Let’s talk about how you can enhance your performances and raise your game to new heights while using a minimum number of pedals.

Start your “essential” pedal list with a bass preamp pedal with a balanced output. Most often these days, bass gets to the PA system through a DI, so if you have a preamp/DI that sounds great, then the bass sound in the PA will sound great. Most of the gigs that I play are “doubling” gigs, where I play both electric and upright bass. So I looked for boxes that would make my live gigs go better, and I found the Radial Bassbone OD. The Bassbone is a DI with two switchable input channels, with one channel optimized for piezo pickups. Each input has its own EQ section, and there’s an overdrive section that allows me to add distortion to either input. The Bassbone filled a couple of needs for me: I no longer have to unplug when I change instruments, and I don’t have to adjust the amp’s volume and EQ when I switch from upright to electric bass. If I were playing electric bass only, then I’d likely use a Darkglass Vintage Ultra bass preamp pedal, a great-sounding preamp with a wonderful overdrive section.

When bassist Doug Wimbish came to Sweetwater earlier this year, he reminded us that it’s okay to use an effect for a single phrase — or even a single note. Pedals don’t have to be turned on for a whole song, or even for an entire section of a song. Two pedals I like to use in that situation are an octave box and an envelope filter. For an octave box, the Aguilar Octamizer analog octave bass pedal sounds great. When you want to channel your inner Bootsy Collins, an envelope filter, such as the EarthQuaker Devices Spatial Delivery pedal, is just the thing. (This would be a good time to point out that you’re not limited to using only “bass” pedals; if a guitar effects pedal like the EarthQuaker does something that you like, then go ahead and use it!)

To sum up, it seems that my short list of “essential” pedals includes a preamp/DI/overdrive box, an octave box, and an envelope filter. But apparently I need more pedals than that since I didn’t mention the single most important pedal a bassist can have: a tuner! And I seem to have neglected to mention the second most common bass pedal: a compressor. Nor have I mentioned the wackier pedals, such as the Eventide H9 multi-effects pedal (Doug Wimbish has four of them on his pedalboard), bass wah-wah pedals, the DigiTech Whammy pitch-shift pedals, and looper pedals. Clearly my “essential” list is getting pretty long! I suggest you start with the basics and then experiment with the vast variety of pedals out there. When you find one you like (or need), use it!

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3 Essential Pedals for Bassists

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