Relying on effects rather than a bass

[graysean]

I've been mulling over an idea for the last days and I want to see if any of you have had the same thought and why you either ran with it or chose to go the traditional route.

But first, some contextualization!!!
I'm a college student, and the studies I'm doing require me to move fairly regularly (I'll be in Minneapolis for a year, I'm slated to move to the Middle East afterward, then grad school somewhere, etc).

Given my budgetary constraints and the inconveniences of bringing a bass I treasure where ever I go, I was thinking...

...to purposefully buy a cheap bass that plays decently and sounds okay. Instead of relying on the bass to sound fine just plugged in, the money would go toward a few cheaply acquired used pedals to shape my tone (something like a Sansamp VT/Bass Driver and/or eq, compressor, etc).

In short, to accommodate the wide range of music I play, get a cheap p bass (easiest to find and easy to fit to any setting, and I've never been drawn to the j tone) into pedals to adjust my sound rather than spending $$$ on a nice/heavily modified bass (in addition to a nice amp, in addition to effect pedals)

Potential Benefits:
Ease of travel
Probably Cheaper


Potential Problems:
No matter how many eqs one has, if the bass doesn't start by sounding right and doesn't go through a good amp it'll never be good, especially if the setting doesn't call for a processed sound

Opinions?

 

[awilkie84]

There are cheap basses you can get that won't require any of the extra frills. Also, porting an electric bass around is easy & doesn't take up much space.

I had 2 when I was living with 2 other guys in a 1 bedroom apartment & we still had lots of space.

 

[Bassist4Eris]

A less expensive bass is not necessarily a bad-sounding instrument. Squier and SX (Essex) get a lot of love on TB.

If you must spend money on a few devices, why not just upgrade the pups instead?

Portability seems to be a factor, so why lug around the extra pedals?

 

[Dave W]

It doesn't really make sense to me.

 

[PBnJBassist]

A less expensive bass is not necessarily a bad-sounding instrument. Squier and SX (Essex) get a lot of love on TB.

If you must spend money on a few devices, why not just upgrade the pups instead?

Portability seems to be a factor, so why lug around the extra pedals?

^ I second his suggestion. A Squier CV P-bass and a small amp w/a standard 3-band EQ is all you really need. You'll probably spend a bit more cash buying those pedals and pour extra unneeded time tweaking them to give you a desired sound. Not to mention a bass + amp is lighter than a bass + amp + pedal(s) w/extra cables and AC adapter/batteries.

 

[graysean]

I wasn't clear - rather than take a bass with me, which might get lost, damaged, etc. in transit, have the pedals be the only thing I'd take with me, and buy a new (also cheap) bass in the new location. Which would be time consuming and potentially expensive also.

I'm realizing how little thought I gave this idea before posting. Silly me.

 

[Dave W]

How would it be cheaper to buy a new bass everywhere you moved? Plus you'd have to worry about getting rid of the old one.

 

[Biggbass]

It doesn't really make sense to me.

+1
Unless your wanting to achieve some tone or sound other than what a bass can produce by itself...

 

[MarthaSamira]

Get a short scale SX. Nice bass and pretty portable.

 

[awilkie84]

I wasn't clear - rather than take a bass with me, which might get lost, damaged, etc. in transit, have the pedals be the only thing I'd take with me, and buy a new (also cheap) bass in the new location. Which would be time consuming and potentially expensive also.

I'm realizing how little thought I gave this idea before posting. Silly me.

I think pedals have a higher chance of being lost/damaged/etc.

Also, a good EQ will cost about as much as a good starter bass.
Besides, finding a bass that fits you is harder than finding effects. You don't want to go through this multiple times.

 

[darkstorm]

Makes no sense to me. Cheap sounding bass thru worlds best effects still sounds like cheap bass. And of coiurse excellent sounding bass with very good liked effects still sounds excellent.

 

[Biggbass]

I wasn't clear - rather than take a bass with me, which might get lost, damaged, etc. in transit, have the pedals be the only thing I'd take with me, and buy a new (also cheap) bass in the new location. Which would be time consuming and potentially expensive also.

I'm realizing how little thought I gave this idea before posting. Silly me.

why not just then rent the equipment you need at the new location?

 

[Immigrant]

I wasn't clear - rather than take a bass with me, which might get lost, damaged, etc. in transit, have the pedals be the only thing I'd take with me, and buy a new (also cheap) bass in the new location. Which would be time consuming and potentially expensive also.

I'm realizing how little thought I gave this idea before posting. Silly me.

Pedals get lost or damaged also. Why don't you get a bass you really like, take it with you, guard it with your life, and be careful with it.

My bass is like my best friend. I couldn't find a new one every time I moved.

 

[arsie]

Once you are out of the US, there is no such thing as a cheap bass.