p-bass slap

[LukeS]

I'm trying to learn how to play slap. I have a p-bass. Will I need to switch to a jbass to get a good slap sound?

[dhsierra1]

absolutely not. Nothing wrong w/the sound of a P in that application.

[Refonbass]

Agreed, I actually prefer the sound of a P bass with rounds (vs. a Jbass) for slapping..

[pgolliher]

Originally Posted by Refonbass

Agreed, I actually prefer the sound of a P bass with rounds (vs. a Jbass) for slapping..

+1.
If I am slaping on a P, I do scoop out the mids and boost the bass and treble a bit. (AKA: Smilely Face EQ), while when playing finger style I like the mids to cut through.

[Gord_oh]

Originally Posted by Refonbass

Agreed, I actually prefer the sound of a P bass with rounds (vs. a Jbass) for slapping..

yep.

[Alex J]

Using a P bass with fresh rounds and the controls wide open is about the easiest way possible to get an awesome slap tone, IMHO. Just ask Freddie Washington.

[john grey]

There are elements that add to learning Slap but they differ on different necks and electronics. There is nothing wrong with using a P-Bass for slap what-so-ever. The areas of difference MAY be (for different people) the radius of the neck, the electronics in their sensitivity to certain frequencies, & the overall comfort of the Bass. An enormous amount of people use a Music Man for Slap, yet many of them can be the same weight as some P-basses. MM's also have on-board EQ systems but buying an EQ can cost very little. The radius on a P neck may differ from a Music Man but then each person's attack may also differ.
There are some people who find some basses that have designs that promote a simplified learning element (a density to the insertion-point of the neck and body, built-in EQ, greater space between strings, etc but all of that can (and has been) worked with yielding excellent results.
It's very rarely the instrument, but the technique that ends up being the deciding factor.

[BiigM]

I have jazz basses that sounds awesome slapped.

And my p sounds equally awesome slapped, but in a different way.

If it sounds good, it is good ;-)

[JimK]

Originally Posted by LukeS

I'm trying to learn how to play slap. I have a p-bass. Will I need to switch to a jbass to get a good slap sound?

Some of the early slap pioneers used a P-bass...
Chuck Rainey
Louis Johnson (also used Alembics & Music Man basses)
"Ready" Freddie Washington (mentioned by Alex) is another great example of slapping n P-bass...


...as is this SOS Band tune, "High Hopes"
The Sos Band-High Hopes(1982) - YouTube


That said, in the late '70s/early '80s, I was doing my slap bit on a Fender P-bass.
Strings DO make a difference. Roundwounds were a lot better than the groundwound strings I had been using.
Then...I noticed certain local players getting a better slap/pop tone...they all had Jazz basses. They had the bite/twang (provided by the Bridge pickup) + they could approximate what I was getting from a P-bass (solo'd their Neck pickup).
So I added a Jazz pickup in the bridge position of my 2ea P-basses.

[Joe Louvar]

Originally Posted by LukeS

I'm trying to learn how to play slap. I have a p-bass. Will I need to switch to a jbass to get a good slap sound?

No.

[Cristo]

Possibly, to get a sound that you consider "good." But there is nothing inherent about a P that will make it unsuitable for slap. Just depends on what you like.