Im tryin to get that marcus miller sound,,,,,

Strings - He used to use DR Hi-Beams but has used DR "Marcus" (Fat Beams) since they came out.

I read an article by his tech that said is action is set extremely low.....kind of surprising for a guy who throws in slaps n' pops lightning quick. But then again, it's all about the player's individual touch.

His signature Jazz is modded with a Bartolini preamp and a Badass bridge.

His website tells you which pedals he uses.

 

www.marcusmiller.com

Check out the archived Q+A.

 

When I think of MM, the first thing that comes to mind is nice little bends and vibratos under slap and pop stuff, up the neck a bit. I think you'd need to set the bass up so that you were comfortable trying to emulate his left hand. My Cirrus is set up with lower action than my Jazz bass, and consequently my pathetic attempts to sound like MM work much better on the Cirrus, even though the Marcus sound is closely associate with the sound of a Jazz. Just a thought...

 

Personal observations on the Marcus Miller style: Get a 1970s CBS-era Jazz Bass or a similar styled instrument(complete with the 1970s bridge pickup placement, very important tonal component). The bass should also have an active preamp with bass and treble boost, and high mass bridge such as the Leo Quan Badass. The other thing is the chops themselves. You have to slap/pluck each note with a lot of power, but also very clean and with impeccable time-keeping. That's just to start.

 

Bartolini TCT Bass preamp.

 

Damn, this puppy was dead for nearly sixteen years and now...ITS ALIVE!!!!

 

You need his THUMB. lol