help me with my tone! =)

[visa]

okay hey guys I just got me a new squier p/j bass. it's a lovely thing to play, but the strings that came with it are really blah and metallic sounding.

i want something really warm and rough, a dirty rock kinda tone, something with good bite in the lower mids (not quite BASS bass but not treble/mids either).

i think heavy guage strings should do the job, but what sort should I get, what should i do?

and will my bass neck be able to take it? i'll have to re-setup somehow right?

thanks for hearing me out!

[visa]

okay for me to provide more details-

i play both fingerstyle and pickstyle, generally more fingers though.

i play indie-ish alternative-ish rock- you can hear some of my older stuff- listen to tainted tuesdays and collision course for a rough idea of the kinds of sounds i need. just the bass idea, don't talk about the songs and the band, really old stuff haha.

http://www.myspace.com/armchaircritic

thanks!

[ibnzneksrul]

If you want a warm rather than metallic sound then go for nickel over stainless steel.

DR Nickel Lo-Riders have good low-mid OOMPH and sound great.

But for an actual dirty tone you'll need to look to something more than just what strings to use, like a tube-emulation preamp or overdrive stompbox.

[snowdan]

low mid GROWL: labella hard rockin steel.

these strings have turned my smooth sounding boutique bass into a growl machine with a tone that carries.

[emblymouse]

Heavier gauge is the right track, whatever the string. You will have to re do the intonation if you change gauges and the neck may or may not need attention too. It should be able to handle a heavy string just fine with adjustment or else my opinion of Fender Squires needs recalibration. If an overly metallic tone is a turn off you might consider a half round (also referred to as Ground wounds), I like Ken Smith Slicks-steel or nickel.

[jamesblue]

Take about 5 yrs off your search for bass strigns and try some DA Chromes (flat wounds) all the sets sound good heavy and light due to the higher tension of these strings.
If you don't slap much, flat wounds are the sound I've always wanted and didn't think to try for a long time.
Do a search on the string forum to see more opinions.
The DA chromes have more trebel than most flats.

[visa]

don't flatwounds have less grit?

[Dincrest]

Depends on the string. I have SIT PowerFlats on my Warwick right now and it's the growliest and gruntiest that bass has ever been. The low E is deep. Slap sounds horrible, but fingerstyle and pickstyle sound robust. Others who've tried PowerFlats comment that the tone is deep, dark, and grunty. I have them 45-100 and they are high tension strings; feel like a much higher gauge round.

In terms of conventional roundwounds, I dig Rotosound RS66LDN "Pure Nickel" in the blue package. Definitely impart a nice raw sound. DR Lo-Rider nickels are great too.

Though I love SIT Silencers strings, I'd recommend you stay away from those because they're warm but smooth, and you seem to be looking for warm and gritty.