Putting my pedals away for a while

[Toasted]

I'm currently using only 3 FX. It's healthy.

 

[Jared Lash]

Some very good stuff in this thread. Again, if I had a viable and consistent musical project this wouldn't even be an issue, but with increased downtime comes increased fiddling/critiquing/buying & selling gear - at least for me.

Outside of the one gig that requires a couple effects (OD, Fuzz, Filter) I'm putting my effects away for a while but not selling anything for the time being. When and if I find a good band or project I'll reassess.

 

[Bjazzman]

I went from 2 pt-pro's to one pt mini. I still use the other pedals occasionally but I'm working on really just using what I "need" not what I want.

when I play disc golf I used to like to carry 15 discs with me but figured out that if I could really focus on understanding what just three of those do for me I can be a better player

just my 2 cents

and I say good on ya jared for getting back to the bassics.

 

[Bryan R. Tyler]

and I say good on ya jared for getting back to the bassics.

Pfft, that's like congratulating someone for moving from underwear back to diapers.

Jared's got a fever, and the only prescription is more pedals.



And Toasted....oh Toasted. I'm so disappointed in you :scowl:




I actually almost never use pedals when playing with other people. When multiple bass parts are the dominant part of a song though, I use often use all sorts of them.

 

[newbold]

when I play disc golf I used to like to carry 15 discs with me but figured out that if I could really focus on understanding what just three of those do for me I can be a better player

You're also a better player to have out cause you've got room for beer and sandwiches in your bag so the time out's better for all.

...my guess is that you'd probably bring beer and sandwiches, to which I think my time playing Disc Golf in Minneapolis might just be fantastic if i ever find myself on a cross continent tour/trip/drive.

I still want a stratus and 2 softer putters even though I'm set with a Wraith, 2 rocs (light and heavy), a Gator, Wolf, and an aviar and haven't played in months.

Bass effects ARE like Disc golf. I wonder what types of pedals are overstable, and which would be understable...

 

[Mudfuzz]

utside of the one gig that requires a couple effects (OD, Fuzz, Filter) I'm putting my effects away for a while but not selling anything for the time being. When and if I find a good band or project I'll reassess.

This IS what I do. Most of my pedals that I don't gig with are in boxes, keeps the dust out of them. I see no point in selling any of them off because on a recording you never know what sound you might need.

 

[savinggrace]

With a little bit of fun on the side. 3 or 4 pedals - any more I start getting frustrated. Too much to monitor up front and a distraction to the playing.

But I still want more. My only question now is do I sell the ones that don't make it onto the final board or keep them to rotate them and keep it fresh from time to time?

I have a large pedal set up. Three 24" x 16" pedal boards all daisy chained and I have no real estate left.

I don't find it distracting though, as I don't feel like I have to add an effect (or effects!) on a song or a part just because I have the pedals to do so, but I like the option of being able to produce sounds in my head immediately.

Although, my band only has 2 drummers and a vocalist (who records some keyboard parts in the studio and plays a little bit of keyboard live), so I am carrying a lot of the melody in the band.

 

[Spacelordmother]

and I say good on ya jared for getting back to the bassics.

Pfft, that's like congratulating someone for moving from underwear back to diapers.

Oh, this is just hilarious!

The Big O ain't sO big nO mO.

 

[jucas]

Some very good stuff in this thread. Again, if I had a viable and consistent musical project this wouldn't even be an issue, but with increased downtime comes increased fiddling/critiquing/buying & selling gear - at least for me.

Outside of the one gig that requires a couple effects (OD, Fuzz, Filter) I'm putting my effects away for a while but not selling anything for the time being. When and if I find a good band or project I'll reassess.

This post brought two more things to mind... without a band I start wanting pedals for things that I could be doing, not what/how I actually play. I start buying stuff to have all the bases covered, but the lack of a specific situation I'm playing in lets it get really carried away...

I start thinking I need a gated fuzz in case I want to sound synthy, a classic fuzz to sound smoother, an overdrive for to go with clean guitar, a clean boost to keep up with the guitar changes, a heavy distortion for when the guitar stops, an octave to fill out my higher playing, a squishy compressor, a hard limiter, an envelope filter, a phaser for some movement, a vibrato for pitch changes........

And, the other big mistake I always make is selling off everything when I suddenly change my philosophy about using effects. I always end up regreting a big chunk of the pedals I sell off. So this time around I'm keeping one of each of my staple types of effect and some of the harder to find pedals. I think this is a bit easier having built one of most of the types I'm keeping around as there's less money invested in it. I figure that this way the worst case scenario is that later in life I have a stash of kinda unique older pedals to deal with instead of that horrible feeling of rebuying an overpriced pedal.

 

[Gus Borden]

Definitely have come to the decision that it's 4 pedals from now on. EBS BassIQ (Just arrived), Octron2, AnalogMan Mini Chorus and a fuzz or OD - still trying to settle on whether it will be the Electronix Messdrive or EHX Blogger...
But I have went for long stretches with no effects - it's nice, can be very liberating to go without for a while - to clear the clutter and bring the effects back as need arrises.
And oh- for me it was sitting "Indian-style" on the kitchen floor. When the a$$-end of the bass rested on the floor, it transferred a nice tone to play by when an amp was not present!

 

[phatbass30]

my last set up was the PT Jr. now i downsized again to PT Mini. its not that i don't need the rest of the pedals from the Jr. in fact, this is the perfect set up for me, the one i learned here at TB for hanging around for more than a year. its just the constant moving of venues from my gigs. its getting difficult for me to carry my Bass and my PT Jr to different venues every night.



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[Matt Dean]

think the reality is that I'm frustrated at not finding a good, consistent band to play with and my frustration with my gear is an offshoot of that.

Hey, I know what you mean... I've been similarly frustrated off and on over the past several years. I'm currently in one band that truly appreciates effected bass... and in another that that guitard thinks effects is his sole domain. I see you're in Northern California... PM sent.

 

[Jared Lash]

Oh, this is just hilarious!

The Big O ain't sO big nO mO.

So true. That was really the impetus for my name change. That and my girlfriend wouldn't believe that it wasn't a juvenile orgasm reference.

This post brought two more things to mind... without a band I start wanting pedals for things that I could be doing, not what/how I actually play. I start buying stuff to have all the bases covered, but the lack of a specific situation I'm playing in lets it get really carried away...

I start thinking I need a gated fuzz in case I want to sound synthy, a classic fuzz to sound smoother, an overdrive for to go with clean guitar, a clean boost to keep up with the guitar changes, a heavy distortion for when the guitar stops, an octave to fill out my higher playing, a squishy compressor, a hard limiter, an envelope filter, a phaser for some movement, a vibrato for pitch changes........

Wow. I could have typed these last two paragraphs myself word for word. Exactly how I am too.

And, the other big mistake I always make is selling off everything when I suddenly change my philosophy about using effects. I always end up regreting a big chunk of the pedals I sell off. So this time around I'm keeping one of each of my staple types of effect and some of the harder to find pedals. I think this is a bit easier having built one of most of the types I'm keeping around as there's less money invested in it. I figure that this way the worst case scenario is that later in life I have a stash of kinda unique older pedals to deal with instead of that horrible feeling of rebuying an overpriced pedal.

I totally get this part too and I agree for the most part but there's some neurotic part of me that can't stand having gear sitting around that I don't use. And just as nad said, to me it doesn't matte if it's effects. amps/cabs or even basses.

my last set up was the PT Jr. now i downsized again to PT Mini. its not that i don't need the rest of the pedals from the Jr. in fact, this is the perfect set up for me, the one i learned here at TB for hanging around for more than a year. its just the constant moving of venues from my gigs. its getting difficult for me to carry my Bass and my PT Jr to different venues every night.

For what it's worth I think you cut it down quite nicely. Good stuff.

Hey, I know what you mean... I've been similarly frustrated off and on over the past several years. I'm currently in one band that truly appreciates effected bass... and in another that that guitard thinks effects is his sole domain. I see you're in Northern California... PM sent.

PM replied