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Why don't bass amps have reverb?
- Thread starter flameworker
- Start date
I wouldn't mind something that would take OFF the reverb in a cavernous room 
I think reverb sounds muddy in most bass guitar situations. I used to use it only in one situation - playing jazz gigs on a fretless BG - and now I don't use it at all. (Because I use upright for all jazz gigs now, and the upright doesn't need it - has kind of a natural reverb).
I do love reverb though - but on microphones and guitars, not bass.
I do love reverb though - but on microphones and guitars, not bass.
Why would you want ANY onboard effects? Running them outboard gives you miles more flexibility in all sorts of ways. As to reverb specifically I've only ever found it even a little useful when trying to get a more acoustic room sound kinda thing with solid body at lower volumes. Having it onboard an amp would make me think one of two things:
It would be a low quality, cheesy sounding unit that I'd never use, don't want to pay for and don't want cluttering my controls.
OR
it would be a really great warm sounding, high quality tube unit that would add two or three hundred bucks to the cost of the amp that I'd almost never use, don't want to pay for and don't want cluttering my controls.
It would be a low quality, cheesy sounding unit that I'd never use, don't want to pay for and don't want cluttering my controls.
OR
it would be a really great warm sounding, high quality tube unit that would add two or three hundred bucks to the cost of the amp that I'd almost never use, don't want to pay for and don't want cluttering my controls.
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I have heard reverb used on bass to good effect on recordings, such as the Loverboy video posted earlier. However, studios are very controlled environments and getting reverb to sit perfectly on the bass track in a mix is a much more realistic goal than doing it live.
However, the natural reverb on a bass when played on a stage and in a room designed specifically for quality acoustic reproduction, such as a theater, is a magnificent thing to experience. Unfortunately, those gigs usually don't happen often for most bass players.
However, the natural reverb on a bass when played on a stage and in a room designed specifically for quality acoustic reproduction, such as a theater, is a magnificent thing to experience. Unfortunately, those gigs usually don't happen often for most bass players.
Agreed, but I have a 73 Super Reverb with a spring reverb in it, and it's really nice to have it and not need an outboard reverb. But for bass, the only effect I'd even care about being built into the amp is overdrive, and that's not even a necessity, though the Scrambler overdrive in my BA112 v2 came in handy when I had a real bad cold a week ago and didn't feel like dragging along pedals.
- Feb 12, 2006
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- Disclosures
- Development Engineer-Mesa Boogie, Development Engineer-Genzler (pedals), Product Support-Genz Benz
An old trick (for when you absolutely have to have reverb and can't be talked out of it) is to split the bass channel and heavily high pass the channel used as the verb send. If you are using a stand alone DSP based verb, many have a high pass filter in the pre processing signal path. Of course, if you HP the verb at 250-300, you probably won't like it on anything else.
Reverb can be nice used sparingly on guitar (undistorted guitar, anyway, it can be messy on overdriven guitar), but it would be detrimental on bass. Low frequencies are different. Any bass player who's ever had a gig in a school gymnasium or any large open room with hard surfaces can tell you what an disaster even natural reverb can be on bass. If it were possible to make bass DRIER, that effect might be a useful built in effect for bass amps...
A little subtle delay on a bass solo can work, though.
Always on overdrive is definitely an exception to the rule for me with a bass amp. I use it on my TH350 about 80% of the time and it's definitely convenient not to have to pack a stompbox.
As usual, depends on application and context. An amp and situation where reverb definitely works for me:
Acoustic Image Clarus II series III head with a touch of its built-in reverb added; + fretless bass; + context of low-medium volume trio application; + smaller room setting; + decent quality 1x12 4ohm cabinet; = very nice, clear, present, and growly fretless bass tone.
Of course, the AI head itself in this combination is amazing, despite being many years old with lots of playing hours. It has a great pre/post DI, usable and mix-controllable digital effects, effective high pass and notch filter ability, small footprint, light weight, uber reliablity, decent power, and excellent customer support.
Acoustic Image Clarus II series III head with a touch of its built-in reverb added; + fretless bass; + context of low-medium volume trio application; + smaller room setting; + decent quality 1x12 4ohm cabinet; = very nice, clear, present, and growly fretless bass tone.
Of course, the AI head itself in this combination is amazing, despite being many years old with lots of playing hours. It has a great pre/post DI, usable and mix-controllable digital effects, effective high pass and notch filter ability, small footprint, light weight, uber reliablity, decent power, and excellent customer support.
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Agree with most people here. Totally irrelevant to have any reverb in any bass amp. First, you'd be better off with any external reverb pedal, digital, that is, where you can tailor you high end damp and low end damp and early reflection to your needs. Also, in a live setting, bass IS the only thing that is reverberated first by the actual room and arena. Because bass frequencies are not as directional as much as higher frequencies. I would like reverb in stereo to come in from all around me. Bass is not stereo, so hence it will just mud and mess up the sound picture. Also, even when using a reverb pedal live, and mild settings, reverb tends to make the bass (any) more prone to feedback, too soon. You have to back of the volume so much that it ain't heard enough. I have the same beefs with any stereo chorus pedal used live, it only imposes phase and comb filter effects, and cancels out certain notes. All of a sudden, when we bassists are hunting down bass guitars with as few dead spots as possible, we reintroduce them again, through reverb/chorus pedals live. Beats me. Bass reverb is just around you anyway. My take on it, is that the lower the frequency, the more in MONO it should stay, and DRY. I have even gone to such lengths on that phase thing, as being very wary and vigilant with speaker enclosures with mulitiple elements in it. But anyway, donät forget that reverb is - actually - some kind of feedback, only that it doesn't get amplified all of the time, the energy decays as it fades away. Reverb + bass = NoNo.
Agree with the other poster who said that an effect that REMOVED reverb would be a much better option, for most of us anyway. Now, how that one would be carried out, I don't know, but the one who solved it (within just one amp and speaker) would get some Nobel Price in physics eventually.
Agree with the other poster who said that an effect that REMOVED reverb would be a much better option, for most of us anyway. Now, how that one would be carried out, I don't know, but the one who solved it (within just one amp and speaker) would get some Nobel Price in physics eventually.
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I love reverb and a little chorus on fretless, gives it that haunting singing quality. Been shopping for a reverb for that purpose. Leaning towards the TC electronic Hall of Fame stomp pedal. Suggestions? The true spring reverbs sound horrible with bass IMHO, I like digital.
I think most bass players myself included that use reverb is it for a different type of effect than how guitarist use it. I like a very subtle plate reverb on fretless or noodling above the 12 fret (more so in the guitar range) but any other use of reverb for me is to make the bass sound like something else. I use the particleverb and Octiverb on the m5 for synth pad type of sounds (it's more me coping like the smoother synth pad patches from sample based synths like the korg trinity and triton series) It tracks super slow that way but with the mix on 100% wet (so there's no dry bass coming through) it's very keyboardy sounding and is useful for atmospheric/ambient noise making between songs or for a song intro.
Guitarist generally use reverb to smooth out their sound and make it sound less sloppy. For bass in the live scenario the acoustics of the venue generally does that for you already so adding reverb to the inherent acoustic reverb of the venue just gets super muddy. I mean you basically getting a room or hall reverb naturally based on the venue. Bass just carries much differently than guitar.
Guitarist generally use reverb to smooth out their sound and make it sound less sloppy. For bass in the live scenario the acoustics of the venue generally does that for you already so adding reverb to the inherent acoustic reverb of the venue just gets super muddy. I mean you basically getting a room or hall reverb naturally based on the venue. Bass just carries much differently than guitar.
More production cost for 'only' 'special' needs (not common) . And it's a 'special' need because, using reverb on bass sound, if not done very properly/carefully -more than other effect- especially on the lower part of frequencies..can ruin the bass (or/and overall) sound, muddying it (low freq) etc. (Try play chord on the lower register of bass, or unmute series of ringing sustain bass note, then we'd know).
YMMV
C'mon. Reverb on a bass amp? Most bassists are still clinging to their single pickup P basses and refuse to use compression.
Acoustic Image amps have reverb...they use a Lexicon unit I think, and it sounds great!
I bought the TC Hall of Fame based entirely off of the "Ambiance" setting. I'm not one for wild and wacky effects. When set up in "Ambiant" mode in my home studio setup - completely subtle (and notably, essentially inaudible for live use), it emphasizes and adds just the right amount of spatial life to the delightfully warm overtones of my tube preamp.
If you've ever heard your voice through a really nice vocal mic and mic preamp in a recording studio you'll know what I'm talking about. Subtlety is KEY.
Lonnybass
I use the TC Electronic Arena reverb, which (as I understand it) is really just a HoF with a couple of extra settings. Like some of the posters here have said, in a live mix you don't really hear the effect a whole lot, but when I'm at a part of a song where the guitars either drop out or down in level, or if I'm using an octave pedal (octave up) ahead of the reverb, it sounds delicious.
