Pedals that can be used by bass players fall into a couple of general buckets. First and foremost is a tuner. These can be placed anywhere on the pedal chain but are typically plugged in early to ensure that the bass signal is clean.
Overdrive and distortion pedals offer a variety of sounds from subtle to fizzier. Other great choices include filter pedals that curve your EQ and pitch-related effects like octave.
Overdrive
Overdrive pedals are a staple of any bass guitarist’s rig. Whether you’re looking for subtle overdrive to bring out the harmonics of your bass, or a searing fuzz pedal that gives your tone a hairy, saturated grind, there is an overdrive pedal for you.
It might be worth mentioning that overdrive and distortion pedals can sound different on bass guitars than they do on guitars. This is because a bass guitar pumps out lower frequencies (usually an octave lower) and has a different EQ curve due to its longer scale-length, fat strings and different pickups.
A bass-specific overdrive pedal will take this into consideration and be designed to track bass frequencies more accurately, resulting in a less harsh sound. This also applies to octave and pitch-shift pedals, which need to track the frequency of the original input in order to shift it up or down.
Other pedals, such as modulation effects like delay and reverb, will simply repeat whatever they receive. This means that they will often sound slightly different on bass compared to guitar, but it is not usually a problem and may even enhance your bass tone! This is particularly true of effects that use feedback, such as phaser and flanger, which can create some truly monstrous jet engine-like sounds when cranked up.
Fuzz
A fuzz pedal takes the input signal, amplifies it and clips it hard. This creates a distorted tone similar to overdrive but more extreme. It also adds higher harmonics and can create a growling sound. Fuzz can be used to give a bass a more prominent position in the mix or to provide some distortion without sacrificing clarity.
A major factor in determining how a fuzz pedal sounds is the global feedback network. This determines how much the pedal cuts off low frequencies. Increasing the value of C3 (the middle dark green trace in the circuit above) will decrease the cut frequency and will allow more low frequencies to come through.
Another factor is the type of transistors used. Silicon transistors have tighter tolerances and will provide a more consistent performance. They are cheaper to manufacture and more widely available than germanium transistors. However, some players prefer the tone and texture provided by germanium transistors.
The input impedance of a fuzz pedal is also important. The higher the input impedance, the less current will be supplied to the transistors. This will cause the pedal to have more gain. As a result, the pedal will be more sensitive to the input signal from the guitar pickups and will respond differently when placed after other pedals or a buffer amplifier. For this reason, many guitarists recommend putting their fuzz pedal first in the chain.
Distortion
Distortion pedals offer a wide range of tones from subtle overdrive to full-on fuzz. They usually have a level control to set the amount of distortion you’re after, as well as a tone knob to adjust the overall sound and EQ characteristics. Many of these pedals will also have a separate rhythm and lead channel that allows you to increase the drive on one while reducing it on the other. This can help you create different tones that cut through a mix without overwhelming the other instruments in your song.
Generally speaking, distortion pedals work by boosting your guitar’s signal to the point that it exceeds the capabilities of your amplifier’s preamp tubes. This clipping of the peaks and valleys of your signal results in new harmonic overtones that give your sound its character. Unlike overdrive pedals, which can be used to add saturation and dynamic compression to any guitar sound, distortion creates harsh and aggressive forms of saturation that are more dependent on your playing dynamics.
Guitarists often use distortion pedals in combination with other effects such as reverb, delay, and modulation. These time-based effects manipulate the length of your sound, creating echoes and spatial effects that can give your bass tone an ethereal quality. Other pedals, like octave and harmonizers, add layers of pitch above or below the original note, adding complexity to your bass grooves.
Delay
Delay is an effect that echoes the original signal for a set amount of time. This creates a repeating echo-like sound that can add a sense of space or be used as a melodic element. The delay can be set to have a specific amount of feedback and can be manipulated with different settings to achieve various effects. Examples of these include ping-pong delays where each repetition alternates between the left and right sides of the stereo field and multi-tap delays where multiple delay lines can be set with their own independent delay times, feedback levels, and stereo position for wild rhythmic effects.
Delays are particularly useful for bass guitar because they can be used to fill in gaps in the sound or make riffs more rhythmic. Delay is also widely used by lead guitarists for creating sweeping, spacey sounds. The Edge of U2 is famous for his use of delay, as well as Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave. Many modern players use delay for their signature sounds including Annie Clark (St. Vincent), Omar Rodriguez-Lopez (Mars Volta), and Nels Cline (Wilco).
Delay can work best on bass guitar when it is used in conjunction with distortion pedals. When paired with a distortion effect, the delay can add harmonic richness and sustain to riffs as they are repeated and can even be used as a percussive element of a riff.
Reverb
Reverb is an ambient effect that adds space and a little extra air to your sound. This can be useful for bass guitar, because it gives you a bit more room to play without getting lost in the mix. However, reverb can be overused so be careful not to drown your instrument in it!
Some reverb pedals have controls to adjust the type of ambient sound you’re looking for. For example, the TC Electronic Hall Of Fame pedal features three knobs that control level, tone and time (decay). This allows you to create a wide variety of sounds. It also has a TonePrint feature that lets you beam custom sounds directly to the pedal via your phone app. This allows you to use effects created by your favorite artists and create your own!
Another great option is the Strymon BigSky reverb pedal. This pedal has a large chassis and several footswitches, but it’s loaded with amazing sounds. It includes spring reverb, which is similar to the reverb that was built into amps back in the day. It also has a huge number of presets, and you can edit them through their Preset Librarian computer software. It’s been used by artists such as Tosin Abasi and Brad Delson.
Lastly, many reverb pedals have a mix knob that allows you to blend your dry signal with the reverb. This is important because you don’t want the reverb to drown out your bass!
Compressor
Championed by country pickers, funk-inflected rhythm players and sustain-seeking soloists, compression may be the most important bass pedal in your arsenal. This often under-appreciated effect evens out any inconsistencies in your playing technique by lowering peak levels (via the Threshold control) and raising quieter notes via makeup gain. If your bass always sounds great when you play it alone but gets lost in a band setting, that’s a good indication that you need some compression.
The Attack control determines how quickly the compressor kicks in – a fast attack ensures that any peak will be reduced at the ratio you’ve set, while a slower attack allows a little unadulterated signal through and can help give your bass more punch. The Release control decides when the compression stops – a long release can add extra sustain to your bass, while a short release can cause your tone to sound ‘pumped up’.
Keep in mind that all compression pedals will amplify some noise in your signal and while this shouldn’t be an issue, it’s worth keeping in mind when choosing your compressor. Some pedals also feature a Blend control which splits the incoming signal into 2’s – the processed and the unprocessed – allowing you to mix in a little of the softer, less compressed signal when you want to beef up your tone. Lastly, many compressor pedals have a High-pass Filter which can be useful for eliminating any unwanted frequencies from your signal.