How to get a Rockabilly sound, without the upright...

I get a great Rockabilly sound using the same gear as you. I'm not a huge tapewound fan BTW.

 

It's all about that slappy clack, isn't it? I had a fretless acoustic strung with flats that I couldn't lower the action on and the only tone I could get out of it was what I think of as rockabilly.

 

It sounds like you've got the right equipment. The TI Jazz flats are a good choice. But, you need to raise the action up fairly high, and learn to pluck the strings really hard. That's the real characteristic of Rockabilly bass: rubbery strings plucked really hard. A big percussive pulse on the front of the note, and all those snaps on the fingerboard. You aren't going to get that with the action down low, plucking gently. Rockabilly bass is bongo drums with strings! You have to beat that thing. And learn to wiggle appropriately. You can't just stand there.

You can certainly play Rockabilly style on a fretted bass, but it will be better on a fretless. Those slides onto the notes and being just a little bit off key all add to the crazyness of it. But start out on what you have, and work with it.

 

I played Rockabilly by turning my right hand a little and playing across (like brushing pluck ...like on an upright) the strings instead of picking regular style........and positioning my right hand between the neck joint and P pickup (or neck pickup on a Jazz style two pickup Bass)..... just a playing technique instead of equipment change. Play it like an upright and use the Rockabilly feels. Flat wounds may help.... but serious Rockabilly guys want the upright.....The whole image thing I guess.


Also try a straight 8 feel against a shuffle and vice versa

 

Well, since Connie "Guybo" Smith used a Precision Bass playing with Eddie Cochrane, I think you'll be okay.

 

Mute! if you can palm mute, or maybe get some foam under the strings (bridge end)...that will help get that plucky sound. There are several boughten rigs- but try some foam first to see if you like the sound before spending any coin. if your bass has the 'ashtray" cover-put some in there). I do a palm mute thing and use my thumb (think where the finger rest was on early basses) for a real cool rockabilly/stand-up sound. I don't use it a lot-but it's nice to have in the bag "o tricks.

 

You'll never get the slap sound with a sideways bass. If you really want that sound, you're gonna have to learn upright. If you don't want to (which you should, you'll get way more work and attention, not to mention have a lot more fun, upright players are a whole different breed) I'd recommend not trying to get the click. Get a fretless, run flats or tapewounds, pluck near the neck, and try and think like an upright player.

 

And remember: Don't out-dance the band leader, or you'll get kicked out of the band. Bass players are supposed to have their own groovy wiggle, but you aren't allowed to upstage the leader.

 

Get a used Boss GT-6B bass effects processor one of the presets is Rockabilly and it sounds exactly like a huge stand up bass I mean exactly,it's fun to show your friends and then I'll turn the the patch dial over to Fieldy's and start clanging a bunch of funky KoRn stuff and everyone's like how the hell did you make your Bass guitar go from that to that in like seconds flat, pretty kool, not to mention all the other stuff you can customize.

 

35 years ago, I recieved high marks in a high school jazz band competition for getting an upright sound out of my electric bass. I used my Aria Hollowbody bass, flatwound strings, and a felt pick. The Aria originally had a mute, but it was an all or nothing ordeal, I found it easier to palm mute.

Felt picks: they don't make 'em like they used to (a good thing). Modern felts (ala Jim Dunlop) are much more tightly compressed, have more glue, and are harder than the ones back then. The new ones last much longer before disintegrating, and are excellent for tic-tac bass work (country/rockabilly), but not so much for emulating a string bass.

The old felt picks were literaly good for about two hours of play (you ended up with half a pick, and a bass covered in fuzz). You can get a JD pretty close once it's broken in a bit. You can defiantly get the click without raising your action with a felt.

 

Actually, Guybo used a SCPB with Eddie Cochran. The previous post shown with Cochran is another bass player using a split coil p bass. Any bass will work.

 

Gene Vincent and the Blue Caps here doing Vincent's biggest hit - Be Bop A Lula.

Rockabilly hall of famers.

 

I've had good luck using a SCPB, a Hofner Ignition Club and a Squier Jaguar SS all with tapes. I've also used my DIY washtub based EUB made with a Bronco neck and tapes.

 

Unfortunately my experience trying to play electric bass when the bandleader wanted an upright always came down to the look.

They had no interest in hearing my bass.

I hope your experience is different.

 

Rockabilly without an upright is...hmm. Try plucking a fretless acoustic Bass guitar with your thumbs - it's a great sound in itself ;-)

 

DR Legend Flatwounds on a Gretsch hollowbody seem to do the job for me...

 

Rockabilly with a P-bass is just fine. You don't need an upright with flames on it. A P-bass will never sound like an upright, but that doesn't mean you can't play tasty walking/swinging lines to push the rhythm.

I've played tons of rockabilly with a P-bass, flats, and foam mute in former groups. Good lines and old school fender tone is where it's at for good rockabilly bass if you don't have the advantage of upright. That's what was on a lot of those old records.

 

Get a fretless hollow body bass, put the action a little high, and pluck really hard several inches up the fingerboard so your fingers slap the board as you play the notes. You'll be surprised. Dead sounding flats will help.