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Effect Pedals Every Bassist Should Own?

With the original $80 limit, I would save your money and buy the best you can get because you only need a few. I really just use a Muff and an envelope filter. I may just get by with the filter and my ampeg does the rest. I have a BP90 sitting in a case which was a waste of money and an RC-30 that I gigged once with, not sure I will do it again - good for practice.
 
I thought I was a victim of playing in a funk band (8 piece) without a keyboard player but after a few years I find, as long as I keep it tasteful, bass effects are very advantageous on stage.

Akai Deep Impact Synth (this thing is cool if you can find one)
EH Mini Synth (new purchase and love the moogs)
MXR Octave
Sansamp DI/Driver
Boss Bass OD
Boss Touch Wah
Boss Chorus
EBS Comp.

I tried a touch wah in a shop recently. It was in great shape and I like its sound, but was very "thin". Would've liked to run through a blender, just to see... have you tried this ?
 
Hey talkbass! I recently bought a most awesome Squier bass and I started looking at pedals today to go with it. I currently own no pedals but I've tried my girlfriends distortion pedal and liked the sound.

Sounds like the OP is just starting out, and the title says "EFFECT PEDALS"

altho a tuner is so very important, for someone getting started I have to +1 the MULTI EFFECTS PEDAL you'll get a taste of what effects you like, {and it has a tuner} you can plug it into just about anything also (headphones).
 
+1

My effects are my fingers and my monster cable.
IMHO, effects are a crutch. My opinion, feel free to disagree.

I freely disagree with you.

I am unashamed of covering up my lack of talent with copious amounts of effects use,...to the point that knob twiddling has become a talent in it's own right. That said I've invest a great deal of playing time before becoming a heavy FX user and I only make the lack of talent comment in jest. I'm pretty awesome and my effects make me more awesome (at least in my over inflated self important headspace).

Telling a noob that FX are a crutch in an FX forum is uncool. The title of the thread isn't I'm a noob and should I consider FX a crutch?

I can't endorse the use of an instrument cable from a company with shady marketing tactics and that is a known corporate bully but hey,...if you wanna overpay for some instrument cables be my guest. (anyone interested should google Blue Jeans Cable Company Strikes Back)

To the OP,...I advocate trying out some sort of MultiFX pedal. It may not have the best sounding effects available but it will save you a lot of time in figureing out what you can use and what you like. Then you can move on to single stomps.

I started out with a Compressor,...an Overdrive,...and octaver,...and envelope filter,...then moved onto Fuzzes and synths.

For more bat**** insano FX look into ring modulators,...fuzzes with voltage starves or that do some sort of crazy oscillations IE Earthbound Audio Supercollider Beast. Also sample rate reducers and bit crushers,...random arpeggio generators and delays.
 
My list of essential effects include;
1. Boss GE-20 programmable graphic equalizer pedal - nothing like having ten of your favorite EQ curves instantly available. (my all-time favorite pedal)
2. Tech-21 VT Pedal - instant tube amp warmth & grit when needed.
3. Boss CE-20 programmable chorus pedal - adds just the right amount of subtle shimmer & animation to keep the bass sounding interesting.
4. Boss noise gate pedal - for taming the single-coil hiss when I'm playing my Ric or Jazz basses, especially when using the VT pedal. (not used with any of my active basses)

While not quite under the $80 mark, most of these can be found used for good prices.
 
Tuner
Boss ODB3
Digitech Synth Wah

You can all of that used fairly cheap, and close to that $80
I got all of that for @$100


Or a zoom or digitech multi-effects

Spot on.
I like starting out with the overdrive and the wah, they are simple and useful.

The multi-effects will give you a lot of things to play with all at once and you will better be able to decide what you really want to spend good money on later.
 
totally depends on the music you play. i started with my band playing melancholic alt and prog and all i needed was a tuner and a bass big muff on dry setting but ive turned to electronica and electro and now i have synth n stuff..
id say basically you first need:
- tuner
- compressor
- EQ
then for metal you need:
-distortion
-overdrive
for rock you may want:
-overdrive
-sustainer
for alt\prog you could use:
-overdrive
-distortion
-fuzz
-delay
-sustainer
for indie:
-fuzz
-delay
-echo
-octaver
for electronica:
-synth
-fuzz
-looper
-delay
-echo
-octaver
-every effect you like :D
PS: if youre into hiphop bass id suggest buying a distortion, a synth, and maybe an octaver
 
I'd go multi-effect too. I have a Zoom B2 that gets a lot of play time in a variety of settings. Sometimes I use just the tuner and eq, sometimes I use the pre-amp models, etc.

I use it in front of amps, direct to the board with a DI box, and with headphones to just noodle around.

Best $89 I've ever spent on musical equipment.
 
+1

My effects are my fingers and my monster cable.
IMHO, effects are a crutch. My opinion, feel free to disagree.

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to the op - it's probably gonna run you a little more than $80, but pick up a Line6 M9. you'll get to try out a ton of efx in one box, and whdn you decide what you like and want to buy better single box versions off, you'll have a multi-efx that still sounds good for a surprising amount of things. and the tuner on the M series is very good.