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How many of us use no effects?

#41
Edinburgh_Bass said:
Why do opinions like this never surprise me? FX don't exist to cover up some underlying failure in ability. Sure, for a few folk, maybe that's how they use them... but on the whole they offer a new spectrum of sound and creativity. I run a large pedal board, but am very concious of what works, and when. A lot of the time it's a very clean signal.

Just my 2 cents, but I would argue that (in the right hands) effects are another tool for people who don't just excel at bass - but also with their wider understanding of music.

Either way, it's a personal preference - but I do roll my eyes whenever I hear a player proudly proclaiming how "pure" their setup is.
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agreed,

14 yr old opinions be dammed, a large pedal board under the feet of the right player unleashes amazing things.
 
#42
Lotsa really touchy folks here. I don't use effects, but might consider a good chorus for my fretless. I've been digging Larry Klein's tone on some of the post-pastorious Joni Mitchell stuff.

The "real bass players don't need effects" attitude gets old, but I can see how you could get that way after looking at so many 16 year olds with Fender rumble combo amps and huge pedal boards. It kind of makes me wonder how you can ever perfect your tone if you never learn what fingers can or can't do?

I'm on a personal quest to get the polar opposite of nasel tone that everyone that grew up post Jaco thinks a fretless jazz bass always sounds like, but that's probably getting off track.
 
#44
I think the reason why most people don't use effects in this thread is because they didn't have bassist that used many effects in their time or the type of music they like. I personally like bands like Tool and other progressive rock bands. There's a lot more bassists today using effects so that's why I use them. They put a lot more fun into playing and you're not limited to that one sound. Your imagination is the limit.
 
#46
I just use a little compression and only because it's onboard my preamp (Eden Nav). I wouldn't seek a separate compressor out if I switched pre's. I guess I put my time and energy into fussing with getting a bass that feels right, sounds right - I do a lot of mods and builds. I can't really understand, apart from a few, very dramatic effects, why anybody would devote as much attention as many obviously do - and to each his own. But for me, with all that I put into it already:
There are not enough hours in the day!
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+1 ;)
 
#51
For me it`s kinda weird. At home alone I use effects all the time. I have a Boss ME-50B which I think is just great and I have a E-bow which I use to get some really nice sounds out of my Ric(although it`s way harder to use one on a bass than a guitar,but fun none the less!) But the 2 years I spent playing live I never used any effects. It seemed to me that when ever I tried to use a fuzz/overdrive/distortion peddle my bass would just get lost in the mix of the other 2 guitars playing. So I stopped trying and just stayed with straight to my amp when playing live or practicing with my band,which worked really well for me and sounded good for the band as a whole.
One day I would not mind bringing along my Boss with me to a practice session if I ever get another band going and see how that sounds. But I guess short answer:no effects.
 
#55
There's some old fashioned, stubborn, conservative bassists here. That's my one pet-peeve about this forum. It's their way or the highway, quite annoying. I don't mind bassists saying they don't like effects on their bass, but when they try to push that bassists with effects can't play...yeah way to be uneducated fellas.
 
#56
Elitist attitude... like... man, its bone tone... the magic happens wth my fingers.

I've played guitar (I mean I really can play) for 40 years and bass in between for as many - and for me - I have come to a truth, the more stuff you put in the signal chain, the more polluted the delivery.

To temper this, I also played for years with a guitarist and a bassist that were MASTERS at using effects - and it was done beautifully.

Either way is not a criteria of skill or talent judgement.
 
#57
I never use any kind of effects when I'm playing. Once in a great while if I need some sort of weird/cool synth effect or chorus effect I might use a pedal for that, but generally I prefer to let my bass and amp do the work of making great tone.
 
#58
:hmm: ... The answer for me is Uh depends on what I'm doing

Guess that makes it fall into the effects as a working tool catagory. Kinda like salt and pepper or Tabasco season as needed.

Coming from a blues based background, which is very much a P bass straight into the amp crowd using any effect raised :eyebrow: eyebrows. Then came my current band and the desire to expand my sound to fill a void. So I switched to a Jazz Bass as that is the sound I need with that band and some carfully chosen tone shapers.

Interesting thread over on effects ask how it started and how the "pedalboard" progressed for each player HERE is my post I was looking to catch some of the vibe Garth Hudson got on Chest Fever with the exit of a keys player from the band, it fell to me to get some of the B-3 moan. Can't really see how in some eyes that makes me LESS of a real bass player?

;) ... Interesting side note, a new project in the works for 09 takes me back to P-bass straight to amp
 

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