funkyspuke

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[font="verdana, geneva, sans-serif"][color="#282828"][size=3]Monday afternoon bump. [/size][/color][/font]

[size=3][font=verdana,geneva,sans-serif]Hello Basschat,[/font][/size]

[size=3][font=verdana,geneva,sans-serif]My covers band have decided to call it a day and we are leaving behind one tremendous PA system .. a HK Audio Linear 5! Sadly, this is having to be sold as no one has use for such a huge system.[/font][/size]

[size=3][font=verdana,geneva,sans-serif][b]HK Audio Linear 5 Rock Pack Specification[/b][/font][/size]
[size=3][font=verdana,geneva,sans-serif][color=#333333]The range includes the 112F Active Top (a two-way design with a 12-inch woofer) 2 x LSub 1200 Active Subs (with two 10-inch drivers) and 2 x LSub 1200 Passive Subs.[/color][/font][/size]

[size=3][font=verdana,geneva,sans-serif]This system, when combined in full can kick out around 5600W of pure power;[/font][/size]

[size=3][font=verdana,geneva,sans-serif]User profile Audience size* [/font][/size]
[size=3][font=verdana,geneva,sans-serif]Acoustic band 400
Rock band 300
Power DJ 300
Hire companies 300[/font][/size]

[font=verdana, geneva, sans-serif][size=3]We have mainly used just the 2 Tops and 2 Subs (never really needed the 2 passive subs unless playing large venues). [/size][/font][font=verdana, geneva, sans-serif][size=3]It's in very good condition, a few small dings and scratches as you'd expect. All the speakers come with covers, one of which has developed a small tear along the edge, but still usable. [/size][/font][font=verdana, geneva, sans-serif][size=3]It's been probably the best and most versatile PA system we have every used. It packs some serious punch even at low volumes! Another added benefit is that these speakers are much lighter than many other PA systems (especially the subs which are around 60lbs) and can be easily carried.[/size][/font]

[font=verdana, geneva, sans-serif][size=3]We purchased this around 18 months ago for around £4,200. It comes with power leads and 4 x Speakon cables. It's currently on loan to a touring band who are trying out this weekend with a view to buying. However, I thought I'd get in on here just in case anyone else fancied taking a look or had any interest.[/size][/font]

[attachment=155036:HK Audio 2.jpg]
[attachment=155037:HK Audio.jpg]

Yes, I have a custom build of my own and have played/seen pretty much every build that's been through the workshop.

Here's my custom build;

[url="http://www.flickr.com/photos/91300146@N05/9816340023/"][/url]

[url="http://www.flickr.com/photos/91300146@N05/9816279696/"][/url]

[url="http://www.flickr.com/photos/91300146@N05/9816334043/"][/url]

I have named this beautiful beast, Grace Jones (tall, dark and kicks ass). Built to my exacting specification and desires (along with some excellent suggestions from the Alpher team) this bass is my Excalibur

The build quality is spectacular. Chris and Al spent many days testing techniques, finishes etc on off cuts of my bass to ensure they achieved the desired finish. The care and attention to every aspect and detail of the build process was immaculate and extremely professional.

The sound (which is unique to my specification) is out of this world. Even in passive mode, the ebony wood allows this bass to sing with the tightest sound I've ever heard. Natural highs/high mids with a bottom end so tight, it makes your eyes water. Then, you engage 'active' mode and you unleash a beast. The control it allows you over the tone allows this bass to suit any situation.

I've owned basses from Sadowsky, Valenti, Modulus, Warwick, Music Man and this bass is hands down, the best bass I've ever had. Considering these buys have been building only for a couple of years, they are just going to go from strength to strength.

The quality of the jaw dropping wood that comes through their workshop is something to behold. These guys are extremely passionate about what they do and you'd not regret dealing with them. I'd be more than happy for anyone to come and take a look at my bass if you ever visit their workshop!

I'm already planning Alpher II

For sale only now ... GK1001RB-II purchased today

Hello BC,

My Barefaced Super 12T (purchased from BC about a year ago) was specially made for its previous owner to allow bi-amping from his GK 700RB-II. At the time I didn't believe I'd need the tweeter, so was happy to use this with my Little Mark Tube 500.

However recently, I've been using Alpher Instruments' Super 12T and I've been blown away by the difference. So much so, that I've contacted Alex to see if he can provide me with a cross over and set up instructions .. but this is looking less and less likely

So, I'm selling my LM Tube 500 as I've just purchased a GK1001RB-II.

I don't really need to sell the benefits/advantages of having a LM Tube, as they speak for themselves. Needless to say I'll miss the crazy lightweight design and tone .. I believe they compliment the Super 12's perfectly.

I have the original box for LM Tube, it's in perfect working condition and even comes with a Markbass carry case.

Pictures shall be posted here in the next few days.

Please feel free to contact me with any questions.

Luke

I don't really understand the request for sound clips? There's nothing worse sounding than a bass that's been plugged directly into an interface, recorded and then played back without any form of editing or mixing. The only way to get a 'reasonable' idea of the sound (via the medium of recording) is to have a microphone set up in the same room as the amp & cab, a reasonable distance so that the bass doesn't over load/clip, and then play live. Even then, the quality of the microphone could have a massive impact.

I can vouch for this bass, having had it for over 3/4 years! It was without doubt one of the best sounding, most versatile and comfortable basses I've ever played. As Luke has mentioned many times, it's on par with a Sadowsky NYC. I only moved this on to fund my Alpher Custom Bass

At this price, it's a bargain .. why it's being moved on again, I've no idea. But anyone purchasing this bass won't regret it.

I'd love to have the Akai DI .. but the price people pay for these is just crazy!

Thanks for the great comments

I couldn't be happier with the outcome to be honest. There are a couple of live videos that I'm hoping to have sent by Chris of me playing it .. I'll post em on here very soon

[quote name='artisan' timestamp='1379604786' post='2214748']
Jealous me ?
You bet your arse i am,stunning bass.
I'm going over to Alpher on monday to get the pre on my Esh swapped for a John Eash jobbie.
I wonder if i will be forced to place an order for something
[/quote]

They have this way of 'making' you order something rather than 'forcing' .. I think it's whatever they put in the tea/coffee they offer you instantly on arrival haha!

[quote name='Conan' timestamp='1379604051' post='2214741']
I bet it sounds great with that combination on board... but Christ it's ugly!! Looks like a melted Mustang!
[/quote]

you what? I can't beli .... oh, sarcasm haha

[quote name='Myke' timestamp='1379596389' post='2214612']
That scratchplate! It's gorgeous!
[/quote]

I know, it was all just pie in the sky to start with .. no idea of shape, colour, material. So we decided to take a gamble with an amazing piece of ash, stained it and then added a little Alpher Magic and ... BOOM! The result was so good in the end that they are going to offer this as an option on all basses and guitars, with the matching headstock inlay!

Thanks chaps

[font=trebuchet ms,helvetica,sans-serif]Well, here it is .. the finished beauty that is my Alpher Custom Build;[/font]

[url="http://www.flickr.com/photos/91300146@N05/9816340023/"][/url]


[url="http://www.flickr.com/photos/91300146@N05/9816279696/"][/url]


[url="http://www.flickr.com/photos/91300146@N05/9816250524/"][/url]


[url="http://www.flickr.com/photos/91300146@N05/9816334043/"][/url]


[url="http://www.flickr.com/photos/91300146@N05/9816333143/"][/url]


[url="http://www.flickr.com/photos/91300146@N05/9816253625/"][/url]


[url="http://www.flickr.com/photos/91300146@N05/9816245964/"][/url]


[url="http://www.flickr.com/photos/91300146@N05/9816251795/"][/url]


[url="http://www.flickr.com/photos/91300146@N05/9816244114/"][/url]


[url="http://www.flickr.com/photos/91300146@N05/9816242444/"][/url]


[url="http://www.flickr.com/photos/91300146@N05/9816247775/"][/url]

To play, this thing is an absolute dream. The ebony neck is extremely smooth allowing for quick movement up and down the next. The action and set up was spot on first time. The weight, considering all the ebony is around 8.5 - 9lbs. The Wizard pick ups and J East pre along with the tone you get from all the ebony is just amazing, tight, full, lots of punch and absolutely no loss on sound or depth anywhere on the fretboard.

If anyone's coming through Bradford and wants to come and see/play this bass, then just let me know.

Well worth the wait and thanks again to the Alpher chaps, Chris and Al!

Hey,

You should check these guys out, Alpher Instruments. I've just taken delivery of custom made bass and it's just stunning. It's very fender like in design & look, but after this .. it blows Fender out of the water

[url="https://www.facebook.com/alpherinstruments?fref=ts"]https://www.facebook...ruments?fref=ts[/url]

Here are some pictures of my bass;

[url="http://www.flickr.com/photos/91300146@N05/9816340023/"][/url]


[url="http://www.flickr.com/photos/91300146@N05/9816279696/"][/url]


[url="http://www.flickr.com/photos/91300146@N05/9816250524/"][/url]


[url="http://www.flickr.com/photos/91300146@N05/9816334043/"][/url]

Chris and Al are cracking chaps and it's always worth just having a chat with them about what you want. They have an unlimited amount of options open to you.

My bass is has an ebony top, neck and fretboard, swamp ash body and scratch plate (which has been stained), with Wizard pick ups and J East Pre. It sounds like a Jazz bass on acid

Let me know what you think

[quote name='geoffbassist' timestamp='1379234992' post='2210010']
I'm a big fan of the Alpher basses team, they make really great instruments and I bet yours will be superb! I also love the wizard pickups and had a student this week who made his own bass and it sounded killer!
Congratulations on the new bass!
[/quote]

Thanks

I had chance to try the bass at the weekend .. I'm not able to describe in words the sound, it was just unbelievable.

We had no idea how an ebony neck and fretboard would sound, but even with the 64' Wizard pickups the sound wasn't too bright. I'd describe it as the tightest most focused jazz sound I've ever heard. The bottom end thumps you in the chest like a David Hay 'Haymaker'. The top end sings and resonates beautifully.

The build and workmanship is just remarkable. The neck is a smooth as a babies bottom and the wood, staining effects, set up are just as good as any other bass I've seen.

I'm picking it up on Wednesday and hopefully I'll be having some professional photo's done of it very soon.

[quote name='sifi2112' timestamp='1379234388' post='2210004']
Looking amazing ! You'll have to show me when done Luke. I had some wizard 84's & they were fab. How's the S12T working out ?

Simon
[/quote]

Thanks Simon, not a problem at all .. I'll bring it over for you to have a look at.

We ended up going with the 64's the sounds was spot on, wasn't as top end sounding as we thought it would be with all the ebony.

thanks Luke .. the bass is 99% complete. I had a wee play on it yesterday and hands down, this is one of the best basses I've ever played. the ebony neck and fretboard give it such a tight jazz tone (probably the tightest and cleanest sound I've ever heard).

will be getting some proper pics snapped very soon

This is good news .. now you get to keep a truly awesome bass

Well, it's been over a month since my last update and, as I'm sure you can imagine, a lots happened in that time.

[b]The Body[/b]
This has now contoured, 90% sanded down, the swamp ash stained in black (but still leaving the amazing grain of the wood visible) and all that's really left to be done is final sanding and finishing. So, Picture No.1. This is the ebony top, with the hardware just dropped in place and a template scratch plate design (please note the scratch plate is currently a chunky monkey and is being sanded down tonight and then stained);

[attachment=143398:SAM_1317.JPG]

[b]The Scratch Plate[/b]
This idea has been back and forth throughout the whole build, simply because I could decide if I wanted one covering up the amazing piece of ebony! However, once the chaps came up with a design, I was sold. Picture No. 2

[attachment=143399:SAM_1318.JPG]

[b]The Back[/b]
So, this is the back of the bass. The grain on the swamp ash really comes out after being stained. Originally we were going to sand back the staining to give it a lighter more distressed look, however it's awesome as it is! Picture No. 3 (please ignore the back control panel, it's also going to be stained and doesn't quite fit at the moment).

[attachment=143400:SAM_1326.JPG]

[b]The Neck and Headstock[/b]
The finish on the neck and fretboard is just truly amazing .. the grain has come out much better than we imagined. The neck is also the smoothest piece of wood I've ever got my hands on! I've not got enough room for any more pictures I'm afraid, but please visit the flickr page for ALL pictures.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/91300146@N05/sets/72157634899948586/

The Alpher bass will be complete in approx 2 weeks! I can't blooming wait to hear the Wizard Pickups (which I've been informed are amongst the very last few to be ever made) and J East Pre Amp on this ebony monster.

[quote name='JapanAxe' timestamp='1375429970' post='2161028']
Er... why? (Nothing against Patricia Hodge you understand!)

BTW - subscribed!
[/quote]

she's a lover of the bass and slaps like a *****

seriously, her son (also in the picture) ordered a custom Alpher guitar

Ok, about time I updated this build diary .. especially now that I have some better photo's of the body, neck, fretboard and some of the hardware.

Firstly, we have the body (as stated before this is going to be an ebony top with ash body) one shot without the hardware and one with. The hardware will be mainly chrome.

[b]Ebony Top [/b]
[attachment=140449:SAM_1151.JPG]

[b]Ebony Top with Hardware[/b]
[attachment=140454:SAM_1163.JPG]


Next, we have the fretboard and the neck (I've chosen the fretboard on the right as seems to be darker and less grain).

[b]Ebony Fretboard[/b]
[attachment=140450:SAM_1155.JPG]

[b]Ebony Fretboard[/b]
[attachment=140451:SAM_1156.JPG]

[b]Ebony Neck[/b]
[attachment=140452:SAM_1159.JPG]

This is a picture of the body and the neck together .. maybe giving you some idea.

[b]Body and Neck[/b]
[attachment=140453:SAM_1162.JPG]

I've just been informed that the body is ready to cut to shape and the neck/fretboard are in the works for next week. So, hopefully, I'll have some more pics for you this time next week.

All the original full resolution images can be found here on flickr and I'll be keeping this constantly updated.

[url="http://www.flickr.com/photos/91300146@N05/sets/72157634899948586"]http://www.flickr.com/photos/91300146@N05/sets/72157634899948586[/url]

I can't wait to see the finished result I was playing an Alpher bass the other day (the MKII) and it was just a dream to play. These guys are for real!

Over and Out

Luke

Pics added

[quote name='eubassix' timestamp='1375268722' post='2158991']
Do you have any info or links for Fleetwood Guitars? Don't seem to be on the Bass Direct list and there's virtually nothing on the internet. The only Fleetwood guitar I could find was this one from ebay :-

[url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Fleetwood-6-String-Electric-Guitar-with-Floyd-Rose-licensed-Bridge-/261247990096?hash=item3cd397f950"]http://www.ebay.co.u...=item3cd397f950[/url]
[/quote]

I had the exact same problem .. I spent ages trying to find and research these guitars, but found very very little indeed. I spoke to Mark at length with regards to it and he assured me that it was of decent quality (he stated that he acquired it as part of a trade and was valued at around £500 brand new .. if memory serves me correctly).

I decided to take a gamble and it paid off. I was confident with what Mark told me and I knew he wouldn't sell me any old piece of rubbish. I can forward the confirmation email from Mark (Bass Direct) to anyone who would like to see it.

There will be some better shots taken tonight.

Good Morning,

I'm looking to trade my Fleetwood Acoustic Bass for a similarly priced 4 string Electric Bass guitar (I'd be willing to consider slightly more expensive basses and topping the offer up).

I purchased this from Mark at Bass Direct just over a year ago. I was on the look out for a reasonably priced and decent quality acoustic for some small gigs I was doing at the time. However, these have ceased to happen at all this year. I'm currently in need of a back up bass for my covers band.

It was in immaculate condition when purchased and is still in pretty much the same way now. It's one of the easiest and most comfortable acoustic basses I've ever played and the tone is just amazing. I've played some awful acoustics in my time, but this totally changed my opinion on them.

It has volume, bass and treble controls (and a 4th one which I can't quite remember at the moment). It comes with an acoustic hard case, however I am also willing to throw in the acoustic soft case which I purchased (can be worn like a back pack and so much easier to transport the acoustic around in).

I only have a couple of 'live' pictures at the moment, however I will put some decent shots up tonight.

Trade wise, I would prefer something along the lines of a jazz/precision bass, passive or active. 4 strings and in good condition with case. I'm open to any offer, so please get in touch and tempt me

Thanks and enjoy

[attachment=140350:SAM_1260.JPG][attachment=140351:SAM_1261.JPG][attachment=140352:SAM_1264.JPG][attachment=140353:SAM_1265.JPG][attachment=140354:SAM_1270.JPG][attachment=140355:SAM_1271.JPG]