• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join freeLog in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Your best 5 pedals.

This is what I am currently using for effects.

pedal.jpg


1 - First I run into an equalizer

2 - Then I split the signal into 4 parallel signals with a rolls mixer.

3 - I run one of the parallel lines into the Line6 bass pod where I model an acoustic 360 with a rat or big muff distortion pedal. I use this to get a retro growlly distorted sound. Or I also model an Ampeg fliptop with the Rat Distortion pedal. And I also Model an old Marshall amp. With the bass pod I can get a wide range of clean or dirty sounds and various effects and model different amps and speaker cabinets.

4 - The second parallel signal goes into a MXR bass di+. I use this pedal to get a clean modern sound. It also has a distortion button that can give a moderate to extreme amount of modern distortion.

5 - The third parallel signal goes into a Marshall Guv'nor. This gives me an old 60s marshall stack sound. This can go from a small amount of distortion to an over the top marshall sound. This effect can give you a the classic Jack Bruce Cream tone.

6 - The fourth parallel signal goes into a Tech21 VT Bass pedal. With this effect I get a slightly dirty Ampeg SVT bass amp sound with a tube like growl.

7 - Then I remix the 4 signals back together and run it into a bass amp, or pa, or studio mixer. Because the signals are parallel I can mix clean and overdriven sounds together and still get effect and a sound that punches through the mix.

Schematic diagram of my effects.

effects-sch.jpg
 
1- LR Baggs Stadium DI - I could probably gig with this pedal alone. The Growl knob is amazing.

2- VT Bass - I had always used the VT as a pre amp pedal. In the 2nd half of 2016 I started using it solely as a distortion pedal and couldn't be happier.

3 - ProCo Rat - my Rat's filter control busted and is stuck on one tone... and I love it.

4 - Diamond Quantum - I don't use a ton of modulation or delay and this guy helped me save a lot of board space without sacrificing tone quality.

5 - TU-2 tuner- because
 
EHX Micro POG: After years of mucking about trying to find a front end for my board, the Micro POG finally gave me what I wanted. Only three knobs, simple straightforward up and down octaves. Works great, have no desire to ever replace it.

Idiotbox Blower Box: this pedal is a LM308 RAT based distortion; according to the builder, it was inspired by the metal bass tones of Voivod. Despite that "best for metal" origin, it has a wide range of dirt on tap to cover a lot of territory; it can go from low OD grind to fuzz, depending on how you set it. It has kicked all the other dirt off my board. Oh, and it looks cool too with those green glowing eyes. LOL

MXR Script Phase 90: The classic phaser tone, as heard on "Stranglehold" and countless other tunes. Only one knob, but that's all it needs. I like to use it with a touch of dirt for some extra hair on the effect. Honorable mention to the EHX Nano Small Stone, which is my other favorite phaser.

Catalinbread Adineko: An old "oil can" style delay in a modern pedal. I always thought most delays (even the excellent MXR Carbon Copy, which I still recommend if you want a traditional analog delay) sounded too "hard" and artificial. The oil can delays have a softer, more organic, less harsh quality to them that I really like, and the Adineko captures that perfectly. Honorable mention to the OBNE Black Fountain, which is another excellent "oil can" delay; I own both, and switch back and forth between them a lot.

DOD Milk Box compressor: Always on. In the stock "light compression" mode, it adds a little something to my tone that I like to call "creamy". I use it at the end of my board as a "cleanup batter" and booster. Love it, wish they'd reissue it because the one I have is probably around 20 years old by now and I'm dreading the day it inevitably breaks.
 
  • Like
Reactions: StayLow
Darkglass B7K ultra
Tronographic rusty box
Dod fx10
Idiot box blower box
Way huge pork loin (cap mod)

(I could almost just build a small board and throw those 5 on it and be good. Maybe add the möbius and DL8 or DD3)

I really like a lot of pedals so it's hard to pick 5 tops. But the ones i named are so intrical to my sound and tone, without the first three, my tone would be pretty altered and in essence, not MY tone. It's taken me almost 5 years to get it, and I came to those first 3 a while back, but it's that combo that allows me to pretty much sculpt anything I throw at it the way I want to relative ease. Wham bam thank you mam!

Honorable mention:
tc specrecomp
Fuzzro rat tail w/ 2nd dist mod
DOD carcosa
SUF civil unrest
Big game f800b

(Now that I've named just about all my dirt pedals, I think I'm good hehe). I may have named the MK Behemoth II but I just got it and still need to run it through its paces. So we'll see. But so far, so friggen good.
 
Last edited:
1. Two Notes Le Bass. It's my always-on preamp and I run it through my head's effects return, so it's kind of essential to my sound. Also, it sounds really good.

2. Broughton Azure Drive: I'm actually still somewhat in the processbof figuring out this pedal, but last night I just left it on all the time at my gig and it really filled out my sound. (I was borrowing someone's Peavy 215 cab which definitely played a part, but I loved the sound enough to plan some future gear purchases around that sound.)

3. Fuzzrocious Demon. Used always-on in one band, and is extremely useful in the other. Currently using the gated boost mod and a little bit of clean blend.

4. Broughton Low + High Pass Filter. Cuts out stuff that sounds bad, allowing me more freedom when shaping the frequencies in between.

The rest of my board is tied for 5th place, as I use everything pretty much equally.
 
1. Eventide H9 - My holy grail, used primarily as a Pitchfactor, but the other effects are equally amazing. EB volume pedal for expression really makes this invaluable to me.

2. Source Audio OFD - All the dirt I've needed

3. Source Audio Manta - All the filtering I've ever needed

4. Line6 M5/9 - So many great sounds and functions in these boxes. M9 for all the tricks, M5 for space saving.

5. MXR Bass Octave Deluxe - My first bass pedal, favorite tracking analog octaver

I like digital pedals
 
What a fun thread!

  1. Bass Whammy (reissue)
  2. Deluxe Big Bass Buff Muff Pi
  3. MXR 87 Bass Compressor
  4. TC Corona chorus
  5. I dunno. Whatevs. Maybe my Freeze? My Aphex Xciter? My Pitchfork?

Very similar to mine. So thanks, cause I was starting to feel out of place with all these lists of boutique pedals!! For my 5 "best" pedals I will interpret as "if I can only bring 5 pedals, what are they?"

1. Bass Whammy
2. Deluxe Big Bass Muff Pi
3. Boss LS-2
4. EHX PitchFork (even over my POG-2, the PF can do what I need, and is dead simple to use)
5. Boss PS-6

Next in line is my MXR M-87, but it's a new pedal for me, and I just don't have it dialed in yet.
 
In NO particular order;
Four eyes fuzz-really versatile OD/Fuzz with quite a range if driven properly.( a good next step up in terms of rive, to the barbershop)
Unpleasant surprise - great sounding fuzz and a lot of fun!
Barbershop - after having learnt how to use it...an AMAZING pedal.
ADA Pbf Flanger - just a great sounding flanger pedal!
MSD Silverstone overdrive - another flavour completely than the barbershop and GREAT at what it does.
 
Last edited:
Rodenberg Commander - really nice od and distortion.
Rodenberg GAS 808b - overdrive, Tube Scream type.
FEA DE-CL
Pump Lab / CCP Fuzz Against the Machine
DIY Rams Head muff clone, Musikding kit.

Really difficult to narrow it down to five. Manta, Color Tone Bass Fuzz, Bazz Fuss, Ball Buster, DOD Phasor, DOD 250 all could have made it in the list on a different day. Or something else I dont remember at the moment. :)
 
Not a huge pedal guy, but I have a couple that I love.

Darkglass Vintage Deluxe Microtubes:. I use this pedal for just about everything. I can get a really smooth clean tone out of it.

Boss BB-1X-. Best bass overdrive I have ever used. Doesn't suck out the low end at all.
 
  • Like
Reactions: thegroovemaster