Ray Posted August 30, 2021 Share Posted August 30, 2021 I like simplicity. P bass, cable, amp. This lets me focus on my playing, my technique, learning songs etc. This approach has served me well for years until I got the call for a great gig that requires an octave pedal - so I bought one. There are a couple of slap tunes too. Haven’t slapped for a few years so I thought I’d better get a compressor to help even out my playing - so I did. Now I’m obsessing about which drive/preamp pedal I could get just colour my tone a bit while practicing so it doesn’t sound so dry. I find myself spending hours on YouTube looking at reviews for pedals instead of playing and practicing. I used to be content just plugging directly into my interface and off I went. How do I get back to that? Is that even possible? 😂 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheGreek Posted August 30, 2021 Share Posted August 30, 2021 Yep...been there... ...and then you realise you don't really need all those you bought because you thought you did. Realistically I use a compressor ( or the built in one on a TE) and a Envelope Filter for phattness. Everything else is superfluous (maybe a Behringer BDI 21). 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DiMarco Posted August 30, 2021 Share Posted August 30, 2021 It gets worse. You will love your drive/preamp one week and dislike it the other, only to love it again later on etc. 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve-bbb Posted August 30, 2021 Share Posted August 30, 2021 same - have now grown out of the urge for lush active tones and gone ot passive P and passive J 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crawford13 Posted August 30, 2021 Share Posted August 30, 2021 Get yourself an hx stomp, and it should sort you out for a while. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheGreek Posted August 30, 2021 Share Posted August 30, 2021 1 hour ago, DiMarco said: It gets worse. You will love your drive/preamp one week and dislike it the other, only to love it again later on etc. Generally the day after you sell it.. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray Posted August 30, 2021 Author Share Posted August 30, 2021 48 minutes ago, Crawford13 said: Get yourself an hx stomp, and it should sort you out for a while. Don’t put ideas in my head! I need inspiration to go back to no effects! 😂😂😂 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray Posted August 30, 2021 Author Share Posted August 30, 2021 1 minute ago, TheGreek said: Generally the day after you sell it.. 1 hour ago, DiMarco said: It gets worse. You will love your drive/preamp one week and dislike it the other, only to love it again later on etc. Yep. I bought an Aguilar DB925 a few weeks ago. Loved it for a while. Now I’m thinking it’s fairly pointless. It beefs up my tone a bit when I’m practicing plugged directly into my interface (not bothered about using it live as I’m happy with my amp as is) but I never used to care much about my tone when practicing. Why do I care now? 😖 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lozz196 Posted August 30, 2021 Share Posted August 30, 2021 I find that if I’m enjoying my tone whilst practicing I enjoy practicing more, maybe you’ve now entered that (costly) phase? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bunion Posted August 30, 2021 Share Posted August 30, 2021 (edited) How about a nice Ampeg SVT either a full tube amp or an SVP pro pre amp lovely tube creaminess and depth when clean 5 mid settings for adding or scooping mids (slap it like it’s a pert bottom on a French hooker) That nice ampeg fat bass sound to add a bit fullness and if you want a bit of distortion just crank up the gain and drive those tubes. plus none can pick it up and run off with it so security and peace of mind. Edited August 30, 2021 by Bunion 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doddy Posted August 30, 2021 Share Posted August 30, 2021 2 hours ago, Ray said: but I never used to care much about my tone when practicing. Why do I care now? 😖 Because your tone is one of the most important and unique aspects of playing your instrument. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grahambythesea Posted August 30, 2021 Share Posted August 30, 2021 To get back to basics, in the words of Richard Branson “ screw it, just do it!” 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Downunderwonder Posted August 30, 2021 Share Posted August 30, 2021 5 hours ago, Ray said: How do I get back to that? Unplug the other stuff!? Set aside 15 minutes for experimenting with stuff and practice the rest? The Chinese just announced playing computer games is limited to 1 hour per day. Make like a Chinese student? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Downunderwonder Posted August 30, 2021 Share Posted August 30, 2021 There are more tones than what can be had from a P bass. Some are content with just that world, as you were for a long time. Some people would have you run back to that world. Up to you really how much time you spend pushing the fence out seeking pleasing tones and how much you spend practicing with the tones you have. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubit Posted September 1, 2021 Share Posted September 1, 2021 On 30/08/2021 at 21:22, Bunion said: How about a nice Ampeg SVT either a full tube amp or an SVP pro pre amp lovely tube creaminess and depth when clean 5 mid settings for adding or scooping mids (slap it like it’s a pert bottom on a French hooker) That nice ampeg fat bass sound to add a bit fullness and if you want a bit of distortion just crank up the gain and drive those tubes. plus none can pick it up and run off with it so security and peace of mind. This is what I have. I can second everything in the above statement. Especially the anti theft feature with it weighing the same as a large sheep! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray Posted September 1, 2021 Author Share Posted September 1, 2021 All good advice. Thank you all. I think I've settled on a solution that will stop me tone hunting, at least for a while - I've set up my Aguilar TH500 in my practice room with the send going to my interface. I never really got on with the drive knob before but since reading some of the BC threads on how it works with the EQ I've found a tone I really like. The fan noise bothers me a bit so I might have to get the Tonehammer pedal for practice. Right! Off to YouTube to look at Tonehammer reviews then..! 😂 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave_bass5 Posted September 2, 2021 Share Posted September 2, 2021 Been there myself. The past 4 years have been a huge learning curve for me. Almost a new pedal every rehearsal, Helix, Zoom’s, OD’s (loads of OD’s) etc. Great fun, but i found i never used them at home when practising, other than as a headphone amp with just a basic rig programmed in. In fact i also found i hardly used the programmed patches at gigs either. Rehearsals i could muck about and get everything set up and working/balanced etc, but come the gig I concentrated more on playing, and used to not bother turning the effects on and off, unless they were really needed. Last few rehearsals i had on bass before lockdown were just bass/comp/rig, and i noticed i played a lot better as there were less distractions. Been down the rabbit hole, climbed back up, and put a concrete block over the entrance. Not saying i wont use effects again, im hoping to use comp and drive (but my amp has a nice drive section), but i have no plans to get in to it as much as i did. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skybone Posted September 2, 2021 Share Posted September 2, 2021 I believe that's the "bass forum effect" in action... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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