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Reggae Bass Guitar (gear question)

E

Evilizac

Aug 21, 2009
4
0
#1
Hey all, nice slow first post...

I've been debating buying a new bass because my usual bass ( 90's ibanez atk 300) sometimes is just a bit too heavy for my poor old spine... I have a 51 P reissue with a bassline pickup installed but I don't know, I bet it records well but I feel like to output on it is just so even keeled that while it sits well it doesn't ever seem to do more than just fit (I know terrible problem right)... am I out of line with my problem? I mean I know the basic reggae feelings (just stay in the pocket) but come on we reggae players know that that's not always true.. (Fams?/the wailers, a lot of Burning Spears' live stuff, Alpha Blondie) I want to be able to fit well but then just up for more prominent drum/bass and just bass fills for vocal emphasis...

Is it a new bass I should look for (Split P? J-bass? Something crazy? and why does it seem so popular with the reggae crowd, aren't they reknown for their higher end tendencies?), maybe a switchable eq on the 51, or certain eq setup on my amp, genz benz shuttle 3.0 running through a 2x12 4ohm avatar cab (300watts)... any other info? Hope my first post was a good one.

Thanks,

izac
 
#3
The "standard" reggae bass is a Jazz style bass with flats. I bet you can get a good reggae sound out of that '51, but who am I to talk someone out of a new bass? :)

If weight is an issue, I suggest a Yamaha RBX4 A2, which was designed to be light. Has a good Jazz Bass-like sound. Get one used, put flats on it, and away you go..
 
#4
You can really use just about any bass for reggae. My personal opinion is that I don't like a MM single pickup for it, but I've seen guys make that work too. The Jazz bass seems to be fairly ubiquitous, mostly because many of the seminal players used them, but I've seen just about everything on stage. Keep in mind that a Jazz DOES have some hefty smooth low end if you roll your pickups just right and find that 'sweet spot' on the tone knob.

It sounds like you're looking for something with a little more cut to it...I too don't want just low mud, but definition, which allows for faster dancehall style playing. Thus I look for a lively sounding and feeling bass, then roll off what I want from the top end. I also look for an amp setup that's clean and clear so I can keep my definition and presence while pushing some serious low. If you listen to Derrick from Sagittarius, you hear that he's not got a huge bottom end but a fair amount of low mid and cut happening. The same for Flabba if you've ever heard any of the Radics stuff where they're live inna the dancehall or yard (the Two Charlie Chaplin live albums are a great example).

It really is a matter of getting YOUR gear down. I've played with both Jazz and Precisions as well as a stint with a PRS and more recently, my holy grail is the bass that Sheldon Dingwall built for me...but then, the extended scale it provides is unlike any other bass.
 
#5
Man I almost bought one of those Yamahas off of the CL not too long ago I think I was just waiting on a paycheck and it got snapped up... Normal bass weight isn't so bad but at about 9+lbs the Ibanez gets to be a little bit of a drag on a long gig night or weekend... Right now I do have roundwounds on the Fender and flats on the Ibanez so honestly I could stand to try the $40 fix first... What's a good tone/pickup selector setting on a jazz to get a good sound (I have to admit I played this guys jazz at an open mic and it was pretty, pretty good, with rounds)... Just need a moment to say I love bass...
!!! Thanks peoples,
izac
 
#7
Well that much is obvious. You can play anything with just about anything (listen to some of the mad (in many ways) grooves by some found instrument artists but it's a matter of quality of tone (sure you can eq the hell out of a set of ... lets say johnson pickups but why should you have to if the quality of sound reproduction or transfer is sub par... I generally feel the same way but there get to be a point that you know you're putting all of your fingers (and thumb) into it and just need a little something more... ya know?
 
#8
Evilizac said:
Man I almost bought one of those Yamahas off of the CL not too long ago I think I was just waiting on a paycheck and it got snapped up... Normal bass weight isn't so bad but at about 9+lbs the Ibanez gets to be a little bit of a drag on a long gig night or weekend... Right now I do have roundwounds on the Fender and flats on the Ibanez so honestly I could stand to try the $40 fix first... What's a good tone/pickup selector setting on a jazz to get a good sound (I have to admit I played this guys jazz at an open mic and it was pretty, pretty good, with rounds)... Just need a moment to say I love bass...
!!! Thanks peoples,
izac
Click to expand...

When I was playing a Jazz on stage, what I'd do was roll both pickups up full, then roll off the front one just a tiny little bit (a mere tiny fraction) ...for some reason it actually opens up the low end when they're not quite both putting out the same level of signal. You'll find that the output also goes up a bit when you do this.

For the tone knob, if you sweep it slowly, you'll find the 'spot' where you go from having definition to having none. I've held many Jazz basses or similar 2 pickup models and they all have a tone knob sweet spot as well as the thing with that happens when you roll back one of the pickups slightly.

That all said, I preferred my 73 Precision to any of my Jazz basses. None of them top either my AB-1 or the infamous Voodoo/Zebra that I now play.
 
#9
It's a lot more what you play musically than what you play it on. Certain pickups accentuate the bottom more than others no doubt. Barts & Darkstars come to mind. My Kay Pro reissue 4 string has more bottom than a 367lb Detroit hooker.
 

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