Double Bass Triplet/triple slap issue K&K rockabilly

[TallPaul]

I play slap bass with a K and K rockabilly as my weapon of choice. Everything sounds fantastic, but when I slap a triplet it sounds muffled through the amplifier. I get a loud thump that overpowers the tone of the slap. If I were to guess I'd say it's the sound of the bottom of my palm hitting the fingerboard. I think the impact is being amplified by the fingerboard pickup. Of course I don't hear it at all when I play unplugged and regular 8th note slaps sound just fine.
I have the pickup wire taped directly to the back of the fingerboard and the pickup itself is adhered directly at the top (where it flattens out). It's pretty much installed exactly the way the instructions tell you to.
Any ideas?

 

[KUNGfuSHERIFF]

Yes. Practice unamplified, learn to sound how you want to sound and then worry about amps and pickups.

 

[lermgalieu]

KINGfuSHERIFF - in his post you see that he typed: "Of course I don't hear it at all when I play unplugged and regular 8th note slaps sound just fine."

Unfortunately I have not used that pickup so I can't help, but I would suggest trying to lower the internal volume trim on the K&K preamp (assuming you are using one). Other than that, the Gollihurs might be able to give you some advice on adjusting pup placement.

 

[Feral Feline]

I've found the Sheriff to be very helpful to noobs and he's very knowledgeable about slappin', so I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss his advice.

On the amp'd side of the equation...

TallPaul, try running the clicky through a high-pass filter or EQ that can take out all the whump and let the click pass on through. I've read a lot of posts from Guys-n-Gals over on DBC that do that.

Another thing to maybe try is a different pickup, depending on what your needs are. If you play a genre that needs a heap load of click, then you may need the FB transducer. I'm playing songs in the vein of blues/bluegrass/rockabilly/trad country with an Underwood and get enough click that I don't need a clicky and I get no whump through the amp when I thump out a triplet or drag triplet.

Good luck in your quest for a clean click.

 

[Ric Vice]

I've found the Sheriff to be very helpful to noobs and he's very knowledgeable about slappin', so I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss his advice.

+1 I think that it's probably wise to read through a post a couple of times, before you make any Clements.

On the amp'd side of the equation...
TallPaul, try running the clicky through a high-pass filter or EQ that can take out all the whump and let the click pass on through. I've read a lot of posts from Guys-n-Gals over on DBC that do that.

Another thing to maybe try is a different pickup, depending on what your needs are. If you play a genre that needs a heap load of click, then you may need the FB transducer. I'm playing songs in the vein of blues/bluegrass/rockabilly/trad country with an Underwood and get enough click that I don't need a clicky and I get no whump through the amp when I thump out a triplet or drag triplet. Good luck in your quest for a clean click.

I had the rare privilege of seeing Milt Hinton (The Judge) with Branford Marsalis and Jeff Watts. From that stellar performance, my take is that his slap sound was all in his ears,heart, hands, wrists. All he needed was a decent microphone and he could double and triple clutch all night long. So that kind of brings KingFu Sherrif's point home. Just my take.

Ric

 

[lermgalieu]

I've found the Sheriff to be very helpful to noobs and he's very knowledgeable about slappin', so I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss his advice.

Ok, but my point is I found the post itself to be somewhat dismissive. It assumes there's nothing going on with the pickup, when TP states, in his post, that he has at least performed some level of diligence acoustically and actually "learn[ed] to sound how [he] want to sound." Thus, he is now "worry[ing] about amps and pickups."

I do agree however my original reply was too aggressive, so I've edited it to tone it down.

 

[Jeff Kissell]

Based on the OP's own assessment of the situation, technique seems to be the underlying issue. His palm is overpowering the click... the cheapest and most effective solution is to practice the triplets so that his palm slap is not overpowering the the snap/slap.

In my experience good technique makes up for marginal gear always.

Good luck TallPaul!

-J

 

[blindeddie]

i have a suggestion. i'm not sure how the rockabilly K&K is wired, but if you can, i'd recommend trying to use JUST the Bass Max part of the pickup. i love my Bass Max and i've tried ALOT of pickups. the fingerboard clicky is definitely gonna grab the thump of your hand hitting the board. i get a great sound from just the sound of my Bass Max without the clicky and i slap the hell outta my bass in several different bands. it is clear as a bell and very articulate. but then again, i do use steel strings which may be a factor in the definition in my tone. but either way, it's worth a shot.

 

[lermgalieu]

Imma defer to you guys. I'm not a slap guy, and I am admittedly grumpy today. I also didn't know Sherriff's cred (and now I do after looking at his posts). The underlying point seems to be that that "good technique" includes things you aren't necessarily hearing.