Bass Guitar Effects Pedals: Pros, Cons, and Tips for Beginners
Whether it’s playing music, listening to music, or talking about gear, I love spending time with other musicians. There’s so much wisdom to gain and share when you participate in musical camaraderie.
I’ve spent a great deal of time at concerts, music stores, and on social media throughout my years of playing music, and there is one debate that seems to emerge frequently…
The great pedal debate.
If you’re not familiar with this argument, let me break it down:
- Pro-Pedal (aka “The Pedalist”): “Effects pedals are everything! You need AT LEAST three overdrives and a Helix Stomp, and your pedalboard needs to be as long as your guitar case.”
- Anti-Pedal (aka “The Purist”): “You don’t need fancy gear. You don’t need pedals, ESPECIALLY as a bass player. Tone comes from the fingers of the player, man!”
So who’s right? Is there any possibility of meeting in the middle? Can’t we all just get along?!
If you’re a beginner bassist, it’s hard to know where to start. Technology in the 21st century has given us more options than ever before when it comes to gear and online resources. Should you buy that new Darkglass pedal? Or should you stick with your starter bass and spend more time practicing?
If you’re trying to figure out how you should invest your time and money, then keep on reading.
The Pedalist’s View (Pros)
1. Just because you play well doesn’t always mean you sound good.
It’s possible to have good technique and bad tone. For example, imagine you’re touring in a band. You’ve just arrived at the next stop of the tour and notice your tone sounds muddy through the wedge monitors compared to the last show you played. An EQ pedal (or a preamp pedal) can come in handy when balancing your stage sound and adapting to the acoustics of a new venue.
2. Having great tone can inspire great playing, spark new ideas, and motivate you to practice.
I’ve never been much of a slap player, mainly because it’s never been required in the styles of music I’ve played throughout the years.
I recently heard a song by Mononeon, and his tone blew me away. I attempted to recreate his sound on my multi-effects unit. The finished product was a patch with chorus, overdrive, and an envelope filter, and holy cow! Since then I’ve practiced more slap style than I have since I first picked up the instrument as a teenager, and I don’t plan on stopping anytime soon.
It’s simple: it’s no fun playing with bland tone. When you sound good, you want to practice more. And the more you practice, the better you get!
3. With effects pedals, you’ll be equipped for any gig.
Effects pedals can be a wise investment if you want to play any gig you can get, regardless of style. Funk show? Break out the envelope filter. Metal gig? Time for some overdrive. And when given the chance to play a bass solo, an octave pedal can help you add some color to your sound during your moments in the spotlight. Basically, you’ll become a bass-playing Swiss Army knife!
The Purist’s Perspective (Cons)
1. Pedals are expensive.
Music equipment isn’t cheap. More than likely your first bass setup was an investment to some degree for either you or your parents – bass guitar, amp, instrument cables, tuner, strap… it adds up! If you decide you want to experiment with effects pedals, that’s a completely separate money pit in itself. Pedals, patch cables, power supply, pedalboard, etc. The list goes on.
Also factor in the time you’ll spend dialing in your tone, tweaking knobs and rearranging your signal chain. And just when you think your hunt for the perfect tone has ended, your favorite company will announce the release of a bigger, better pedal that you just have to add to your collection!
2. Don’t forget where your sound truly starts…
Ever wonder how two bassists can pick up the exact same bass, but one player sounds better than the other? It blows my mind how some bass players can make a $150 Dean sound like a Rickenbacker. That’s because YOU are the beginning of your signal chain!
Some may think “If only I could get my hands on that Noble… THEN I’d sound good.” But here’s the truth: “better gear” doesn’t equal “better player.” You could have the world’s most expensive pedalboard, but if you don’t understand the importance of string muting and keeping time then your playing will sound sloppy. It all starts with you!
2. More pedals, more problems.
By expanding your pedal collection you’re expanding your sound, but that also means more opportunity for hiccups. What happens when you run out of room on your pedalboard? Buy a new board? Or sacrifice your tone by removing pedals? Do you have a sufficient power supply? You might find joy in the journey, but be prepared for some growing pains with new additions to your setup.
And then there’s troubleshooting. I remember my first Sunday playing in the worship band at church. Stoked to use my pedalboard, I quickly felt defeated during sound check when the sound guy noticed some electronic buzz coming from my channel. When my effects pedals were bypassed, the buzz disappeared… awesome. For the next 20 minutes our guitarist helped me tear apart my setup, attempting to identify which pedal was the culprit. Long story short, we never discovered the issue. I played our worship set without my pedalboard… and my tone sounded killer anyway.
The Verdict
The bottom line: some bass players use pedals, others don’t. It’s as simple as that, and either approach is totally fine.
First, it’s important to note that you can manipulate your tone without effects pedals. Consider these quick tips:
- Adjust the EQ on your amp if your tone sounds too thin or too muddy.
- Playing with a pick vs. your fingers will result in a different sound.
- Plucking a string closer to the bridge will give your a brighter sound, while playing closer to the neck will give you a deeper, darker sound.
- Try some new bass strings (especially if it’s been a while since you’ve changed them).
If you’ve tried the above tips and still can’t improve your sound to your liking, consider purchasing an entry-level multi-effects unit before investing in a full pedalboard. The Zoom MS-60B was my very first pedal, and it’s still my most essential pedal to this day! It has a plethora of sounds and provides a great starting point for experimenting with effects, helping you discover what you like and what you dislike. Then, you can branch out and purchase more pedals once you’ve narrowed down what kind of sound you’re after.
The quest for that perfect tone seems to be one that never ends, so strap in, be patient, and enjoy the ride!
