4/22/2019 The 4 Best Basses For Slap – Bass Guitar Reviews 2019

The 4 Best Basses For Slap – Bass Guitar Reviews 2019

Posted by Song Simian · Leave a comment

Even though most bass lines in modern music are in the

background, you could always stick to the original idea of what
the bass should be and you’ll see it has a lot more to give. Slap
bass technique puts the bass guitar in a completely different
light. Slapping sounds amazing when done right, but it can be
ridiculously complex. However, can you slap on any bass
guitar? While the answer is yes, some bass guitars are better
suited for this style of playing than others.

We have selected four models for you today. In our opinion, a

good slap bass guitar should have an ash body and J-bass style
pickups. This type of configuration has been preferred by
many popular slap bass guitar players like Marcus Miller.

Let’s go over these bass guitars, and talk a bit about what each
has to offer. These are the 4 best basses for slap on the
market.

Music Man Stingray 4

Photo by callmekato / CC BY

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Sterling by Music Man StingRay Ray4 Bass Guitar in Black

Price: $299.99

Price as of 04/21/2019 08:51 PDT (more info)

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When it comes to high-end bass guitars, Music Man is one name that is bound to be mentioned. This company has been making
top tier bass guitars for years, causing a lot of professional bass players to choose their instruments over the competition. Music
Man Stingray 4 is one of their most popular models by far. This bass guitar brings the type of sound that is simply on a different
level.

Features and Performance

Music Man Stingray 4 sports a modifies Fender P-Bass body with that signature Music Man pick guard. The tonewood of choice
is ash and the finish comes in form of nice transparent lacquer. This bass comes with a maple neck, which makes it very smooth
and easy to play. The pickups are two active humbuckers in H just like we are used to seeing on Music Man basses. Being active,
these humbuckers have a hotter output but the tone is well balanced. The Stringray 4 should be on anyone’s list of the best bass
for slap.

MusicMan Classic Stingray 4 – Demo

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Warwick Rockbass Corvette 5

Warwick Rockbass Corvette Basic Active 5-String Bass (Natural Satin)

Price: $949.99

Price as of 04/21/2019 08:51 PDT (more info)

Compared to Music Man, Warwick is a bit more niche-oriented towards a heavier sound. The company has the reputation of
delivering well-built bass guitars that are capable of keeping up with almost any music genre out there. The one we are looking
at today is also one of their most popular models. We chose the 5 string version because it’s just such a great value.

Features and Performance

Warwick bass guitars often have a compact body, and that is the case with the Corvette 5 as well. The type of wood they chose
for this model is swamp ash, and it comes with a natural oil finish. The neck is 3-piece maple design that features a beautiful
Rosewood fretboard with no inlays. Pickups are two passive MEC MM units that are positioned very close to each other. In
terms of sound, you are looking at that standard Warwick growl but with a bit more power. Corvette 5 can be as subtle as
necessary, but when it’s time to go hard, it will keep up with no problems. Hands down, it’s among the best basses for slap you
can find.

Warwick Corvette RockBass 5 string Demo

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Lakland Skyline Series 44-01

Lakland Skyline Series 44-64 4-Strings Bass Guitar, Three Tone Sunburst
Price: $1,049.21

Price as of 04/21/2019 08:51 PDT (more info)

Lakland is not nearly as popular name as the ones we’ve mentioned so far. With that said, they make some of the best bass
guitars on the market today. Lakland will get you a very refined type of sound, which definitely makes them popular with artists

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who have a developed taste. Their Skyline Series is among their best-selling products, and for a good reason too.

Features and Performance

This bass guitar comes with a very nice ash body that is treated with a natural oil finish and has the shape of heavily modified P-
Bass. The lower cutout goes much deeper, allowing you to reach those higher notes with no effort. The neck is made of Maple
and comes with a nice Maple fretboard that is smooth and comfortable. One interesting detail about this bass guitar is the 3-
band buffered preamp that supports the Bartolini MK1 split coil pickups. These two elements combined provide a very wide
array of tone shaping options, which is great for slab style.

Lakland Skyline 4401

Fender Standard Jazz

Fender Standard Jazz Electric Bass Guitar - Maple Fingerboard, Arctic White
Price:

Price as of 04/21/2019 08:51 PDT (more info)

Finally, we have the bass that started it all. Fender’s Precision bass might have been the first, but the Jazz is the one that made
the most impact. Its pickup configuration has become an industry standard, and these bass guitars are considered to be the
staple of modern bass sound. The one we are looking at today is a light version of this model, but it still brings that legendary
performance.

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Features and Performance

If you want standard Fender, this is what you go for—at least, in terms of bass guitars. Fender Standard Jazz sports a body made
of alder and comes in numerous finishes. These include solid colors and sunburst as well. Maple neck with a maple or rosewood
fretboard is the standard on all Fender guitars and this one is no different. Electronics come in form of already legendary J Bass
pickups that have a balanced output, but also a great range of expression. If you want a great slap bass with even better heritage
and style, Fender Standard Jazz is what you need to get.

Fender Standard Jazz Bass Demo

Conclusion – What Makes the Best Bass for Slap

Picking a bass guitar for slapping is not something many people do. With that said, the ash body combined with J Bass pickup
configuration has definitely proven to be the best setup for this style of playing. We followed this recommendation and have
selected some of the best bass guitars that fit the description. The Music Man (see full specs) we showed you is about as good
as it gets, but that also comes down to personal preference.

On the opposite end of the list, we placed a Mexican Fender J-Bass (see full specs) mostly because it’s a great value for the
money and the tone difference from a Mexican model is not all that huge compared to an American made one. With that said,
all of these basses feel a bit different, so choosing the right one comes down to what you find comfortable.

Overall, this is a bit of a subjective matter, but you can’t deny that punch is the crucial sonic ingredient of a good slap bass, and
that’s exactly what these four puppies deliver. Good stuff!

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