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New marcus miller strings
- Thread starter PeaveyPlayer
- Start date
LOL! RIIIIIIIIIIGHT!
Marcus has threatened to retire that bass more than once, I believe, but he never will.
Marcus has threatened to retire that bass more than once, I believe, but he never will.
Here's a big secret that it seems most of you don't know yet: That's not his original 77 Jazz.
When he came to Berklee when I was there about 7-8 years ago, Marcus himself mentioned on stage that the one he was using wasn't his original 1977, but it IS a 1977 (or it's within a year of a 1977) Jazz modded to be like the original...I believe he said his tech did an extensive search and found a guy with a near mint condition 1977 natural Jazz that he kept in the case for years, so he retired the original and is using that one instead.
I just snagged a great deal on some of these at a local Guitar Center - 2 sets of Marcus Miller super brights for $30 and 2 sets of regular super brights for $25 (I nabbed one in SS and one in Nickel). Crazy deal! I've been an exclusive DR Hi-Beam and Fat-Beam user for years so I'm really curious how these will stand up to that reference. I'm especially interested in the nickel super brights as the description of a nickel string with more zing sounds very appealing. I have an important gig this Saturday that I would normally string up my Sadowskys with Fat Beams so I'll slap on the MM super brights and we'll see how they do.
I saw the superbrights for 2 for $25 in the Gc catalog, was near one of the Gc's so I called, all they had was the nickels and I prefer SS generally (or coated, but too broke for those right now). I was told they had the MM for 2 for $30 and the closest Gc stocking SB SS was the better part of the $5 difference in gas costs anyway. So I got the MM. Have not tried them yet.
Initially I was a high beams user, didn't mind lo rider SS on my 5 string warwicks either. Stumbled on elixirs and later on cleartones. Now that Gc does not allow discounts the elixirs and cleartones cost too much, so it was the price that brought me to dunlop. I might pick up some of the super bright SS if they come in stock locally or I am in the area of one of the stores that carries them, if I can justify letting another $25 go before the end of the month when the sale ends. Never hurts to have extra strings. From the sounds of things here, I might like either the MM or SBSS. I will probably put a set of the MM on my MIA jazz maple neck first, since the strings on the P bass still have plenty of life left in them.
Initially I was a high beams user, didn't mind lo rider SS on my 5 string warwicks either. Stumbled on elixirs and later on cleartones. Now that Gc does not allow discounts the elixirs and cleartones cost too much, so it was the price that brought me to dunlop. I might pick up some of the super bright SS if they come in stock locally or I am in the area of one of the stores that carries them, if I can justify letting another $25 go before the end of the month when the sale ends. Never hurts to have extra strings. From the sounds of things here, I might like either the MM or SBSS. I will probably put a set of the MM on my MIA jazz maple neck first, since the strings on the P bass still have plenty of life left in them.
If you don't have a GC near you, it was pointed out how their sale price is not THAT amazing, as it's only about $3 cheaper than Bass Strings Online's normal prices for these strings including shipping. So if you don't live near a GC, or don't want to have to deal with going to a GC, just order them from Bass Strings Online. It's a great chance to try these incredible strings.
KInda Funny you don't generally see the artists with mij replicas of their older basses, using the replicas. I'd be beating the hell out of the replicas with my original locked in a vault if I were them, and just bust out the real deal for the studio or special live tv appearances. But that's just me.
(not counting the tour geddy lee was using his main 72 with the mij neck after the original truss went, of course shortly after it was replaced with a custom shop neck)
I don't follow MM much, but has he ever played his signature mij bass? Thing has been around since 98.
I know there really IS a difference between vintage fender and mij and mim (even USA) reissue and replicas of course, but the geddy lee model is seen on stage all over, especially in punk bands go figure.
(not counting the tour geddy lee was using his main 72 with the mij neck after the original truss went, of course shortly after it was replaced with a custom shop neck)
I don't follow MM much, but has he ever played his signature mij bass? Thing has been around since 98.
I know there really IS a difference between vintage fender and mij and mim (even USA) reissue and replicas of course, but the geddy lee model is seen on stage all over, especially in punk bands go figure.
Ok... post gig review of the Dunlop SS Marcus Miller Super Brights. So I rocked them on Saturday and came away with a few hopefully useful impressions in comparison to my beloved DR Fat-Beams - the previous Marcus Miller string:
1. They feel pretty darn good. Not quite as smooth to the touch as Fat-Beams, but they just slay if you're a slapping fool. With a tiny touch less tension than the FBs, they have really great bounce and feel with the thumb and they really speak well with this technique. Dunlop and Mr. Miller nailed it in this regard. That lower tension doesn't translate as nicely to finger or pick style, however, but it is certainly a nice feel none-the-less. If thumb is your weapon of choice, these feel great! String to string balance was spot-on and I got through the gig without any mishaps. They have even managed to retain some sparkle after the gig. In that regard, they seem on-par to my DRs.
2. A nice high-end presence. Not quite as musical to these ears as the FBs, but still quite a pleasing tone. Bright, snappy without being ganky in any way. A very nice sounding string in this regard.
3. Over-all sound was smooth but somewhat generic sounding. Nothing bad here. Certainly better than the average string, but in comparison to the FBs, the Dunlop MMs are lacking in "character" - that thing that makes you say "WOW". Through my amp setup (Genz Benz 9.2, Aguilar GS412) I was able to get close to coaxing that missing something, but through my monitor setup (REDDI running direct to Westone IEMs) that "something" could not be captured with my fingers, technique or dynamics - and that ultimately meant that "something" was missing from the house. Band-mates via their IEMs also commented that "something was missing" from my sound, as did our sound engineer. I'm sure the sound crew could over time compensate with EQ, compression, etc., so that is not necessarily a lasting deficit, but it is worth mentioning their impressions.
3. Less low-end power by far that FBs. This was not necessarily a surprise to me as playing them acoustically I could sense less power and vibration in my bass with the Dunlop MMs than when my Sadowsky is strung with Fat-Beams. On the gig, however, it was a considerable difference. I could not for the life of me coax the same low-end energy that has become a staple of my sound with Fat-Beam or Hi-Beams. It just wasn't there. Boosting the Sadowsky circuit at 50hz to compensate eventually just muddied up the sound so I backed off and accepted that the low-end power I had grown accustomed to would not be there. This was without a doubt the biggest surprise I experienced with the Dunlop MMs. They just could not match the amazing FB low-strings.
Conclusion: Ok.. so before you assume I don't like these new Dunlop strings, I do think they are a pretty solid string. If you employ slap/pop technique a lot in your performance, then you will LOVE these strings. When used this way, they speak exceptionally well. Truly fantastic. If you have never played Fat-Beams, you will enjoy these strings. If you want to save money over DRs, you will either "love" these strings, or "learn" to love them. If you use a mix of techniques in your performance - favoring fingers/pick over thumb - they may not be your cup of tea. And again, the lack of low-end compared to FBs was a head turner for me. Bottom line: The Dunlop MMs are a very high-quality quality string that may very well work perfectly for you. I can highly suggest you take a swing at a pack and decide for yourself - especially if you use your thumb a lot. For me, however, I'm sticking with Fat-Beams and Hi-beams.
Now... I have to try out that set of Super Bright nickels and see if they can replace my much-loved Slinkys on a Stingray.
1. They feel pretty darn good. Not quite as smooth to the touch as Fat-Beams, but they just slay if you're a slapping fool. With a tiny touch less tension than the FBs, they have really great bounce and feel with the thumb and they really speak well with this technique. Dunlop and Mr. Miller nailed it in this regard. That lower tension doesn't translate as nicely to finger or pick style, however, but it is certainly a nice feel none-the-less. If thumb is your weapon of choice, these feel great! String to string balance was spot-on and I got through the gig without any mishaps. They have even managed to retain some sparkle after the gig. In that regard, they seem on-par to my DRs.
2. A nice high-end presence. Not quite as musical to these ears as the FBs, but still quite a pleasing tone. Bright, snappy without being ganky in any way. A very nice sounding string in this regard.
3. Over-all sound was smooth but somewhat generic sounding. Nothing bad here. Certainly better than the average string, but in comparison to the FBs, the Dunlop MMs are lacking in "character" - that thing that makes you say "WOW". Through my amp setup (Genz Benz 9.2, Aguilar GS412) I was able to get close to coaxing that missing something, but through my monitor setup (REDDI running direct to Westone IEMs) that "something" could not be captured with my fingers, technique or dynamics - and that ultimately meant that "something" was missing from the house. Band-mates via their IEMs also commented that "something was missing" from my sound, as did our sound engineer. I'm sure the sound crew could over time compensate with EQ, compression, etc., so that is not necessarily a lasting deficit, but it is worth mentioning their impressions.
3. Less low-end power by far that FBs. This was not necessarily a surprise to me as playing them acoustically I could sense less power and vibration in my bass with the Dunlop MMs than when my Sadowsky is strung with Fat-Beams. On the gig, however, it was a considerable difference. I could not for the life of me coax the same low-end energy that has become a staple of my sound with Fat-Beam or Hi-Beams. It just wasn't there. Boosting the Sadowsky circuit at 50hz to compensate eventually just muddied up the sound so I backed off and accepted that the low-end power I had grown accustomed to would not be there. This was without a doubt the biggest surprise I experienced with the Dunlop MMs. They just could not match the amazing FB low-strings.
Conclusion: Ok.. so before you assume I don't like these new Dunlop strings, I do think they are a pretty solid string. If you employ slap/pop technique a lot in your performance, then you will LOVE these strings. When used this way, they speak exceptionally well. Truly fantastic. If you have never played Fat-Beams, you will enjoy these strings. If you want to save money over DRs, you will either "love" these strings, or "learn" to love them. If you use a mix of techniques in your performance - favoring fingers/pick over thumb - they may not be your cup of tea. And again, the lack of low-end compared to FBs was a head turner for me. Bottom line: The Dunlop MMs are a very high-quality quality string that may very well work perfectly for you. I can highly suggest you take a swing at a pack and decide for yourself - especially if you use your thumb a lot. For me, however, I'm sticking with Fat-Beams and Hi-beams.
Now... I have to try out that set of Super Bright nickels and see if they can replace my much-loved Slinkys on a Stingray.
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today I saw the new MM in a shop, weird thing here in Italy, and the best part is that they were sold for just 26 euros (a 4 string set) and 30/36 euro (can't remember) the 5 string set.
today I bought a set of DR Hi Beam, because I need them sunday for a gig, and didn't want to try something new, but as soon as the DR are dead, I'll buy them and try.
my experience with the Super Bright (nickel) wasn't good: I found them stiffer than Hi Beams, rougher than Rotosound steel (despite being nickel!) but the overall feeling (balance in particular) and sound were good. being a steel strings addict, I must try them. I have to say, however, that I've never tried the Fat Beams, so my impressions will compare to Hi Beams.
today I bought a set of DR Hi Beam, because I need them sunday for a gig, and didn't want to try something new, but as soon as the DR are dead, I'll buy them and try.
my experience with the Super Bright (nickel) wasn't good: I found them stiffer than Hi Beams, rougher than Rotosound steel (despite being nickel!) but the overall feeling (balance in particular) and sound were good. being a steel strings addict, I must try them. I have to say, however, that I've never tried the Fat Beams, so my impressions will compare to Hi Beams.
Interesting. I've had two sets of Fat Beams in the past, on two different basses (one set was transferred to a third) and found them to sound anemic (lacking low end and overall noticeably lower output). (despite all that negativity, they did bring out a really sweet, open and airy high end on my Lollar thunderbird pickups. Boost the lows back and it was a pretty cool sound.)
I haven't tried superbright stainless, yet. But the nickels sound like chainsaws (this is good) for the first month or so.
I pretty much agree, not completely but pretty close. They didn't wow me either but good never the less. Over all a very good string and it will have its place with many bassist.
Great review! I've ventured off from using FB's and just keep coming back to them. Nothing is better on my Carvin LB75. I was considering trying the Dunlop MM's but everything you described has saved me from wasting another $20.
I agree with 100% with Limeman. I am also a High and Fat Beam user. I tried the SS's not just on one bass, but two of mine, and they just don't have that low end that I'm use to having......
Tried the Dunlop MM SS. I was excited to try these strings but IMO they are nothing special not even very bright. Sadly, just an average run of the mill bass string. Blah!
