A new bass for dub reggae

[EssentialTension]

11 hours ago, Klive Gee said:

I'd love to have a Thunderbird but as my hair has been falling out my bass has been getting higher n a Tbird would definitely look daft sat on my beer gut :-)

A non-Thunderbird but with Thunderbird pickups alternative ...

[uk_lefty]

An Ovation Magnum keeps coming up on gumtree on Stevenage, some guy who sells loads of basses and hundreds of drum bits. Worth searching for if you want one. 

[CameronJ]

22 hours ago, Klive Gee said:

Thanks for the Yamaha link Al Krow. I've just managed to buy one of the last Yamaha BB714BS Billy Sheehan Signature basses in the country. Very happy :-)

Very jealous! There was a pretty heavily modded red one for sale here a year or two ago that I wish I’d picked up. Looked incredible! No idea who bought it but I’d be tempted if it came up for sale again...

[GisserD]

19 hours ago, police squad said:

you need an original Steinberger.

This ^

In that past year I've seen hollie cook, katchafire,  Lee scratch Perry, black seedsamongst others. 

The bass player is always plying a steinberger. 

[4000]

On 3/17/2018 at 14:09, Happy Jack said:

Shortscale with flats.

Sorted.

 

Best dub bass I've ever owned was an Alembic Stanley Clarke, of all things. Glorious. 

[jazzyvee]

This will give you some righteously clean and deep dub bass sounds. They are not cheap new but occasionally they come around used on ebay. 
http://www.alembic.com/prod/sf2.html

I use mine only if I'm using decent cabs that can deal with heavy bottom end.

 

Edited March 21, 2018 by jazzyvee

[dannybuoy]

I got a great dub tone out of a Stingray due to the active EQ, I imagine one of the double pickup versions of the Stingray, Sterling, Sabre or Bongo would be even better.

[jazzyvee]

A local bass player I've seen many times uses a really old stingray tuned BEAD and it sounds HEAVY!!!

[4000]

On 17/03/2018 at 16:45, Shaggy said:

Ovation Magnum - more low end in the fundamental tone than any bass I've played, but clear and articulate with it - no mud.  They do crop up 2nd hand.

as played by Jah Wobble.....

One of the few notable basses that I’ve never played. What’s the weight like? I always imagined they’d be somewhat heavy.

[Shaggy]

1 hour ago, 4000 said:

One of the few notable basses that I’ve never played. What’s the weight like? I always imagined they’d be somewhat heavy.

Typically '70's - a fair slab of solid Honduras mahogany with chunky hardware, so not light, but not unduly heavy.   Nicely comfortable to wear and play though - Ovation were into ergonomics before it was fashionable.  My factory fretless Magnum 1 has been my longest keeper by far.

[pmjos]

Brian Leiser from Fun Loving Criminals always played a Gibo Les Paul. 

 

 

[BreadBin]

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F192537820510

 

Ovation magnum on eBay 

[Al Krow]

On 17/03/2018 at 19:49, Klive Gee said:

 Yes, always been a fan of Japanese instruments. This song was recorded with an Ibanez SR500 DI'd. I convert the 4 string basses I play to BEAD, tried a 5 but couldn't get it.

 

Not sure how I missed this post - but love the track and really good reggae bass line / tone!

I'm guessing you had the tone rolled right off? What was the rest of your signal chain other than your Ibby SR?

Edited May 13, 2018 by Al Krow

[markdavid]

My Hofner has an insane amount of low end

[BrunoBass]

On 17/03/2018 at 16:45, Shaggy said:

Ovation Magnum - more low end in the fundamental tone than any bass I've played, but clear and articulate with it - no mud.  They do crop up 2nd hand.

as played by Jah Wobble.....

Wobble’s bass sound on the Invaders stuff is amazing; Ovation Magnum and an octave pedal - earth shaking.

[Ltsal]

My Alembic Essence can get really DUB with turning down the filter. Super Clean and extrem low end

[TheGreek]

On 3/18/2018 at 09:38, uk_lefty said:

An Ovation Magnum keeps coming up on gumtree on Stevenage, some guy who sells loads of basses and hundreds of drum bits. Worth searching for if you want one. 

He's a well known (in Stevenage anyway) drummer...his name currently eludes me...

[Twigman]

My Sterling HH can get very deep and dubby when running on the neck pickup with the treble rolled off....

 

A Stingray HH would be much the same with a fatter neck

[Happy Jack]

29 minutes ago, TheGreek said:

He's a well known (in Stevenage anyway) drummer...his name currently eludes me...

Howard?

[TheGreek]

Amazing...how did you guess??

https://www.gumtree.com/p/guitar-instrument/ovation-magnum-iv-electric-bass-guitar-mode-l-1264-usa-78-83/1298731614

[BreadBin]

I saw (and heard) a great reggae bass player on TV yesterday. He had a headless Steinberger/Hohner (couldn't identify it as it was stickered over the logo) with a properly rounded tone. Helped in no small part by his playing style which was to pluck the strings around the twelfth fret. The effect of plucking hand positioning should not be underestimated - in my experience. 

[pmjos]

How about almost anything running through an 1980 Boss OC2. The dub sound you get is seriously good. I use it with a Steinberger Synapse.

[razze06]

When I used to play in a reggae/dub band i used my Peavey T40 with both pickups at full humbucker mode, and played fairly close to the end of the fretboard. I also kept the same dean markley strings on for ever, and they sounded very un-zingy

[josie]

Gibson EB2, if you can find one with the "bass boost" still working. It was *the* bass for reggae in the 60s. There are some around - should be around £2k in good condition. This one's on eBay at £800 atm (closing tomorrow) if you live near Portsmouth.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Gibson-EB2-Bass-Guitar-Vintage/282974297203?hash=item41e2951c73:g:318AAOSw6D1bAZOH

[jel]

I get a good dub tone with my squier vista series musicmaster strung with TI jazz flats. Tone backed off and played close to the neck as previously stated.