The Bass Pedals Used by the Most Famous Bassist Players

Playing the bass guitar in a band can sometimes feel like the forgotten man, but there have been some really famous and outstanding bass guitarists over the decades.

It really is a unique part of the band and an essential one.

Let’s take a look through some of the most famous bassist guitar players and what bass pedals they used.

 

Bootsy Collins

Bootsy Collins was born in 1951 in America, and rose to fame in the early 1970s playing alongside the legendary funk king, James Brown. He was inducted in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 1997.

 

He was famed for using Mu Trons alongside Big Muff pedals during his time playing with the funk group Parliament Funkadelics, and really brought forward that new age funk sound to their music.

 

In January 2019 he announced his retirement from live performances due to ill health but is rumored to be working on a new album.

 

John Entwistle

John Entwistle may not be a name that comes to mind to the younger generation, but he was the bass guitarist for the famous band The Who and is certainly going to be known by the older generation.

 

He was a pioneer for the bass guitar sound and was the bass solo player to the famous and amazing track My Generation from 1965. He has his own unique style using bass compressor pedals and bi amping. He had his own style which included using a style called crab claws and a typewriter technique. He really was one of a kind.

 

Anthony Jackson

Anthony Jackson was the man who invented the six string contrabass guitar, so he knew a thing or two about playing the bass guitar. He has been known to be called one the masters of the guitar.

 

He featured on Motown tracks including Me and Mrs.Jones and  For The Love Of Money. He has performed in more than 300 countries across the world and has been featured on more than five hundred albums.

 

He actually played the piano before moving onto the guitar in his teenage years, so was a naturally gifted musician from a very young age.

 

John Paul Jones

John Paul Jones was born in the United Kingdom on 3rd January 1946. He was the bassist and Keyboardist for the legendary rock band Led Zeppelin.

 

His sound was more mellow and supportive to the music compared to some bass guitarists, but he was a true legend of the bass sound.

 

He notably featured on the Led Zeppelin classics The Lemon Song and Ramble On. He also played other instruments and would often use bass pedals to supplement the band’s sound. He would often be found using 1963 Fender Jazz Bass, ’52 Fender Precision Bass, 8- and 10-string Alembic, Hagstrom, and Manson basses.

 

Paul McCartney

Most peoples favorite all time band would be The Beatles, and Paul McCartney was the main behind the bass guitar in this most loved group as well as co lead vocalist.

 

His bass guitars of choice were the 1963 Hofner 500/1, ’65 Rickenbacker 4001S. Although a lot of the most famous Beatles songs are quite simple, that was the beauty of Paul McCartney playing the bass. Although they were quite simple, they were extremely catchy songs and it brought them worldwide success.

 

So What Is A Bass Pedal?

To put it quite simply bass pedals are plugged into an amplifier and PA system to increase their volume so that they can be heard. If you try to strum a bass guitar without one, the noise they make, although it is deep, is not very loud, so the bass pedal is required to add volume.

 

Bass pedals can come in different shapes and sizes with some having extra special features, but with all, their main purpose is to link the guitar to a PA system and then increase the sound by doing so.

 

How Much Do Bass Pedals Cost?

Prices for bass pedals can really range widely but like with everything in life you get what you pay for. Although some cheaper bass pedals will do a sturdy job, the more expensive models will most definitely improve the sound and volume from your trusty guitar.

 

Cheaper models can be picked up from as little as forty pounds while customized models can run into the high thousands. It’s actually possible to use normal guitar pedals with a bass guitar as well, but as they haven’t been made for them they won’t always sound that great.

 

When looking to purchase some bass pedals, it’s always a good idea to shop around to try and find the best price available as there are some great deals to be found.

 

It’s also always a good idea to test them out with your guitar before committing to any purchase, to make sure firstly they work and secondly they sound as good as you need them to be.

 

What Are The Best Pedals On The Market?

Everyone will have a different answer to this question as tastes will differ from person to person. Some of the leading pedals include Fender Downtown Express Base Station, Tech 21 SansAmp Geddy Lee YYZ Preamp, Zoom B1X Four Bass Multi Effect, Electro Harmonix Bass Mono Synth, Darkglass Hyper Luminal Comp. LTD BK.

 

It’s always a good idea to try out as many different variations of bass pedals as possibly before deciding on which one is right for you as many have different effects and features which may or may not be suited to your playing style.

 

To Summarize

The bass guitar is a wonderful instrument to play but without good bass pedals, then playing out live will be no fun at all.

 

Sometimes bass guitarists can feel like a forgotten man or woman, but their role in a band is absolutely vital. Just imagine some of your favorite rock and roll songs without there being any bass guitar played in them, the songs just wouldn’t sound the same.

 

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