Bass pedals are a fun way to add new tone, texture and dimension to your bass guitar. They can focus your sound for country tunes, or turn it into a growling beast perfect for heavy genres.
These effects typically include EQ, which allows you to tweak low, mid and high frequencies; and overdrive, which generates soft clipped tones.
Octave Pedal
A good octave pedal is the perfect way to fatten up chunky rock riffs or to give blues lead lines that extra bit of punch. But it’s important to find the right one for you, as each has its own idiosyncrasies that can fit better with certain styles or genres of music.
The Mooer Pure Octave is a small but powerful pedal with four octave voices that can be mixed and matched to create your ideal sound. It also features a large knob in the middle that can be set to different interval settings, ranging from Dive Bomb (three octaves down) to Minor. The pedal is very intuitive and easy to use, although it may look a little complicated at first glance.
A great feature of this pedal is its polyphonic pitch detection, which allows it to track individual notes as you play them. This helps it to retain a sense of authenticity and avoid the “chopping” effect that can occur with monophonic pedals when they try to shift multiple notes at once. Other useful features include a DIRECT LEVEL knob that sets the level of the clean, non-shifted signal and an OCT 1 LEVEL knob that raises or lowers the pitch of the octave output by up to two octaves.
There are also two footswitches on the side of the pedal that can be set for either latching or momentary operation, allowing you to activate the effect when you want it and then release the switch to bypass the effect. The pedal also offers a DRIVE knob that can be used to add up to three octaves of distortion to the octave output, which is a great option for adding some extra edge and punch to your guitar or bass sound.
The Drop from Digitech is a more premium-level octave pedal that works exceptionally well and comes with some unique features that make it stand out from the competition. Most notably, the Drop can be switched between “Normal” mode and “Mid Cut” mode, which provides a much more balanced and full-sounding octave effect. It also has a FUZZ knob that can be used to add some extra grit and punch to your tone, without overwhelming the octave output.
Volume Pedal
A volume pedal, as the name suggests, is a simple effect that allows you to control the overall volume of your guitar signal via a foot-operated lever. Most pedals have the ability to adjust the volume of your guitar signal either up or down depending on which side of the pedal is depressed, and they can also act as a master volume for your entire rig if you wish.
There are many different variations on the basic volume pedal, from large effects that offer comfort and stability under your feet to smaller models that can fit easily on a cramped pedalboard. Some of the more advanced pedals include features such as a built-in precision chromatic tuner, an EQ knob to tailor the sound, and MIDI functionality that can be used with other devices to add new functions.
Some guitarists prefer to place their volume pedal at the beginning of their signal chain, allowing them to use it to control the overall volume of their rig as well as individual effects. Others, however, prefer to place their volume pedals in the middle or even at the end of their chain. This can have some interesting effects, such as allowing the pedal to control how much signal is fed into drive or overdrive pedals (to perform swells).
All volume pedals can be categorized as passive or active, and this will have a big impact on how they operate. Passive pedals don’t require any power and simply consist of a potentiometer wired from the input to the output, while active pedals contain a small amount of circuitry that can be activated with an on/off switch. This can help eliminate hums and buzzes that may occur with some pedals, especially when they are used in conjunction with other effects.
Regardless of which type of pedal you choose, make sure the volume pedal you select is constructed from a heavy-duty material such as cast aluminum or heavy gauge steel. This will ensure that the pedal holds up to rigorous use over time and is less likely to break down due to accidental or unavoidable mishaps.
Chorus Pedal
Chorus is a classic modulation effect that can be used to reinvigorate a clean tone, add a swirling detuned wash or create something utterly wild. It’s a great pedal to have for all occasions, and one that every guitarist should consider adding to their setup.
While chorus is often associated with the ’80s era, it has continued to be a staple in guitar pedal setups since its inception. From the subtle thickness that can add a nice shimmer to your sound to the army of three-dimensional depth and popping overtones it can bring to a drive tone, a quality chorus pedal can do it all.
There are many different types of chorus effects available, with some being more transparent than others. If you’re looking to emulate the sound of Kurt Cobain in “Come As You Are” for example, you’ll want to use a dirty analog type of chorus like the Boss CE-2 or the Electro-Harmonix Small Clone. These aren’t as transparent as a digital chorus but still produce a pretty cool sound that will give your guitar a great swirling feel.
Most chorus pedals feature control knobs for both the rate and depth. The rate control determines how fast the pitch of your guitar’s signal changes, and the depth knob determines the amount of modulation you want to apply. The higher the knob is set, the more intense and pronounced the sound will be.
Many chorus pedals also feature a mix knob which determines the ratio of the dry and wet signal. When this is at 0% you will hear nothing but the original dry signal, and as you increase the level the wet signal will be increased proportionally. The best quality chorus pedals will offer a wide range of sounds and be easy to get to grips with, making it easier for you to find the perfect sound for your style.
Ibanez’s mini chorus pedal is a great option for anyone wanting a high-quality, straightforward chorus pedal. It features a simple layout and true bypass, keeping your signal path as clean as possible when the pedal isn’t in use. It has the standard speed (rate), depth, and EQ controls that you would expect from any good quality pedal and is a real powerhouse in its compact form.
Overdrive Pedal
Many overdrive pedals offer several settings to create the tone you desire. For instance, Fulltone’s King of Tone comes in Low Peak and High Peak modes, which deliver different styles of overdrive. Low Peak offers a more transparent overdrive that preserves the tone of your guitar and amp, while High Peak is for those seeking a more aggressive overdrive. Similarly, MXR’s Carbon Copy and Dunlop’s Jimi Hendrix Fuzz also come in different modes to provide more options for the overdrive effect.
Depending on the setting, an overdrive pedal can provide subtle saturation to more aggressive coloration, and this is all controlled by your pedal’s Gain/Drive knob. Most overdrive pedals employ a two-step process to saturate your signal, with the first step using IC op-amps to boost your guitar’s signal, and the second step using diodes to soft-clip the boosted signal. The type of diodes used, along with the op-amps and other components used in the circuit, will significantly influence the sound of your overdrive pedal.
Overdrive pedals can also be used to create a more distorted tone, but keep in mind that this will often require cranking your amplifier’s clean channel and may result in a less subtle sound than overdrive alone. Most pedals that include both overdrive and distortion will have a tone control to help you balance the two, with lower settings producing a warmer and more subtle sound.
A great overdrive pedal can be stacked with other dirt pedals, like an EQ and/or compression pedal, to create a more comprehensive and versatile tone palette for your bass guitar. Stacking can also allow you to control the amount of overdrive/distortion you are getting, as higher levels tend to produce more intense distortion.
As with any pedal, proper care and maintenance are key to ensuring a long lifespan for your overdrive pedal. If you experience any issues with your pedal, it is best to start by reviewing the user manual, as there are likely simple solutions outlined in there. Additionally, it’s a good idea to try and isolate what is causing any issue by disconnecting each pedal in turn until you find the culprit.