickly without going to the amp settings. If you rely on your amp for dirt you are adjusting at least two knobs usually to keep unity volume and reduce the dirt.
So both Bush songs, you should try playing with a kind of spitty, uneven fuzz. You may not like it but that's generally how they are played. I'd say Nirvana's Breed that wouldn't be a bad choice for it either. You may not like it for the whole song, only certain phrases. Generally Bush songs sound better with distorted bass of some kind. I've seen them play Machinehead live with just Gavin and an acoustic guitar. So there's that.
Sugar give it a try with a bass chorus. You might hate it. But for a 3 piece playing it you are going to lose some of the sound the rhythm guitar would add without either chorus, octave, or both. Personally I'd go with both.
Both Van Halen songs don't need any but wouldn't hurt if you added something. Try a flange (one of the cornerstones of the EVH guitar sound, may or may not compliment how your guitarist plays them) or phase, and as well some chorus, delay or both can add some dimension to both songs that otherwise are very treble/guitar heavy.
Here's what you should do if you are going to get some pedals. Look at Joyo, see what I describe above and what others suggest, and decide what's worth the money to you. If you like whatever you get from them, either keep it or get a nicer version of that effect. You can always turn off and/or keep off some effect that doesn't sound right in the room or in the song.
Get a good compressor pedal in front of a sansamp ideal into a good muscular power section. Can't go wrong there. Fwiw the keeley bassist compressor is the best I've ever played through.
- Sep 8, 2015
- 1,120
- 1,050
- 49
- Disclosures
- Endorsed by Fusion ( maker of killer gig bags)
My analogy towards my gear in comparison to a painter
my bass is my brush
my amp is my canvas
my pedals are my paints
Do i need a brush made of nordic unicorn hair to draw a picture? No
Do i need a Canvas made of paper taken from 100 years old tree? No
Do i need to have 200 colours before i can draw a picture? No
Do i need to buy a 62 precision before i can start playing rock? NO
Do i need to have an 810 and a SVT to play rock? NO
Do i need pedals to play rock? No
BUT i want to have the colour options that i can use when i am drawing, if a guy prefer to draw in monochromatic colour vs me who prefer to draw in 100 of colours who am i or you to say that one drawing is less of an art compared to the other.
The same things with pedals, i love to have pedals just to have varieties in my tone. The tone that i hear in my head need pedals and i know what pedals to achieve those tones. For those that dont need, good for you but if OP have a tone in his head that he wants to achieve who are you to judge that a pedal cant help what he is trying to do.
my bass is my brush
my amp is my canvas
my pedals are my paints
Do i need a brush made of nordic unicorn hair to draw a picture? No
Do i need a Canvas made of paper taken from 100 years old tree? No
Do i need to have 200 colours before i can draw a picture? No
Do i need to buy a 62 precision before i can start playing rock? NO
Do i need to have an 810 and a SVT to play rock? NO
Do i need pedals to play rock? No
BUT i want to have the colour options that i can use when i am drawing, if a guy prefer to draw in monochromatic colour vs me who prefer to draw in 100 of colours who am i or you to say that one drawing is less of an art compared to the other.
The same things with pedals, i love to have pedals just to have varieties in my tone. The tone that i hear in my head need pedals and i know what pedals to achieve those tones. For those that dont need, good for you but if OP have a tone in his head that he wants to achieve who are you to judge that a pedal cant help what he is trying to do.
