Bass for Slap Style

[Evan Skopp]

Just out of curiosity, what do you think are the best basses, at various price points, for slap-style playing?

(And to avoid you having to find the YouTube clip, as a courtesy, I have posted it below).

[jon the art guy]

Re: Bass for Slap Style

SLYAPPAN DA BYAAASSSSS

SIILYAPIN DEH BYEEESSSSSSSS

I vote for a MIM Jazz + 1/4 pounders, then a Sterling Ray, then...uhm...A Warwick Thumb or Vette?

[Johnny the Kid]

Re: Bass for Slap Style

I have not found a bad bass for slapping besides a violin bass and a P bass.

The violin is really plucky and has a short sustain. The P bass has way too much low end for me to get a decent sound. But I know a lot of people who can get some good slaps out of a P bass. It just depends on the player I guess.

I, personally, get some really good slaps out of a Music Man Stingray.

[Liko]

Re: Bass for Slap Style

You can slap almost anything, however IMHO you really need that bridge pickup to get the tone most associate with slap.

The original slapper, Larry Graham, has played a Jazz Bass of one brand or another for virtually all his career, and thumbstyle is common among jazz and fusion players who still gravitate to this style of instrument, so it's a great place to start. Soapbars, both single-coil and humbucking, are also common among slapstyle players, as is of course the massive MM-style.

In modern slapstyle virtually everyone uses active onboard preamps, to give the extra tone control and the wider frequency range possible when buffering the pickups.

Among other famous bassists known for their slapstyle are the following:

Flea - BloodSugarSexMagik was recorded with a Wal bass, most examples of which have dual Darkstar-style pickups. He's better known for his Modulus signature, in turn based on the Ernie Ball Music Man, though in his most recent projects he's reverted to a vintage Fender Jazz.

Wayman Tisdale - Usually photographed with his custom active Fender Jazz lefty, though his performance bass is most often a Tobias Killer B with dual P2 soaps.

Tal Wilkenfeld - Only bass I've ever seen her play is her black-on-natural Sadowsky Jazz, which is understandable as they've endorsed her since she came on the scene. I'm not sure if her bass is passive or active.

Marcus Miller - Never seen him play anything but a Fender Jazz; his go-to is a Fender that was modified by Sadowsky to add a Bart preamp. As such both Fender and Sadowsky have Marcus Miller signatures.

Nathan East - Usually seen with his signature Yamaha BB six-string, with custom stacked humbucking soapbars.

John Pattitucci - Ditto except his signature is a TRB-style with single-coil soaps.

Stu Hamm - Normally seen with a TRB that has a rather odd pickup config, an MM-style in the neck position and a P2-size soapbar at the bridge.

Fieldy - Usually playing an Ibanez, often his signature K5 model which has dual humbucking soapbars.

Geddy Lee - Nowadays usually playing his signature Fender Jazz, but back in the day he was more a Rickenbacker guy.

Victor Wooten - His "number 1" is a Fodera Monarch P/J, he's also been seen with other Foderas, as well as a Steinberger.

Michael Manring - Most often seen with Zon basses, especially his signature "Hyperbass", though he has a lot of instruments he'll pull out.

[jon the art guy]

Re: Bass for Slap Style

I can slap on my EB3 just fine, just not smashing on it. I can't really pop, as its a tight bridge for me, but the bridge humbucker is a toothy little guy. Of course the sidewinder is not involved.
I think people online assume you have to beat the bass like it owes you money, but a gentle little flick does the job fine.

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