Bass pedals

JB_From_Hell

JB_From_Hell

Jomo's Nimions
Not necessarily bass-specific effects, but what pedals are on your bass board?

For starters, I finally made a board. It's a plastic cutting board, and I used 3M Command strips to mount the pedals. So far, so good.

First pedal is a D'Addario chromatic tuner. Next is an EHX Bassballs. If I had to ditch all the pedals and just use one, it would be this one. Next is a Dunlop Hendrix wah. I need to mod it to ditch the volume drop, but otherwise, it's voiced really well for bass. After that is a Boss ODB-3. I set it with the mix almost all the way dry, and the gain on like less than 1. It lets me cop that middle era Les Claypool tone, like "Fisticuffs" or "Southbound Pachyderm." Last is a Donner Revecho. It's fun for ambient, Jonas Hellborg kinda stuff, and I set the delay to a single repeat that's slightly louder than the dry signal. Neat effect with fretless.

En route is a Boss TR-2, which I think will be a blast. When the TR-2 shows up, I'm pulling the wah off the board (you guys were right, it's too heavy), and reconfiguring things.

I'm a little reluctant to get into compressors, but Juan Alderete says the Boss CS-2 is his #1 pedal of all time, so I'm going to get one.

Also after a Digitech Timebender, current gen Bass Whammy, a chorus, phaser, and flanger, probably old Boss or DOD stuff.
 
Re: Bass pedals

This was pretty much the pedals I used playing bass. A compressor, overdrive, and a tuner. Compressors are important! Every recorded bass you hear is compressed. I like to have zero dynamic range. Just on and off. Then depending on how you play you can get brighter or mellower which gives the same impression as louder softer. Plus if you slam the strings your bass doesn’t get louder than the rest of the band.

But I sound very even without the compressor. That’s from 50 years of playing bass. lol. But I still like to compress it. That old MXR Limiter is very transparent. Not squishy at all.

At other times I used an MXR Phase 90, various chorus pedals, and a BK Butler Blue Tube. Also my old EHX Microsynth for lower octaves and filter effects.

The Boss overdrive has been modded.

I used to use a bunch of pedals, but as time went on less and less.


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Re: Bass pedals

This is longcat's bass board:

RyCxdtm.jpg


The tuner needs no explanation, but for the rest...

MXR Bass Octave Deluxe - The standard for years was a BOSS OC-2, but the tracking on this is amazing and it sounds really good; especially with the mid switch engaged.

Retro Sonic Phaser - This spot used to be occupied by a Phase 90, but the Retro Sonic is vastly superior for bass IMO. It doesn't cut low end, the output volume is adjustable, and resonance is adjustable between none (script) to borderline obnoxious (block) level. IMO the sweet spot is just slightly less resonance than a typical block-logo Phase 90.

Wren & Cuff Pickle Pie B - longcat & I are into a lot of 90s grunge / alternative, so a good distortion was imperative. It's essentially a heavily-tweaked Green Russian Big Muff; much wider usable gain range, reworked tone control, and a clean blend. We typically run it 2/3 - 3/4 wet and it sounds like the bass on Quiet off of Siamese Dream.

BOSS CE-2B - In addition to Smashing Pumpkins, we're also into The Cure. It's essentially a CE-2 with a low pass, so the mids and highs are chorused but the lows and low mids aren't. It isn't as lush as a CE-2 or Small Clone, but it sounds a lot more full and solid.

BOSS BF-2 - We tried a BF-2B, but it was far too subtle. It gets really in your face when combined with the Pickle Pie, while it's instant 46 & 2 when layered with the CE-2B. We don't typically use this one by itself.

Typically this board is run into an Ampeg SVT-III Pro set a bit below edge of breakup, so we get some nice compression from the tube preamp. When running into the GK 400RB instead (set clean), we'll use a compressor in the loop.
 
Re: Bass pedals

Put my modded DS-1 on the board. I don’t really use them for distortion, but to get a more active, Les Claypool kind of tone. I’ll try to dial up some grunge for you though.
 
Re: Bass pedals

Despite me being a guitar pedal lover and drooling over bass boards like Justin Chancellor’s, I just play bass straight into the Fender Rumble. I can set it up pretty easily for a fat R&B type tone, a gritty SVT like rock tone and a scooped poppy tone for slap. The last one is just for fun, I can do a little grit and be happy across the board. On that vintage type channel there’s a little compression which works for me. Boring, I know.
 
Re: Bass pedals

All I use is a little compression (Vise Grip). If I use overdrive, it is from the amp.
 
Re: Bass pedals

I use my board for guitar and bass, just in different ways. Goes from the Bass to a 70's Del Ray Morley Power Wah Fuzz, which acts as a vol pedal without the wah or fuzz on, with just the fuzz on it works like a blend for the dry or the fuzz signal and with the wah engaged it controls the wah, pretty fully featured pedal especially coming from that era. Next i run into a MXR Custom Comp then the signal is split and one side goes to a TC Electronic Dark Matter that i use for a little grit or use it as a clean channel. The other side goes into a Micro POG, BBE Free Fuzz, then a Keeley Dark Side for tape delay or modulation in addition to an OP Amp Fuzz. Both signals get combined and sent to the front end of my Ashdown MAG 220 that has another Compressor i run pretty lightly, and i can toggle a Sub Octave and the Drive.
 
Re: Bass pedals

Peavey TNT 130, someday destined to get a horn. With a Jackson Concert V with active pickups.
oh and a Aural Exciter in the loop.
 
Re: Bass pedals

I used to run a Keeley 4 knob in front, but found that I didn't need it with the Peavey.
 
Re: Bass pedals

As much as I’m talking about pedals, I’m cool plugging straight in, too. One of the things that got me focused on bass is how good it sounds with a cable and amp. On guitar, I’m never happy without drive and reverb.
 
Re: Bass pedals

I've been talking with my bass player about adding pedals to hi setup. He currently plays straight into his amp, but as we're a 3-piece there are times when we could do with something to bolster his sound when I'm soloing. We already use a vocal harmoniser and Boss SY-1 to add 'sprinkles' to some songs on my side. I'm thinking a compressor, a chorus and maybe an octave that gives an octave up for pseudo guitar/bass unison sounds.
 
Re: Bass pedals

I used to only use a DBX 163X compressor, but since I got my EHX Battalion, I'm loving it. It has it's own compressor built in.

Edit: Update. My BBE AcoustiMax is giving the Battalion a good run for its money.
 
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Re: Bass pedals

Personally, I like the higher frequencies going through an overdrive...with the lower frequencies un-effected. I have done this before with 2 amps, but I bet there is a pedal that does this.
 
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