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GOSPEL BASS PLAYERS,STEP UP!

#81
At Church, I play a Jazz and a Custom fretless P. The P is always tuned CGDA and sometimes the Jazz is too. It really depends on what mood I'm in. I have the jazz set as 3/4 neck, full bridge, 1/4 tone. It all goes out through some Aguilar goodness.

This setup is working great but these basses will eventually be replaced with 5-6 string basses.
 
#82
We've been doing a lot of John P. Kee, Israel Houghton, some Keith Staten, etc... at our church lately and I've been using my trusty Sadowsky Metro. I find that it kills for every style I can throw at it.
 
#83
I've played a ton of basses in church, but I have had alot of success with Stingray 5s. Another bass that really worked well in church too was a Yamaha TRB 6 that may have been even nicer than a Ken Smith bolt-on 6 that sounded great too.
At this point, I'm in a tight budget phase of my life and my SR5 and Yorkville XM 100 work fine in my small church. I will eventually get a Yorkville XM210, although I was blown away today by an Ampeg Portabass 228. That thing is tiny, only 35lbs. has 2x8 speakers with a port. It puts out 200w and has some serious bottom! I recently picked up a Cort Curbow 5 and I am still getting to know it, but will be my change of pace/backup to my SR5. Eventually, I will get another Ken Smith 6 bolt-on again.
 
#85
I have a MIM Fender Jazz V, a Fender active PJ Precision that might be an over seas model, A Yamaha RBX 250F Fretless, A one of a kind Hamer Velocity II Ash that some guy at the factory put a Rally Guitars logo on the headstock, and a Takamine 512CFG acoustic that have all seen extensive action on Sunday morning over the years. I confess, however, that the Jazz V gets the call most often these days.
The real secret to my tone is just a bit of compression, a Radial JDI KM3 Direct Box and a great EAW rig with four 18 inch Subs.
And just to give you GAS, we also have AVIOM 16 Channel Personal In-Ear monitor mixer.
 
#86
The Reverend 4 that Count Funkula certainly should be comfortable in a Gospel setting!

I play my Peavey USA Millennium in our contemporary praise band. It is a four string and there are times I wish I could go down a bit lower but it does sustain real well for when all I can think to play is whole note roots. With just a turn of the blend knob, I can get a few very different tones which comes in handy when we play songs that have very different feels right after each other.
 
#87
Carvin LB75PF right now but I usually hide it's fretless qualities unless it's a mellow acoustic type song were I'll dial in mostly piezos w/ bass & mids boosted & muwahing when ever it's appropriate but being careful not to over do it. Contemporary Praise & worship is what we're doing. I play bass on Saturday night & drums on Sunday. The bass player on Sunday uses a Fender MIM 5 w/Amer electronics.
 
#88
I got "bass" at 16, got saved at 17 the two have been intertwined ever since.
My first bass was a Fender Musicmaster, very cool bass, then moved on to a Ric 4001, then moved to Japan where I still play as a missionary after 16 years, the Ric stayed home and was replaced by a Hohner "Steinie" B2B awsome bass still have it. Currently I play a 1989 Fender Japan 51RI, and a Tacoma CB105 fretless.

Style wise I have played it all...(but no grunge) "black gospel" is very popular here in Japan... of course the singers are not all Christian, but they are getting the message ;)
 
#89
Style wise I have played it all...(but no grunge) "black gospel" is very popular here in Japan... of course the singers are not all Christian, but they are getting the message ;)[/QUOTE]

I am surprised that "black gospel" is popular over there, but thats good. I hope people dont get offended by the term "Black Gospel", I am always curious when I hear that term what people mean by it. not you, but just in general, because I hear it alot, and I am a African Male so it does not bother me one bit. btw,,,how long has Gospel been popular over there???? :cool:
 
#91
joninjapan said:
I got "bass" at 16, got saved at 17 the two have been intertwined ever since.
My first bass was a Fender Musicmaster, very cool bass, then moved on to a Ric 4001, then moved to Japan where I still play as a missionary after 16 years, the Ric stayed home and was replaced by a Hohner "Steinie" B2B awsome bass still have it. Currently I play a 1989 Fender Japan 51RI, and a Tacoma CB105 fretless.

Style wise I have played it all...(but no grunge) "black gospel" is very popular here in Japan... of course the singers are not all Christian, but they are getting the message ;)
Click to expand...
When I was in Japan for two months in 2001, I was sort of surprised that gospel was so popular. I think it is very cool that it is, though; but sort of funny as it seemed to be very different from their own culture.

Japan was a great place to be, though; excellent people, I dig the culture. Would love to go back there for a while.
 
#92
I am the Music Director at my church that plays a lot of Israel, Fred Hammond, contemporary praise and worship, and a little down home southern gospel every now and then. I play a Tune 6 string mostly but alternate that with my Cort/Elrick JPS5 and SX 75C with Bart pickups. I play those into a BBE Bmax pre/Behringer EP1500 rack setup. My cabs are the Avatar Delta 210 and SB112. This setup is not huge but delivers tight and punchy bass goodness.

I truly enjoy playing at church. It is where I started playing and hopefully I can keep doing it in the years to come. I am being groomed to become the pastor. Imagine that a bass playing pastor!!!!
 
#93
extreme said:
Well, I think alot of Fred Hammond's stuff is done with an F bass, so that's gotta be up on the list. (...)
Click to expand...

when i saw fred at MSG a few summers back, his bassist was using a supremely sweet caramel burst Sad Modern 24-5. GAS hit me like a rush of hot air.

but fun thread! Xtn or not, its nearly impossible NOT to associate gospel music w/ present day r&b, hiphop, etc. so, wish i had half the feel of all y'all gospel folk hammerin' out the Fred Hammond, New Breed, and BrookTab stuff, i'd be a most happy man...

for moi, its not really about the bass, cause my Sadowsky V-5 always gets the call no matter the music, but its about the cabs!

not to bring this into the amp side :p, but if i'm able to get away w/ my Acme B2 i'll use it. doesnt quite cut for the louder revivals when my P&W bands do stuff like the stray more contempo Chris Tomlin / Passion, but works terrific and sounds gorgeous in the usually not so raucous stuff for sunday morning.

btw where were all y'all in my Lookin' for Gospel Music thread? :smug: :D
 
#94
+1 for rockin out on the bass at church!

I've been playing drums at church for 6yrs and just recently started playing bass for our youth group. I think I actually enjoy playing bass more now! lol

I had been using my Yamaha BB404 but the low end just wasn't cutting it. I bought a Schecter Stiletto Studio 5 about 2 weeks ago and I absolutely LOVE IT! :hyper:

Thus far I've only played it at home but I'll get to actually hear what is sounds like in the sanctuary this thursday...I can't wait to start laying down some blessed bass line :cool:


EDIT: Much like alot of you here, we play alot of Praise & Worship stuff like Israel & New Breed, Fred Hammond, Micah Stampley, etc...

-J
 
#95
I've been holding the bottom line with an Alvarez 5er (passive) for about 5 years now in various churches.

While there are a number of songs we play that have low C#, D, Eb in them, a 4 string would work fine. What's less important to the Lord is the number of strings or the make / model of instrument. It's your HEART that He searches. IT's a RELATIONSHIP with YOU that He desires.

Your ability to play ANYTHING is a *gift* from Him, to be used for His glory. ;)

Humbly,

dutch
 
#98
I play during Roman Catholic masses with our contemporary group, and I use my fretless Essex J, same bass I use for everything, tuned EADGC. Sometimes I wish I had a sixth string for the low notes, but I've never gotten used to playing a low B string for some reason. One thing I will be doing to the bass is replacing the loose jack with a side-mounted one and filling the empty hole with an on/off toggle switch. You'd be suprised how handy that would come in during church
 

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