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How many Bassists use no pedals?

Do you use bass pedals?

  • Yes:

    Votes: 443 47.3%

  • No:

    Votes: 494 52.7%
  • Total voters
    937
#324
Nope. Nada. A Zoom B1 cured me of any desire to use effects. It's sitting in a spare parts box, somewhere. Hasn't been out for years. I do have a Limiter/Enhancer pedal, to smooth out levels in rooms with odd acoustics. Rarely need to use it. As for actual effects... I don't have a need for them. The only "pedal" I use is my Ibanez Big Mini tuner pedal.
 
#327
My default is to use no pedals (also true for guitar for me) but if the BL is looking for a very specific thing that a pedal will provide I’ll happily use it. It’s been almost 10 years since that’s happened.

That said, I’ve been intrigued by preamps recently so my no-pedal policy might be softening. I used a Sansamp BDDI in the studio recently and kinda liked it and I’ve been considering a parametric EQ pedal for use with my passive fretless basses.
 
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#328
This thread is back so here's the latest iteration. I guess some would still consider the first two pedals as not pedals, which is silly.

5ddf1e0c37333f94676b913e69aa27b4b5b98114.jpg
 
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#330
All my gigs are ampless. My pedalboard is my "amp" - it's how I dial in a few good sounds to send to FOH. Bass guitar is an electric instrument. Unless you only have an amp without tone controls and a perfectly flat speaker cabinet, electrical modification of your signal is part of the art form. Whether that happens in a box behind you or in a few boxes in front of you is just details - neither form factor is better or worse, it's just what works for you.
 
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#331
micguy said:
Bass guitar is an electric instrument. Unless you only have an amp without tone controls and a perfectly flat speaker cabinet, electrical modification of your signal is part of the art form. Whether that happens in a box behind you or in a few boxes in front of you is just details - neither form factor is better or worse, it's just what works for you.
Click to expand...
nice take.
 
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#332
IMG_20240521_084959463_HDR.jpg

With or without an amp...that HX One & the Deputy 1 Controller allow for 8 different colors and Tuner to use if you play music that calls for it. As Warren Haynes has said recently - "Bass has moved to the point of sterility. I'm glad to hear some hair coming back into the Bass across the board!"
 
#333
When I first started out I used no pedals. But, we only had FOH for vocals. Once I got in bands with us running FOH and a monitoring backline, I got some pedals.
Honestly I would love to just run amp/cabs but some of the bandmates cry about stage volume and you have to respect that. But, I’d keep my pedals as they sound great through the amp/cabs. :D
 
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#335
Church-Bass said:
Resurrecting a relatively old thread - middle aged guy here, started playing in late 80s/ early 90s, don't use pedals when playing live, I do have a few at home for mucking around with. So I belong in the no-pedal camp. I think because of my age.
Click to expand...
Well, I don’t think it has anything to do with age: I started playing in ‘88 and for 30 years avoided effects. But about 5 years ago, I caught the bug and haven’t looked back. I still play in one band that I play just “bass to cable to amp”, but even in that case, I still use my amp’s compressor and my preamp is in my gig bag, just in case.

And, honestly, the days are numbered even in that band before I start carrying at least an overdrive pedal.
 
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#336
Church-Bass said:
Resurrecting a relatively old thread - middle aged guy here, started playing in late 80s/ early 90s, don't use pedals when playing live, I do have a few at home for mucking around with. So I belong in the no-pedal camp. I think because of my age.
Click to expand...
Well, I started playing bass at 50 and immediately used pedals. But then again I also immediately, right out of the gate, started playing fretless, so I'm weird, haha.
 
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#337
When I started to gig in the 70s after a while I had an MXR M 117 flanged and an MXR MX 120 envelope filter and would use the rhythm guitarist MXR phase 100.

Still have the flanger and envelope filter and got a phase 100. I use them around the house. I bought a Zoom B1on a few years back and use that if I want effects.

But most of the time its just bass straight into the amp.
 
#338
I have a pedal board but no one would notice what it does. Compressor smoothes things out a bit, overdrive can blend in some subtle harmonics, tube DI, HPF. No eq. The HPF can make a big difference once in a while. I don't need noticeable effects though. It's like a little salt on your meal.

I'm the opposite of some. Rarely use it at home. Pretty much gig only.
 
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#340
i have pedals but i generally use those for messing with at home.
at rehearsal or live, i'm using a HPF and tuner pedal. if i'm using the D800+, then the HPF pedal stays in the bag. my current gig is an acoustic 90s cover project. i'm on my Gretsch hollow body electric, the singer is on an acoustic. the clean, no pedal sound is what i'm after. and the Gretsch delivers.

kgb
 

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