Best bass for Ska

IMO P-Bass or Stingray.

Although pretty much any plank with at least 4 strings will work.

 

I'd say Jazz, Stingray, or some sort of P+J.

 

I played/toured in a third wave ska band for a few years and played a Fender Jazz...for old schools stuff I had a fretless jazz, rolled off. We played with countless bands, and saw an endless variety of basses, but the Fenders were definitely the most popular.

 

I concur with what was said above. A lot of third wavers however really go with Sting Rays, Sterlings, or Deluxe Jazz bass'.

 

If you want to get Roger's (Less Than Jake) sound, he plays Stingrays and Sterlings.

 

I definately say any EBMM or EBMM styled bass. Jazz basses also work, but for ska, I think that signature SR sound just dominates!

-ryan-

 

G&L L-2000, L-2500
or Fender Jazz
or Fender P-deluxe
or Fender Roscoe Beck
or Ernie Ball Stingray, or Bongo
or Just about any decent JJ or PJ that you can put your hands on...

ska is a style, not a sound...but for ska you want something that is clean and punchy with a little edge for cutting through...

I think that some Warwicks would also do a decent job in the Ska department...

but IMO the best sound I've heard on a bass for Ska is the Yamaha BB415, BB615 and all the older 80's BB's. Just the right mix of bitey growl and punch...

 

Matt Wong from RBF plays a 5-string 'ray...

to me, Reel Big Fish IS Ska

 

Jazz/Sterling
P/StingRay

Just pick what suits you best

 

I just gotta add my 2c. My 16-year-old dragged me to see Reel Big Fish a couple of years ago, before the trumpet player left. I was excited, partly because I did like the bass lines on the records. I was very disappointed. He could have been playing a uke, because you could not hear a single note of the bass lines due to the HORRIBLE sound. Not a note.

Which brings us to the question. Pretty much any bass will do. Not just because of this experience, but because the FOH sound determines it all anyway. It's in the bop, not the sound of the bass.

Desmond Dekker IS ska. Toots and the Maytals. Having seen them all, I came away thinking RBF just doesn't hold a candle.

 

You're both wrong. The Skatalites is ska (backed up Dekker, the Maytals (the ska stuff is all pre-Toots-&-the-Maytals, and ALL the 60's bands). They were THE studio band in Jamaica from pre-ska through rock-steady.

Ska is also Specials, Madness, English Beat, Selector, Bad Manners.

It's Japanese, Norwegian, Irish, Spanish, German, African, North & South American, although rarely in the islands anymore.

Ska is also the Toasters, Scofflaws, PieTasters, Voodoo Glow Skulls, Operation Ivy, Thumper, and any number of 3rd wave and post 3rd wave band, old school, new school, punk-ska, etc.

The whole point of ska is that it's a 'big tent' and there are good bands in ALL the areas.

Y'see, that's why it's hard to pick a bass sound. I've heard it on EUB, UB, ERB, and of course good ol' EB.

 

Im gonna agree with the using a stingray as well...although the bassist from Fishbone uses a Warwick and that's kinda cool

 

+1 for a sterling, either that or have you tried an ibanez SR900? That's what I always grab when playing reggae or ska.

 

I'd go for a nice traditional Fender Jazz.

 

Of all of the ska bands we've played with, the Stingrays sounded the best. Matt Wong never ceased to amaze me while we were on tour. As for the newer wave ska, Horace Panter is God!!!!

 

.....and correct me if I am wrong but Horace Panter has always played an old Fender Precision. Funny how no matter what comes to play, the old P-Bass still works great in most situations. I have a few basses, but my '66 P is home bass (sic)!

 

True indeed. It's the Swiss army knife of the lowend.

 

Fishbone and English Beat was the music i grew up on. I think all it comes down to is TALENT, rather then the bass you're playing.

 

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