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The Five Pedals that EVERY Bass Player needs!

#41
40Hz said:
It's one opinion. And a good start for anyone who is contemplating getting their first pedal.

And I don't think you'll actually annoy people. But You'll definitely find many who will disagree with your essential selection. Especially if they're not rock bassists. For example, I wouldn't consider an octave or drive/distortion pedal a necessity. And I'm a bass player who doesn't believe in using chorus on bass at all. ;)

About the only pedal you'll probably find almost full agreement on is a tuner.
Click to expand...

I'd argue with the tuner as I feel the clip-on type embellishes a headstock so well :) I'm with you on chorus although I like phaser on bass. Distortion, well I've tried a bazillion bass distortion/overdrive pedals and disliked all of them so I guess they just don't work for me. A compressor is always useful imo. And I do like octaves...

My pedalboard is compressor > analog mono octave > digital poly octave > eq/boost. Although most of the time I'm straight into the amp.
 
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#43
you don't need any pedals to play, that being said I have 9 on my board of which 2-3 are used frequently. the others are there if I am looking for that sound, helpful when playing covers.
for the record:
tuner - peterson
compressor - fea
fuzz - mxr
envelope filter - mxr
O/D - damnation
chorus - tc
flange - tc
delay/reverb - boss
octave - boss
 
#45
I too watched the video. Interesting. The tuning box looks useful. This is my pedal board:
MoogTaurus3_1.jpg
 
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#51
5 pedals I bring to every gig, pretty similar to your list

1.Tuner
2.Cali76 Compact Bass
3. 3Leaf Octabvre
4. Drive of some sort (MBD-2/Benson Pre etc....)
5. Fuzz of some sort (Tall Font Russian, Big Cheese, Shotmaker Heroine Deluxe etc..)

Any thing other than that is usually genre specific (chorus, reverbs, delays) and I guess technically I have a tube preamp which may or may not be used in line with the amp, or it may be my amp so I'm not counting that
 
#52
Wow, my choice in pedals is drastically different than what most seem to be posting here. I'm guessing many don't make ambient noise and solo looping, but here's what I use:

Bass -> Sample and hold -> PLL -> delay -> micro looper -> looper and then automate my looper with an expression/CV sequencer.

(actual pedals are Bananana Mandala -> EQD Data Corrupter -> CBA Tonal Recall -> CBA Mood -> CBA Blooper with automation by an EHX 8-Step program).

Basically my entire rig is delay based except for the PLL.
 
#53
Hmmm...That is a tough one.

Just IMHO

1. Tuner
2. Compressor
3. DI preamp

Those 3 are my essential so to speak

If I had to pick just 2 more it would be (of some kind)

4. Envelope filter
5. Octave
 
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#54
I have a party rock band gig I do that's full of 80s-90s-00s dance music. I can't get through it without a synth patch or an octaver. Actually a midi pickup would be optimal so I could pull in the DX7 thing.

I have a blues gig where I don't take any pedals at all.

Isn't this more about the gig than the player or the gear?
 
#57
ficelles said:
I'd argue with the tuner as I feel the clip-on type embellishes a headstock so well :) I'm with you on chorus although I like phaser on bass. Distortion, well I've tried a bazillion bass distortion/overdrive pedals and disliked all of them so I guess they just don't work for me. A compressor is always useful imo. And I do like octaves...

My pedalboard is compressor > analog mono octave > digital poly octave > eq/boost. Although most of the time I'm straight into the amp.
Click to expand...

I enjoy playing with effects pedals. But I don't find myself performing with them that often. I'm into simplifying things as much as possible at this stage of my life. So when I do use pedals they're mostly signal shapers or utility pedals such as: preamps, compressors, EQs, and filters.

But once I finally managed to score an Alembic F1X preamp, I've been pretty much straight into the amp myself. In this case the power amp stage is a Crown.

I will, however, also use "character" type preamps these days for home recording or just jamming around with friends. I have different pedals that provide iconic amp voicings (Ampeg, Acoustic, Fender, Orange,Vox, etc. ) just for some extra signature sound variety.

Should I still feel the need for more, my bass "pedalboard" (in quotes because it's just one pedal that sits on top of my amp is a Drybell Unit 67.

If I'm using my SWR SM-400 then there is also a Broughton HPF that's permanently on in the effects loop. SWR owners will understand why. ;)

Funny thing is I'm now more likely to be using my "guitar" effects assemblage either for modular synth purposes or with keyboards than anything else.

Go figure. :laugh:
 
#58
I have two pedal boards. One is large and has a bunch of effects that I use to create at home. The other one is smaller and more practical.

The small board generally follows the OP @archisland formula and is used for all of the bands I play in. Tuner, Compressor, OD, Chorus, high pass filter.

Regarding the chorus- that could be replaced with any modulation pedal. I really prefer phaser over chorus, but the chorus seems to fit the situations I play in right now. In the power trio I play in, the phaser will get switched on during certain guitar solos. I'll bring a wah pedal to fill out other sections, but I use that sparingly.

I have a few gigs coming up where an effects board isn't really needed. For these short open mic style gigs, I just bring a tuner.


Things get weird when I use Ric-O-Sound. My band mates love it, but, carting all that extra equipment around to a gig is a pain. (two amps, two cabs, huge pedal board, cables, etc).
 
#59
onda'bass said:
you don't need any pedals to play, that being said I have 9 on my board of which 2-3 are used frequently. the others are there if I am looking for that sound, helpful when playing covers.
for the record:
tuner - peterson
compressor - fea
fuzz - mxr
envelope filter - mxr
O/D - damnation
chorus - tc
flange - tc
delay/reverb - boss
octave - boss
Click to expand...

The octave in Last on your chain? I should try that
 
#60
archisland said:
Well, I do tell you WHY you need the pedals and what to look for when shopping for pedals in their various versions etc :)
Click to expand...

No good deed or attempt to be helpful ever goes unpunished for long around here it seems. Been there myself a few times so I can sympathize. One big reason why I've never wanted to do a video.

I thought your video was well done - and well intentioned. And obviously directed at someone just getting into pedals. Shame not everyone took it in the spirit it was intended. But so it goes.

Onward! :thumbsup:
 
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