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The Slap Bass Welcome Center

#81
GCbass said:
Hi, does anyone know what special “tools” “accessory” “thumb band” Mark King is using on his thumb for slapping?

Do you know where to get it?
Thanks
Gil
Click to expand...
Gil, it's four wraps of 3M electrical tape. He originally did it around 1980 because he split his callous during a show. Blood and gore! He had to get stitches, and had a gig the following nite. He tried Band-Aid, fell off, tried paper surgical tape with gauze, it fell off, gaffer's tape made a sticky mess of the strings, so in desperation, tried electrical tape, and it worked! The rest, as they say, is history. This is straight from his mouth as well- I got to meet and hang out with him several times. :D
 
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#84
thedoc0109 said:
Hey im starting to get into slap and was wondering what a good bass would be to buy for slap? No more than $800 if possible. Also what would be the best type of strings to use?
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How many strings are you looking for? 4, 5, 6? IMO, you don't need a "special" bass for slap, but some are probably better than others. Which basses are you interested in?

In my experience, the best strings for slap have been stainless steel strings. I've used and liked:
1. D'Addario Pro Steels
2. DR High Beam

There are many others, but those are the ones I liked.

Joe
 
#85
thedoc0109 said:
Hey im starting to get into slap and was wondering what a good bass would be to buy for slap? No more than $800 if possible. Also what would be the best type of strings to use?
Click to expand...
Depends on the sound you want...if you're into Louis Johnson then a MM SUB would fit the bill. The MIM Fender's come in, under $800. I picked up a G&L Tribute L-2500 for $600 so that's another possibility. The best advice is to go to a shop and try some basses to see you want.
 
#90
porschedriver37 said:
My congratulations on a great thread. This is very likely the best online slap resource I have ever come across, and that's saying a lot! Wonderful videos, but the best part were the written tutorials. Wonderful.
Click to expand...

Thanks! I really appreciate your kind words. I put a lot of time and effort into creating this thread. I thought that it would be nice to have a bunch of great resources and examples all in one location.

If anyone finds dead links, please let me know. I will update them or deleted them from the thread.

Thanks Again,
Joe
 
#91
Hello everyone,

I initially posted this in the Bass Technique section of the forum and someone provided a link to this section.

I'm new to slap bass and would appreciate any tips from experienced slap bass players. What part of the thumb slaps the strings, is it the tip, the middle where the joint is located, or is it the entire thumb? I find myself lacking precision when slapping which sometimes causes two strings to ring so I assume my technique is horrible. I just want to point out that I'm trying to keep my thumb parallel to the string and hit with my entire thumb. I'm also hitting the wrong string at times, for example my intent is to hit the A string wth my thumb instead I end up hitting the D string. What is the best way to learn how to hit the right string and being precise so I only hit one string at a time? Thanks and I appreciate any tips.
 
#95
I often see some people use a technique of 'slapping through' a string whereby if they slap E, they come to rest on the A. So in this technique the E is actually hitting the last fret even though their thumb isn't moving perpendicular to the body?
 
#96
nycdweller said:
Hello everyone,

I initially posted this in the Bass Technique section of the forum and someone provided a link to this section.

I'm new to slap bass and would appreciate any tips from experienced slap bass players. What part of the thumb slaps the strings, is it the tip, the middle where the joint is located, or is it the entire thumb? I find myself lacking precision when slapping which sometimes causes two strings to ring so I assume my technique is horrible. I just want to point out that I'm trying to keep my thumb parallel to the string and hit with my entire thumb. I'm also hitting the wrong string at times, for example my intent is to hit the A string wth my thumb instead I end up hitting the D string. What is the best way to learn how to hit the right string and being precise so I only hit one string at a time? Thanks and I appreciate any tips.
Click to expand...

Check out the video toward the bottom of the page.
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

Let me know if this helps. Bunny Brunel gives step by step directions on how to get started with your slap technique. It's really hard to figure out what the problem is without seeing how you're doing it. Is your thumb moving too far away from the string? Are you slapping with your whole arm or are you rotating your forearm/wrist?

Joe
 

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