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best bass for tapping
- Thread starter freakyfrog
- Start date
try to save a little bit, and then ebay a carvin 6 stringer for around 400-500 bones, amazing basses in my opinon, and tapping machines
It is possible to buy a Five String bass for under $300 for sure, but also plan on spending some money to have the bass set up well (low action and perhaps a new set of light guage strings...) to allow that advanced technique to be easy as possible. As to the question of which one is "best" I don't know who, if anyone, can answer that definitively.
Some basses are better than others, but I don't think there is much noteworthy in that price range.
Ric5
Inactive
- Jan 29, 2008
- 29,772
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- I like 5, 8, 10, and 12 string basses
I apologize if this is a dumb question - but will a bass that is ideal for tapping will also be ideal for slapping?
I would say there is a decent likelihood for this, though in terms of sound, you make like the tapped sound on a bass, but not like it's slapped sound. Or vice-versa. In general, I find low action essential to both these techniques. Someone else may totally dissagree, however...
- Dec 21, 2007
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- Lark in the Morning Instructional Videos; Audix Microphones
Okay let me specify that. (Like freakyfrog I'm also interested in buying a bass especially for tapping.)
scale lenght? 34" - 35" - ...
body? solid (heavy) - solid (light) - hollow body - ...
strings gauge? light - medium - heavy - ...
string type? flatwound - halfwound - roundwound - ...
string material? steel - ...
pickups? precision - jazz - active - piezo - ...
pickup position? ...
Oh yeah, and let's say there isn't a fixed budget.
Okay let me specify that. (Like freakyfrog I'm also interested in buying a bass especially for tapping.)
scale lenght? 34" - 35" - ...
body? solid (heavy) - solid (light) - hollow body - ...
strings gauge? light - medium - heavy - ...
string type? flatwound - halfwound - roundwound - ...
string material? steel - ...
pickups? precision - jazz - active - piezo - ...
pickup position? ...
Oh yeah, and let's say there isn't a fixed budget.
Dude: Lakland
55-02
Maple neck.
You're welcome.
OR P-bass with maple neck and EMG pickup.
Any bass can be made to tap, but it depends on the style you are wanting to play and the tone you are looking for. The comments here are all valid, but different.
Just looking at to exponents of the tapping art throws up different approches.
Stu Hamm:
34" scale Fender Urge (sig model), 3 pickups (2 J and one P), active (I think?), doesn't use compression (apparently). He used to use Urges and Kubicki's with 32" scale too. Sets his amps flat with slight low end lift, but his tone has that Jazz bass mid scoop.
Billy Sheehan:
34" Yamaha Attitude (sig model), 2 pickups (P and EB-O neck woofer) wired to 2 separate SVT amps, light overdrive, ton of compression with plenty of mid range and muted high end.
It is interesting to note however that they both have relatively small radius fretboards, probably due to the fact they are both based on Fender designs.
So 2 different artists, with completely different tones and approches. There is no right answer, but by the looks of it a Fender of some description may be a good start, just set it up appropriately, set your amp flat and you should be good to go, perhaps try a little compression too.
Just looking at to exponents of the tapping art throws up different approches.
Stu Hamm:
34" scale Fender Urge (sig model), 3 pickups (2 J and one P), active (I think?), doesn't use compression (apparently). He used to use Urges and Kubicki's with 32" scale too. Sets his amps flat with slight low end lift, but his tone has that Jazz bass mid scoop.
Billy Sheehan:
34" Yamaha Attitude (sig model), 2 pickups (P and EB-O neck woofer) wired to 2 separate SVT amps, light overdrive, ton of compression with plenty of mid range and muted high end.
It is interesting to note however that they both have relatively small radius fretboards, probably due to the fact they are both based on Fender designs.
So 2 different artists, with completely different tones and approches. There is no right answer, but by the looks of it a Fender of some description may be a good start, just set it up appropriately, set your amp flat and you should be good to go, perhaps try a little compression too.
