how to turn my precision bass to a crazy slap machine

[infinitemellon]

I just got a real cheap used MIJ precision bass for $480
Anyone knows what i should do to my fender precision bass into a crazy slap machine?
I m thinking of a P/J setup since that guy already modded it before. But this bass got a very ugly slap sound. Too much growl. Anyone knows what pickup and bridge to get? :roll:

 

[rottenramone]

..

p bass pups and its positing usually don't have instantly appealing slap tones to begin with.

a j config at the bridge position might change things.

 

[infinitemellon]

erm it already has a j pup but however it still sound wierd i dunno y what is a good jazz pickup to get? I was thinking of going active pups i dunno if it will cost me a lot to fix one

 

[infinitemellon]

btw i was thinking what difference will a bridge do to a bass? I see a lot of people going for that Leo Quan Badass II bridge. Will getting a good bridge make a lot of difference?

 

[rottenramone]

..

ok

i was under the impression that you were going to mod it

before you buy anything, you can try scooping the mids on your amp's eq. if your bass controls are vol-vol-tone, just turn up both vols to get a more fuller sound.

if you don't feel that slap tone, the first thing u shd do is to get new roundwound strings.

then proceed your modding journey from there.

 

[infinitemellon]

hmm ok...
actually i m already using a new set of strings.
somehow i can't get that punch i want but it's got very nice full pluck sound.
no way to get more punch? haha :roll:

 

[RentaBass]

+1 to rottenramone's suggestion of toying around with your EQ first.

If your bass EQ is biased towards fingerstyle sounds, you might not like the slap sound that it produces on the same setting. Alternatively, it'll be a good idea to get a more experienced player to take a look at your bass. Perhaps he or she can make more sense of it and help you discover the hidden potential of the instrument.

With regards to the Leo Quan Badass II bridge, it will not change your sound drastically. The bridge is more substantial that the stock bridge and serves to improve vibrational transfer, thus improving sustain and note articulation. Your tone will not really be affected that much.

Do toy around with your bass a little and try to get second opinions before you rush out and spend money. Mods don't really come that cheap, so make informed decisions.

 

[bin4christ]

u've decided to sell tt bass eh?

 

[infinitemellon]

actually it sounds good on my podxt on earphone
sounds a little like victor wooten's bass
but when i plug the xt and my bass to my amp it sounds like metal player trying to slap some funky riffs. sounds really bad if u get what i mean. Haha mabbe i will try asking a fren to come over fix my tone for me. Thx for the postings anyways :wink:

 

[alka1987]

u bought it for 480 but didnt like it n wanna sell it for 600??? or is it a different guy in luther :-/

 

[reyrey]

actually it sounds good on my podxt on earphone
sounds a little like victor wooten's bass
but when i plug the xt and my bass to my amp it sounds like metal player trying to slap some funky riffs. sounds really bad if u get what i mean. Haha mabbe i will try asking a fren to come over fix my tone for me. Thx for the postings anyways :wink:

means you have to set the sound untill you get the sound you want dude

 

[stewartbass]

MIJ Precision bass, modded with J pick up at the bridge...

simple,

1- u can swop the stock p/ups for dimarzio model J and a model P (from sweelee), go passive and run it through a sadowsky outboard preamp, you can change the bridge to a badass II or a schaller just ensure its brass.

2- u can swop them for a set of EMGs P/J (from davis) - EMGs are the easiest to install, noo need to solder (3 pin plug) and the p/ups are super silent and last a long time on one 9volt batter, since you are a vic wooten fan you should know that vic uses EMGs on all his fodera basses.

3- order the new Fender noiseless P/J set (swee lee) and have them installed.

4- NORDSTRAND p/ups - u can get them from www.thereddotmusic.com - the company is local and you can pay easily.

5- last of all - you can sell me the bass as it is -

 

[fgl]

hey stu, you got 35 basses not enuff ah?

 

[infinitemellon]

nice EMG pups expensive? dunno if i got the money to get one of those haha :lol:

 

[CrispyEgg]

if all those suggestions and tips don't help, maybe u missed out some basics? stuff like setup, string types (brighter strings usually appeal), pickup choice (did u balance your pickups? more to the J and less P perhaps?), pickup condition (is the bass $480 because of some tone-related issue?)

blah blah blah. go figure

 

[exin]

I suggest you setup your bass first .. if you want bright strings you can try either D'addario or Warwick Red Label strings ...

changing pickups may not solve what setup can solve ... so .. yeah .. don't have to go to the extent of spending too much money ... =) ..