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Post subject: Can't Find My Sound!
Posted: Mon Jan 21, 2013 6:45 am
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Hobbyist
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Joined: Tue Jan 08, 2013 8:54 am
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I I bought my first Fender 52 years ago. In London There was one sound and the greats were learning their trade!
I had a 20 year break from playing and so much has changed!
Last year 2012 I saw a guy playing a Fender Marcus Miller Jazz and it was great! That was the sound I needed for my Latin Rock, (I live in Spain!), Jazz & Soul Fusion! So now I bought a newish pristine Marcus Miller Jazz and it's pretty but hell, I took the old strings off and now I cannot get a fat sound from her! I lost the sellers contact number! So pride aside, Your advice please!
Rotosounds wont go there!
D'Addario XL Pro Steel wont go there!
Dunlop wont go there! All 45-100 as the nut is cut to 45-100!
I have no friends that play so this is my only forum!
I like my sound fat and round

All stories and experiences greatly appreciated!


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Post subject: Re: Can't Find My Sound!
Posted: Mon Jan 21, 2013 6:52 am
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Roadie
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Joined: Tue Sep 11, 2012 4:29 pm
Posts: 238
Location: London, UK
Where the strings you took off flatwounds or roundwounds?

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Post subject: Re: Can't Find My Sound!
Posted: Mon Jan 21, 2013 10:46 am
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Aspiring Musician
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Joined: Wed Jan 14, 2009 10:54 am
Posts: 438
Location: Alabama, Michigan, Florida, Wisconsin, Mississippi and Tennessee seasonally
I know the type of sound that you are looking for and you may find it by using medium, long scale FLATWOUNDS... (GHS M3050 as an example).

Let us know what your ultimate solution to the issue turns out to be.

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Post subject: Re: Can't Find My Sound!
Posted: Mon Jan 21, 2013 5:34 pm
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Professional Musician
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Joined: Wed May 20, 2009 2:58 pm
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Location: Adirondacks
I have found that Dean markley Blue Steel strings either flat or round wound are fantastic! great tone, life and sustain!! I also am fond of Fender's strings.
ABS :D


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Post subject: Re: Can't Find My Sound!
Posted: Wed Jan 23, 2013 7:47 am
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Joined: Sat Nov 06, 2010 4:28 pm
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Location: Jerusalem, IL
Millers are nice, but as with all Fenders it's a matter of wood on the particular instrument. So your buddy's Marcus may sound good and yours may sound weak. By no means buying the same model will get you the same sound.

I was playing my friend's Marcus Miller (MIJ) recently and it sounded weak. My other friend also had Miller back in the 90's and it sounded good but I didn't like it because it was too scooped. Those two sounded complely different. I play MIA '62 reissue almost exclusively for the last 10 years and it's huge and fat, though not the same color as Miller.

I think is that if your bass sounds bad, it's not something different strings will change. Sell your Miller and try a different instrument. American 75 Reissue is the closest to Miller in sound department, but it's all a matter of stumbling upon a good bass.


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Post subject: Re: Can't Find My Sound!
Posted: Sun Jan 27, 2013 12:45 pm
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Rock Star
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Location: Albemarle, NC
I think trading/replacing is premature at this point. Try the GHS 3050 REGULAR set that was already mentioned. Very reasonably priced strings. The 3050's are very old school type strings.

No string set is going to sound right when brand new. Give them a couple of weeks to settle in. If the 3050 set can't please you after a month, yeah then I'd trade it in. While it is true that there is a difference between different instruments of the same model I think it might be just a wee bit early to sell it off since you just got it and nobody I know EVER actually makes money trading in a used instrument on a new one.

It is best to play several of the same model before you buy and select the one stat sounds and feels the best to you. However for some people living in remote locations or in towns without a big-time dealer they have to order online or take a gamble on the only one in stock. The local Fender dealer in my hometown keeps about 2 Fender basses around at any given time and never have anything really special so if you want an Artist of Classic you have to special order it. In those cases where you can't compare a bunch of them the best thing to do is to buy the very best model you can afford. As you go up the ranks from Mexican Standard to American Deluxe and then to Custom Shop the little details that lead to variations in tone become fewer and fewer. There is very little advantage to playing a whole bunch of Custom Shop models as they are all just about perfect and you will be hard pressed to find any differences.


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Post subject: Re: Can't Find My Sound!
Posted: Sun Jan 27, 2013 12:49 pm
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Rock Star
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Joined: Thu Aug 07, 2008 3:12 pm
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Location: Albemarle, NC
And you are going to have to file the nut a bit. No big deal. Modern basses are factory setup with lighter strings than basses made in the good old days whose tone you remember so well. Also your choice of amp and cab matters a LOT.


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Post subject: Re: Can't Find My Sound!
Posted: Thu Jan 31, 2013 9:23 am
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Joined: Thu May 26, 2011 3:50 pm
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Oye Hermano bass mentality,
I'd suggest either DR Low riders, or my first choice, the DR "Marcus Miller" set. Very nice bottom end, and the top is beautiful!


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