Which Bass Guitar For Hip Hop/R&B?

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EdoubleS

Guest
Hi.
Im a producer focusing on Hip Hop and R&B and was hoping to get into playing the bass guitar. I was wondering, which bass guitar is commonly used by Hip Hop producers (if there is one). If not, which guitar seems best suited to Hip Hop production?
 
I know fender p and j basses are used by that one bassist for dr dre. Also the earnie ball stingray is popular.....
 
That's right. Just go into a store and pick whatever feels right for you.

Word on the street is, j-bass sounds brighter than p-bass. But with todays' technology (EQ & effects) I think you'll get whatever sound you want out of both.

But I'm no expert, they are:
http://guitarexpert.wordpress.com/2006/12/29/the-fender-p-bass-vs-j-bass/
http://www.tunemybass.com/bass_guitar_buying_guide/precision_bass_jazz_bass.html

Someone may suggest getting a 5-string bass, but I don't know. 4 strings is enough for me. Worse comes to worst, you can tune it down a bit.
 
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Cheers.
I havent played bass before so i obviously have alot to learn! Basically, the more strings you have, the higher the note that can be achieved. WOuld it be worth getting a 5 or 6 string guitar. i kno a load of bass players but they all work with 4 strings.
 
Actually, the one extra string on 5-string bass is there for lower notes. The 6th string on the 6-string bass is for higher notes. But hey, I wouldn't worry about it if I were you. So far, I've only come up with one song that required 5 strings, Beyonce - Me, myself and I. But transposing or down tuning fixes the problem.
 
oh ok. I thought they would have both aeen for higher notes! Either way i think im goin for a used 4 string for now, hopefully teach myself the rudiments and go with tuition from there, thats what i did with the piano.

Any idea what its like hookin a bass up to a roland mv-8800 because im getting one of those soon too?

Cheers

just rememberd i have a mate who has just bought a fender jazz. They look the part but are quite expensive!

any other suggestions?
 
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just checked those out.

they are pretty nice guitars, and alot cheaper than the fender precision.

anything to look out for when buying second hand?
 
Try playing all notes along the fretboard, top to bottom. Some frets could be worn down, which may cause strings not to ring out well. Too much buzzing could indicate that problem. But I think a bit of buzzing on a bass guitar is acceptable? At least, all the basses I played (just a few) had at least some buzzing noise.
 
IMO ibanez has some really good basses and guitars for the price. Especially easy to play for beginners. Go to guitar center and play a few and see what feels and sounds nice.
 
Yeah ibanez look good and ive heard some good feedback from my mates that play bass. One of my mates has an old bass that i might buy though. Cant remember what it is, if i get hold of the name ill ask you guys if its any good.
 
My main bass is a stingray 5. I think the low B string is pretty essential in hip hop and R&B. The 808 bass drum and keyboard bass make it close to absolutely necessary. A low E just isn't low anymore.

I like the stingray's sound a lot, as do a lot of other funk/r&b players. It's probably a little bright for hip hop applications, but 90 percent of the tone is in your technique. Work on that a lot, and learn how to position your hand to make your sound darker or brighter. That in itself will give you a lot of variety.

If you're going for variety, look at the lakaland 55-02. I don't like the 35 inch scale neck, but the MM pickup along with the J makes for a great combo.

For balls to the wall simple but great bass tone, go for a J. I don't like the P sound, it's great for rock but not hip hop. Depending on your budget look at fender (for lower end) or Sadowsky (for the best).

You can't go wrong with a J, that's my suggestion for you.
 
The Fender Precision Bass is the sound you hear on Motown and Stax recordings.

In the 70s when slapping came in, the Fender Jazz Bass started to become more popular. It also became very popular with reggae bassists.

If you can have only one, get the Jazz. If you can afford two, a Precision with flatwound strings and a Jazz with roundwound strings will cover anything.
 
Thanks guys.

Im definetely looking into the fender models for the future but for now i really want something that chepaer while i learn the basics. Ive seen a stagg bass that looks good to me but i want sure what anyone thought about Stagg as a brand. the model is Stagg BC300.

Any good?
 
You're sweatin' it too much, man. Just get whatever and learn the basics. Of course, it shouldn't be a complete trash either, otherwise it could hinder your skills. But later, when you "understand" the instrument, you can choose something better (unless you're fully satisfied with your first instrument). As soon as you get it, I'll personally give you tips on how to learn it. I started playing not so long ago myself. :)
 
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I have a STagg guitar...it's okay for the money...mine was a bit more because it has a nice finish, but the pickups are trash--WAY too noisy. I had an Ibanez years ago...by far my fav for the money....easy to play for newbs...
 
cool mite just go for the stagg for now to learn my basics. Also gonna go for a roland mv8800 in a few months so will combine the two and get a better guitar after that. Thanks for the help guys.
 
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