Difference between pedals for guitar and bass

[sleepybrighteyez]

Is the main difference between pedals aimed at guitar verses bass the frequency range? I'm wondering if it is possible to build a pedal with both in mind, and have a switch to select between frequency dependent components. However, instead of using a switch, I'd like to use jumpers. I'll be pulling many jumpers from some old PC parts and I had thought of this for a possible use. I didn't think a user would commonly make the switch, which is a main reason I would opt not to have one poking out of the box. However, I could definitely see a benefit in having an internal jumper that someone could move to change the role of the pedal. It could also help designers who make pedals for both, but don't want to have two separate designs of the same pedal. It may not work as I think, but that is why I am asking.

[George Giblet]

In general, there's no rules other than "Bass" on the front panel!

Chorus and Flanger pedals tend to filter off the low end on the delayed signal path so the pitch shift doesn't affect the lower frequencies - some people like that some people don't.

Distortion/overdrive pedals are often voiced so the more lower mids/lows get through.

Many compressors/limiters tune the attack and release times for bass.

[petemoore]

  It depends on the effect, what comes before and after, etc., how your hopes and expectations compare with what tones the speaker is producing.
  It is diffi-impossible to be specific about all possibilities of everything.
  Bass tends to be higher output than guitar, and lower frequency.
  This may or may not equate to needing higher headroom to accomodate the larger amplitude source, or staging capacitors to allow the lower frequencies to enter/exit active stages.
  As noted above, some effects may be pressed to distort in untoward' manner when faced with amplifying large amplitude/low frequency bass input source, using a 9volt supply.
  One way to work around any associated, unwanted behaviour is to reduce the size of the series capacitors so to limit bass input, or increase the supply potential.
  It could be nothing is 'necessary', or just lowering the bass's volume is all that is needed, many effects accept bass and guitar well.
  Clean boost, vary input cap values via switch, consider say >12v supply.
  Clean-ish boost *might be the same basic circuit as clean boost, but 9v supply.
  Dirt box...hmm...plenty of suggestions as BMP etc. consider a buffer/split, then a clean bypass for 'bass', filter and fuzz the higher frequencies. Mix the two signals. By 'bass' I mean it too could be bandpass, possibly compressed.
  Low frequencies being clipped have a tendancy to add more harmonics than a bass speaker can accurately reproduce while also doing the work of being loud at low and mid frequencies.

[CodeMonk]

One of me pedals (Boss Flanger I think) has 2 inputs, one for guitar, the other for bass.
You could use that method instead of jumpers.

[Gus]

I would use "bass effect" in the search and read the threads.   There are a few threads with the same type question.  Some good information in the threads and posts.