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Pedal Crash course

IndieBass182

IndieBass182

Guest
Apr 9, 2011
103
0
31
Standish, MI, USA
#1
Ok. In the 1 1/2 year i've been playing bass i have never touched any form of pedal. I'm inspired by Sonic Youths use of effects on their guitars and feedback manipulation and want to try to take as much of that and fit it to bass as i can. So any tips and tricks to work with all types of pedals and feedback and what are some good beginner/cheaper models of these pedals i could go with i'd appreciate. I want to learn as much as i can.
 
#2
IndieBass182 said:
Ok. In the 1 1/2 year i've been playing bass i have never touched any form of pedal. I'm inspired by Sonic Youths use of effects on their guitars and feedback manipulation and want to try to take as much of that and fit it to bass as i can. So any tips and tricks to work with all types of pedals and feedback and what are some good beginner/cheaper models of these pedals i could go with i'd appreciate. I want to learn as much as i can.
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You don't want to start the process trying to imitate a certain band. Find a genre you like, find basslines with effects on them, find what you want to get out of a pedal or series of pedals. I think u should start with a wah pedal. The classic IMO is the Crybaby Bass. Start with that and then start finding different effects that you like. Another thing you could do is star with a multi effect pedal. My first pedal was a Zoom 506(discontinued a while ago) and it was ten years old when I got it but it opened me up to new sounds, effects, etc. See if there are any older bass players in your area willing to lend a pedal before you buy one. If not, go sit in a GC and see what they have.
 
#3
Well I was using them as a source of what i'd like to achieve. pretty much a vibrant selection of sounds that i could mix and match along with other techniques that would make the bass both a driving instrument and a stand alone sound farm. Also if anybody would like to assist with the whole feedback ideas i'd appreciate it.
 
#9
Hey bud, as your new to effects, I'm going to drop some TIMELESS WISDOM that I wish I had known when I got into effects.

The TB Classifieds are your best friend!! We are all so picky with trying to find that tone we hear in our heads, that awesome pedals are posted to the classifieds within days or weeks that someone gets it. So you may get a pedal in the classifieds that costs half less than new, has been through 10 TBers hands, but is in brand new mint condition. I also like going in pawn shops and talking random pedals down to the $20 range, just so I can go home and try them out.... worst case I sell em back on here and someone else gets to enjoy it! Pedals are so subjective that there are no "bests" or "worsts"... some pedals are more popular than others, but each has its qualities and perform differently.
 
#10
IndieBass182 said:
Oh damn...i was dumb enough to not look at price....any other options that are less pricey?
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Something you'll find in both the world of effects as well as in life; you get what you pay for. There are good deals out there… but be prepared to buy used and have patience. Usually when there is a specific sound your looking for- their aren’t cheap substitutes- TB classifieds is a good place to find gear. Be ready to spend money.
 
#11
Honestly, if you're just starting out with pedals then it's probably best to just get a tuner, compressor, and volume pedal right now and then add on things you actually need when you find a need for them.

When I got into pedals I bought a ton of different ones just because they sounded neat on paper and got good reviews. Once they actually got to my board, however, I founded out that I didn't really need any of them. I've kept most of them just in case I find a need for them in the future, but I spent probably close to $1,000 on things I'm barely using right now.
 
#13
First of all be warned. One pedal is never enough.:cool: It's a fever!

Youtube is your friend here. Before you buy anything search Bass effects and you'll be overwhelmed with a multitude of vids to check out. I just searched youtube for Bass Effects Feedback and got lots of hits.

Happy hunting!
 
#14
Toastfuzz said:
Hey bud, as your new to effects, I'm going to drop some TIMELESS WISDOM that I wish I had known when I got into effects.

The TB Classifieds are your best friend!! We are all so picky with trying to find that tone we hear in our heads, that awesome pedals are posted to the classifieds within days or weeks that someone gets it. So you may get a pedal in the classifieds that costs half less than new, has been through 10 TBers hands, but is in brand new mint condition. I also like going in pawn shops and talking random pedals down to the $20 range, just so I can go home and try them out.... worst case I sell em back on here and someone else gets to enjoy it! Pedals are so subjective that there are no "bests" or "worsts"... some pedals are more popular than others, but each has its qualities and perform differently.
Click to expand...

Huge plus 1!
 
#16
You should give the Line6 M5 some consideration. It's small and is about the same price as most boutique pedals. It's gives you 100 effects to try out. You could figure out what you like and start to buy individual effects as you need. From what I hear the M5 is worth buying just for the octave alone, plus it has a tuner built in.
 
#19
Actually i did kinda lie a bit. I have used simpler mutli effects pedals but they were more of blendings of effects and it never said what half of them were. I'd much prefer seperate pedals. a Fuzz pedal, Tuner, Expression pedal and a Synth pedal would fit me. That Freqbox though.....delicious.
 
#20
MK1 said:
You should give the Line6 M5 some consideration. It's small and is about the same price as most boutique pedals. It's gives you 100 effects to try out. You could figure out what you like and start to buy individual effects as you need. From what I hear the M5 is worth buying just for the octave alone, plus it has a tuner built in.
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THIS +100. A decent multieffects will give you an idea of what you want and need before starting the effects addiction.
 

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