Slap tone

[Fly2far]

Hi

Following the thread of "useless at slapping" I also find it a fascinating technique (if not overdone).

I've tried most of the books and some vids. but I'm still pretty @@@@. Listening to MarloweDK on youtube and others they all seem to get this fabulous "tone"

I've tried all "scooped" settings on various amps but still unable to get that "tone".

Are they using some sort of pedal to enhance the tone ie: phaser or flanger etc.

Guitars used are 1970+ Fender USA jazz/GB 5 Spitfire and 4 str. Nightingale.Amps Trace 12 preamp/Ashdown Mark King and Hartke 5000. All these basses and amps are capable so perhaps it's me.

Cheers

[bass_ferret]

Dont know about the Nightingale but the Jazz and GB are defo slap machines and I should think the Ashdown Mark King does the job as well. You dont mention cabs mind but unless you are using a 1x18 you should not have a problem. I think slappers prefer lighter strings and not flats . Compression is the key to slap playing cos it evens out the slaps and the pops.

But what do I know, have not slapped for 20 years.

[ednaplate]

Believe it or not the tone MarloweDK gets is via a little Pandora PX4 headphone amp that he plugs into his mac. If you look for one of his videos he goes through his home setup. There are no amps used at all as he 'has neighbours'. He's very impressive and I do love his playing even if it isn't all to my taste. Without doubt he is one of the best players on Youtube.

[greyparrot]

the jazz should sound great, are your strings newish? also speaker size 10s are good, and the tech that u use, and a compressor and a good fx unit can help. I have a levinson 5 string, it has a great vintage slap tone.

[The Funk]

Here's a tip: try the opposite of a scooped tone. I slap a lot but I prefer the sound of heavier gauge strings and mid-boosted amps.

[markytbass]

I used to get a good slap tone out of my Laney, It had a 15" speaker and a horn. I used to have the bass up slightly the low mid and trebble flat and the high mids turned right up.

[OutToPlayJazz]

For the nicest, least harsh slap tone, I follow the following...

On the bass, make sure both pickups are turned full up, so you have equal volume between them. (Or if you have a pickup balance control, leave it in the centre detent.) Turn treble & bass to full (might want to drop the bass frequency off just a little, depending on how powerful your preamp is!) If you have an on-board mid control, leave it in the middle. If you have a mid boost/slap switch, find the "cut" position. Too much mid just makes the bass sound harsh and unforgiving.

On the amp, it's a similar story - Treble turned to max, bass to about 2 o'clock (depending on how 'bassy' your instrument is), and all mid frequencies bang in the middle.

Just one more thing... Make sure you have clean strings. Dirty old strings don't ring well, and you need that clean, zingy sound for slap.

Enjoy!!!

[cheddatom]

Overdrive is the key to a good slap tone!

[crez5150]

?

[cheddatom]

Well, I realise that i'm in the minority, but....

A small bit of overdrive will give you the limiting you need when slapping. It'll also give your treble a boost (opposite to most compressors) which means it'll cut through more. I tend to find that some people's slap tone is either really biting - too harsh on the ears, or it's too "squelchy" or just plain thin.

If you listen to old funksters they're all using valve amps that are adding just a bit of overdrive.

Anyway, just my humble opinion!