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Gospel Bass

#41
Dr. Cheese said:
I then ask the OP what sound he wants? The Ken Smith/Cirrus sound is not as hot as it was. Many of the younger players are leaning towards a Jazz sound or a J/MM sound. Bass Mods seems to be the most popular brand with gigging Gospel bassists these days. Sire would be great if the price matters, and of
course, there is Fender. Personally, my Carvin SB5000 is perfect for my needs, and the current JB5 works great too.
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That SB5000 is fantastic for gospel,IMO. It nails that Marcus Miller style slap sound plus it has a cool, unique look.
 
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#45
I’ve tried and played some of the most popular basses out there like MTD, Fender, Lakland, Warrior, Benavente, Ibanez, Devon, Bacchus, STR, Music Man and others. Nothing I’ve found sounds and plays as good as Roscoe basses for the style I play.

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#47
malthumb said:
When you say “Gospel” are you talking Hez Walker / Donald Lawrence / Donnie McClurkin / Fred Hammond / Kirk Franklin type gospel or are you talking CCR? If the former, I’d say the short list would include
  • Ken Smith BSR / BST 5 or 6 string
  • Bass Mods 5 or 6 string
  • Fender J 5 or 6 string. (Of course someone is going to say Fender doesn’t make a 6-string. They made them for Fred Hammond and Wayman Tisdale)
  • Peavey Cirrus 5 or 6 string
  • MTD 535, 635, or Saratoga
  • Warwick $$
  • Tobias Classic and Signature
I’m sure there are others, but if you listen to the artists I mentioned and the bassists that play with them you will see that these are the basses they play.
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Good luck to anyone trying to find a Tobias.
 
#55
Harvey4strings said:
Whats the best bass for gospel Music?
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I use a P. But, I can see why a lot use a J. Its a much softer mellower tone. Just depends on what music your church plays. My church plays more contemporary rock than anything, so my P works great for me. If we were playing more traditional songs, or had like an r&b type thing going, I'd use a J.
 
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#58
Mastodon2 said:
The idea that you can play any music in any bass is true but misses the point. OP didn't ask if he could play gospel on any bass, he asked what the "best" bass was. Now opinions may differ, but he is searching for a particular bass, so perhaps the learned could point him towards that?

Much like asking which car would be fastest around Laguna Seca, your wife's mini van could do a lap, but a McLaren 720S would be quicker. Sure they'd both complete a lap, but you can see that one tool has been optimised for the job at hand.

OP, if you want a starting point, I'd go with a 5 string bass with active electronics. The low B string will aid you tremendously with in keeping that fat low sound following the keys. The active EQ will help too. The "best" bass for me would be a Ken Smith 5 or a MTD 5 of some sort, as they have a rich, hi fi tone that fits nicely, but they're very much top end basses. A bit cheaper, a US Peavey Cirrus 5 would be a good choice.
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I used to play a 5 string in my church. I found it very pointless. Clouding the singers and keyboard with pointless flubby thunder doesn't help anything sit well.
 
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