Fender Modern Player Telecaster Bass - Weak Tone

JTomm · #1 12-28-2012, 07:59 PM

So, I've had this bass for 4 months and is driving me mad. Why? The tone has no b***s in it. It's weak. The bass is pretty and all but the tone is not a deep, round tone a humbucker usually has. It's weak. And the E string has a lot less output than the other strings, even though I raised the magnet almost to the point of touching the string. And the bridge pickup is extremely honky but weak, and isn't aggresive and treble-ish. Is there any way I can fix this? Any replacement pickups? I'm looking for a powerful sound. Imagine a Entwistle-like tone.

JTomm · #2 01-06-2013, 12:49 AM

Bump. Please, help me.

steamthief · #3 01-06-2013, 12:55 AM

Maybe it's your amp? I played one of those a few months ago and it sounded really deep and thick.

jazzgalore · #4 01-06-2013, 04:19 AM

Right. What's the amp?

sven kalmar · #5 01-06-2013, 04:51 AM

i wouldnt be surprised if these pickups are the same as on the squire TB. i owned one and it was definately VERY hot and fat heavy sounding.

**bassdude51** · #6 01-06-2013, 04:59 AM

Try different strings which can make a major big difference. Adjust pickups up or down or higher for the E and lower for the G.

nemo · #7 01-06-2013, 05:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JTomm

I'm looking for a powerful sound. Imagine a Entwistle-like tone.

Switch to flatwound strings - LaBella Deep Talking 760 FM (preferably) or FL and favor the neck pickup. It WILL sound MASSIVE.
I play CV50 with 760FM, total bliss.

JTomm · #8 01-26-2013, 08:40 PM

Sorry for answering late, I'll have to try another amp or fresh strings. Thanks for the replies. The amp is an Aria cheap 30 watts amp but I have actually gotten a decent thick, punchy tone before. About the flatwound strings, I've used only Rotosound 77, and quite frankly, they didn't do it for me. They were good when new and fresh but they lose their magic very fast. Maybe I should try other brands. Might get LaBella if I find them, but I'm looking for a steel roundwound tone, like Rotosound 66. Anyway, I live in Venezuela so it isn't easy to find other strings brands than Ernie Ball or D'Addario, and other materials than nickel-plated steel.

But, before doing anything, well, this bass failed me once again. I was playing a gig and the thing constantly went out of tune. When we were finished, I held the bass by the neck and well, it unscrewed itself, like Entwistle said "I had an instant four-string harp". I'll have to take it to a repair shop.