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The bass sits completely in the low end and drops off in the mid-range. You can see that the peaks in the chart for guitar mainly sit in the mid-range, but also continue all the way up to the high-end. The below chart compares the frequency range of me playing a note on bass compared to a guitar: To understand why some pedals have separate versions for guitar and bass, let’s look at the main difference between bass and guitar frequency ranges. In these pedals, a separate bass version is needed for proper use on bass. Some guitar pedals cut out low frequencies, which sound great for guitar but terrible on bass. The difference between bass and guitar pedals is the frequency range they are designed to interact with. You may have noticed that some guitar pedals also have a bass version. Difference Between Bass and Guitar Pedals I’ll go through some great guitar pedals to consider later in this guide and explain why you might like to use them with your bass. Or an octave pedal can immediately transform how you write riffs. Other pedals give you a way of accessing brand new tones and sounds.Ī simple fuzz pedal can completely open your bass playing up to new ideas and vibes. Some pedals can be used to shape and control your tone.įor example, using a compressor pedal with your bass can give you pinpoint control over your tone like nothing else. The reason it’s not very common for bass players to use pedals is that bassists tend to prefer a simple and clean bass tone.įor many styles of music, a simple and powerful clean bass tone is all that is needed.īut bassists who never try adding a pedal to their rig are missing out on a lot of potentially great tones.
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Bass players using pedals arent as common as guitar players using pedals, but there are bassists that use pedals. Yes, some bass players use effects pedals. If you’re thinking of adding some guitar pedals to use with your bass, you may stop and wonder whether bass players use pedals at all.
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5.6 Related Guides and Lessons: Do Bass Players Use Pedals?
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