For me, the only must-have is a little mild overdrive. But my must-haves vary from project to project otherwise.
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What Are The "Must Have" Pedals?
- Thread starter Mr Cheese
- Start date
Got you right here opie:
Can't go wrong with Shimano DX. Classic, understated, solid.
Seriously though, I run a mini-rig with what I consider to be the bare esssentials *for me* in my 80's covers band:
I'm considering adding a Broughton HPF to this. But to keep it all on the same board I'd have to get a smaller DI... and I rather like the sound of the BDDI. So we'll see.
Can't go wrong with Shimano DX. Classic, understated, solid.
Seriously though, I run a mini-rig with what I consider to be the bare esssentials *for me* in my 80's covers band:
I'm considering adding a Broughton HPF to this. But to keep it all on the same board I'd have to get a smaller DI... and I rather like the sound of the BDDI. So we'll see.
None. Throughout my time as a player , people have judged me based on my amps, Basses, and pedals ( nice collection of basses , vintage svt , carefully chosen pedals).
I am, at best, slightly above mediocre.
i played for thirty some odd years with no pedal assistance, i always referred to this as the "plug n chug" approach to playing because you simply set up your rig... plug in your instrument and begin chugging away. however recently i was gifted a bass wah by Morley, it was rigged somehow with remote on off switch to control either lights or fog machine or both i have no idea and neither did the lady at this pawn shop which i frequent here in memphis because they regularly get great stuff. She showed it to me then asked "what the hell is it and i quickly responded "Im not sure but it looks homemade" she agreed and said merry christmas baby and thus 30 plus years into my bass adventure i started noodling with this bass horsey sump mi cant even remember now but the point is it led to additions of pedals some of which i put aside after realizing that they are totally annoying and really useless in a band setting but several i found useful and now feel totally naked without them ... point is you never know until you try. I even found a guitar pedal that EVERYONE said is no good for bass to be very good for me the jeckyl hyde dual overdrive has the best transparent gain effect on bass , of course there are your dark glass sump whatever bass overdrive but they are ridiculously priced and i got this one for 89 bux and use it all the time literally ... you never know what suits you until you try and everyone hears things differently so i suggest go with what makes you feel good and sound even better and dont be afraid to experiment because thats where creativity begins my friend !
I know you're not supposed to say "none" in the effects forum. But he did ask what the "must haves" were, and that is the correct answer.
His amp covers overdrive. *Tuner" is a smart aleck way of saying "none" but it is handy to have a mute on the floor. So at this point I'd say compressor is the only thing that approaches "must have" and that's obviously subject to preference
His amp covers overdrive. *Tuner" is a smart aleck way of saying "none" but it is handy to have a mute on the floor. So at this point I'd say compressor is the only thing that approaches "must have" and that's obviously subject to preference
Too many different types of effects to mention, and too many variants within each type.
If you don't know what you want/need... I'd look into multiFX units as a way to have every sound I may think of. When you start having a necessity for certain specific sounds, you'll identify individual pedals for your specific purpose.
For rock and rock only, I'd say a darkglass vintage microtubes would cover most of it, but if you planning on playing any similar to Tool though...well, yeah you're gonna need a bigger boat. If anything, get one of the Zoom units and experiment. The MS60-B pops up here used at about $70 and does a lot well enough. Be warned though, the pedal game is a rabbit hole. You can spend a lot of time and money getting lost in the weeds if you aren't careful.
An OD, DI, EQ, Compressor, & Tuner. I have a couple of pedals which embrace all 5...comes in handy when I don't feel like hauling out the "big board". I also have an Zoom MS-60B which can be added to the mix when FX (modulation, delay, reverb, chorus, etc) are desired but I don't consider it an "essential".
Riis
Riis
A tuner is the only absolute, must-have pedal. If you walk in my door without your own tuner, I will tell you to just turn right around and go get one. 95% of people don't know how to do one of two things. They can't tune without a pedal and they don't know how to put strings on so the guitar/bass stays in tune.
I agree on the Shimano DX as starter pedals, then move up to clip-ins like a good entry level Shimano SPD.
LOL. Actually you have a really nice board there.
To the OP, as some others have stated, I started with a ZOOM B3 multi-effects and I had a Fender Rumble 100 at that time. Got great results with different tones and effects and became familiar with them to the point that I started buying individual pedals and a started a pedalboard of my own.
I want 4 more pedals and will replace the original ZOOM at that point. Cali 76 Compressor, an octaver, a delay, a phaser, and then maybe a 5th and 6th which would be envelope filter (which my Microsynth has a little bit of that effect already) and then a booster of some sort just for evening out my passive basses when swapping instruments. Out of those, they are mostly wants and will never be used much except the Cali with the stuff I play mostly.
On this board, I like the dUg pedal and the Vintage Microtubes the best to cover any kind of distortion imaginable, but I find myself using the MicroSynth and mild chorus with crossover engaged more than any of them as I normally play each Sunday in church and the MicroSynth is huge when you swell. I currently use my amp compressor. The MicroSynth actually shimmers/sizzles the bass in a really nice way in the mix and with your bass volume all the way up with the sqaure wave, it is not awkward at all, but fills out real nice without sounding like it does by itself.
I have an expansive pedal board with many effects. I use it for guitar. I don't use it for bass. I have a rack tuner, so I don't need a peddle for that.
As suggestive above, a multi effects pedal is a good way to get started. There are many good ones to choose from.
Zoom Ms-60b: I had one for years, it is an excellent "swiss army knife" effects box. Even after I stopped using it full time I kept it in my gig bag in case I had an equipment problem. Under $100.
Boss Me-50b: I've been using this one for a few months. Even though the design is close to 20 years old it sounds great. It is easy to use and it feels more like individual stop boxes. The compressors are pretty good. A little more pricy than the Zoom you can find them under $200 used.
Line 6, Fender, Digitech, Vox, TC Electronics and Tech21 all make great products.
For what it's worth, I use a pedal board with all analog effects for my classic rock covers project. Not much not it: Chorus, light OD, an EQ, Compressor, Tuner. The OD is rarely used, the chorus usually comes on for a passage or two every once in a while. The EQ is used as a "scoop" for certain old school songs. The compressor is on all the time. Tuner is the only requirement.
The Boss Me-50b is used at home for silent practice mostly. I have an originals project that is a power trio that allows me to use a lot more effects. I tend to use wah, phaser, or whatever I feel like- especially during guitar solos.
Effects are fun. They can be a "side hobby". Some people are really into them. That's cool. I look at them like seasonings in cooking. Just the right amount can make it better, too much and you can ruin it.
Longest post I've written in a while. I hope you find it helpful.
Zoom Ms-60b: I had one for years, it is an excellent "swiss army knife" effects box. Even after I stopped using it full time I kept it in my gig bag in case I had an equipment problem. Under $100.
Boss Me-50b: I've been using this one for a few months. Even though the design is close to 20 years old it sounds great. It is easy to use and it feels more like individual stop boxes. The compressors are pretty good. A little more pricy than the Zoom you can find them under $200 used.
Line 6, Fender, Digitech, Vox, TC Electronics and Tech21 all make great products.
For what it's worth, I use a pedal board with all analog effects for my classic rock covers project. Not much not it: Chorus, light OD, an EQ, Compressor, Tuner. The OD is rarely used, the chorus usually comes on for a passage or two every once in a while. The EQ is used as a "scoop" for certain old school songs. The compressor is on all the time. Tuner is the only requirement.
The Boss Me-50b is used at home for silent practice mostly. I have an originals project that is a power trio that allows me to use a lot more effects. I tend to use wah, phaser, or whatever I feel like- especially during guitar solos.
Effects are fun. They can be a "side hobby". Some people are really into them. That's cool. I look at them like seasonings in cooking. Just the right amount can make it better, too much and you can ruin it.
Longest post I've written in a while. I hope you find it helpful.
There are so many options with pedals and effects. I believe if you ask 100 bass players this question you are likely to get around 100 different answers. The pedal that I would consider that has been mentioned by others is The Zoom MS-60b, a little bit of everything including a tuner in one reasonably priced pedal, a great introduction to effects, and even when you expand your pedal board and acquire specific pedals for certain effects you will still probably find something it does well enough to keep on your pedal board.
The only other advice I would offer about effects is that, once you progress to a point where you begin to play with others, be prepared for the harsh reality that what sounds great in your bedroom playing by yourself will almost always be completely lost or sound like crap when playing with others. You will find many pedals that sound great when you are playing by yourself, but are completely useless when you are playing with a band.
The only other advice I would offer about effects is that, once you progress to a point where you begin to play with others, be prepared for the harsh reality that what sounds great in your bedroom playing by yourself will almost always be completely lost or sound like crap when playing with others. You will find many pedals that sound great when you are playing by yourself, but are completely useless when you are playing with a band.
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