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bass guitar effects question


jonnpip
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In the 30 yrs of playing bass in covers bands and playing at pubs around my county ive never used any pedals or effects,but now im thinking "ok give it a go" but where do i start,what do i buy,maybe something that gives me more tone or maybe a nice effect, im guessing if its just covers im playing id only use a effects pedal on maybe one or two songs ?
Some advice please would be great,i have to mention tho at the moment ive got a great sounding rig but am i missing out on a area of bass playing ?

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I'd suggest getting a decent multi fx pedal. This way you can learn which effects do what & if at a later date you want stomp boxes, you'll have a good idea of what you're after.
Multi fx aren't so good at dirt effects such as overdrive or fuzz, but they're getting better & you could always add a separate dirt box if needed.

Here's a link to a member's page that explains almost everything about effects. Start at part 1. It's a good & informative read.

http://sheponbass.co.uk/blog/?category=Signal+Chain+BASSics

Oh, & welcome to the good side. :)

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Hi I can just pass my personal experience. I thought I'd try some effects pedals and would start with some distortion/fuzz. I bought a little boss unit but it didn't hit the spot at all and I found what I was looking for in a Harkte Bass Attack, which is described as a tone sharpening pre-amp. This and my Digitech Bass Synth Wah Envelope filter are what I use most. The Synth Wah gives you a lot to play with for the money. Another great envelope filter is a Bass Balls but it has less variations than the digitech

Take your time and if your not sure buy 2nd hand from here as you can experiment and get your money back.

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[quote name='xgsjx' timestamp='1377758046' post='2191308']
I'd suggest getting a decent multi fx pedal. This way you can learn which effects do what & if at a later date you want stomp boxes, you'll have a good idea of what you're after.
Multi fx aren't so good at dirt effects such as overdrive or fuzz, but they're getting better & you could always add a separate dirt box if needed.

Here's a link to a member's page that explains almost everything about effects. Start at part 1. It's a good & informative read.

[url="http://sheponbass.co.uk/blog/?category=Signal+Chain+BASSics"]http://sheponbass.co...l+Chain+BASSics[/url]

Oh, & welcome to the good side. :)
[/quote]
I don't know a lot about effects, but I've recently bought a Zoom B3. It's not only a multi-effects box, but also connects your bass to the PC for recording. It's a simple drum machine and a looper.

The B3 allows you to have 6 effects loaded for quick access at any one time. So it should handle your needs.

Richard

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[quote name='jonnpip' timestamp='1377756279' post='2191304']
In the 30 yrs of playing bass in covers bands and playing at pubs around my county ive never used any pedals or effects,but now im thinking "ok give it a go" but where do i start,what do i buy,maybe something that gives me more tone or maybe a nice effect, im guessing if its just covers im playing id only use a effects pedal on maybe one or two songs?
[/quote]

What kind of covers are you doing matey? That might help steer you in the right sonic experimentation areas...

I play mostly covers and have a variety of effects to help me make noises comparable with the original version we're using...

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You've got as wide a variety of stuff as we do, lots of funk, pop and some rock...

I'd have a look at a compresssor, octaver and a little dirt as that'll cover most bases on those songs...?

Edited by andydye
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[quote name='RAY AGAINST THE MACHINE' timestamp='1377773167' post='2191536']
Just buy the boss me 50 b which some lovely bloke has for sale ;)
Basic, uncomplicated and fun
[/quote]
Bassist that I saw playing for David Phelps had a Sadowski into a ME50b to a Super Redhaed combo & had an excellent sound.

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I would agree with buying an ME-50B normally, however depends what effects you want to use. For example, the Octaves and Envelopes are on the same 'pedal' and so can't be used at the same time (ignoring the expression pedal here). Overal it's a great pedal (I own it), however the drives are lacking IMO. Line6 M9 or Zoom B3 perhaps.
My covers board is just individual pedals; Tuner, Octave, Envelope Filter and Overdrive/Distortion. It all gets used fairly sparingly, but just adds colour when necessary :)

Si

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To echo previous comments, I think the best bet is to listen to a bunch of pedal effect demo's from pro guitar shop, even though they are mostly for guitar, to get an idea of what octave pedals, filters, overdrives, fuzzes, chorus, phasers, flangers etc, actually sound like. I am very much a fan of individual, analog effects, but I think something like a Line 6 M5 may be a great first step, aside from the weak dirt sounds they cover a lot of ground pretty well.

A little pedaltrain nano setup with an octave pedal, filter, dirt pedal and modulation pedal will get you 99% of sounds, but yes, it is quite addictive when you start out! Fun though...

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[quote name='RAY AGAINST THE MACHINE' timestamp='1377773167' post='2191536']
Just buy the boss me 50 b which some lovely bloke has for sale ;)
Basic, uncomplicated and fun
[/quote]
Good call, a great pedal if you want access to a lot of effects in a simple to use multi-effects pedal. I took that approach with my lead guitar and have an ME70.
For bass I use less effects with bass so am going down the individual pedal route. This seems to suite me fine so far-I may well still end up with MB50 in the future :blush: .

There is also a cheaper ME20B that may be worth a look

Edited by Pinball
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[quote name='Grangur' timestamp='1377758921' post='2191317']
I don't know a lot about effects, but I've recently bought a Zoom B3. It's not only a multi-effects box, but also connects your bass to the PC for recording. It's a simple drum machine and a looper.

The B3 allows you to have 6 effects loaded for quick access at any one time. So it should handle your needs.

Richard
[/quote]

Another vote for the B3. Buying a multi-effects pedal might seem a bit like diving in at the deep end, but the B3 has some really nice amp models, too. Even if you decide you don't like the funny noises, it's an excellent bit of kit for headphone practice.

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[quote name='Dr M' timestamp='1378224566' post='2197297']
Another vote for the B3. Buying a multi-effects pedal might seem a bit like diving in at the deep end, but the B3 has some really nice amp models, too. Even if you decide you don't like the funny noises, it's an excellent bit of kit for headphone practice.
[/quote]

I've got one for sale if anyone wants it, too complicated for me ...as new condition, 1 year old.

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[quote name='Grangur' timestamp='1377758921' post='2191317']
The B3 allows you to have 6 effects loaded for quick access at any one time. So it should handle your needs.
[/quote]

Have you got new firmware I don't know about? AFAIK the B3 is still 3 effects, the G3 is six.

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