Double Bass loud clack when I slap, what am I doing wrong

[yesyoucan]

When I play slap style, I get a very loud clack sound from the E string on the down stroke, for lack of a better term. When I try to record with a mic, you can hear the loud clack sound over everything else. Is it my action, my technique the maple finger board or my steel strings? Help!! Its driving me crazy! I am in Palm SPrings and can not find anyone out here to ask

 

[KUNGfuSHERIFF]

It's your steel strings. Synthetic or gut will generally give you more of a 'click' than a 'clack' but those strings have their own disadvantages.

 

[moles]

What strings are you using? FWIW - my favourite E string for slap is an Orchestral (or solo gauge Orchestral) Helicore. LOTS of dampening material in those strings - makes for a nice controlled "thunk", if not a "click".

 

[sanderic]

Is this the same clack you would hear when you press the string against the pickup poles? You may have your pickup to high and the string is hitting the polepiece when you play the E string.

 

[JP Morin]

Is this the same clack you would hear when you press the string against the pickup poles? You may have your pickup to high and the string is hitting the polepiece when you play the E string.

this

 

[clutebass]

Correct me if I'm wrong but the OP is talking about slap on an upright? Otherwise this is in the wrong forum. So pickups wouldn't be to blame.

 

[Feral Feline]

Correct me if I'm wrong but the OP is talking about slap on an upright? Otherwise this is in the wrong forum. So pickups wouldn't be to blame.

Not necessarily. Strings hitting the pickup may still be to blame.

Some steel-string users mount magnetic pickups at the end of their fingerboard, sometimes cobbled together from a P-bass pup, Gretsch Filtertron or other BG pup; not to mention commercial pickups made specifically for DB FBs such as the Schaller, String Charger, Biesele and others.

When I play slap style, I get a very loud clack sound from the E string on the down stroke, for lack of a better term. When I try to record with a mic, you can hear the loud clack sound over everything else. Is it my action, my technique the maple finger board or my steel strings? Help!! Its driving me crazy! I am in Palm SPrings and can not find anyone out here to ask

Might be you had it in reverse order, the clack may be from your steel strings, maple fingerboard, technique and lastly, action.

Good luck in your quest for click,
FF

 

[clutebass]

Not necessarily. Strings hitting the pickup may still be to blame.

Some steel-string users mount magnetic pickups at the end of their fingerboard, sometimes cobbled together from a P-bass pup, Gretsch Filtertron or other BG pup; not to mention commercial pickups made specifically for DB FBs such as the Schaller, String Charger, Biesele and others.
FF

I appreciate you setting me straight. I literally don't know anything about DB and will be the first to admit it!! I just happened to stumble upon this thread, and make a fool of myself haha. Carry on!

 

[yesyoucan]

I suspected it may be the steel strings and think the gut may be the way to go!! THANKS AGAIN to everyone, this site is a great resource

 

[kurt]

you can control it a lot with technique. Don't pull the string so hard! Just hard enough to make it click slightly. Also, If you pull the string a bit sideways (toward your body) rather than straight out from the fingerboard, you get a lot fatter of a tone.

 

[moles]

^^^ +1