• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

The Best Amp For Slap/Pop Style

#5
Victor Wooten seems to like Hartke these days, although he has done just fine in the past with Ampeg, SWR, and others. Marcus Miller has been a long time SWR endorser. Mark King started with Trace Elliot and then Ashdown. Freddy Washington and Adam Nitti both use Aguilar. I'm sure other notable slap players are using Markbass, Eden, Glockenlang, Mesa, Epifini, Euphonic, etc.

The point is that you just need to establish a budget and then play as many different rigs as you can until you find the one that sounds and feels right to you.
 
#6
bassboysam said:
Probably not the one that is best for metal;)

In all seriousness any amp can be used for slap and pop. You need to be more specific. What kind of tone are you after. Marcus Miller and Les Claypool both slap but sound nothing like one another. Slap and pop is too general...
Click to expand...

I am after Marcus Miller tone and I know that he uses SWR but the country that I am in (Turkey) does not have any distribution company of that specific amp. :(

So some says that any combo with a tweeter will do what I want. (Of course I am talking about major Amp Companies)

Like Ampeg or MarkBass maybe?

:smug:
 
#8
10" speakers produce the punch required for most slap players. They don't have a tendency to "break up" or "fart out" when power is put to them.
Because of this, a 2x10, 4x10 or even 1x10 cabinet will sound good for slap style. A horn will add the snap. And if you want more beefy bottom end, the front ported cabs seem to project that better, for me at least.

The bigger the speaker, the more tendency to "fart out". That yields a less desirable slap tone (to most players). 12" speakers are nice for a more mellow tone that stays clear, even when thumped on. But no matter what 12" cabs I've had (and I have a 2x12" now), the 4x10 was always better.
I think 15" speakers are awful and I hate them for slap, personally. Even as a stack with a 4x10 or 2x10, I always felt that they made everything sound worse. Avoid 15" for slap.

As for heads, I prefer solid-state and as clean and clear as possible. In my personal experience, the best amp for that has been GK. I won't say that there aren't a ton of other heads that sound great too, but GK takes the cake, it's easy to find, relatively cheap, and has a fantastic slap tone.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Chris345
#10
It has been said already but there is no amp specific to slap and pop.
Generally speaking however there are trends, All tube amps are generally slow I don't find the high end definition of any all tube bass amp great. You want power on tap to represent the hard attacks of slap and pop, a solid state or digital amp will do that for you. Cabinet wise I like 12's, many slappers like a 4x10 better.

Marcus Miller tone comes from marcus miller. Decades of playing = You can't cop that. Start with an Ash body Maple 1 piece neck jazz bass, compression, and eq at 50hz and 5khz, shed every song in the real book then redo it slapping it all.

How long have you been playing?
 
#12
rojo412 said:
10" speakers produce the punch required for most slap players. They don't have a tendency to "break up" or "fart out" when power is put to them.
Because of this, a 2x10, 4x10 or even 1x10 cabinet will sound good for slap style. A horn will add the snap. And if you want more beefy bottom end, the front ported cabs seem to project that better, for me at least.

The bigger the speaker, the more tendency to "fart out". That yields a less desirable slap tone (to most players). 12" speakers are nice for a more mellow tone that stays clear, even when thumped on. But no matter what 12" cabs I've had (and I have a 2x12" now), the 4x10 was always better.
I think 15" speakers are awful and I hate them for slap, personally. Even as a stack with a 4x10 or 2x10, I always felt that they made everything sound worse. Avoid 15" for slap.

As for heads, I prefer solid-state and as clean and clear as possible. In my personal experience, the best amp for that has been GK. I won't say that there aren't a ton of other heads that sound great too, but GK takes the cake, it's easy to find, relatively cheap, and has a fantastic slap tone.
Click to expand...

I'm pretty sure speaker size has nothing to do with the likelihood of a speaker farting out. Max excursion is probably a better predictor. You are making very broad, and quite frankly, wrong generalizations.
 
#13
rojo412 said:
10" speakers produce the punch required for most slap players. They don't have a tendency to "break up" or "fart out" when power is put to them.
Because of this, a 2x10, 4x10 or even 1x10 cabinet will sound good for slap style. A horn will add the snap. And if you want more beefy bottom end, the front ported cabs seem to project that better, for me at least.

The bigger the speaker, the more tendency to "fart out". That yields a less desirable slap tone (to most players). 12" speakers are nice for a more mellow tone that stays clear, even when thumped on. But no matter what 12" cabs I've had (and I have a 2x12" now), the 4x10 was always better.
I think 15" speakers are awful and I hate them for slap, personally. Even as a stack with a 4x10 or 2x10, I always felt that they made everything sound worse. Avoid 15" for slap.

As for heads, I prefer solid-state and as clean and clear as possible. In my personal experience, the best amp for that has been GK. I won't say that there aren't a ton of other heads that sound great too, but GK takes the cake, it's easy to find, relatively cheap, and has a fantastic slap tone.
Click to expand...

There are so many just plain wrong misconceptions in this post it would take all night to sort them all out. You sir, need to read the stickies.
 
#15
Hey, I'm just saying why I bought the cabs I did. Opinions may vary, that's why I prefaced or qualified everything I said with "IN MY EXPERIENCE".

Mods, feel free to delete my posts, as well as the quotes.
 
#16
mesaphlin said:
I am after Marcus Miller tone and I know that he uses SWR but the country that I am in (Turkey) does not have any distribution company of that specific amp. :(

So some says that any combo with a tweeter will do what I want. (Of course I am talking about major Amp Companies)

Like Ampeg or MarkBass maybe?

:smug:
Click to expand...

SWR is actually owned by Fender if I remember correctly from buying my SWR amp. Maybe ask a local Fender dealer if they can get it in! Sometimes they don't even know they can until you ask (as in my case).
 
#17
1. Go to every music shop you can get to without taking a whole day's drive.
2. Play every bass amp of a decent size and power rating in each store.
3. Buy the one you like best within your budget.

If you can, use your own bass or a bass off the wall identical or similar to yours.
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back