Bassists & pedals.

[sloop_john_b]

My band is now in it's 6th year and we're beginning to create some serious buzz up here the northeast among booking agencies and bar owners. I'm not talking about being a rock star or anything, but getting some really good-paying, high profile gigs at the major summer spots (Jersey Shore, Ocean City, Vermont, Long Island, etc).

As a result, I think we're all trying to up the ante a bit as far as being "professional", and part of this for me is adding in a bit more variety to my sound.

My 2012 rig thus far has consisted of a passive P-Bass with flats (Stingray as a backup) into my typical Markbass rig (LMKII head, 1x15 and 2x10 cabs), which somehow works despite the wide variety of music we play. I spend more than half of our set aping lines that were either programmed or played on a synthesizer, but with no change in tone. I suppose even on the rock songs I could use some grit too, to add some punch to a chorus here and there.

So, I'm gonna put together a pedalboard. Here's what I'm thinking to start off, since I already have all this stuff (except the chorus which J-Dog is gonna let me take a spin on to see if I like it):
- Tubescreamer (for a little grit)
- Bass Big Muff (for synthy stuff)
- Chorus (also for synthy stuff, combined with the Muff)
- EBS Multi Comp (may just leave it on all night, or use it as a clean boost)

I'm not sure if this is gonna work for me, since being on autopilot is kind of necessary for the sheer amount of songs we do and the amount of singing I do as well, but I'm willing to give it a shot!

Now, my questions:
1- Every bassist and his mother uses a Sansamp. I'm not even sure I know what this thing is supposed to do. Why should I/shouldn't I have one?
2- I don't think the technology is quite there yet, but is there a synth pedal any of you have had success with? The EHX Bass Micro Synth is cool but a little too prog-sounding; I need something more modern.
3- The Muff sounds badass of course, but is a little lacking in the mids department so I'm afraid of it getting lost in the shuffle live, especially since I'm constantly doing battle with a keyboard player who can't help but double me on EVERY line. Is there a big fuzz with more balls?

Any other pedals you guys have had success with? Would love to see your bass pedalboards too.

[blueflamerick]

Here's a pic of my old rock band pedal board setup. 2 compressors when I use Ric-o-sound. The neck pickup stays clean, the bridge pickup goes through chorus, fuzz, POG, and synth. I think the combination of an EH POG and the Boss SYB-5 is a really good sound. I've heard good things about the Markbass synth, but I don't like the idea of having to use a computer to program the stupid thing.

My current country bass pedal board is a bit simpler. Just one Diamond bass comp, a Fender Sublime fuzz pedal, and Fender Phaser. I love turning everything on the fuzz all the way up and blasting the crowd for the solo in Marty Robbins' song "Don't Worry".

I've never used a Sansamp, never had a use for one, and will probably never own one. I recommend trying out trying out one of the Sublime fuzz pedals. They really keep the low end. The Boss SYB 3 and 5 aren't bad and can get some really good synth sounds if you play with them. If money is no object, get an Akai Deep Impact. Best bass synth pedal ever made.

[cassius987]

First off John, congratulations, I envy your position! I have never been in a band that got quite as far as it sounds you guys have but I've always wanted to. Good for you. I hope it keeps moving forward (however far you all want it to).

1. I don't use one either. The thing I always hear is it really colors your sound in a way that most people like but some can't stand in an Ampeg-esque fashion.
2. I'm with you on the technology. I have not had much luck with bass synth sounding as good as it ought to. The Boss SYB-5 will certainly get the job done however. I can't imagine using this up against a keyboard though. I actually use my fuzz to do synth-y things at times. I have to adjust my playing style to make it work.
3. I am a really big fan of the new Swollen Pickle. It takes ten times longer to dial in than the Big Muff, including the internal pots, but it is so much more flexible. Last night at rehearsal everybody in my band, who was originally anti-Pickle and wanted me to go Muff (here come the jokes), was commenting how great the fuzz was sounding. It just takes a lot more work to dial it in but it can be set up for many more configurations than a Muff.

My pedal board as it currently stands is a TC Electronic PolyTune Mini (amazing little tuner), an Aphex Punch Factory (originally Jeff Scott's) with Drive at 2 and level set to just below clip, into a Way Huge Pork Loin (clean channel emphasized, used as a "mostly clean" boost), into a Swollen Pickle and on to my TC Classic 450 head and fEARful 15/6 cab. My drummer describes the rig as "the clearest thing [he's] ever heard" which I take as a compliment since he is a top sales manager at GC. I am planning to put an A/B looper for the Loin/Pickle so I can go from dirty A to dirty B with a single stomp. I don't run them together at any time as the Loin dirties up the Pickle a good bit (hm, this has some joke potential as well).

[woodyng]

Speaking as a bass player who mostly doesn't use many effects,these days the sansamp ( or in ths case,VT pedal) is pretty indispensable. It absolutely gives all my passive basses,especially the RIC's,that bit of growl,grunge,and sparkle that makes the tone "alive",even with flatwound strings. It also combines beautifully with the clarity of the markbass head. I have hung onto an ART Phatboy,which has a comp/limiter,eq,and multi efx (chorus.reverb,flanging,) as well as "drive" circuit which doesn't quite do what the VT excels at. The Slapback and doubling settings are what i tend to use the most. I also have an EBS envelope follower,which sounds really good for several type of auto wah sounds,which i prefer to the sound of synth pedals. I don't really go for fuzz pedals,but the VT can be dialed up for quite a large amount of fuzzgrunge,too.

[cassius987]

It absolutely gives all my passive basses,especially the RIC's,that bit of growl,grunge,and sparkle that makes the tone "alive",even with flatwound strings.

The reason for that is primarily impedance buffering, just FYI. However if you said it had an equal effect on an active bass like a Stingray it would probably be something else like the EQ.

[sloop_john_b]

Man, you can read Talkbass threads till you're blue in the face, but there really is nothing that can take the place of hands on experience.

I read so much about the Markbass Super Synth - every thread I could get my hands on. I talked myself out of buying it.

Finally today I decided to walk the 5 minutes to GC on my lunch break and try it. I was really impressed! I tweaked all the presets as much as i possibly could and found a lot of really usable sounds that weren't overtly-Moog or prog at all.

Problem is, there is nothing that can take the place of demoing something in a GIG situation. For that reason, I couldn't buy it new, even though the salesman was super helpful and I wanted to give him the sale. The pedal could last me one disastrous gig and then I'll have to sell it as used! But I am gonna find a used one and buy for sure. I was very impressed.

[blueflamerick]

So I guess you're waving the white flag on the wager?

[sloop_john_b]

So I guess you're waving the white flag on the wager?

No, we're allowed to buy two pedals this year. J already bought one I believe. But thanks for keeping me on my toes.

[jdogric12]

I did buy one already, an Ibanez ADL delay. Just like one I used to have, indefinitely loaned to who knows who and who knows when, back in the day. Love it! Just found out they're rare, hence the GAS.

Sansamp is a direct box, right? Do it! Especially living in the city. You could take the subway to gigs! If you're playing covers for a bunch of drunks, tone just doesn't really matter that much, sorry. If it was your original band and you were trying to impress, then I could see lugging an amp around. I don't even own a bass amp, and I get more work on bass than anything else now.

Enjoy the chorus!

Remember, anything you feel you need to purchase to capture a sound for the working cover band is allowed under the amendments to the wager.

[admin]

I have seen some very tiny amplifiers that I can easily put in the pouch of my soft sided guitar case. The Mb300 is one example. I quite agree that in many venues the bare necessities can fill the bill. My discriminating friends still don't hesitate to ask, however, what's up with that.

[whojamfan]

It absolutely gives all my passive basses,especially the RIC's,that bit of growl,grunge,and sparkle that makes the tone "alive",even with flatwound strings.

The reason for that is primarily impedance buffering, just FYI. However if you said it had an equal effect on an active bass like a Stingray it would probably be something else like the EQ.

I have a VT pedal and it is more than just EQ and buffering. it's made by Tech 21, but it's not a sansamp, it's an analog character pedal.

[whojamfan]

You can use it direct, to bypass the preamp and plug into the return, in front of the amp, and direct to record. I've had sansamps, Bass pods, and some digitech modeling stuff, and the VT smokes them.

[berth]

I have this:



Not necesarily what I use with my band. (And I forgot to put the FCB1010 on the ground but you can see it.)

The first board is most used as a bassplayer. It has an
EBS multidrive which is a pretty good distortion unit
EHX POG2 which i.m.h.o. is the best octaver available but als is pretty good at simulating 8 or 12 string basses and church organs.
Line6 M5 which has a lot of different pretty good effects in it.
EHX Freeze which just is a fun pedal and very nice if you have to lay down endlesly sustaining organ alike sounds.
Line6 G30 which is a very good wireless thing.

The Boss GT10B is a very good multi effect with lots of posibilities. For instance it has an effect/send loop also with very nice routing posibilities (like just routing the highs through the effect and the lows without the effect) The distortions are awfull. I stayed away from the amp simulators But the delays/compressors/flangers/chorus/lots and others are nice though. And especially the non intelligent pitch bending is very good. Dive bombs with all strings strung chords on your bass can be done includinge the low E. If you buy it second hand it will cost you about 2 quality pedals. It is definitely worth that amount.

After that there is a Roland GR55 which I hook up to my Godin Multiac Grand Concert SA and a Roland PK-5 which I never used but found real cheap. (Still looking for an synth unit for it.)

[cjj]

Nice!

[sloop_john_b]

Re: the Markbass Super Synth: It arrived at the end of last week and started to unbox it with great anticipation, until I realized I didn't bother to check how much voltage it needed. My pedalboard is set up for 9V pedals only and I have no intention of bringing any extra wall warts or surge protectors to gigs. The Super Synth requires 12 volts. Gah. Off it goes.

On a good note: Jason was nice enough to send me one of his Boss CE-2's to try out. I haven't had much time with it, but I tinkered around a bit with it in conjunction with the Bass Big Muff and I was really happy with it! It is synthy - a very EXTREME synth sound at that - but I think it'll be quite usable. The chorus adds a really nice warmth to the Muff, and my EBS Multi Comp thrown into the mix tightens everything up. It sorta reminded me of "The National Anthem" by Radiohead.