Effects: A dilemma for every bassist

It sounds great at first, the idea of getting new and possibly exciting sounds out of your bass.

You start looking online but all you find is guitar pedals.

While the market for Bass effects is getting better there still really isn’t a huge market for bass.

Why? Well its because bassists aren’t repeat customers out of dissatisfaction.

I have made that unfortunate venture into the world of effects and spent around 400 bones on envelope filters, distortion pedals, and multi effects.

I would jam with them but when it came down to the gig I left it at home.

It may sound like fun but trust me, focus on your tone. Spend the money on your amp.

Check this out:



This is the Ashdown Bass Sub-Octave Plus Pedal.

Holy shit! A pedal that makes each note an octave lower!? Wow! Sounds fuckin’ cool right? You will really be able to hit the brown note now.

But wait. No. Don't do it. Why? Because it doesn't work. Yup, the vast majority of reviews cited a myriad of problems like slow tracking and notes not registering.

Do you really need to hit an octave lower than you already can? Of course not. They are selling you a $150 novelty and they know it. Those bastards. Even if it did work could your amp reach that low without clipping and still sustain tone with volume?

If you are a seasoned vet you already know all of this. This one is for the new guys.

Remember you are a bassist not a guitarist. You may want to tap into their wonderful world of exciting new sounds but unfortunately this is not within your pedigree.

This is not to say that effects are bad. Some are great and can really add a dimension to your sound. Think of it like cooking. You never want to add too much salt. Looking at it that way a multi-chorus effect is like a pizza with extra-cheese: a good idea at first but a bad idea in hindsight when you are sitting on the toilet.

Moral of the story: Check out some pedals and do your research before throwing down serious bread. Make sure that it will compliment your sound without dominating it and be of frequent use to you.

Good luck! And sorry for all the food references, I was really hungry when I was wrote this.