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best bass for reggae
- Thread starter beaumcrunner
- Start date
Haven't met Ben, my Birthname is Charlito but in the reggae world & to the Yardies here in NorCal i'm more known as Toots the Bassie.. Funny thing is my uncle who also plays bass and gets a bunch of the "Jamaican Artist" calls when they past through town is Toads the Bassie, long story lol... You probably know Toho Saunders who is one of the premier bassies out here. Great player and cool a$$ dude. Is Ben in NorCal or SoCal or somewhere in between? Love to meet him...I had an Fbass BN5 for a year or so too that was earthshaking, just a tad on the heavier side. Your Dingwall is WICKED!
BurningSkies
CRAZY BALDHEAD
- Feb 20, 2005
- 27,956
- 20,348
- Disclosures
- Endorsing artist: Dingwall Guitars
Thanks! I always think F-Bass and reggae and Benjamin Hamlin. He's in LA, but is Pato Banton's bassie.
Link Removed
I see him in passing on Facebook, here and there, thought maybe he'd found his way around here.
In answer to the OP, how about trying some basses, see which one fits you best and that you love the sound of, then playing some reggae on it 
I don't like reggae - The rhythms are all backwards - It's just wrong! But I love playing it... Go figure!
I don't like reggae - The rhythms are all backwards - It's just wrong! But I love playing it... Go figure!
BurningSkies
CRAZY BALDHEAD
- Feb 20, 2005
- 27,956
- 20,348
- Disclosures
- Endorsing artist: Dingwall Guitars
That's a great video. Some of my favorite Wailers stuff is from that tour, really nice stripped down clean sound, killer clav, Tosh on riddim guitar is always good. But just because Familyman played Jazz/flats/Acoustic doesn't mean that anyone else has to.
Your right. But if "I" want to hear reggae this is the set up I like hearing/feeling. I like old bass tones when it comes to reggae. Other set ups to me sound too modern which in returns makes me hear dancehall. Plus Aston is one of the if not the best in the reggae business.
In answer to the OP, how about trying some basses, see which one fits you best and that you love the sound of, then play some reggae on it
This. Family Man played a jazz. So did Jaco. So did David Hood. So did Geddy Lee. Etc, etc, etc. Same can be said about every other flavor of bass guitar.
It's not what you say, it's how you say it. It's not what you use but how you use it.* Find a bass that feels good to you, you can afford and can take a setup that you prefer. Go from there. (And enjoy the journey! I have not made my living from reggae for twenty years but still have lasting impressions from that period in my life, both musically and personally (from the people I played with and met and still are in contact with)).
Also, there's a lot going on between the bass being played and what you hear recorded or live. EQ, compression, etc, not to mention how other instruments in the band are EQed and tuned. But that's a whole 'nother topic/thread.
*This coming from a chronic gear slut! But you get the idea.
Maybe not a traditional choice but my Warwick corvette std sounds awesome for reggae if you just crank the lows and roll the highs all the way off.
- Jul 30, 2006
- 2,315
- 453
- Disclosures
- Endorsing artist:Regenerate Guitar Works Carvin, Micheal Kelly Guitars
I gave Flabba this bass a few years ago. Made by Hal Harrower.
buy the best P bass clone you can afford. Squiers are way better than that one in your link. Don't overthink it,reggae calls for deep muddy low end, roll off the tone knob and boost the bass on your amp.
- Jul 30, 2006
- 2,315
- 453
- Disclosures
- Endorsing artist:Regenerate Guitar Works Carvin, Micheal Kelly Guitars
First off, I love that this is a ten year old thread that shows no signs of dying...and why should it, it's a great subject. I have been playing reggae since I was 16 years old and I have used a ton of different basses in the never ending search for the "perfect" reggae tone. I actually once owned Family Man's Trace Elliot GP11/AH250. The EQ was actually marked where he liked it. If you can't get a good reggae tone using the gear of the man himself, something ain't right. Anyway, my latest experiment involves the Spectorcore 5 which is nice and light, gets a nice deep, hollow, woody tone. I generally don't like 35" scale basses, especially since I can't use my favorite strings for reggae, which are either GHS or Rotosound Pressurewounds. They're not quite flats, but they're not quite rounds. The sound good fresh out of the package and sound great after they've been on for a year. So the Spectorecore may ultimately wind up taking a back seat to the basses I always seem to end up with when in doubt...the venerable Fender Jazz Bass. The Jazz 5 is always in my gear list for reggae gigs, but damn they're heavy! My back is shot, so in addition to tone, I like light, and that is not an easy find. If anyone knows of a light weight alternative to the Jazz Bass I'd love to hear it. I've owned a few Yamaha RBX A2 basses which are Jazz like, super light and sound awesome...for everything BUT reggae for some reason.
I watched a reggae band last night and the bassist was playing an acrylic short scale 5er by the name of Ktone sounded great
OP....the nut width and neck style (C,D,modified D etc etc etc) on a bass can affect your playing style and comfort bigtime....That Rondo mentioned way back is 1 11/16th's nut width....it may be good for you or it may not.....
I would not buy just any old P bass or P/J bass........sure you can get one cheap and it may not sound too bad.....but that doesn't mean it's right for you.
Regardless of the price or sound......playing a bass that has the wrong neck or measurements for you personally gets old and distressing really really quick.....
I'd shop around a bit.....
I would not buy just any old P bass or P/J bass........sure you can get one cheap and it may not sound too bad.....but that doesn't mean it's right for you.
Regardless of the price or sound......playing a bass that has the wrong neck or measurements for you personally gets old and distressing really really quick.....
I'd shop around a bit.....
Here's my old school Reggae setup. Flats on the '88 Steinberger, neck pickup only, treble rolled off. And those two cabs just fit in my car, whereas a 2x15 wouldn't, even if I could lift it. Double ball flats are hard to find, but I only change 'em every 10 years or so.
This looks very much like my old set up. I had a white XL2A and a black XL, the GK800RB and two 15" cabinets. How I wish I still had that white XL. They're going for over $4000 these days.
