Why don't bass amps have reverb?

[two fingers]

I used to like putting reverb on bass, but I don't anymore and the vast majority of bassists don't want it, either. But guitarists usually could use a little reverb.

This is (I think) Jimmy's really nice way of saying that guitarists can usually use a bit of "help" smoothing out their technique. I agree.

OP, honestly, as a sound tech as well as a bassist, I really wish guitarists would quit messing with reverb too. They usually misuse it (translate over use it). The more control you can give the guy out front the better the overall band mix will sound (in my view). I'm sure it'f fun to mess with in rehearsal and in situations where there is no FOH support. But most overdo it.

I have an old Fender PA 100 (which makes an incredible bass amp for those of you looking for a bargain on a vintage tube bass amp). It has reverb. I also has an old V4 (non "B") which had it. I have rarely if ever used it playing bass other than noodling around at the house.

 

[Ric5]

Reverb effects the higher mid frequencies so it is good for guitar that sits in that region. Most manufacturers probably feel that for bass, it would be best to provide it with an outboard device for those that want it rather than make it a feature that everyone will pay for.

I'm more of a fan of echo rather than reverb. Fender makes a nice tube based stand alone reverb unit. The Roland Space Echo is great, as is the El Capistan pedal. My point is, ther are a lot of alternatives that can do it a lot better than a built in reverb.

Yes ... Adding reverb to high and midrange frequencies sounds good but adding it to low frequencies makes the bass sound muddy and undefined.

I find that adding more bass works better than adding reverb

 

[BassFishingInAmerica]

Those P Bass players would tell you reverb is all in the fingers.

 

[Jeff Bonny]

C'mon. Reverb on a bass amp? Most bassists are still clinging to their single pickup P basses and refuse to use compression.

You need to get out more.

 

[hsech]

I like reverb on guitar, but bass............ no way.

 

[jamro217]

You need to get out more.

I would, but since I spend all of my money on stomp boxes that make my bass sound worse, I just sullenly mope around the house.

 

[jj4001]

Bass heads avoid reverb to save $$$ IMO. In a studio setting, the engineer/producer usually wants complete control over what gets wetted with reverb or other effects.

I use reverb when the song calls for it OR if I need to add more "space" in a dead place when we're doing 3 piece songs. Then you have the occasional song where the bass was recorded with reverb(arena rock bands). We don't cover this song featuring the late Scott Smith but doing a play-along with reverb added to your bass gives you the exact tone.


In headphones, reverb is very fun to play with to hear what a lonely bass sounds like in a large room or auditorium.

Ha! I was just gonna suggest using old Acoustic guitar amps since they essentially ARE exactly the same as their bass amps, except with reverb and some sort of distortion or fuzz built into them. I doubt Loverboy's bass player used this rig to record with, but in this video, he has a combination of Acoustic guitar and bass rigs. He probably ran the lows through that 371 bass rig and the highs through the 261 guitar rig with some reverb on that.

Old Kustom and Ampeg V-4 heads would work as well.

 

[Jeff Bonny]

I would, but since I spend all of my money on stomp boxes that make my bass sound worse, I just sullenly mope around the house.

This sounds vaguely familiar.....

 

[Arturo+music]

I had a bass amp head in the late 60s/early 70s as transistors were taking over from valve amps. That had reverb or vibrato on it but I never really bothered with it.

 

[seamonkey]

A lot of cabs have a built in "reverb"
Peaks, valleys, and resonance.
Impulse responses of cabinets are often captured and used in "convolution reverb". It ends up in many studio and stage performances these days.

 

[Jeff Scott]

I use a Strymon Flint for both reverb and tremolo. I am a fan.

 

[PSR B1919+21]

I use custom siegmund microtubes reverb, great for both bass and guitar! Easy to fit between the head and cab

 

[D.A.R.K.]

I like to use it very specifically, but a huge part of developing technique on the bass guitar is controlling sustain.
Reverb is in the other direction…

 

[Jeff Bonny]

The issue isn't whether or not reverb works on bass...that's simply a personal creative decision. I would think though that most people who use it regularly have tried a few units and settled on what speaks to their creative vision. What's that Sigmund cost? All the Strymon reverbs sound great and are $300-$500. I have a T-Rex Room-Mate that I really like too and it goes for $425. None of the less expensive ones I tried ever did much for me and I doubt anyone is gonna add $300-$500 to the cost of a bass amp by putting a nice one onboard when A) it's not heavily used by bass players and B) the choice is so personal. Ocatvers are MUCH more commonly used on bass and I wouldn't want an OC-3 onboard when an Ocatmizer is what I use.

 

[BassFishingInAmerica]

I can understand a bass amp without reverb, but I bet adding chorus to a bass head would be as smart as adding reverb to a guitar amp.

 

[bassliner50]

Same reason no reverb on your phone.
Because you want Punch. Not PPPPpppunch-ch.

 

[BurningSkies]

I can't believe that people think that not having reverb on a bass amp is because of the cost...Reverb has come on most guitar amps whether they be cheap or expensive. It's not a cost cutting thing. It's a suck thing.

 

[Jeff Scott]

Yes, spring reverb sucks, but not good digital reverbs, when used judiciously. YMMV.

 

[BurningSkies]

Full sized plate reverb anyone?

 

[Jim Carr]

When the bass is in its harmony controlling role, reverb smears time.