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I don't use any effects. Am I missing something?

S

sparktone

Feb 23, 2005
181
3
64
Fort Collins, Colorado
#1
I'm a late-to-the game bassist (age 49) who is now in my second band and the first really serious band that's likely to play a variety of venues. (We play R&B and classic rock.)

Partly due to cost and laziness, but largely because I'm happy with my tone, I've avoided buying effects. I plug into my amp and go. Hell, I don't even have an inline tuner; I just use my clip-on. Is that unusual? Is there something wrong with me? Am I missing out?

As I said earlier, I'm happy with the tone I've been able to get with my fingers, strings, pickups and tone controls on bass and amp. I don't obsess about my tone beyond that, and I enjoy the simplicity of my setup. A big effects setup sure looks cool on stage, though.
 
#5
Some people think effects suck, others think they rule. All that matters is what you think. And your bandmates!

Me, I'm lazy... all I do is dial in some light tube overdrive. But I envy those who use effects well. I heard one bassist absolutely nail Tony Levin's heavily effected tone on a cover of Peter Gabriel's "Sledgehammer".
 
#8
I've never been a big effects user, aside from compression and light overdrive. I can get a pretty good palate of sounds just by adjusting my playing style...closer to/away from the bridge, light/hard attack, etc.
 
#10
I find the better player and the better amps use, the less and less I am using effects.

My board does have

WM Clone (fuzz)
bass synth wah (I use the envelope)
French Toast (distortion)
Chicken Salad (Vibrato)
Deltalab Delay
VT Bass


tonite's gig I am not taking my board with me.
 
#12
Just about every rehearsal/jam session/gig I have, I bring at least 2 effects pedals... AT LEAST 80% of the time they're turned off... for me, effects are for mixing things up, or when a tune calls for something other than a clean bass tone (which, IMO, is rare in the things I do). I just bought a MXR "El Grande Bass Fuzz" and had my Vox Wah modified to be a Bass Wah... let's see how often they actually get turned on lol.
 
#13
Possibly, but you wont know until you have tried. I dont use many effects often, but its a choice after exploring all the different types. I have used many, but now rarely use them. Having said that I still wouldnt want to be with out on those rare occasions.

Bottom line being you dont know till you try, then you can make a decision on whether you need them often, rarely or not at all. The best bet to get into them cheaply may be to buy a multi effect pedal and play around with it, if you like it then invest in some more.
 
#15
I use a blend pedal, distortion box, tuner, and a mute switch. Works fine for me. You really are not missing out on much. A good clean bass tone is where everything starts no matter what. Being in a cover band, the distortion box helps out a lot when I need that grindy/distorted pick tone to match the original version of the song.

If you have no use for it, don't worry about it! :bassist:
 
#16
Floridabwoy said:
I find the better player and the better amps use, the less and less I am using effects.

My board does have

WM Clone (fuzz)
bass synth wah (I use the envelope)
French Toast (distortion)
Chicken Salad (Vibrato)
Deltalab Delay
VT Bass


tonite's gig I am not taking my board with me.
Click to expand...

Wow, you use a French Toast on bass? How does it retain low end? Octave on or off?
 
#17
sparktone said:
I'm a late-to-the game bassist (age 49) who is now in my second band and the first really serious band that's likely to play a variety of venues. (We play R&B and classic rock.)

Partly due to cost and laziness, but largely because I'm happy with my tone, I've avoided buying effects. I plug into my amp and go. Hell, I don't even have an inline tuner; I just use my clip-on. Is that unusual? Is there something wrong with me? Am I missing out?

As I said earlier, I'm happy with the tone I've been able to get with my fingers, strings, pickups and tone controls on bass and amp. I don't obsess about my tone beyond that, and I enjoy the simplicity of my setup. A big effects setup sure looks cool on stage, though.
Click to expand...

If you like what you're doing, why change it?
 
#18
No. Effects like chords (on bass) tend to get covered up by guitards over playing their instruments. I would use effects if the guitards would shut up long enough (a rare thing). I prefer a nice clean tone eq'd to boom, thump and punch you in the chest. Couple that with a solid bass drum kick and you have a good band no matter what the guitards do.

YMMV
 

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