Reggae is more dependent on the right playing technique, string choice and amplifier settings than the actual bass. I played dub sessions with a P bass where I normally bring something with a J setup - it worked out well.
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P-Bass great for Reggae?
- Thread starter Kevin1234451
- Start date
Beautiful. One of Robbie's favorite basses in later years was actually a Paul Reed Smith, 1st run. Other than that, always Jazz basses (over P's but he probably played anything). Also Steinberger.... total legend.
Hell yes! Hofner are great for Reggae as proven by Robbie!!
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BobDeRosa
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- May 16, 2012
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I'm not a jazz-bass guy, but the fact that they're used for everything from the dubbiest reggae to the crispest slapping and tapping says a lot about their versatility. However, I think a P with flats will do just fine for reggae.
If I'd been prepared to sift the performance videos, I would have posted Spar Wid Me from the same concert, which is definitely reggae. Jackpot is from the point ska started to morph into reggae, though, so I felt it was close enough for Talk Bass.
*Also a good reminder you can play this kind of music with a pick(god forbid!) if that's your thing.
In a mix his tone could be quite thick, although on some of the 12 inches of things that deviated from ska, somewhat less so (Hit It, Sole Salvation, etc.). I play finger style, and I have a hard time getting the thickness of tone he got on something like Doors of Your Heart or Hands Off She's Mine. Although, to be fair, I've never heard the latter isolated. I presume some of that was amp/production, though. I tend to either make it too present or too muddy when I try. Still working on it!
He was more usually associated with Precisions. Most of the live performances you can find (Dance Craze, Oxford Road Show), he's on a Precision. This was the chosen bass of the excellent bassist from Ranking Roger's continuation of The Beat. On Top of the Pops he seemed to have a different brand every performance, though. I presume he may have wanted something active on stage to deal with tone loss on long cable runs or something similar. He seems pretty elusive, so we'll probably never know.
* From that period when Jackpot was first released are classics like Long Shot, and that's a very different bass sound to anything much from the 1970s. But then look at UB40 early 80s, and it's actually fairly middly and often overdriven (think Don't Let it Pass You By) before it became bassy but tight and a bit overproduced from everyone from Steel Pulse, Aswad, UB40 did in the later 80s. Take me back to Misty'N'Roots...
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The funny thing is…
If a jazz is used in reggae, it tends to have flats and a mute. As if they’re trying to cop a Pbass tone to a degree.
Someone said something about lack of mids of a P. I’d say a P naturally has great low mids which a jazz sorely lacks. Whereas a P doesn’t naturally have a lotta higher mids which the J can handle well. We all know lower mids are better for reggae.it’s like someone just saw a jazz on a reggae song and decided “this is the way”… copy, repeat ad naseum.
If a jazz is used in reggae, it tends to have flats and a mute. As if they’re trying to cop a Pbass tone to a degree.
Someone said something about lack of mids of a P. I’d say a P naturally has great low mids which a jazz sorely lacks. Whereas a P doesn’t naturally have a lotta higher mids which the J can handle well. We all know lower mids are better for reggae.it’s like someone just saw a jazz on a reggae song and decided “this is the way”… copy, repeat ad naseum.
I don't think there is really any music that utilizes electric bass guitar that a P bass isn't great for. It may not be the best for a particular genre or style; but it will at least be fine.
Sorry man, P's are great basses but if you use one for reggae people will think you're a poseur.
Gotta be a J bass.
Gotta be a J bass.
Totally. Lots of the modern reggae players use active basses with roundwounds as others have mentioned. It's all about feel above all else - your phrasing, how and when to leave space, note length (this is huge), where you play in the beat (listen to Family Man--he'll push ahead and then pull back behind within a single bar to get the desired feel). Good reggae bass is incredibly nuanced. I was a prog and rock guy growing up, and then went on the road with a Jamaican reggae artist back in the 90's--was trial by fire, but I became much more of a "real" bassist as a result.
Again, depends on the band. Certainly works for him - Resonators UK reggae.
To me that's just about perfect reggae tone. Fat, slightly woolly, but just enough definition, blooms when required. You could float away on that tone.
No P or J I have seems to do that tone. The closest I had was with a really old preamp with a 1960s Mullard ECC83 in. To be fair, I never actually tried to get that tone with any tube amps I had.
I’d say a Precision Bass ought to be perfect for reggae (especially when strung with flatwound strings).
I don't play much Reggae, but I can get much deeper, dubbier tones on a Jazz by dialing neck and bridge pickup volume controls back equally and rolling off the treble than I can by rolling treble off a P-bass. The parallel J pickups introduce mid scoop when set equally. Dialing back the volume controls loads the pickups and attenuates upper mids/treble. Rolling off the treble control further kills highs and leaves you with deeper lows.
I agree : Bass doesn't matter .I just saw Iya Terra. Bassist was rocking a 5 string stingray special....., and this is crucial: He was NOT slapping it, nor was he playing down near the bridge. He was playing exactly how I would (and do).. his right hand was right up to the neck, Fams style ....and it was throbbin'
They sound awesome. Man, I miss my days playing live reggae - some of the most fun you can have as a bassist - and you're driving the bus! When the crowd is going off, dancing...nothing like it.
I’d rather be accused of being a poseur than be outed for being a gatekeeper.
Gear doesn’t matter.
OP showing excellent taste in Roots Reggae artists. And I agree with whoever said that top tier reggae bass is incredibly nuanced.
Reggae basslines (riddims) are very specific and define the instrumental song. Generally speaking, sonic fidelity seems less important than achieving bone conduction in the listener!
P bass should be fine.
Reggae basslines (riddims) are very specific and define the instrumental song. Generally speaking, sonic fidelity seems less important than achieving bone conduction in the listener!
P bass should be fine.
