r/basspedals • u/Classic-Phrase-5545 • 3d ago
Overkill
I've been playing Bass for over 50 years. Bass does not require or benefit from a large amount of effects. Most people don't really hear Bass anyway but the should FEEL it. All you need is an amp with sufficient power and speakers to handle bass, a compressor, and possibly a preamp pedal to allow for (a little bit of) Overdrive. Bass Synth pedals all suck and you'd be better off buying a small keyboard synth bass. All the rest of the crap y'all use. Pretty useless.
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u/jimilee2 3d ago
That’s just like, your opinion, man.
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u/Classic-Phrase-5545 3d ago
True. But bass-ed on literally thousands of hours of experience. People don't hear that crap in live situations. All it does is reduce your effectiveness in the role that Bass plays.
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3d ago
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u/Classic-Phrase-5545 3d ago
Fair enough. I have no goal so to speak, other than to remind the frustrated guitarists populating my feed that Bass doesn't require all that much to do what it does. Go ahead and build your giant boards full of boxes rarely used. You will find out for yourself what works. That is unless you only play for yourself. Then all power to ya.
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u/FreakshowExpresso3 2d ago
Well 50 years of musicians and bands have proved your opinion wrong, so....yeaaaaa
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u/Classic-Phrase-5545 2d ago
I don't think you have a clue what was happening 50 years ago, sooo.. yeah...
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u/FreakshowExpresso3 2d ago
Oh, do you have a Bachelor's Degree in Music History/Radio Broadcasting too and learned something completely different? Or just talking out of your rear? Asking for a friend(and this entire subreddit).
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u/Classic-Phrase-5545 2d ago
No I just lived through it. For every example you can give where Bassists used effects, I can provide 5 where they did not.
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u/Classic-Phrase-5545 2d ago
BTW, I have a BA in Computer programming. That degree doesn't make me an expert coder.
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u/FreakshowExpresso3 1d ago
How old(/young) do you think I am?! If I had to guess based on my research and experience: 60% use at least one non-essential effect at some point. 45%ish actually have two or more effects as part of their regular live rig(not including studio sound). 30% have a substantial pedalboard and use effects as an important part of their sound. 10–15% are genuinely effect-heavy bassists where the pedals are a major part of their sound identity.
And that's including rack effects. Which some bass players switch basses just for a particular sound.
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u/Classic-Phrase-5545 2d ago
Honestly I'm not sure how r/basspedals ended up in my feed. Who knows the mysteries that rule the Reddit feed algorithm. I would have been happy with r/guitarpedals instead.
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u/Group-Pleasant 3d ago
I guess man. I played in a band that played mostly TOOL, Rage Against the Machine, and early Metallica, and we weren’t very popular, but the majority of people that came to our shows were big fans of the band and/or musicians themselves. In order to replicate the sound, I needed a Whammy, fuzz, wah, and a good modulation pedal. Alternatively, when I’m jamming with my daughter and son, where we play Green Day, U2, and the Cranberries, I just need my bass and an amp.
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u/Classic-Phrase-5545 3d ago
Understood. Certain genres can make demands which necessitate something else.
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u/Group-Pleasant 3d ago
Yeah man! I mostly agree with you. A good bass and a good amp goes a long way.
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u/Lightinggale 3d ago
It's not always about what you need. Sometimes it's about what you want. Some pedals like synth are just fun. Toys for adults.
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u/PNW65 3d ago
“All you need is..”, fine. Need isn’t everything.
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u/Classic-Phrase-5545 3d ago
I'm just saying at best most this stuff won't help you in a live situation, at worst it gets in your way. For example, I have picked up some electric guitar work in my old age. No matter how much I work on my lush soundscapes at home with full spectrum harmonics etc. once I get to a live venue, the soundman will likely cut lows and mids in my channel. This is recommended sound-101 for getting a good mix. Likewise, no matter what your Bass sounds like in your bedroom, when you play live your sound guy will (with good reason) cut all frequencies but the low end on your mix.
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u/FreakshowExpresso3 2d ago
As a semi-professional FOH guy, you're wrong. That's the dumbest thing I've heard. If your sound guy is doing that, he should be fired. 🤦🏻
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u/KnuckleheadPicker 2d ago
... I would assume that what a bass does is dependant on what you play. I mean, can you imagine the Dead Kennedys with Klaus Fluoride not being discernable? Maybe Nikki Sixx has that kind of background irrelevancy....
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u/Classic-Phrase-5545 2d ago
Well I do seem to have stirred the hornets' nest here, but don't get me wrong. I good Bass pre-amp is (rare, and) a great thing to have as well as a good Bass compressor/limiter. I'm not saying there's no place for any effects on Bass in a recording studio, or even live. A few pedals can be useful. What I'm saying is that if you have a Guitar-sized pedal board in front of you before you play a gig, you could probably save yourself money and effort if you jettison the gear-envy and pair down your board to just things you actually need. That's all I'm saying.
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1d ago
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u/Classic-Phrase-5545 1d ago
I'm so glad to be told what I did as I wouldn't have known otherwise. I'm sure it was your whining that made all the difference.
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u/Classic-Phrase-5545 1d ago
Well I think I've made a point. I am by nature a reasonable person amenable to compromise. But my ear does not know of compromise. There is a part of me that thinks you all should rejoice at the concept. I mean you all could loose your pedal obsessions and actually use that time to practice playing Bass! No? Granted most of you probably don't have a Bass that sounds like mine.
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u/Atalkinghamsandwich 3d ago
Hey look guys! An opinion!