Top 3+2 Effects for the working bassist

[J_Bass]

EDIT: tuner, compressor, pre-amp, eq, amp, cab, di, are already in the pedalboard if you want to. These are free. You still have 3 slots available even if you use all of these.



Hello all. I am setting up a bunch of presets to use with my HX Stomp XL.

I am currently rehearsing with a band that plays 80s and 90s music. Pop and rock. Tunes for a 5 piece band (vocals, guitar, keys, bass, drums), like James, Pink Floyd, Joe Cocker, INXS, Simple Minds, etc..

So, excluding pedals like a tuner, pre-amp, compressor, eq, amp, cab and di, what are the Top 3+2 pedals for a bassist playing pop and rock from the 60s to the 00s?

3 indispensable pedals, that can be always on or on/off, and 2 pedals that may or may not be on the pedalboard?

You can answer the pole for the top 3 pedals and elaborate further about the reserve 2 in the replies.

EDIT: tuner, compressor, pre-amp, eq, amp, cab, di, are already in the pedalboard if you want to. These are free. You still have 3 slots available even if you use all of these.

Thanks!

 

[Verticos]

Drive sounds like it could include Distortion but not the other way around, so I put drive. Octaver is a no-brainer. I picked Synth as the last one because, while you can do the whole approximate-a-synth-with-other-pedals thing, I think that synth bass lines were/are now so ubiquitous in popular music that having a dedicated effect for it far supersedes the amount of times you'd need a filter for a pop song.

 

[HelpImaRock]

Octaver (whether that be an OC-2 style, or Octave Fuzz) and Dirt (I picked distortion). I don't dig most modulation effects on bass, so I picked delay because you can use it for space that still sticks out and doubling.

 

[Runnerman]

The ones missing for me would be compression and fuzz.
Otherwise, it's drive and reverb for the most part.
I don't have individual pedals, use the Tonex

 

[micguy]

EQ is (although set pretty mildly) an always on on my pedalboards. It's the most important function after the tuner and DI. As my EQ has a tuner in it, it's REALLY important.

 

[j0616bass]

I'm in a top 40 band which does a decent number of 80s and 90s stuff. I voted drive, octave, and filter.

2 special mentions would be fuzz and chorus.

I also use a phaser on a couple tunes.

I've just described my entire pedalboard minus utility pedals lol. Anyway, I find that can cover a very wide range of styles, from rock to copping the synthy feel.

 

[Nuisance]

EQ is (although set pretty mildly) an always on on my pedalboards. It's the most important function after the tuner and DI. As my EQ has a tuner in it, it's REALLY important.

What EQ/Tuner pedal are you using? That sounds like an interesting combo that I haven't seen before.....and it could solve a space problem on my mini board.

 

[devnulljp]

Can't take our list seriously due to lack of compressor

 

[Mastiff_5]

Yeah. Gotta have ‘compressor’ as an option

 

[shirojiro]

For me:
Compression
Chorus
Octave

 

[sloppy_phil]

The ones missing for me would be compression and fuzz.
Otherwise, it's drive and reverb for the most part.
I don't have individual pedals, use the Tonex

EQ is (although set pretty mildly) an always on on my pedalboards. It's the most important function after the tuner and DI. As my EQ has a tuner in it, it's REALLY important.

Can't take our list seriously due to lack of compressor

Fellas, OP stated in the ORIGINAL post (if you chose to read it carefully before voting) that he already has compressor, EQ, and tuner sorted.

Trying to nip all these unnecessary responses in the bud (which I'm sure is a futile effort...). So let's try reading fully before contributing to the group!

 

[bigjames]

Reverb and compression is all I use generally.

 

[Lammchop93]

for me:
Compressor
Light Drive
Medium Drive
Phaser (works great in a 3-piece band to give songs more movement)

 

[goldendomer04]

Yep, this list needs Compressor and Tuner

 

[Flatwound]

I put drive. I really don’t use pedals much, other than a compressor and occasional chorus. My amp supplies drive.

 

[PhatBottomBass1]

Octaver, Synth & Delay

Octaver is rudimentary

(Synth can mean a bunch of various options...)

Delay always makes the synth sound better/bigger!

Other things come into play in a natural way +/-


Someone mentioned EQ+Tuner?

= Source Audio EQ2 (hpf-lpf, limiter, gate, stereo)

 

[BeauZooka]

Compressor
Drive
Flanger/Chorus

 

[LowendG]

Chorus for the 80's for sure.

 

[Bob_Ross]

A working bassist in a band covering hits from the 60s through the 00s shouldn't "need" any effects...but if your repertoire leans heavily to the R&B/dance hits of the 70s and 80s, I would definitely want some kind of synth pedal, or at least an octave pedal + envelope-controlled filter, to cop all those MiniMoog bass tones.

 

[micguy]

What EQ/Tuner pedal are you using? That sounds like an interesting combo that I haven't seen before.....and it could solve a space problem on my mini board.

Source Audio EQ2 - high pass, low pass, eq, limiting, and a Tunerr - all in one packages. Yes, it's a real space saver.