How To Use Guitar Pedals For Bass (w/ Roy Mitchell-Cárdenas)
Today's article breaks down one of the most requested topics in JHS Show history. Do guitar pedals work on bass?
Roy Mitchell-Cárdenas, one of my favorite bass players ever, swung by to answer the question. And that’s not just hyperbole. I’m dead serious. The greatest bass players in history are Pino Palladino, Carol Kaye and Roy Mitchell-Cárdenas. These are the cold, hard facts. He plays bass for Mutemath, which is an incredible band that focuses heavily on the feeling and movement of the drum and bass rhythm section. Even apart from that, Roy’s bass playing is just fantastic.
Now, this article is going to be equal parts interview and lecture, so just roll with it.
JOSH
This is where we have to start. Do normal, simple guitar pedals that don't say “bass guitar pedal” work on bass guitar?
ROY
That's what the universe is asking. And the answer is absolutely yes.
JOSH
When I first met you at a soundcheck years and years ago, I remember walking up and seeing an old JHS Morning Glory on your board, and then my brain melted. I had never thought about using it on bass. So tell us: how did you end up with this being the style pedalboard that you use?
ROY
Being a guitar player first, [that being] my first instrument, and then moving to bass [helped]. It meant that I never had this block of, “Because it doesn't say ‘bass’ on the pedal, I can't use it.”
JOSH
There’s even a BOSS GEB-7 bass pedal, and you didn't use it.
ROY
Yeah. I just don't use it. I feel like any guitar pedal can work for bass. It's just up to the player and how they make it musical, how they make it sing. Vice versa, too, I feel like guitarists can also use bass pedals that are marketed for bass in glorious ways. So the Morning Glory is a perfect example of that. It just became my go-to pedal for [overdrive].
JOSH
So, what's the hangup? Why do bassists feel that we need bass pedals in the market? I think there are good bass pedals. If we throw back to the live episode that you and I did a few weeks ago, we go into depth on this, but to simplify it: why do some people feel like they can't use guitars?
ROY
I think because a lot of [bass pedals] do cut out low end. That could be an issue...If you put on any [over]drive, any fuzz, a lot of times that will cut off the low end. To compensate for that, I started adding EQ at the end to boost back the low end. That solved it.
JOSH
So you just barely boosted the EQ around 100, 200 hertz a few dB. Could you survive if you didn't have [an equalizer pedal]? Would this sound okay?
ROY
Well, it depends on the situation where you're playing. If you don't have a good front of house mixer or [you’re playing at] a smaller club, if you're getting most of the boom and low end from relying on your rig, [then] you probably want to boost the low end on your rig. But if you're doing a front of house DI situation like we’re using here with the Colour Box, you can either boost the EQ on the Colour Box (or just a plain DI) and then use a bass pedal, or have your front of house guy crank up the lows.
JOSH
I have one last question here, before we get rolling with some sweet jams. You’ve spent a lot of time in the studio engineering, being around records being made, understanding, mixing and mastering the process. I've always seen people purposely rolling off low end on everything. So, how does that play out in the real world? You’ve toured for decades and recorded record after record. What does that look like in reality?
ROY
It depends on the track and what's happening...What kind of kick sound is the drummer using on the track? Are we doubling things with a low bass synth as well, or is the bass guitar taking more of that low-end?...Say we have an [over]drive that we're using on the track, then maybe we would just boost more of the low end on the bass and carve out the bass drum EQ sound to match that. Maybe it has less lows, or vice versa, maybe the bass drum is carrying a lot of [the low end], [so] the bass guitar becomes more mid-rangey. We always combined a clean bass sound with something dirty, whether it was a pedal or a guitar amp. We've used the Vox AC30 and other guitar amps for bass to get the grit and mix in with a clean DI. It works nicely.
JOSH
Roy, what bass guitar are you using today? A thirteen string fretless?
ROY
I'm going to use my tried and true 1978 Fender P-Bass with flat wounds on it.
JOSH
What about amplifiers?
ROY
No amp. We're going to use the Colour Box [instead].
JOSH
Is there anything that's going to be like always on?
ROY
Pedal-wise, I normally have the Pulp N Peel compressor, the Morning Glory overdrive and the BOSS GE-7 Equalizer on. I just change the settings according to the feel of what we're going to do.
**At this point, we performed some pretty epic jams. I’m going to do the best I can to describe them here, but (as always) you’re going to enjoy this a little more if you go back and watch the actual JHS show episode. Don’t worry. I’ll wait.
JOSH
Let's jump into some jams.
ROY
For this next jam, I'm going to focus on using the BOSS OC-2 and the Morning Glory in conjunction, where I place the setting [on the BOSS OC-2] one octave up. That's probably what you'll hear more than anything. I do have a little bit of the direct sound in [the BOSS OC-2], which is just a normal bass sound. I put the Morning Glory overdrive after that, so I'm getting some of the grit from here. I’m pushing [the Morning Glory] to get a dirtier kind of effect.
JOSH
And you're leaving [the BOSS GE-7 Equalizer] on?
ROY
Yes. I'm going to leave the [BOSS GE-7 Equalizer] on for this, because even though [the BOSS OC-2] covers some low end, I feel like boosting [the low end] back. The Colour Box will probably be flat.
JOSH
That's your amplifier, so you’re going direct and using that as a pre-amp.
ROY
Yes. And the [Pulp N Peel] will be more of the compression and less of the blend, kind of just squash it all a little bit. I'm not gonna mess with the EQ. And [there’s] no dirt from the Pulp N Peel.
JOSH
Okay. Let’s play some riff rock.
INSERT JAM: “Cyborg Space Pig”
JOSH
So, here's the challenge. In most of these jam sessions, it's just Nick and me. How could we spice it up?
ROY
I think I have a solution for you. I brought some loops with me, from my company that I started in 2017 called Sample Fuzz Audio. It's just some extra salsa, some synths and some beats to add what we need in this situation.
JOSH
So, what are you using on the next jam?
ROY
I heard that Nick really likes this band called Tame Impala. So I thought maybe we would do a little license friendly shout out to the wonderful Tame Impala. I'm going to focus on using the Morning Glory. As the [BOSS GE-7 Equalizer] is always on, I'm going to probably change the EQ just a tad, maybe push [it] up at 200. [There’s also] a little less compression on this one.
JOSH
I'm so excited. I'm beside myself.
INSERT JAM: “Chevy Impala”
JOSH
These loop packs changed the game. I enjoy music again, at least for today. So what do we want to do next? Where are we going?
ROY
Well, I was kind of playing with this idea in my head: what if Jimi Hendrix was in a shoe gazer band? Like what would that sound like?
JOSH
(obviously impressed) I want to go there.
ROY
I kind of have an idea where maybe the bass takes the lead and focuses on using this JHS Unicorn Univibe.
JOSH
Okay. So univibe on bass?
ROY
With some delay maybe, playing some Hendrix-y kind of line as I'm getting emotional, staring down at my shoes.
JOSH
So, Hendrix in a shoe-gazer band? Let’s do it.
INSERT JAM: “Purple Gaze”
JOSH
That jam really took me back to watching Sling Blade, that movie with Billy Bob Thornton. I missed the loops, though. Can we bring them back for one more jam?
ROY
Maybe we [should] take it in the direction of my old band Mutemath, [and] throw in some Talking Heads. Talking Math?
JOSH:
What gear are you going to use?
ROY
I think I'm going to just simplify. I’ll probably [use] the Morning Glory, but with less drive. I”ll add in a little bit more compression [on the Pulp N Peel], and I won't touch the [BOSS GE-7 Equalizer], just [so I can] get inside this kind of Mutemath-esque 16 note groove. And maybe I'll throw in some delay as well [with the JHS Lucky Cat], ’cause that was a Mutemath thing.
JOSH
All right. Let's do it. I'm pumped for these loops.
INSERT JAM: “Talking Math”
JOSH:
I think we covered a big spectrum of music in these jams, and I like [Roy’s] input on how he’s using guitar pedals here. If you want tons of nerdy info and a lot more conversation about the interaction of guitar, bass guitar with guitar pedals, bass pedals, the history, then we did an in-depth live episode last month. It's two hours long, but totally worth it.