• 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.

your favorite slap tone

G

guamaniantree

Mar 24, 2008
38
0
Riverside, Ca.
#1
Just wanted to know how you get your favorite slap tone when going direct (no amps/effects).
What bass do you use?
how are the knobs dialed in?

I use an ibanez srx3exqm1 with the neck pickup soloed, bass flat, and the treble turned all the way up. Volume is different for every situation, but mostly full on.
This gets me a crispy slap that has a nice bottom...
How do you get yours?
 
#2
I like my Valenti J5 with EMG 40J's and Aguilar OBP3 preamp plugged into my GK 700 rbII head. My onboard EQ is set with the treble rolled back to about 33% and my mids and bass right in the middle. My GK is set with everything at 12 o'clock. Oh, and you've got to have Sadowsky SS strings on there too.
 
#3
My Spector with both pickups on full and a small boost to bass and treble. Absolutely heavenly tone!

I could also get an amazing slap tone from my Kubicki by putting it in active mode 2, putting both pickups on and letting my thumb fly free!
 
#7
Going from my 55-94 through a DI into the house, I generally dime my treble, leave the mids flat and push the bass up to about 75%. If I'm plugged into my Markbass rig I leave the controls on the bass and the amp completely flat. For both scenarios I blend the pickups 50/50, sometimes favoring the bridge pickup a little.
 
#8
playibanez said:
I actually like a good player slapping away on a p-bass.

Its a very different tone then i guess 'traditional' slap tone, but i love it.
Click to expand...

+1 love the slapped P - both dead strings and new... Ready Freddy Washington's slapped P tone kills.

I like my passive jazz both vols dimed, tone full or rolled back a touch. Often i use the sadowsky outboard with it too
 
#12
Usually, I would go for a JJ configured bass with both pick-ups all the way up. However, I have experimented with favouring the neck pickup slightly, which gives a more "round" tone that I prefer in some cases (a bit more like a PJ configuration, I guess...).
 
#18
+1

Been "thumpin'" for 31 years and always thought "slappin'" was reserved for upright bass, not so much white-bred nor lightweight, because there were many heavy weight white slappers in upright bass history too.

My apology for the side bar comment.

My favorite thump tone (or do we start a new thread?) would be
both pups full and eq to taste and fill as necessary to cut thru, but not too much. Every live room is different and the mids need to be adjusted for the best cut without too much "boxiness", as for the studio, there's a few treatments i prefer, but mostly depends on the tune being played.

Spaldo said:
hey

not meaning to start a fight, but the word 'slap' sounds so lightweight and white-bred....

i like it when a bass player 'thumps' his axe

give it some!

:bassist:
Click to expand...
 
#19
This is pretty much 'it' for me at this point. I've gone from the 'active soapbar uber modern thing' all the way back to a passive J type slap tone. While I still use active J's, I pretty much set the preamps flat (maybe just a touch of bass boost) and my relatively even, full range rig virtually flat, with a touch of upper mids (1K or so) dialed out to reduce the gank (I hear a lot of that harsh 'gank' in the Graham clip posted above, but I still dig it).

I still love Marcus's slap tone, but it's almost impossible to drive that huge, wide, active tone into the audience with just backline IMO.

Funny with the Music Man slap tone. I used to live for that, and played one all through the late 70's and 80's. At this point, the old classic J tone sounds, well, 'classic' to me, while the MM slap tone (ala Louis J) sounds wonderful, but somehow 'dated'. Of course, pure IMO there.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rek3g8znpOg
 
#20
BassSlave said:
+1

Been "thumpin'" for 31 years and always thought "slappin'" was reserved for upright bass, not so much white-bred nor lightweight, because there were many heavy weight white slappers in upright bass history too.

My apology for the side bar comment.
Click to expand...

Thumpin'... that's it right there. It's all about the fat thumb, and very little about the pluck IMO.
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back