Just started slappin'!!!! & I got a question

Scott · #1 12-16-2003, 08:37 PM

I'm so excited...I've been playing for a little bit now, and my bass teacher has decided it's time that he teaches me how to slap. I've always felt so inadiquit while watching fellow bassists just go crazy and start slapping, while I'm there just normally plucking away. But now I will at least know how to do the very basics of what my friends are doing. Anyways, my question is, are all basses slappable? I'm assuming that there are some basses better than others for slapping. But are pretty much all basses able to produce a somewhat decent sound when slapped? From what I've heard Ibanez's are nice for slapping but that is pretty much all I've heard. I'm not planning on rushing out and buying a new bass that would perhaps be better than my current bass(a peavey milestone IV) for slapping, I'm just kind of curious because I have pretty much no knowledge at all on the subject

Figjam · #2 12-16-2003, 08:41 PM

Some basses are better than others. Also, string spacing matters. I know i like to slap on basses with a wider string spacing. Most ibanez's that ive played have a bad slap tone.....

Tyler Hole · #3 12-16-2003, 08:42 PM

You should be able to use any bass to slap - It's not going to be the bass in the factor of slapping as much as it's going to be you. I use an Essex BG205 ($120 bass) and I slap just fine on it. Also, slapping isn't like the biggest thing, hell, look at Jaco, he didn't need to slap.

Tyler Hole · #4 12-16-2003, 08:43 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Figjam
Some basses are better than others. Also, string spacing matters. I know i like to slap on basses with a wider string spacing. Most ibanez's that ive played have a bad slap tone.....

My Ibanez GSR200 doesn't have the greatest slap tone (or the greatest fretless tone) but still it can be slapped with. Also yes, string spacing will be a factor in this. Figjam here likes wider while I prefer closer.

Scott · #5 12-16-2003, 08:47 PM

Thx for the help guys

Scott

sirthumbs · #6 12-16-2003, 09:03 PM

Hey, don't ever feel intimidated! Those same players may be feeling the same about your fingerstyle playing. Now, you'll be able to exchange stuff with slappers and understand some of their techniques and apply it to your own situation.

Are all basses slapable? Well...I guess yeah, because it all boils down to the slap sound you like eventually. For instance, I personally don't care for the slapped P-bass sound, but I know a lot of players who do love it. Is anyone right or wrong? I believe not. Typically though, a lot of players gravitate to a slap tone that has "snappy" highs and a good "heavy" bottom, with maybe a cut in the mids. So in general, a lot of the active basses work. Another consideration is string spacing. If you play a 5'er. Sometimes it's harder to slap when it's tight between strings, but again, there are players who don't care about the spacing.

So the bottom line is go out there are have fun with it. Who knows, you may one day be the featured player in an instructional bass video we all buy on the bay.

Oh, the Ibanez. I think your sources are speaking about a specific model - the Ibanez ATK, whick emulates the Musicman String Ray tone, a bass that has a proven history of slap happy users.

Killdar · #7 12-16-2003, 09:04 PM

And don't waste your time trying to get a decent slap tone out of an acoustic or a bass with flats unless you want your thumpiness to be more percussive, which is useful in some situations, but it's not too popular.

Mr.QuakQuak · #8 12-16-2003, 09:25 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Tyler Hole
You should be able to use any bass to slap - It's not going to be the bass in the factor of slapping as much as it's going to be you. I use an Essex BG205 ($120 bass) and I slap just fine on it. Also, slapping isn't like the biggest thing, hell, look at Jaco, he didn't need to slap.

Jaco seduced us all .... *gaze*

The 0x · #9 12-16-2003, 11:37 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Tyler Hole
Also, slapping isn't like the biggest thing, hell, look at Jaco, he didn't need to slap.

Same with Entwistle, he just did everything else.

**Adam Barkley** · #10 12-16-2003, 11:46 PM

isnt there slapping in Eminent Front by The Who

thought i heard some when i heard it yesterday, but i could be wrong.

chump stain · #11 12-17-2003, 06:51 PM

Basses that are generally concidered good slap basses are, Musicman Stingrays, and Fender Jazz basses. Usually good (or perferred) slap basses have a good snappy bridge pickup, a lot of people will solo their bridge pickup or blend it high for slap. Usually slappers like brighter woods like Maple, ash, and alder.

Basses that are not really concidered "slap friendly" are, Rickenbackers, Gibson or Epiphone EB3, or tighter spaced multistringed basses. But nothing is set in stone, there is no right or wrong bass for slap.

cods · #12 12-17-2003, 07:01 PM

you can't technically slap on a fretless.

Brilliant Fool · #13 12-17-2003, 07:01 PM

To my experience you can't go wrong with musicman stingrays, they have pretty sweet tone. I don't care for their fingerstyle tone though, it's too gritty.

Brilliant Fool · #14 12-17-2003, 07:02 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by cods
you can't technically slap on a fretless.

Wanna elaborate on that a bit?

I've never had trouble doing so...

Boozy · #15 12-17-2003, 07:19 PM

yah.. why wouldnt one be able to slap on a fretless? i dont own a fretless bass, but if i did, and if it had strings on it, i'm sure i could slap with it..

i never learned how to slap untill i bought my stingray.. now i have a hard time NOT slapping.. its weird, but slapping on it seems so.. easy.

only thing i find makes a bass unslappable is high action.. i find it very difficult to slap on a bass with high action.. i mean, i can do it, but i dont really find it easy or helpfull..

another thing i like is a bass with the neck sunk into the body fairly deep.. basically so, when you pop that G string, your finger doesn't slip right under the G string... my stingray is awesome, but i could handle a bit less space between the strings and the pickguard... not much less, just a bit. I have read about guys putting on an extra pickguard to accomidate for this. It doesn't really bother me tho, it may have even helped me with my technique. I can see why Flea, when developing his Flea bass, made a deeper neck pocket on it, cause it does make popping a bit easier (for me that is, and him too obviously.)

**Chris A** · #16 12-17-2003, 10:30 PM

This is more of a technique thing......

Chris A.

**embellisher** · #17 12-17-2003, 11:00 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by cods
you can't technically slap on a fretless.

Oh, really? I slap on my fretless Zon all the time. Guess I better stop.

Tyler Hole · #18 12-17-2003, 11:28 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by embellisher
Oh, really? I slap on my fretless Zon all the time. Guess I better stop.

Same here...I don't want to do anything wrong

The Lurker · #19 12-18-2003, 10:27 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by cods
you can't technically slap on a fretless.

I slap on fretless..... it sound thump rather than ping, but it's perfectly doable...

lots of primus songs are slapped on fretless.

Tyler Hole · #20 12-19-2003, 09:14 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by The Lurker
lots of primus songs are slapped on fretless.

Main two that come to mind are "My Name Is Mud" and "Tommy The Cat" which he slaps on a 6 string fretless. Oh - And he also uses the same bass for "Jerry Was A Racecar Driver" which he slaps in the chorus on.