In this video, I provide a few tips I learned about getting a fatter, more-muted sound from your bass. The bass I'm using is a 1973 Fender Precision Bass aka P-Bass.

James Jamerson, legendary bassist from Motown mentioned he:
1. Never Cleaned nor changed his strings - this helped reduce some of the upper frequencies and sustain due to the natural oils from your skin. (James quote: "'the gunk keeps the funk")

2. Using foam (or rubber or anything suitable) tucked under the strings against the bridge of the bass - this also helps reduce the string sustain. (When it was original done, the idea was to create a sound more like an Acoustic Bass)

3. Playing with the pads of your fingers or the side of your index finger for added "meatiness/weight". Both create different tones.

4. Where you play from - resting your thumb on the pickups, where the neck meets the body, or on the neck of the bass. Each one provides a slightly different tone.

(There are so many, but these are a few reggae bassists that influenced me)
Aston Family Man - Fender Jazz Bass
Errol Flabba Holt - Roots Radics
Robbie Shakespeare - Fender MIM Jazz bass & Paul Reid Bass

When I was 18, I wanted to play real roots reggae and joined a trio with a Bajan guitarist, Bernie J, and Jamaican drummer Leroy. The three of us played Marley covers and I learned over 50 of family Man's bass lines and loved the way he played along with the melody, would hit certain notes to accentuate moments in the song while keeping the groove rolling. Much like James Jamerson & Paul McCartney, they were of a more melodic style. Robbie is a precision master - he hits the groove and it just goes like wildfire and penetrates the track from start to finish.

Put Family Man & Robbie on one album and it's magic - that album for me is King Tubby meets Rockers Uptown. This was mind-blowing for me on my first listen and I still have my 80s cassette of it that I recorded from vinyl.
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I welcome your feedback and suggestions on future topics you'd like to see included. You can email me at dubmatix@dubmatix.com

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