It seems like that there are a few groups of basses that seem ideal, and of frequent use in Funk (pbass, jazz bass, etc.). But what really makes a bass, a 'funk bass', or makes those particular ones so attractive?
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Funk Basses
- Thread starter Dark Star
- Start date
Technique
Heh I know, useless response, but I saw you werent gettin any love on this thread yet so I threw it down. I honestly don't know, I've been gettin my funk on with Ibanez's since I started playing. You can funk all over the place with a 6 string Soundgear.
Heh I know, useless response, but I saw you werent gettin any love on this thread yet so I threw it down. I honestly don't know, I've been gettin my funk on with Ibanez's since I started playing. You can funk all over the place with a 6 string Soundgear.
My 08' MIA Fender Jazz Bass is a funk monster of a bass. It's a thickest sounding bass I've ever played and I've been funk'n for almost 30 yrs. When I pop notes on the G or D it's so loud compared to my other basses. The only other bass that comes close is my Ibanez BTB405QM w18v preamp and passive pups, it pops pretty loud too.
Some define funk as slap style with bright tone...others find a deep thumpy fingerstyle bassline funky. So, to me funk is more about feel and technique than about a specific bass but if you held me down and made me answer I'd say it'd have to be a bass with lots of room between the p/u and the neck, preferably 21 frets or less and a nice big resonant body. 4 strings is best, 5 is OK...6???...no way, get the funk out!
Disclaimer: imho, ime, ymmv and yadda yadda yadda...
Disclaimer: imho, ime, ymmv and yadda yadda yadda...
OP, get a bass with good, clear high end and a well defined bottom for a good slap tone. Finger tone can be very scooped like Mark Adams from but usually a bit more midrange is useful for definition.
The bottom line is that many, many basses have these qualities.
The bottom line is that many, many basses have these qualities.
I'm really big on the Ray for funk. I'd play a 5 string Ray if Musicman's Stingray 5 sounded like the 4, but alas, it doesn't so I've graduated to the Lakland 55-94, which is my favorite 5 string for funk. I don't own a Ray anymore because I don't go anywhere without a trusty 5er, but if you're looking for a 4 banger with just the right funk tone, you need look no farther than a Stingray 4. I honestly think the Lakland 5er sounds closer to a Musicman 4 than the Musicman 5er does, but that's just my ear. I've heard other players sound great on a Musicman 5-- maybe it's the horribly tight string spacing makes it harder to play for me therefore I sound different on it--- the string spacing of the Lakland is a super comfy .19 mm which is almost the same as a 4 string's spacing and I love it.
It's pretty hilarious that I just had this conversation last night with a fellow bassist who uses nothing but Ray 4 strings.
Absoluteness. The right player can squeeze funk from a broken Wish w/weedwackers for strings, but w/o the gooey sweet stuff in ones own soul all the vintage Mutrons & originally-owned-by-Larry Graham fuzzy amps won't funkify. Even an old white dude know the truth hyah. UNH.
I would love to learn to slap..I have an Ibanez, a p-bass and a Squier J bass. I just can't seem to get the technique. My friend tried showing me the other day (my bass playing friend) but I think it is something in due time I will be able to pick up. I think that I will have to keep trying. I only been playing for like 8 mths or so...but getting a bit impatient.
Your response was posted three minutes after the OP. How quickly must a thread gain responses to be "getting love"?
IMO, funk is more about the technique than the bass. Case in point, take George Porter on the one hand, playing a beat-up, mojo-dripping P bass, and Mark King on the other, playing a $4000 short scale graphite Status. Both have tons of fans who will tell you they bring the funk (they both do, IMO), and their instruments could not be less similar and still both be basses.
I totally agree with funk is the player not the bass. I play funky stuff on my Ibanez GSR-200 and I also play it on my Musicman and both sound good its just that the Musicman sounds better (I think) and sounds better, especially with the active eq to boost in that low end if i need.
I think that Flea said it best that if your heart is in it, it doesn't matter what kind or how nice of a bass you have it'll sound good.
I think that Flea said it best that if your heart is in it, it doesn't matter what kind or how nice of a bass you have it'll sound good.
... as others have said, funk is a state of mind, not tied to a specific bass.
Not that an Ibanez ATK is an excellent funk machine (that's why I got one.)
Not that an Ibanez ATK is an excellent funk machine (that's why I got one.)
Ha classic Stuff... Dunno re the funk ball one.... bit ...err.. But check Bootsy's 'Space bass Solo
Ha HA!!!!! Classic!!!!!!
Ha HA!!!!! Classic!!!!!!
I agree to a certain point.
If we are talking about funk with lots of slapping and popping, I wouldn't be bringing my 1974 Precision string with old flats to a gig! But for old school funk, a P is amazing (I personally just hate slapping on mine).
I tend to play funk these days on my 4 and 5 string Sadowskys (Jazz style) or Stingrays.
2 other amazing funk basses IMO were my Lakland 55-02 and Fender Geddy Lee Jazz.
You could play funk on almost anything though as long as you have good technique.
