Aston Barrett, nicknamed “Family Man” (even before he had children,) is a Fender Jazz Bass player who plays reggae music.
Amazingly, he is able to get an incredible upright sound out of the Fender J:
Aston is known to use a custom flatwound set of strings. He has said in an interview that custom sizing was chosen from a 5-string set (even though he plays 4-string) and that Fender sends him 6 packs of strings once a year.
In studio, Aston uses Ampeg amplification, but in live settings he has been known to use the Acoustic 370. Part of how Aston gets the sound he does is by using bigger 15″ or greater speakers.
Aston’s playing style is not flashy, but it’s in tune, sounds good and has a reggae groove that’s very pleasing to the ear.
What does bass for reggae music sound like? It sounds like Aston Barrett.
This is my seventh decade on the planet and I have been playing Fender basses all along.I started with a 62 Precision bass . In 1966 I bought a white Jazz bass and now as an anniversary gift my wife bought me a Fender American Vintage 63 Precision bass.
I’m lovin’ it !
James Andre Brennan
So how does he get the upright sound. No settings.
I think he is using the ashtray mute, plus flatwounds. But the pickup height, the settings on the amp? He really made it! It’s awesome.
Yeah, that’s pretty amazing. I don’t think I’ve ever heard a Jazz sound like that. Especially a fretted one.
Flats usually sound more like an upright anyway. But if you boost the mids and a bit of tone rolled off on the bass you can make it sound even more like an upright.
I have no trouble getting an upright sound. When I want that sound, I play my upright bass. I don’t want my electric to sound like an upright any more than I want my upright to sound like a J-bass. I just don’t get this fascination with making an electric sound acoustic.
I agree
Aston is not just a reggae bass player Aston was Bob Marleys bass player and that tone was a big part of the sound
There are practical reasons for not playing an upright bass. They sound beauitful but a good one will cost a lot more than a decent electric bass and of course there’s the logistics of tranporting a very large but delicate instrument. I never owned one because I couldn’t fit one in my small house.