Do most bassists, pros and amateurs use pedals? If so, what are the basic pedals that most bassists use, especially for gigging.
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What are the 2 or 3 must have pedals?
- Thread starter homecooken
- Start date
Must have ?
None.
Other than that it is all a matter of personal taste.
Perhaps (as mentioned) this should be moved to the effects forum.
None.
Other than that it is all a matter of personal taste.
Perhaps (as mentioned) this should be moved to the effects forum.
I use Look Keo Sprints and they work really well for me. The black cleats are a choice choice for them too. They have zero float so you really have to dial them in but its well worth it in the end.
Good amp, good speaker, properly setup bass, good technique - much more important than ANY bass specific pedal out there. Pedals are not necessary for good bass tone.
totally agree with you guys that there's no MUST have pedal... in a way that you may never need any effect...
but as a working musician where you can encounter many "no-friendly" playing situation, as for time for setup, time for soundcheck... time between songs etc..etc... here's what i consider essential:
you must have a tuner! ( cause you can't always have the situation that you can tune yourself by ear! ) a Good Preamp and/or DI... and as a "bonus" i'd go for a compression.
this way, you can definetly get a sound that fits pretty much your taste with no-time of setup and just bring your bass and a small pedal board...
after that i'd go for things like a True-bypass pedal upgrade of what you already have...
hope that can inspire you!
but as a working musician where you can encounter many "no-friendly" playing situation, as for time for setup, time for soundcheck... time between songs etc..etc... here's what i consider essential:
you must have a tuner! ( cause you can't always have the situation that you can tune yourself by ear! ) a Good Preamp and/or DI... and as a "bonus" i'd go for a compression.
this way, you can definetly get a sound that fits pretty much your taste with no-time of setup and just bring your bass and a small pedal board...
after that i'd go for things like a True-bypass pedal upgrade of what you already have...
hope that can inspire you!
http://bass-guitars.musiciansfriend.com/product/EBS-MultiComp-True-Dual-Band-compressor-Pedal?sku=151466&src=3WFRWXX&ZYXSEM=0&CAWELAID=26018545
I was amazed how much better I sounded with this little stomp box. My playing has really improved I hardly ever turn it off.
I was amazed how much better I sounded with this little stomp box. My playing has really improved I hardly ever turn it off.
Exactly. Nothing else is needed. I had a chorus pedal (cool, but rarely used it) an octave pedal (useless IMHO), and a distortion pedal (the most useless of all).
The only thing I regret selling was the Sansamp. The gave a variety of useful tones. But I don't see this as an "effect" per se.
Why is there this assumption that you have to have pedals? They look cool and make fun sounds, but honestly how often do you use them? I'm sure there are a few players that use a certain pedal frequently, depending on the type of music they are playing. However, as a necessity other than a tuner I really don't think there is such a thing as a "must have" pedal. I only have three, one of which is the beloved VT Bass, and they just don't get much use. As others have said, things like a good amp and proper setup are more important!
For smooth gigging, a DI and a tuner. A lot of guys really like compression.
Unfortunately, just like with basses, amps, and cabs there are a ton of these to choose from and not all will be right for you. I am not a huge fan of the SansAmp Bass Driver and prefer the MXR M80 for my DI needs, but many others feel differently. Not to mention the DI offerings from DHA, Aguilar, Hartke, Ampeg and even Zoom (kind of)and others.
Really a tuner, DI and maybe compression pedals are all that should be considered 'must have' (IMO) unless you have a specific task to accomplish with your pedal. They can be a whole bunch of fun, however.
Unfortunately, just like with basses, amps, and cabs there are a ton of these to choose from and not all will be right for you. I am not a huge fan of the SansAmp Bass Driver and prefer the MXR M80 for my DI needs, but many others feel differently. Not to mention the DI offerings from DHA, Aguilar, Hartke, Ampeg and even Zoom (kind of)and others.
Really a tuner, DI and maybe compression pedals are all that should be considered 'must have' (IMO) unless you have a specific task to accomplish with your pedal. They can be a whole bunch of fun, however.
I don't think there's an absolute must have for every bassist, but I think that if you're going to play the music of the last 20-30 years, a distortion or overdrive pedal is a good idea. It's probably the only one, though, and you'll still find plenty of styles that don't use effects on the bass at all. Rare you hear distorted bass in salsa music, for example 
I regularly use some form/combination of dirt, phase shifter and autowah during performances (and therefor during practices). Here's my current lineup...
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I regularly use some form/combination of dirt, phase shifter and autowah during performances (and therefor during practices). Here's my current lineup...
Off topic from the thread, but that setup looks amazing!
Because a pedalboard that big is so heavy that you'll get too tired to move your SVT?Why limit yourself to 2 or 3?
