Beginners will love a distortion pedal like the MXR M85 Bass Distortion Pedal, which helps beginners achieve a wide variety of tones for all genres. Similarly, a compression pedal improves sustain and gives your notes a powerful boost.
Then there are time-based effects like delays and reverbs, which can add texture and space to your sound. Harmonic effects like octave pedals can also give your bass tone more complexity.
Overdrive/Distortion
When it comes to overdrive and distortion, there are a plethora of pedals to choose from. The important thing is to pick one that suits your style and genre of music. Whether you want to add a little overdrive to your bass for some thicker chords or some heavy distortion for chugging riffs, there’s a pedal for it.
Most overdrive pedals use soft clipping which essentially just cuts away the peaks and troughs of a waveform. This gives a more natural sound than hard clipping distortion, which can be harsh and aggressive. The Klon Centaur, for example, uses a unique circuit to create an overdrive that retains the dynamics of your bass signal. This makes it ideal for adding just a little overdrive to your bass to give it some extra thickness and a more amp-like sound.
Distortion pedals can be great for bringing out the natural voice of your amplifier, but it’s easy to go overboard. Too much distortion can make your bass sound muddy and undefined, masking any subtleties in your technique and turning your bass into just a sea of noise. It’s best to use distortion pedals after effects that affect the shape of your signal, such as compression pedals and filters, to keep the tone from getting too muddy or chaotic.
Fuzz pedals are similar to distortion but have a very distinctive sound that can really make your bass stand out. Most famously used by Jimi Hendrix, a fuzz pedal will provide you with the rich, thick saturation that’s perfect for power chords and epic solos. It also creates a lot of sustain, which can be great for making your bass sing in a song.
A fuzzed-out sound can also be used to make your bass sound huge by adding an octave effect. This splits your bass’s signal into two, with the lower octave being added to the upper octave. It can be great for creating a massive sound, especially when used with an overdrive pedal. You can even find a pedal that can do all three – distortion, overdrive and fuzz!
Reverb/Delay
If you’re looking to expand your sound by adding a sense of space or texture, you’ll want to add a reverb or delay pedal. Pedals like this manipulate the time aspect of your signal and create a variety of effects that can make your bass stand out in a mix.
Delay pedals take a short snippet of your guitar signal and repeat it back to you at a time interval measured in milliseconds. They can range from slapback, where your signal is repeated instantaneously, to drawn-out echos that create a cascading waterfall effect. Some pedals can be run in stereo, which creates a more expansive and atmospheric sound that is ideal for live performance.
Some pedals also have modulation features, which can include chorus, flanger and phaser. These types of pedals typically come after any tone-producing effects such as overdrive and fuzz. This is because they change the shape of your signal rather than just changing the tone and can sometimes cause the other pedals to “warp” when they’re placed too far back in the chain. Likewise, any octave or harmonizer pedals should also be placed near the beginning of your pedal chain. These pedals split your original bass tone into a lower or higher version of it and add harmonies above or below your original note, which can help your bass to cut through a dense mix and be heard.
A reverb pedal is another type of time-based effect that can add a lot to your bass sound by creating an ethereal feel. Most reverb pedals feature multiple control options, such as the length of the reverb, the amount of damping and the number of repeats. Some of them even have a mode setting that allows you to switch between vintage-style reverbs and digital algorithms such as ping-pong or reverse delay.
You can also find a variety of different reverb pedals that are designed to recreate various types of audio environments, including hall, chamber and outdoor. There are also a few pedals that are designed to be used as an instant ambience-generating tool, perfect for adding an ambient, choral or synthesized sound to your music.
Compression
If you’ve ever heard a professional bass player in a live setting, chances are they are using compression. Compression is a great tool for balancing dynamic playing styles, such as slap bass. It reduces the volume of loud passages, making it easier to keep up with a drum kit or a band.
There are a few different types of compressor pedals on the market, all with their own unique sound and features. The most common type is a VCA compressor which has control over the ratio, clean blend, threshold and attack/release times. This style of compression is smooth and natural-sounding, ideal for evening out the volume between chords or single notes. It also provides a good range of control so you can find the exact sound that suits your needs.
Another great option is an optical compressor. This uses a light source to measure the intensity of your signal, and when it exceeds a predetermined threshold, the light is activated and the gain is reduced. This method of compression is often described as being very musical and transparent, and it works particularly well for slap bass. You can also find compression pedals that offer a range of different settings, from subtle level control to quick peak compression. The difference between these pedals is in the way they respond to your guitar signal, so it’s worth trying them both before you buy.
Regardless of which type of compression you choose, you will want to position it near the beginning of your effects chain. This way the compression will be applied to your tone before it is affected by any other pedals that may change its character, such as distortion or fuzz. You might also try positioning it after a wah pedal, or before your volume pedal.
While you can technically play bass without any of these pedals, they can greatly expand your sonic palette and inspire new ideas and grooves. Once you start to experiment with different effects, it’s easy to see why so many musicians find them indispensable.
Volume
A good bass guitar pedalboard will have several volume pedals. This is because bass guitars are often played at a lower volume than their electric or acoustic counterparts and having a quality volume pedal allows you to control the overall level of your rig from your foot. Most volume pedals are also referred to as expression pedals and can be used to create a variety of effects such as volume swell.
Another essential bass guitar pedal is a compressor. This is an effect that helps to make your tone more consistent and professional by bringing down loud notes and boosting quiet ones for a balanced output. TC Electronic’s Spectracomp is an excellent choice for this as it offers multiple settings that can be tailored to your specific bass playing style and needs.
Other pedals that are commonly found on a bass guitar pedalboard include synth and octave effects. These can add a whole other dimension to your sound by creating harmonies above or below the original note. They can be subtle or they can be a powerful addition that propels your bass into the mix.
Most effects can be used with a bass but some must be specially ‘voiced’ for the low frequencies of a bass guitar. Luckily, many popular guitar pedals come in a bass-voiced version (like the Electro-Harmonix Bass Big Muff Pi) or have a switch that can be toggled to adjust the voicing for bass.
Whether you’re just starting out or are a seasoned pro, a good quality pedalboard is essential to get the most out of your bass guitar. The right effects can take your sound to a new level and open up creative possibilities for your grooves, compositions and songs. Taking the time to research and understand your pedals will help you choose the best ones for your style and situation. Plus, a dedicated power supply will keep your pedals at their best and prevent ground loops and external noise from interfering with your tone. Shop the range of bass guitar pedals at Mission to find your perfect combination.