*** THAT COUNTRY MUSIC/ELVIS/ROCK N' ROLL SOUND ELUDES ME***

[REDLAWMAN]

Hi everyone,

I'd really appreciate some advice please.

I want to play principally Country music (Glen C, Kenny R, etc.) /Elvis/Buddy Holly/50's & 60's Rock 'n' Roll and some 'Pop-Rock' Abba/Simon & G, etc.)

I've got a Warwick Streamer LX and I'm really struggling to find 'that' sound- the warm, deep, 'thump' without the excrutiatingly sharp highs, even through a Littlemark III and a 15" Markbass Traveller cab.

I've just ordered a 2010 MIA Standard 'P'.



Is the American Standard going to basically give me the sound I want 'straight out of the box', or will I need to:

1. Put Flats on? Will T/I Jazz be as good an option as any or are the La Bellas (like the Original 1954's) better for this genre ?

2. Change the pup to, say, a SD SPB-1 or APB-2 (or any other)?

3. Change the pots/output jack/capacitor and shield the bass?


I'm really hoping the answer is that I will get the sound I want (and am missing from my Wick) with the 'P' as in comes, with, maybe, the addition of some flats, because I don't really want to have to start messing with a brand new instrument that cost this much....

I'm completely new to Fender, so I would really value the benefit of everyone's experience.

Thank you.

[wateroftyne]

P? Check.

Flats? Check.

You're done.

PS - don't be afraid to roll the tone off.

[Ou7shined]

Out of interest WOT, where (if at all) does the '51 P fit into the equation regarding this type of music?

[henry norton]

I always thought the Fender Bass VI was the instrument made for just these tic tac country basslines, with light gauge roundwound strings on a short scale bass. The 50's & 60's vibes will be well catered for with your P.

[Clarky]

Elvis' bass player, Bill Black, was an early adopter of the Fender P - he had a sunburst early/mid-50s one and these came as stock with flats on

[Musicman20]

[quote name='wateroftyne' post='872757' date='Jun 20 2010, 05:07 PM']P? Check.

Flats? Check.

You're done.

PS - don't be afraid to roll the tone off.[/quote]

+1

Dont be afraid of using it as stock, (apart from the strings, which are suprisingly good on these new models, but are quite zingy nickels until you wear them in).

The stock parts are very very good. I wouldnt change a thing on mine.

[EssentialTension]

[quote name='henry norton' post='872831' date='Jun 20 2010, 06:08 PM']I always thought the Fender Bass VI was the instrument made for just these tic tac country basslines, with light gauge roundwound strings on a short scale bass. The 50's & 60's vibes will be well catered for with your P.[/quote]
Tic tac bass in country music is usually a doubling, on a Bass VI or similar, of the standard bassline played on an upright bass or on a 'normal' electric bass.

[EssentialTension]

[quote name='wateroftyne' post='872757' date='Jun 20 2010, 05:07 PM']P? Check.

Flats? Check.

You're done.

PS - don't be afraid to roll the tone off.[/quote]
... and play nearer to the fingerboard than the bridge.

[Clarky]

[quote name='EssentialTension' post='872856' date='Jun 20 2010, 06:46 PM']... and play nearer to the fingerboard than the bridge.[/quote]
Elvis has spoken!

[EssentialTension]

[quote name='REDLAWMAN' post='872755' date='Jun 20 2010, 05:05 PM']1. Put Flats on? Will T/I Jazz be as good an option as any or are the La Bellas (like the Original 1954's) better for this genre ?[/quote]
TI Jazz Flats will do nicely and will easily cut through the mix. They are quite loose on tension.

La Bellas are a bit heavier on tension and a little thumpier than the TIs - IMO - but will do the job just as well, and maybe better. You don't necessarily need the Original 54s (Jamerson 760M set) because the slightly lighter gauge 760FL are still fairly thick.

I'd say either would work fine, it's just which you prefer.

[EssentialTension]

[quote name='Clarky' post='872858' date='Jun 20 2010, 06:48 PM']Elvis has spoken![/quote]
And as you can see in my avatar, that's exactly what I'm doing.

[wateroftyne]

[quote name='Ou7shined' post='872800' date='Jun 20 2010, 05:39 PM']Out of interest WOT, where (if at all) does the '51 P fit into the equation regarding this type of music?[/quote]
What Clarky said!

[chris_b]

Why do you want to change anything when you haven't even heard the new bass yet!

Don't change anything until you've gigged the Precision as it comes. You'll sound fine. While the players in the 50's used flats but what you actually hear on record is foam mutes and extensive EQ from the studio equipment. On the other hand, many of the country players these days will be using round wound strings and no foam mutes.

Rock n roll was a full bass thud and country is a clean defined tone. I think that a modern country tone will sound good for rock n roll but not the other way around.

[retroman]

Gibson EB2. With that big chrome Gibson mudbucker, and semi hollow construction, you'll have all the thump you will ever need

[Lifer]

Palm muting and picking with the thumb? Use that method for some dub lines I play, instant thump.

[REDLAWMAN]

Thank you very much everyone: all points taken on board.

The bass stays exactly as it is and just gets 'flats'.

Right- Flats, actually La Bella flats because I quite fancy them.

MIA Standard ''P'. Original strings from the fractory are : 045/065/085/110.

Do I want:-

1. [b]760 F/S[/b] (045/065/085/105) or [b]760 F/L [/b](043/060/082/105) or [b]760 F/M [/b](049/069/089/109) ?

2. Can I use the [b]'Original 1954' [/b](which I think I really want to)? Their gauges are 052/073/095/110, which are a bit heavier/fatter than the stock Fender strings.

3. Black Nylon Tape Wound[b] (760N)[/b]. What are these like please? Their gauges are 060/070/094/115 and therefore a lot fatter.

Is one of the above La Bella's a 'better' choice for me for my Country/50's,60's R 'N' R?


4. Am I right in thinking that I can string through the body with ALL of them except the Original 1954's and the Black Nylon ones?

5. Does it matter whether I string through the body or neck anyway? Will it make a difference to the sound? Is one method preferable to the other?

And finally: tension on the neck.

I understand that the string tension has to be far higher with these particular flats (unlike the T/I's on my Wick).
Is this a problem and or potentially damaging to the neck, etc. on my new MIA 'P'?

Many thanks everyone.

Edited June 21, 2010 by REDLAWMAN

[wateroftyne]

I use FLs, and I adore them. Everyone will have their faves, and I don't think you can go wrong with any 760s.

The tension doesn't seem to be much higher than the 45-105 rounds I used to use. Certainly, the neck doesn't shift much.