Bass for hip hop?

[slapmachine]

I usually see hip hop players using some type of active five with the mids / highs cut and the bass boosted on a std 3band eq preamp (From what I hear at least). Do you think any of them would sport a Fender P? Or would it be more of an active 5 string Jazz?

Not necessarily trying to get a new bass, but I can get some fat tones out of my American Deluxe Jazz, but I'm almost thinking about trying to trade it for a P because I really only use it for the solo'd neck pup. The perfect p tone / feel goes on!

Best regards,

Brooks

[brendanbassist]

Pino played a P. Nuff said.
D'Angelo - Chicken Grease (Live) - YouTube

[crashonskis]

In hip hop the bass is typically electronic. Never heard any that uses a bass guitar.

[darkstorm]

Active rather then passive for more modern sound and better ability to articulate low bass notes. Yeah like crashonskis said is ussually electronic bass in most hip hop music. If I was gonna do some of that stuff, I'd buckl the system a little and go for basses that do low bass better then P bass. Either thunderbird, or warm voiced humbucker pup one like the spalt maple paulo warlocks BC Rich has come out with. Those do low articulation better then tbirds. But if your wanna more wump sound rather then hifi'ish articulate low bass, then tbird would work very nice.

If your wanting P pup bass Id check out either the BC Rich mockingbird NT with its P pups for neck and bridge plus 2band eq onboard. Or the nt eagle for little more traditional shape yet still diff. Samke P neck and birdge pups plus 2band eq. Zombies and warlocks with the P neck and bridge set for more exotic look. lol.

[NoFretsNoWorry]

EDIT: retracted humor attempt!

My apologies!

Just thought the original video link I posted was so bad it was humorous because it was just odd!

My bad! No offense intended!

Cheers

[chaosMK]

I use my Cirrus for hip hop (not that I have a choice, it's my only bass). It works great. Depends on the sound/vibe you are going for. I like the strong active signal and slight compression/huge sustain this bass has. There are times where I've thought that something passive would be great too.

If you have fairly flexible gear, I wouldn't worry about having to reinvest unless you just want to. I've been extremely happy with my tones using Cirrus, Sansamp, Mesa Bass 400 (DI)... it's just a matter of working it and playing style/feel. I use entirely different settings that I do for what I usually play (high presence tone, modern metal)

I'm no pro and this is just a home studio track, but here's an example-

Rap-Hop Demo Track by dr_thunda on SoundCloud - Create, record and share your sounds for free

[One Drop]

Originally Posted by NoFretsNoWorry

This video helped me!

this is hip hop - YouTube

(warning: humor attempt in a non-thread-jack way.....sorry! )

I'm speechless.*



*With laughter!

[Triangle]

Hub used to hold it down just fine with a J when he was playing with the Roots.

The Roots - The Next Movement - YouTube

[3506string]

I agree much of the pop hop you hear these days have long abandoned live music but there is still quite an active hip hop scene still utilizing live music.

If would go try a couple of P basses out if that's the way you are leaning. However if you are satisfied with your current bass, then I would just roll with that.

Lupe Fiasco w Derrick Hodge on a Fender jazz.
Lupe Fiasco "I Gotcha" ft. The Robert Glasper Experiment - YouTube

Derrick w Phonte.
Robert Glasper Experiment Feat. Phonte - YouTube

Tony Russel on a Fender Jazz w Jay Z
Jay-Z 's Band 2010 - YouTube

[Zoa]

I agree that active, 5+ is probably the way to go. Just urn down the tone. That said, Chip Shearin used a 4-string Fender P on the most iconic line in hip-hop, so all the usual acronyms.

[Flaked Beans]

This bass:

MC Solaar & Ron Carter - Un Angel En Danger - LIVE 1994 (Red, Hot & Cool pt 3) - YouTube

[Triangle]

Originally Posted by 3506string

I agree much of the pop hop you hear these days have long abandoned live music but there is still quite an active hip hop scene still utilizing live music.

If would go try a couple of P basses out if that's the way you are leaning. However if you are satisfied with your current bass, then I would just roll with that.

Lupe Fiasco w Derrick Hodge on a Fender jazz.
Lupe Fiasco "I Gotcha" ft. The Robert Glasper Experiment - YouTube

Derrick w Phonte.
Robert Glasper Experiment Feat. Phonte - YouTube

Tony Russel on a Fender Jazz w Jay Z
Jay-Z 's Band 2010 - YouTube

Those Robert Glasper Experiment videos were awesome. Thanks for the links.

[pbass2]

It really just depends--you can use so many different kinds of bass tones in hip hop--it's always a "what does the track call for" kind of thing. Sometimes you want to sound like a sample from a 70's funk record, sometimes you want hi-fi and modern. Often a synth is the ticket, but if a bass guitar is called for I'd say your jazz is quite up to the task(and will be a bit more tonally versatile than a P if you only have one bass). Try using a variety of different playing/plucking techniques and some effects too. If it's a passive bass that's cool because you can more easily get an old-school tone, and then use an outboard pre like a Sadowsky, etc. for a modern "active" sound.
(Personally, I long ago gave up trying to make a bass guitar sound like a synth in urban music(though it's fun to try!) and use it for what it is--a bass guitar--then I use a synth if that's what works best.)

[Simorchid]

Keep the Jazz, save up and get a P and then save up more and get a MM Bongo. With those 3 basses you will be in tone heaven.

[ksandvik]

I wish more real musicians would play hip hop to to get it out from this Nikki Minaj rot.

[Dubista]

I've always wanted a 5 string P with a 2 band for Hip Hop.

[kevteop]

I use a Jazz with the pickups wired in series for extra beef and a .1uF cap on the tone pot so I can roll off loads of highs. I also string it with LaBella flats so my pitch-tracking effects track better, plus it gives me those old soul tones that were commonly looped by the old-school hip hop groups.

Edit: If you only ever solo the front pup on your Jazz definitely try adding a parallel/series switch, it's easy to do if you've got a soldering iron and you'll like the series sound trust me.

[sonic assassin]

id say a 5 string and something active. or baritone 4 string. either way, you need to get down low or get an octaver. likely a rigid gated fuzz and a hi fi rig. something about the disgusting clarity of an active pre should make you fit right in. unless you are going for something very old school, in which case, J all the way.

[phangtonpower]

Originally Posted by crashonskis

In hip hop the bass is typically electronic. Never heard any that uses a bass guitar.

Man you're missing out then! I was actually was gonna post the Roots to, but someone beat me too it.

[crashonskis]

Boss synth pedal is also a viable option. They run for around 150 if I am correct.