Slapping Set up?

[Fieldy_K5]

Ok, I got my musicman sub setup last week and I didn't get it back any better and I asked to make it better for slap and it is but its very clinky. Like you hear when slapping with thumb more of the string hitting the neck than the note. How do you set it up to make it sound like flea has it, if you have seen the spontanious jam dvd he did, you dont hear anything but a clean note when he slaps, like a bouncy clean noise I love it, like its not touching the the fretboard. What do I say to them to get my bass to sound like this? is it really high action? or what? thnx

[Crudd-Bucket™]

You could be slapping wrong...

[Fieldy_K5]

I'm pretty sure I am doing it right I have done it the same way for a long time, I played a wrwick corvette in guitar center one time and t sounded great when I slapped, no clinging, so I know it's not me. I mean I went on youtube and all the slappin vids sounded good not like mine. So how do I set it up for that?

[fingerstyle]

Tweak your eq settings and the tone controls on your bass. its a fkin musicman thats been setup for slapping.... two good reasons why its not the basses fault.

[Misanthropic]

The action no my sub is not very high, but I can get a good slap sound nevertheless. I have it set only so high that I don't get fret buzz when playing "normally". That means 4 millimeters (0.16") above the fretboard on the last fret... Maybe you slap too hard?

[Fieldy_K5]

so nobody seems to think its because it may have been setup wrong I mean he put a higher gauge of strings on and it now or still buzzes when played a lil hard or even lightly when with a pick. the strings are real close the the neck and are prety loose.

[Misanthropic]

Well you get fret buzz when you play normal fingerstyle or pick (even a little harder)? Then your action seems to be too low indeed...

Read this page:

http://www.joeysbassnotes.com/stand%20maint.htm

It's even a music man he uses in the pictures...

[Crudd-Bucket™]

so nobody seems to think its because it may have been setup wrong I mean he put a higher gauge of strings on and it now or still buzzes when played a lil hard or even lightly when with a pick. the strings are real close the the neck and are prety loose.

You mightn't be press the strings hard enough into the frets. If that's not the case then I suggest taking it elsewhere to get setup.

To me it sounds like human error!

[Fieldy_K5]

So what should I ask for? I mean are you supossed to have a higher action for slapping or a lower action, yes I slap a little hard, but I like to play with a pick sometimes too. So do I say i want to lower it or raise it? I will take it somewhere else but not get it setup just re-adjusted.

[Crudd-Bucket™]

It's usually setup to a persons prefference, either high, medium or low action. Try a few basses at this shop and whichever one you prefer say... set it up like this mo' fo'!

Cool avatar btw :p

[Fieldy_K5]

lol thnx, I'll do so. I mean alot of this doesn't get picked up through the amp but because the clinging is so loud you can hear it over the amp a lil. Thnx again.

[T2k5]

I have 2,5mm action on my Shuker (at the 12th fret) and it still has great slapping tone. The graphite fingerboard might have something to do with it though.

Did you put new strings on it btw? They can cause some clicking sound.

[Fieldy_K5]

yes, they were higher gauged also, I think they were D Addario strings.

[Crudd-Bucket™]

T2k5 might be right, have you ever had brand new strings on your bass(s) before?

I know the first time I got my very first set of new strings, I thought they sounded way to trebley and metally...

[Fieldy_K5]

how long do they take to break in? I have now changed these before . the slap just sounds bad and tingy, it should bounce off the string not hit the neck.

[T2k5]

A couple of days. When I change strings I usually play it 3 hours afterwards to make them set in better. All the over-metallishness (great word :p ) will go away in a few days.

[Crudd-Bucket™]

I love the metalishness! :p

[T2k5]

I love the funkyshizzleness! :p