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Best Slap Tone Ever????

#81
LadyLoveStingRay5 said:
Let’s not forget the best Pbass slap tone.

Click to expand...


The J-bass I've played for a long time is passive with a rock solid Warmoth neck and DiMarzio Ultra Jazz pickups in there. I'm no fountain of slap, but whenever I play a Jazz, I seem to instinctively expect to get a decent slap sound whenever I turn up the volumes and tone knob. I can say that I've been through about a half-dozen other Jazz basses through the past 15-plus years that just didn't have it.

Then a number of years ago I was listening to a CD with a mix of different stuff - it may have come with an issue of the magazine "Bass Frontiers" or something like that. It was one of those moments where I immediately had to stop what I was doing and figure out what the he!! I was making the truly adorable tone coming out of my stereo.

T.M. Stevens was on the cover of the magazine and one of his tunes was the first one on the included disc. His sound was bright and slappy, but it also had a wooly, meaty belly to it that was bold and... how 'bout jolly? Sure enough, there he was crankin' away on a Warwick with a P/J layout - maybe a Streamer. Yes PLEASE!!

Not too long after that I came across a YouTube chicklet covering the bass line of "Forget Me Not" and she was using a Yamaha BB with that wooly-jolly personality that gives my ears perma-grin. Now when I listen to the original recording, I just dig it more and more.

It would probably cause a bit of a dust up if I tried to assert that the P pickup can make a better slap tone than a Jazz layout... so I won't. But I'm happy to agree that the P is no worse.

And thanks to everyone for the inspiring montage of slap that's accumulated here. Sunshine on a cloudy day :thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:
 
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#82
LadyLoveStingRay5 said:
Let’s not forget the best Pbass slap tone.

Click to expand...

YESSSSS.......this reminds me of a video i saw once - P bass - guy had SemiFats (or groundwounds IIRC) on the E, A strings and rounds on the D,G. - the thick thump and the bright pop was outstanding - Can't find the video again for the life of me. I have always like a Pbass tone over jazz - so that might have helped. Great post and sooooo many great players.
 
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#88
graphics1988 said:
YESSSSS.......this reminds me of a video i saw once - P bass - guy had SemiFats (or groundwounds IIRC) on the E, A strings and rounds on the D,G. - the thick thump and the bright pop was outstanding - Can't find the video again for the life of me. I have always like a Pbass tone over jazz - so that might have helped. Great post and sooooo many great players.
Click to expand...
I play with bright flats ( Ernie Ball Cobalt ) on my US Geddy Lee Jazz but I keep a round on the G string. :headphone::thumbsup:. Sounds and feels great. I stole the idea from BrownMark of Prince and The Revolution .
 
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#89
groove pump said:
The J-bass I've played for a long time is passive with a rock solid Warmoth neck and DiMarzio Ultra Jazz pickups in there. I'm no fountain of slap, but whenever I play a Jazz, I seem to instinctively expect to get a decent slap sound whenever I turn up the volumes and tone knob. I can say that I've been through about a half-dozen other Jazz basses through the past 15-plus years that just didn't have it.

Then a number of years ago I was listening to a CD with a mix of different stuff - it may have come with an issue of the magazine "Bass Frontiers" or something like that. It was one of those moments where I immediately had to stop what I was doing and figure out what the he!! I was making the truly adorable tone coming out of my stereo.

T.M. Stevens was on the cover of the magazine and one of his tunes was the first one on the included disc. His sound was bright and slappy, but it also had a wooly, meaty belly to it that was bold and... how 'bout jolly? Sure enough, there he was crankin' away on a Warwick with a P/J layout - maybe a Streamer. Yes PLEASE!!

Not too long after that I came across a YouTube chicklet covering the bass line of "Forget Me Not" and she was using a Yamaha BB with that wooly-jolly personality that gives my ears perma-grin. Now when I listen to the original recording, I just dig it more and more.

It would probably cause a bit of a dust up if I tried to assert that the P pickup can make a better slap tone than a Jazz layout... so I won't. But I'm happy to agree that the P is no worse.

And thanks to everyone for the inspiring montage of slap that's accumulated here. Sunshine on a cloudy day :thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:
Click to expand...
Yamaha BB’s, Ernie Ball Musicman Caprice all produce a very nice slap sound.
 
#91
So I'm hearing that "best" tone is subjective?
+a fanboy 1 for Stu Hamm's older Kubicki tone. There was moon rock magic in those basses anyway.
But I think his tone on a DH Gate fake is gonna be better than mine on a Ray. OK, now that I name the issue I can advance to the next step.
 
#97
This actually is turning out to be a pretty cool thread discussing the different types of slap tones. I think there
Dr. Cheese said:


Dude is a fine player, and the MV5 sounds great, but I do not think it has a better slap tone than my American Geddy Lee, YMMV.
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I think that's a decent example of a 5 string jazz type bass, but really nothing special. The one thing this thread has done is point out the different types of slap tones that have been achieved over the years. I love Marcus' tone in the same way that I like Victor's because it is unique to them. I also love that slightly mid-scooped, tight bass thumpin' and pluckin' the jazz and gospel guys can get, but that doesn't work in every setting. Then there's Flea's monster tone on of his many basses throughout his career, most notably live with a Stingray or Modulus.
 
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