How many Bassists use no pedals?

[MrKpawz]

I for one am surprised by the results. Thought there would be way more pedal users than no-pedal users! Interesting.

Reading through the pages, many people voted "NO" because they believe their compressor pedal, DI pedal, etc didnt count. They're still using pedals.
Same with those who use them on occasion vs regularly. TalkBass is a fun place to be

 

[BOOG]

Unless I am experimenting or recording in home studio and was wanting specific effects, I don’t find any reason to use them at home or even at our studio rehearsals. For gigs, I always bring/use my board.

Compression (DGHL) is usually on and distortion (DGVM) is often on. Depends on the song and bass being used. I have other effects (DGAO, octaver, chorus, envelope filter, looper) but rarely do I use them. Oh yeah, tuner pedal gets a lot of use

Since some thought it important, I’m in my 50’s and started playing bass in my 40’s and primarily playing covers of A LOT of genres from 1960’s-present.

 

[Jtown690]

Depends on the gig/song.
There’s some songs I use drive/fuzz on.
drive/fuzz is fun.
Some songs I use chorus on.
Chorus sounds rad.
Some gigs I use compression for increased sustain while still maintaining a defined transient.
Most church gigs are just straight into a quality DI and let FOH mess it up from there, I mean make it sound good from there.

 

[lug]

I don't typically use pedals live but many have suggested I use a Gap pedal. From what I understand, it's a pedal that removes the input jack path from the output jack. People say it would be a vast improvement to my perceived playing.

 

[Hambone70]

26810744[/URL], member: 387108"]I for one am surprised by the results. Thought there would be way more pedal users than no-pedal users! Interesting.

It’s merely speculation, but perhaps the results are skewed due to TalkBass’ elderly demographic. “Get off of my lawn, and take your dang new-fangled pedal-gizmos with you!”

 

[metron]

I use. But I could do without. My full “board” is tuner > dirt > h/lpf. The dirt is rarely on, h/lpf is nice but entirely optional and I can tune without a tuner. With it is easier though!

 

[BaltBass5]

I’ve been playing bass for 30 years now and I’ve never played a gig without using pedals.

 

[MobileHolmes]

I own probably 30 pedals (I play some guitar too) and currently, when I gig, I play with zero pedals because the music I'm doing doesn't call for them. I don't have any objection to them, it's just not every job needs every tool.

Honestly, even for guitar, I don't use many any more. Tuner, Dirt (with my amp with the lame lead channel), wah, maybe chorus. Most gigs, I bring my amp that has a good sounding lead channel with a boost, and just plug straight in

 

[Jeff Hughes]

This thread is always very funny to me. Do you think if forums existed in the 1950s there would be upright bassists saying, "why do people use electric basses?"

It is also funny when people say, "I don't use any pedals...except these pedals of course." A picture to justify a nano pedal board is always icing on the cake.

I think the music you play determines the paint brushes or colors you need in your paint box..

 

[Jay2U]

I'm a pedal user.
99% of the time I have some kind off compression going on.
Most of the time I use some overdrive.
Sometimes I use some form of equalizing.

 

[bigdaddybass12]

I have a full time pro bass player friend, plays a large variety of basses, from Fodera to a Squier, he is really good, always sounds good, plays normal amps, GK combo, etc, no pedal,

 

[Ductapeman]

I've been playing for quite a while now, and until relatively recently the only pedals I used were a Boss tuner and (often but not always) a ten-band MSR EQ in the patch loop of my Gallien Kruegers. (ETA: A Y2K Fender Jazz V to the tuner and into the GK-- that's the loop.) Then a couple years back someone gave me an octave divider, and I find it lets me use my four-strings (of which I may have collected one or two) reach the same depths as my five-strings. It's really fun with the Epiphone JCS bass, just rattles your whole rib cage. Then I figured more is better, right, and spent a wad on more pedals and a board to put them on-- looks super cool and the grandkids are way impressed, but I never use it, probably because I haven't put the time in grade to figure out what most of it actually does . . . made it quack like a duck once, hugely funny, but of course now I can't find the patch back--

 

[scuzzy]

only pedals, no amp now-a-days.

 

[Thebiggestjerk]

Tuner > compresser > flanger

I'd take the flanger away if we got a second guitar player.

See I don’t look at compressors, or overdrive pedals as “effects pedals”… they’re the salt and pepper of condiments. It’s as if they’re demanded to be in the table for use in every meal unlike a ketchup or a mustard.

 

[micahwc]

I didn’t for 20 years. Then I started and got a small board with 4 pedals. Then I sold all those and bought a Helix, so technically I’m down to 1.

 

[ThinCrappyTone2]

Reading through the pages, many people voted "NO" because they believe their compressor pedal, DI pedal, etc didnt count. They're still using pedals.
Same with those who use them on occasion vs regularly. TalkBass is a fun place to be

ah, that makes more sense of the numbers

 

[Sascha Erni]

8 out of 10 gigs are ampless for me, so, yeah, I use pedals. Mostly to make the DI sound like there was an amp onstage and miked for FOH.

If I played more gigs through my amp, I'd probably be good with my wireless/tuner plus a booster. But as is, well, I need a preamp, comp, filter, DI, and dirt option (instead of a booster) at hand.

Started playing Bass in the early to mid 90s, mostly Metal back then, playing more classic rock nowadays, and listen mostly to Doom/Stoner, or contemporary experimental.

 

[pepj]

I messed around with an ME50B but gave it back pdq.
Bought a GT10 B iirc ..sold it.
Gimmicky but unusable for my needs.

I have a boss tuner for pre tuning but unplug it during the set.

 

[HolmeBass]

I grew up in the 70’s and love pedals. I bring some to every gig, especially now that I am using an always on Cali 76 CB comp pedal as part of my gain staging.

If I am playing with actual acoustic instruments, un-amplified, only then will I eschew pedals in my tiny rig.

 

[TeaTime]

I've got three different setups, depending on the gig. Started using pedals back in the 90's when would play trio+vocalist as guitar/bass/drum or sax/flute/bass. Opened up a lot of character options.

Soloing and/or leads to be done. Obviously not all of these are to be used at the same time:
Wireless (G30) --> Tuner (Boss TU3) --> Compressor (MRX M87) --> Chorus (Walrus) --> Harmonizer (quintessence right now) --> delay (Carbon Copy) --> Preamp/DI (Hartke VXL) --> Output

Set-and-forget:
Wireless (G30) --> Tuner (Boss TU3) --> Compressor (MRX M87) --> Soul Food --> SansAmp --> Output

Quick:
Flyrig -- Output