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

#67
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.
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If you are happy with your tone and you don't need effects to play certain songs, then you are not missing anything IMHO. I use a GT-10B because I play a lot of covers and want to sound as close to the original as possible. Plus it gives me the security of knowing I can get my sound no mater what rig i happen to be playing through.
 
#70
This thread is both silly and boring...
goodjob.png
 
#71
To the OP: Have you ever heard a live band or a recording where the bass is clearly going through one or more effects, and you thought it sounded cool, even if it's not for you? If you have, then you get it. It's like anything else. Some people think a pizza only needs pepperoni, but they understand why other people want two or more toppings. Why is it so hard for people to understand this concept when it comes to effects?
 
#74
I think a compressor isn't an effect pedal. It is just part of my signal chain. I picked up a dbx166 and slapped it in the ol' skb rack when I got my first real amp (svt3pro). It's more akin to a graphic EQ. (another nice thing to have in the skb) It is something that lets you shape your sound a bit. The gate/expander feature is nice too if you have a noisy bass. The compressor/limiter evens out the dynamics a bit and protects the cab. Just like any signal processing, a little goes a long way. I highly recommend getting a compressor no matter what style of music you play. I haven't played without one for years.
 
#76
I don't think you are missing anything by not using effects. I have been playing for 33 years and do not use any. I played around with them about ten years ago but never heard any that I really liked. I also realized that most of the time, the audience can't hear them very clearly anyway. Do what you like as long as it sounds good.
 
#79
I only use a smattering of effects. But what I can achieve artistically without them pales in comparison to what I can do with them. But some people don't play instruments to make art. Some people just want to fill out the mix of some butt rock covers or what have you. That's ok. But when you ask if you're missing out on anything, I would say yes: unlimited creative possibility. Whether or not that holds any value to you is up to you, but I know how valuable it is to me.
 

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