jazzyvee

[quote name='2004gdavi' timestamp='1336505354' post='1646651'] Hi Having read the comments here there is obviously much to consider and buying an Alembic is a big step. For my part I've been over 40 years without an Alembic until this year and that's 40 years too long. I now have a SCD, which I was introduced to by Loz (many thanks). Since I've had it I've gigged with it several times in a variety of different styles of music. For each of these occasions it has performed admirably. It's a delight to play and begs to be played. One day I hope to be good enough to do it the justice it deserves but until then I'll just enjoy the ride. Sure it was a lot of cash but if there's one thing I've learned is that you only live once and to seize the day. I can't say that an Alembic will be to everyone's taste but for me, in the words of Edith Piaf, 'je ne regrette rien'. [/quote] How are you getting on with your alembic?

The guitar feels great, but because of the sound of it due to pickups I haven't really bonded with it at all. I tried some old dimarzio's I had laying around from way back and they were still a bit hot in the bridge position. Earlier this year I got some Fender gold lace pickups with a dually gold in the bridge position because I had a strat with them in a few years back and they sounded great and I was familiar with that sound. However whilst they do sound much better than the original duncans they don't have the clear sparkle in the tone that a strat has. I wonder if the mahogany has something to do with that as well. It's all mahogany body and neck with a figured maple top and rosewood fretboard. I'll have to do some more reading up on pickups. Gibson Les Paul's have mahogany bodies and sound great, maybe some humbuckers in a single coil size may be an option. Any views? Jazzyvee Jazzyvee

Japan without Mick Karn.

[quote name='MoonBassAlpha' timestamp='1354885626' post='1891600'] Return to Forever [/quote] Absolutely

[quote name='bremen' timestamp='1354744306' post='1890008'] I always thought not, but I just learned that Robbie Shakespeare played on some of Catch a Fire. Yeah he did, he was a student of Aston Barrett. I don't think they did get away with it though. They stopped being The Who (for me anyway) when K. Moon died. [/quote]

[quote name='redstriper' timestamp='1354741314' post='1889969'] I wonder if Bob Marley would have been the same without Familyman. [/quote] I doubt if reggae bass generally would have developed in the way it has without Family Man.

Rob has a cool workshop down there in Wales. I'm sure you will have a good time there. I'm looking forward to the pictures. I'm still toying with the idea of selling mine but not until I find something I want to replace it with. Les Paul or maybe a PRS. Jazzyvee

Cool Oscar south, my band do that buenos Aires track also. I'll have to see if I have a video of it still.

http://www.bassonthebroadband.com/index.html

Here is my pedal board. I like the minimalist approach. :-) [attachment=122389:unnamed.jpg]

Virtually every day I spend some time practicing to keep my existing set lists under my fingers and to learn new stuff for my own self improvement. It's shocking how quickly I can lose the edge on my playing.

[attachment=121732:34670_138091109552781_5251471_n.jpg]

Rob Williams guitars is another option for custom guitar builders. He's in Wales http://www.robwilliamsguitars.co.uk/Robwilliamsguitars/Welcome.html Jazzyvee

Yep I agree with classic combination. I've heard it at many festivals. Not tried it myself though. One day maybe. Jazzyvee

is there something specific about the wood in the spoiler that makes them so heavy? I've read a few comments on the Alembic forum that describes them as very heavy. I have 5 string alembics which others have described as heavy but I doubt if any are 11lbs. Maybe I should check.

Clarky, I can only imagine how painful letting a beloved Alembic go would be. Jazzyvee

I've played them with a blues band a few years back and for that type of sound it is fine. But my playing has been more around reggae rnb,funk and jazz so a cleaner sound suits my needs better and I tend to prefer a pedal to get dirty. Jazzyvee

I find I don't get a sound I like when I've been provided with Ashdown's as a bass backline. The last time I had to use their cabs at a gig it was a 4x10 and 1x 15 but used my own mesaboogie walkabout and that was better but not great. Trace elliot's sound great when I've heard other bassists playing them but again when I used one of their new combo's provided as back line for a gig it's own sound seemed to dominate and the tonal changes I was making from my bass did not come through as readily like my mesa powerhouse cabs. But then I did try loads of bass amp cab combinations before settling for the mesa boogie rig. jazzyvee

I have one of Rob's custom strat type guitars, in fact it was one reviewed in a UK Guitar Magazine. I bought it off a fellow guitarist friend who had it custom made by Rob as an endorsee. It looks fantastic However I've never got to grips with the sound of it. On paper it should be a fantastic guitar but it has some seymour duncan pickups in it which are too hot for my liking and makes the sound gritty at the volumes I normally play at and I found it difficult to get a warm mellow tone from it. The wood recipe is mahogany body with quilted maple top, neck is mahogany with a rosewood fretboard. With that recipe i would have expected a warmer sound. Rob did offer to wind some pickups for me with less agressive attack and a cleaner mellower tone but I've not been playing much guitar for a while so not taken him up on the offer. I'd be interested in what your in house pickups are like with a view to getting some done for my guitar. I did have a chat with one of his other endorsee's about it as I was planning to sell it and Rob contacted me to offer some advice. In actual fact I did take it back to Rob to get it refinished and the wiring checked and re-done as it was doing odd things and very noisy. jazzyvee

There is a communication barrier between the bass lines I hear in my head and my fingers.

[quote name='Mornats' timestamp='1348080471' post='1809072'] I think there's weight in the argument that if your basses fanciness outshines your playing then it can inspire you to up your game to match. This may sound silly to some people but having a bass you love picking up and playing is great motivation. [/quote] I've in agreement, I only really started playing bass once I saved up enough and got my dream bass. The reward I get from hearing it really inspires me to play. Even if my playing never reaches the status my bass has, I will have had a great time on the journey.

[quote name='jacko' timestamp='1342623017' post='1738058'] My 'gigging' basses regardless of where the gig is are my fretted and fretless Alembics. Not much point having them if I wasn't going to use them. [/quote] I'm in the same boat you jacko as I only have alembics. But I havent done a pub gig in years. Jazzyvee