Is Simple The Way To Go?

[bassicallybob]

I've always had the absolute best luck with a minimalist setup.

Bass > sansamp > tuner > amp. That's it.

So long as you're not pushing tons of effects, there's literally no point in getting more complicated than this. At least that's what I've found. The simpler, the better.

Thoughts?

 

[lz4005]

I've always had the absolute best luck with a minimalist setup.

Bass > sansamp > tuner > amp. That's it.

So long as you're not pushing tons of effects, there's literally no point in getting more complicated than this. At least that's what I've found. The simpler, the better.

Thoughts?

Bass plugged directly into amp is minimalist.
Two pedals in between isn't.

 

[bassicallybob]

Bass plugged directly into amp is minimalist.
Two pedals in between isn't.

...one's a tuner lol.

 

[byacey]

Bass plugged directly into amp is minimalist.
Two pedals in between isn't.

Yep, it's interesting how many people are using all sorts of pedals to try and emulate the bass sound from 50 years ago, that was plugged straight into an amp.

 

[bassicallybob]

Yep, it's interesting how many people are using all sorts of pedals to try and emulate the bass sound from 50 years ago, that was plugged straight into an amp.

There can obviously be more minimal, but a sansamp is a best friend and a tuner is...well, a tuner.

I'm more trying to communicate the less is more message, and I'm wondering if anyone disagrees. I've seen countless bassists on stage with a full pedal board of stuff.

 

[Gorn]

I agree primarily because of willful ignorance based on a desire to not spend money. I don’t know what a sansamp is. I don’t want to know. I don’t care. I plug my bass into an amp and I play and it sounds good. Less than less is even more for me. The member who has the most likes on talkbass seems to mostly post in effects. I’ve never been there and have never seen his name. That ignorance has saved me a ton of money.

 

[byacey]

There can obviously be more minimal, but a sansamp is a best friend and a tuner is...well, a tuner.

I'm more trying to communicate the less is more message, and I'm wondering if anyone disagrees. I've seen countless bassists on stage with a full pedal board of stuff.

Yes, unfortunately many of these guys with a forest of pedals bought them thinking that they would make them a better musician.

 

[bassicallybob]

I agree primarily because of willful ignorance based on a desire to not spend money. I don’t know what a sansamp is. I don’t want to know. I don’t care. I plug my bass into an amp and I play and it sounds good. Less than less is even more for me.

I'm sorry, but I've got to let you know that there's a lot of gigs out there that only require you to lug around a pedal that'll fit in your bass case...

 

[bassicallybob]

Hell, a lot of shows I don't even bring an amp anymore.

 

[Gorn]

I'm sorry, but I've got to let you know that there's a lot of gigs out there that only require you to lug around a pedal that'll fit in your bass case...

Don’t be sorry. I’m not.

 

[byacey]

I don't even leave a tuner plugged into the signal path. I find checking the tuning once or twice during breaks in the course of an evening gig more than enough.

 

[byacey]

Hell, a lot of shows I don't even bring an amp anymore.

At some events I've mixed at, some guys don't even bring a 1/4" cable with them.

Edit: I often ask them " You brought your guitar; why wouldn't you bring a cable with you?"
I guess they think I'm the official cable supplier. I quit carrying them with me because lots of guys ran off with them while striking the stage.

 

[bassicallybob]

At some events I've mixed at, some guys don't even bring a 1/4" cable with them.

Fuggin lol'd

 

[ClusterFlux]

I've always had the absolute best luck with a minimalist setup.

Bass > sansamp > tuner > amp. That's it.

So long as you're not pushing tons of effects, there's literally no point in getting more complicated than this. At least that's what I've found. The simpler, the better.

Thoughts?

If it works for you, that's grand. That doesn't mean your setup works for everyone.

Different bassists play different styles, different types of music, different roles, different genres than you. That doesn't always require a "ton" of effects, as bassist may just want to add chorus or delay here and there.

Even if you're going for a clean tone, compression is a common (and useful) tool; HPF can clean up your sound on the low end; a volume pedal can help control dynamics, and so on. They're just tools, and as long as they get used, it makes sense for someone to include it in the signal chain.

 

[fhm555]

I finally gave in and bought a stompbox tuner because it’s so easy to use and it’s easier to mute between sets. My amp has a standby but it’s easier to just step on the tuner.
Other than that i’ve never owned a pedal. I did have a switch to change channels on an amp, but it came with the amp and i used it maybe twice before i realized i prefered one channel enough i had no need to switch back and forth.

 

[Stumbo]

Why have bass and/or treble tone control on your amp or bass.

Everything else is a variation.

Rock music figured that out over 50 years ago.

 

[GIBrat51]

I started playing bass in 1968. It was bass > amp then, and all these years later, it's still bass > amp. I understand and appreciate that others want - and even need - other things in their signal path. If that's you? More power to ya... For what I like to play, I've just never felt the need for any doo-dads between the bass and the amp. However, I'm about to visit a good friend, who I'm sure is going to try very hard - again - to get me to please, please, at least put a chorus pedal in there... I have to confess, he's starting to wear me down - a little...

 

[el murdoque]

You are absolutely correct that usually, the simplest way is also the best.
When you have a tonal goal and can achieve that with bass, amp and your fingers, that is good.
If you plug a few pedals in between, those pedals you consider essential,that is good, too.
If your tonal goals require multiple pedals, that is good, as well.

If you use 5 pedals, one of which is old and beaten and the switch is a bit wonky, while you could use one pedal to reach the same goal - well then the path with the one pedal might be better.
It's all a matter of what one is trying to achieve.

I've seen a band once that had two guitarists. One was playing a strat into a tube head. His pedalboard held a boost, a wah and a tuner.
The other guy played a PRS custom into what looked like the loot of the biggest boutique pedal shop heist in recent history. He had more than a dozen pedals active at times.
The strat did sound like a rock guitar is intended to sound while the PRS did not have much of a guitar sound left. (Meanwhile the bassist played straight into the amp)
This would show that at least in this instance, less is more.
Then OTOH I've seen bands with huge pedalboards where the players were able to harness that power to blow your socks off. In these instances more was more.

 

[Turnaround]

I'm not sure how this relates to bass repair and setup, but to bring it into this fold I think you need a path like Bass>shim>whatever.

 

[micguy]

I’m ampless 90 percent of the time, and although I use a pedalboard, about 2/3rd of the time nothing is on but a DI. So, pretty much a bass into the PA.