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Ever Gigged without effects?

#102
Wow... I'm realizing how much I've changed over the years.

In the beginning I was a Bass > Cable > Amp sort of guy. Slowly over the years the effects have come into play. It all started with a BDDI and has blossomed into... well look at my signature line.

Anymore, with the quality of DI/Preamps that are available, and the fact that I mostly use IEM, I play more with effects and WITHOUT an amp, than I do the other way around
 
#103
I've never gigged with effects. If you can't get a good sound without effects just coloring the sound with effects isn't going to help IMO. I'm an old guy and have never used anything that wasn't on the amp to begin with. My guitar amps may have had reverb and tremolo, but that was it. My bass amps only have a gain and master. My bass amps have a preamp tube bypass and that's it. I usually just run with the preamp tube engaged and adjust the gain and master for either a clean or gritty sound. Leave the effects to the guitar players.
 
#104
I play all the time without effects. I have nothing to hide LOL!!!! Seriously though I would love to have a very nice envelope filter and one of those old school MUTRONS and a phaser pedal. I own a chorus pedal and octave pedal but hardly ever take them with me on a gig. I would love to play Larry Grahams 'The Jam' out one day but would need effects to pull it off.
 
#105
My take on effects is - does it fit? Then use it. I start with a great tone from my Ric and 400+ and use effects to add to the sound, yet never really rely on as a crutch. With the style of hard rock that my band plays, dirty bass fits really well. I run clean (save for compressor) on 3/10 songs, but the rest all have varying levels of dirt (from light overdrive to "OMFG LOOK AT THAT GIGANTIC WALL OF FUZZ") with occasional octave down for emphasis. It is always song dependent and I don't think that you can put a blanket yes or no on it. I'm also of the mindset that any gain alteration is an effect (like driving tubes harder for more grit)
 
#106
jwr said:
Is this a troll thread?
Click to expand...

Lol, first thing that pops into my head when seeing these threads. I have to double check if I'm in the effects forum due to the nature of all the replies!

A Strohman said:
One thing this thread has shown is that there are a lot of guys who don't use effects reading the Effects forum. I don't know what that means, I just find it interesting.

As for effects, I used to play gigs without them but not anymore. What I consider *my* sound is created mostly with my board. The reason for that is that I'm not always playing through my amp at gigs. Often there is a backline provided so I wanted to set something up that I could plug into just about any rig and still get *my* sound or something close to my sound. Besides, my board has more than just "effects." I absolutely need my volume pedal, my tuner, my micro thumpinator and my DI. Having all those things on my board (along with my dirt and reverb - which I don't always use) just makes things easy. YMMV.
Click to expand...

this, +1 and all that good stuff!
 
#108
Usually no effects.
My sound comes from me and my bass; if a provided backline is really bad, I might bring a head.
If I use a SS amp that doesn't have a compressor and the gig calls for it, I'll bring one.
Occasionaly use a flanger for 1 or 2 songs if the material can benefit.
 
#109
hsech said:
I've never gigged with effects. If you can't get a good sound without effects just coloring the sound with effects isn't going to help IMO. I'm an old guy and have never used anything that wasn't on the amp to begin with. My guitar amps may have had reverb and tremolo, but that was it. My bass amps only have a gain and master. My bass amps have a preamp tube bypass and that's it. I usually just run with the preamp tube engaged and adjust the gain and master for either a clean or gritty sound. Leave the effects to the guitar players.
Click to expand...

Why do people insist that effects users use effects to cover a bad amp sound?
 
#111
Ric5 said:
Here's some effects I am thinking of getting ...

talent-boost.jpg
talent-sim.jpg
Click to expand...

I have never used effects in any situation. Gig or otherwise. But I'd like to have one of these goodies in the gig bag "just in case". :p
 
#113
skulletwhip said:
Why do people insist that effects users use effects to cover a bad amp sound?
Click to expand...

+1 - that always annoys me.

I always liked this quote by The Edge, it's exactly how I feel about effects:

"The biggest difference between me and other players is that I don't use effects to color my parts. I create guitar parts using effects. They're a crucial element of what I do so I don't consider them a crutch... They're a part of the art."
 
#114
I'm 60, I gig every weekend, 4 hour bar gigs.

Are they necessary, probably not. However I came up in the era where we had nothing. I have by pedal train looped in at every gig.I use compression ( just a touch) and over drive when I need it.

I think for me it's a lot about the look too.

blue
 
#117
jwr said:
Is this a troll thread?
Click to expand...
Even though the OP probably didn't intend it, I think these types of threads should be considered trolling, since (I'm pretty sure at least) it's considered trolling to start a thread asking if people think 6+ strings are necessary, etc.

It tends to be the kind of thread where people aren't interested in eachother's opinions and just want to state their own.

That being said I'm being a hypocrite (case in point) because I only read the last page. If the previous pages are filled with people converting from non-effects-users to effects-users and vice versa I stand corrected.
 
#118
Blanket statements like these take the cake:

"Effect aren't necessary" I would argue that totally depends on the type of music & format of the band. Some types of music & band configurations require effects on bass.

"back in the 80's and 90's, we relied on the instruments and the players to make the sound. Not many bassists used a lot if any effects"

I played in the 80's & 90's & practically every bass player I ever ran into had at lease a chorus pedal. In fact chorus on bass was prob the overused effect in the 80's & 90's.

I used effects on bass in the 80's & 90's a lot. most of the time Distortion, Flanger & of course the overused Chorus.

My favorite comments by far are the ones "I've play 1000 years & never used effects"
I'm paraphrasing obviously but just because you've played a long time means absolutely nothing in this context.

I've played 30 years plus myself so that must mean I know everything.
 
#119
phillybass101 said:
I play all the time without effects. I have nothing to hide LOL!!!! Seriously though I would love to have a very nice envelope filter and one of those old school MUTRONS and a phaser pedal. I own a chorus pedal and octave pedal but hardly ever take them with me on a gig. I would love to play Larry Grahams 'The Jam' out one day but would need effects to pull it off.
Click to expand...

The 3Leaf Proton really captures the vintage MuTron III vibe in my opinion, in a much safer and easier to deploy package.

For "The Jam" you'd need some fuzz, right? I'd say a TAFM.
 
#120
I play through a board with four varieties of dirt, two filters, a phaser, tremolo and an octave pedal... all plugged into a great sounding tube amp. I play with no effects at all about 40% of the time, some type of low gain dirt about about 40% of the time, with the remaining 20% of time using some filter, octave, fuzz or phaser, or some combo. So, I guess I use effects at low levels or sparingly... but it helps to have a killer bass tone to begin with.

I no longer think a tuner is the most important pedal now that I've switched to clip-on headstock tuners.
 

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