Lozz196 Posted February 15, 2014 Share Posted February 15, 2014 I suppose this fits in all of the above, so I thought best in General. I`ve been trying to get the sound in my head - as have we all I`m sure - for my new punk band from my MIK Squier Precision/Markbass/Zoom B3 but never quite getting there. So it hit me, most of the punky types used Roto Steel Rounds. I`ve been using the nickels for a while, great strings, not quite got the twang. I also looked up on pickups, wanting a higher powered one than the Squier CV one in my MIK, and settled on a DiMarzio DP122. Then I thought, well I`ve been trying this amp-modelling/that compressor/this overdrive, and not getting exactly what I want, so I decided to leave the Zoom at home. So band practice, MIK with DP122 pickup, and new reg gauge Roto Steel Rounds, plugged into my Markbass CMD121P combo plus NY121 cab. All eqs set to midday (aside from filters, those were fully off). Tone on full on the bass and - rozam kobar, instantly what I wanted. Why have I put this post up? Well certainly the addition of different bits of gear was making things too complicated, and I suppose the moral of the story is, it don`t have to be. A good bass, good strings and a good amp can get you what you want. It has for me. Only downside is I`ll need to get new strings once a month now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gary mac Posted February 15, 2014 Share Posted February 15, 2014 Yep came to the same conclusion as you Lozz but beat you by a few years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
allighatt0r Posted February 15, 2014 Share Posted February 15, 2014 We've all done it. Carried on buying things trying to achieve that holy grail sound, when really it's right there already. I like the back to basics approach. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Damonjames Posted February 15, 2014 Share Posted February 15, 2014 I'm going through this (of sorts) at the moment. I play in a covers band which requires multiple sound so I have a lot few pedals, down side is it sucks the life out of my clean sound! So now I am trying to go true bypass etc to get the pure tone back when I don't need effects. If I was playing originals, I would be far more simple with my rig, an active jazz a dirt box or two into my GK rig and sorted. Glad you found your sound!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RAY AGAINST THE MACHINE Posted February 15, 2014 Share Posted February 15, 2014 Good thread. I don't play in a band anymore,and record bits on soundcloud now and again. Using a line 6 podfarm interface, there are lots of effects I use. I have various other hardware effects also. That's ok for messing around at home. Gig wise, I used to just use bass-amp- cab(or combo) and that was it. Except for 2 songs in a set where a multi fx unit helped. Glad you found your sound;) Looking back, it seems that the majority of punters liked our shows whether I had fx or not. I was always lucky Mr. Guitar had a very '80s metal sound on his guitar. This applied to all of my bands at the time Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrismuzz Posted February 15, 2014 Share Posted February 15, 2014 New strings are a real game changer. If you like the sound of steels try the elixir ones they last a really long time! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skej21 Posted February 15, 2014 Share Posted February 15, 2014 (edited) Also check out D'Addario Flex Steels. They're even brighter than standard steels so you are likely to get the tone you've achieved with steels but a little more intensely! Edited February 15, 2014 by skej21 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lozz196 Posted February 16, 2014 Author Share Posted February 16, 2014 Thanks guys, am sure I`ll be able to check those out at LBGS in a couple of weeks. I love Rotos but they do die rather quickly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
winterfire666 Posted February 16, 2014 Share Posted February 16, 2014 i only use seel strings and dean markley blue steels are far superior in both tone and longevity, plus they are not coated and arent silly money, rotos just die too quick for me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thunderbird Posted February 16, 2014 Share Posted February 16, 2014 Have you tried the Legacy strings from strings direct Lozz? I believe these are made by Rotosound but are about half the cost might be worth a try if you are buying new strings a lot more now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JapanAxe Posted February 16, 2014 Share Posted February 16, 2014 I too have found this to be true on skinny-string - a new set of strings is one of the cheapest 'mods' you can make, but has a radical effect on tone and feel. Bass strings cost a bit more, but still less than most replacement pickups. So why don't we go this route more often? Because we regard strings as consumables, something you just need in order to get the job done, and they don't give us GAS! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lw. Posted February 16, 2014 Share Posted February 16, 2014 Yep, it depends on the genre you're playing but very few actually require fx pedals. If you go back to punks (as en example) routes - there wasn't anything that technical, just a solid bass and a decent amp. The rest is just a bit of eq'ing and different playing techniques. This rule of thumb goes across most genres, with a few obvious exceptions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Conan Posted February 16, 2014 Share Posted February 16, 2014 [quote name='Lozz196' timestamp='1392543762' post='2369777']I love Rotos but they do die rather quickly.[/quote] Me too. What I do now is put them on fresh from the pack (obviously!) and play them for one gig or a couple of rehearsals. That's usually enough for them to start losing zing. Then I put them in alcohol/ethanol/methylated spirits for a few hours (giving them a good swirl around), take them out and dry them, and pop 'em back on. I find that this "second life" lasts a lot longer than the first one, and they feel better too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimR Posted February 16, 2014 Share Posted February 16, 2014 Yes. All very frustrating. Then you'll set up in an acoustically awful venue and start all over again I've found the first thing to check when I'm not happy with my sound is my finger nails, then the battery in my active bass. After that it's where I'm standing in relation to my cab and where the cab is in the room. Maybe I add a bit of high mid on the amp. I'm using Bass Centre Stadium strings, I don't even know how long they've been on, or if they sell them anymore. Maybe worst case scenario I'll change them. Other than that, shrug my shoulders and just play the notes... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat Burrito Posted February 16, 2014 Share Posted February 16, 2014 Slightly Off Topic Lozz but I saw the announcement this morning that The Daves were no more. Spoke with Andy on FB and best of luck with your new band together. Big, big, fan of Squier at the moment too so pleased to see someone else playing one as a main bass Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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