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Does anybody just plug and play anymore?

#141
I went through the effects things in my younger playing years. I ultimately decided that there weren't any effects units that didn't degrade my tone. So, I haven't used effects for many years. I just want the tone and go for whatever effects I need with my hands. Which is probably limiting; but, I'm OK with that. No slight whatsoever on those using effects. Go for it.

Nope, for me, it is all about a really solid amp and speaker cab that lays out the best tone I can get. I do have a Sadowsky preamp in my main gigging basses. Maybe that counts; I don't know.
 
#142
Most always. I'm a 'set it and forget it' type- too much other stuff to worry about to be futzin' around on a gig. Eliminate the variables and there's less to possibly go wrong. (Tuners don't count)

The exception was very recently when I used my BDDI in the effects loop for a NOLA band I was in. Class D head needed a little grit for my tone to get closer to vintage-y goodness.
 
#143
I have been plug and play since I stated in the late 60's. I have no judgement on what other people use but I'm just too lazy to fool with anything between my bass and my amp and don't really need it for what I'm playing. Anyone who likes effects I'm happy for you that it works for you and that you don't mind the inconvenience of setting it up. Everyone is different and nobody is right or wrong in what they do.
 
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#145
Most of the time yes! I like the pedal tuner, so a pedal board with a power supply was a good move. Seemed professional and appropriate to have at least a few tools on it, even if they are bypassed 90% of the time. I have an EQ pedal, and a whammy that i use very sporadically. EQ for certain rooms if im fighting for a good pick tone. whammy for single notes in songs.

Mainly because i like to follow murphys law. the more components, the bigger the chance in my experience. Ive also got 2 pedals out for repair that im excited to get back. Barber Tone Press - optical compressor, and ZVEX Woolly Mammoth - ridiculous fuzz. Ive been listening to a lot of eagles of death metal and queens of the stone age recently...and fuzz is my next step in tonal goodness. The B15 takes care of the overdrive easily...

cheers!
 
#146
Never used a pedal on stage, studio or even rehearsal. Have plugged into many over the years, and unplugged them as fast as possible. Good bass into good tube amp equals great bass tone; any pedal can only detract from that sound. Maybe, maybe, in the studio, the recording engineer will add some compression to make the track fit better in the mix. But the sound comes from the bass, the amp, and me. If I need something more aggressive, with a bit of grind, I turn up a bit and dig in a bit harder. On the rare occasions I find myself playing harder rock stuff, I might consider turning the tone control on my P-bass up a bit (its normally full off). 98% of the time I want my bass to sound like a 1965 soul record (Stax, Motown, etc.) A pedal would only get in the way.
 
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#148
The only thing between my bass and my amp is my wireless so I don't get tangled in cords anymore as I move around. So far, no need for anything else, just plug and play. Actually, I will mess with the EQ to adjust for the room we are playing in, but that's all in the amp.
 
#150
this is the only way I play and I am sometimes amazed when I see these million effects pedals and gizmos and wonder to myself how the bands that I am in are able to keep bars packed and people dancing without the bass having all these supernatural sonic powers. :bassist:
 
#152
Well I heard effects processing was invented by Nazi scientists to destroy America, so I've generally avoided them. I did have little GK amp years ago that had a built in compressor, I'm guessing manufactured in Germany, but that's the closest I got to them.

That's what I tell my self to justify my laziness anyway. I plug the head to my speaker cabinet, another plug from my bass to the head and that's just enough damn plugging in for anyone. I'm usually exhausted and need a beer after setting up, and that's all before we even play the first set!
 
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#156
username1 said:
I have been plug and play since I stated in the late 60's. I have no judgement on what other people use but I'm just too lazy to fool with anything between my bass and my amp and don't really need it for what I'm playing. Anyone who likes effects I'm happy for you that it works for you and that you don't mind the inconvenience of setting it up. Everyone is different and nobody is right or wrong in what they do.
Click to expand...

Sorry, you're wrong.





Just kidding.


.
 
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#158
Almost always plug and play for me. But, sometimes, if I am feeling energetic, I use a POG-3 ovctaver and harmonix device that sounds rather like an organ, to create a different vocicing for solos etc in a little instrumental 3-4 piece blues/jazz thing I do; and a little octave on the fretless can be nice too. But, generally too lazy to do that every gig, when 98% of the time the sound I want doesn't require fanciful stuff.
 
#160
I'm a simple plug and play bassist, I'd rather play than spend time twiddling knobs. Besides, what's heard onstage is usually a lot different than what's being heard in the mains.

What I do when there is FOH support, is to turn down the amp so I can hear the FOH mix and really get into the music.
 

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