Most people don’t think about pedals for the bass guitar. Electric guitarists have a whole board full of them, but for bass? Not so much. That changed for me when a friend from church — who used to play on the worship team and has over 20 years of sound engineering experience — gave me a pedal that might just be the only one I’ll ever need.
In worship, the bass doesn’t just add low-end. It glues everything together. But getting that full, punchy tone can be a challenge, especially if you’re plugging directly into the board. That’s where the Doug Pinnick Tech21 bass guitar pedal comes in.
This isn’t just a pedal. It’s also a preamp, DI box, EQ pedal, distortion pedal, compressor, and — most importantly — a tuner all in one. It gives you the warmth and grit of a miked-up amp without actually needing an amp on stage.
On the back, you’ve got your bass input, a quarter-inch output (or headphones), and the power supply. On the left side is the XLR output, so you don’t even need a separate DI box. The top has three main buttons: Mix, On, and Tuner.
On turns the pedal on or off, essentially bypassing it if you want just your bass sound.
Mix toggles distortion, lighting up the Chunk and Drive knobs red when active.
Tuner — well, any musician knows this is the most important part.
There are also a few function buttons:
XLR engages the XLR output.
Headphone tells the pedal you’re using headphones instead of plugging into an amp or other output.
Shift changes the EQ’s midrange frequency from about 700 Hz to around 350 Hz for more control.
Gain lets you use the Drive knob to control output gain.
On top, you’ll find:
Volume — how much output you’re sending.
Chunk — heavier distortion than normal drive.
High, Mid, Low — your EQ settings.
Compressor — perfect if you don’t have one at the mixer or need more than the sound tech can give you.
Drive — distortion, unless Gain mode is active, in which case it controls gain instead.
The layout is straightforward and easy to tweak mid-set if needed.
Once I started playing with it, I was impressed at how versatile it is. With just a few knob tweaks, I could go from a warm, clean tone to a gritty, punchy sound that cuts through the mix. Whether you’re running into an analog board or a digital console, the DP Tech21 gives your bass the tone and presence it needs consistently.
And when your tone is consistent, your sound techs have less work to do, which means a better overall mix for the whole team.
If you’re tired of weak, washed-out bass tone in your worship mix, this little box could be your best next step. It keeps your low end strong and your tone dialed in, so you can focus on playing and leading worship instead of fighting your sound.
Have you used the Doug Pinnick Tech21? I’d love to hear how it’s working for you. And if you’re looking to take your bass skills further, check out my Bass Guitar Made Simple course, and don’t forget to grab your free Bass Guitar Cheat Sheet.
Here’s to low notes with high impact every week.
