Turning a guitar into a bass with an effect

[zener]

Can there a guitar effect that can simulate a bass? I mean it will turn my guitar into a six-string bass?

Or am I just asking for something absurd?

[Peter Snowberg]

You could try something like the Rocktave Divider or the MXR Blue Box, but other than a pitch shifter, you'll be looking at a fuzzy and "synthish" sound thanks to the way non-DSP octave down pedals work.

Take care,
-Peter

[bwanasonic]

My experience with *faux* bass using octave effects (in this case an EH Micro-Synth) was basically that you had to "play the effect", and find the particular notes and techniques that produced convincing results. You can get usable results, especially for recording, but in a pretty restricted capacity (i.e. guitar + effect is no 6 string bass). Then there is the hex-pickup/ guitar synth route. If you are talking about live performance, there is the whole issue of bass amplification vs. guitar amp. It really comes down to: what do you have in mind? If you just need to hold a pedal tone, or play a real simple line for a song or two, it might be worth it. But if you plan on an extended Entwistle/Squire/Pastorious/Flea/Collins/Wooten cadenza.... It's time to find a good bass player, or buy a bass+bass amp and practice, practice, practice.


Kerry M

[Ge_Whiz]

Sorry to say it, but the only box that I've ever heard that does this (a) convincingly and (b) reliably is the Digitech BP50 pedal.

[gez]

I use a Dano Chilli Dog for bass parts.  It's not distorted and is clean enough to do a pretty convincing impression (if you stick to the wound strings).

Tonally, it sounds like an instrument with dead strings and all the high end rolled off (think reggae/dance and you'll get the idea) so it's limited, but I'm not complaining as I like that sound.

[ejbasses]

What your looking for is an octave down pedal, the boss oc-2 can produce a tone 2 octaves below the original signal.

But!, nothing beats the sound of a 34 inch scale bass with the proper strings

peace!

[Paul Marossy]

I have the BOSS OC-2. You could get close with that. But, like was said, it ain't quite the same thing...

[RDV]

The Shoctave by Joe Davisson I just built does it, if you run the blend knob all the way CW. A bass on Mars or something! I plan on driving my band crazy! I love the sound when the oscillator is trying to find the right note. WEEWEEOOODILYOODILY WEEOO!!

Sweet!

RDV

[anyuser00]

MXR made an analog pitch shifter.  No tracking or square wave buzz to worry about, but I've not actually heard one or seen a schematic.

[Alex C]

I've used my Whammy reissue to try to get some usable bass sounds for recording, and it's tough.  I've experimented with humbuckers, single coils, neck and bridge, pick/fingers, and all kinds of tone pot combinations, and it's not very convincing.   The best setting I've found is my bridge single coil with the tone rolled to 2, and a bit of compression (Dyna Comp) afterwards, and only very light playing with the fingers.  Does anyone have any suggestions to get a better sound (more realistic, convincing), or should I accept the limitations of this setup?  

Alex

[bobbletrox]

I second the Whammy suggestion.

I love the "bass" on the White Stripes' Hardest Button to Button.  The tone is big and bouncy.  I think the secret is that it's not really being presented as a real bass guitar, as in, it's not as if it's trying to be pass itself off for a p-bass.