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

[fourfinger]

I don't use effects either. They open the door to noise and lack of punch, and then you need more effects to counter those.

But I would recommend getting an inline tuner that you can see easily and mute/bypass with one tap -- like the Korg Pitchblack.

 

[lokikallas]

I used to use a pedal board, but got tired of trying to cram in some effect part into songs just to justify it. I found that a little chorus can go a long way. Phaser/Flanger is a pretty obvious effect, but you have to have a very specific place for it to sound musical. Envelope filters/autowah, can be cool, but again, a little goes a long way. Fuzz can work, but the song has to call for it. I don't feel Wah pedals work too well, but I have used it when covering "Fly Away" the Lenny Kravitz song. Delay can just get messy, unless your trying to do some cool volume swells, like the intro to Metallica's "Damage Inc."

My approach to effects is to add it in just enough to notice it only when it's taken out. Hey, if you have money burning a hole in your pocket, go for it! I would recommend one of those multi effects boards to start. They don't do any one effect particularly well, but you can play with many sounds without buying a million different pedals. Just practice with them at home first, so you don't annoy the hell out of your band mates.

 

[mpdd]

i got really into effects briefly, but then i noticed that i just like to turn my new tube amp up insanely loud to get the desired sound

 

[escaraBAJO]

I'm all into effects but the best bass lines I've heard come from straight bass.

Remember that for a R/B situation all the effects you may have probably will not make a difference onstage. They are for you and you only.

 

[sparktone]

Thanks for the feedback. Like some have said, simplicity suiits the styles I'm playing. Maybe when I get bored with things (or have money burning a hole in my pocket), I'll look into overdrive or a compressor. And a tuner. I'm not going to sweat it now, though.

 

[My name is Mudd]

A good pedal tuner isn't an effect...it's a necessity.

 

[Tony In Philly]

The right bass sound is, in itself, an effect.

 

[west*coast*bass]

I'm happy with my tone

You have answered your own question with this statement!

I go through periods where I'll use them and them periods when I get rid of them all, which is where I am now.

If an effect is integral to copping a specific sound for a specific song, then you go with that. Perhaps a multi-effects pedal so that you have something that can work for a few tunes...?

Good luck!

 

[rr5025]

For me I would be quite unhappy without my effects.

To each their own.

 

[cheapbasslovin]

I don't use effects either. They open the door to noise and lack of punch, and then you need more effects to counter those.

But I would recommend getting an inline tuner that you can see easily and mute/bypass with one tap -- like the Korg Pitchblack.

Please forgive the bluntness of this statement, but if that is what happened with your use of effects, you did it wrong. Poor technique, a crappy amp or unshielded bass will also open the door to noise and a lack of punch, but no one ever suggests you don't pursue technique, amps or basses. Effects, like so many other things, can define or ruin a song depending on the quality of their implementation.

FWIW, I have a pedal preamp, and every other effect I use is for effect, not tone. Some songs call for a lot of effect, most call for none.

There you have it, especially the bolded part.

You're not missing out on anything until you hear another bassist doing something effect-based that you want to do.

Then you can come back and ask your friends here on TB what the hell that effect is.

+1

 

[jumbo_steelie]

Do I think you're missing something? For sure...I love effects.

You might eat anchovies and I certainly don't, but it's a large and wonderful planet.....

 

[80'sRocker]

I've never used effects in 30+ years, I like the straight amp sound. I might put Boss a tuner in line

 

[jasper76]

If you ever go into space-jam, or jam band territory, effects can be really cool.

For r&b and classic rock, I'd stick with the clean sound....maybe some compression if you feel you need it.

 

[Eric!]

Nope, you're not missing anything; move along, nothing to see here.

 

[jwr]

Nope, you're not missing anything; move along, nothing to see here.

+1

Effects suck and people who use them obviously don't understand how to get the right tone out of their bass. Duh. Fingers. Fat, fatty, fat fingers. Fatty.

 

[NOISE!]

+1

Effects suck and people who use them obviously don't understand how to get the right tone out of their bass. Duh. Fingers. Fat, fatty, fat fingers. Fatty.

This is my heartfelt response, whether you are joking or not I don't care... But this is always the first thing that comes to mind every time I read something along these lines.

 

[trainofthought]

If its a 4-piece i like to play around a bit. when im dealing with 2 other noisy ass guitarists, i gotta stay clean.

 

[behndy]

i hate effects. they're just a crutch for lack of talent. and god DAMN am i glad that people come into the efx forum to remind us of that.

thanks. lemon flavored vaginal astringent.

 

[Achtane]

+1

Only pedal in my chain is a Chk Chk Boom for the FOH, otherwise leave that crazy stuff to the guitards.

 

[JoZac21]

I'm amazed at how many people straight up hate on pedals...

As I said in an earlier post, I have pedals, yet I hardly ever use them, as most of what I do calls for a clean sound... but for me, it's all about context. When a tune calls for an effect, when an effect would enhance the mood or atmosphere of a tune, why wouldn't you use it?

And as far as the mentality that effects are just a crutch to hide bad bass playing... I say tell that to Bootsy Collins!