Chris2112
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Everything posted by Chris2112
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I think the one thing we can establish is that it's a Wal, therefore it will no doubt sound amazing and feel brilliant too! -
Bedtime bump...had an offer of a lovely Overwater today... -
How strange that the serial numbers don't match...
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I love Jeff, but he's been doing jazz for way to long now and he needs to get back to fusion! Jazz standards bore me and as great as Jeff is, I won't be tuning in!
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Wrong forum, but that wasn't what made me go
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That price is quite frankly outrageous!
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A couple of interesting offers so far, keep them coming!
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[quote name='Conan' post='964460' date='Sep 22 2010, 01:37 PM']So how come with all that gear, his sound is essentially the same for every track? [/quote] I'll have you know it takes a vast array of pedals and [b]three[/b] amps to accurately recreate that specific wooley and uninspired sound! :snob:
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I really like the look of that strat!
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Hartke are excellent, and Larry Hartke is a man who will stand by his product! He did that "certifiable" advert campaign a couple of years ago with his telephone number attached so players could ring him and chat about amps! Very cool! Overall, they are just good amps for a good price. Stuart Hamm went back to Hartke a couple of years ago after a long time playing Peavey.
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Absolutely gorgeous Kubicki there!
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Oh that poor boy! His head must be all over the place already playing all those root notes and pumping 8ths! While we're here Matski, any chance of showing us some photos of your Kubicki?
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It's not that I don't like Sadowsky basses, as far as basses go they're alright. Solid, useable basses that get the job done in an unspectacular fashion, if you're looking for jazz bass or modern jazz bass sounds. A bass I don't like would be well, a Gibson or a P bass or something (so no, I doubt I'd like a Sadowsky P bass either, it is an inherently poor design IMO). As far as jazz basses go, they're not the best and they're not the worst. Although the Sandberg California J basses sounded and felt much better than the Sadowsky Metros through the same amp for considerably less; perhaps there is something to be said for A/B'ing these things!
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[quote name='Mark Latimour' post='964258' date='Sep 22 2010, 11:19 AM']That's not what he said though, is it?[/quote] If you want to be pedantic over the word "bad" and "unspectacular" then no, it's not what he said, I took the point to it's logical extreme. I did this because I consider myself to be somewhat discerning over what I'll play and I don't have time for anything that is "unspectacular" in any sense. To continue down that avenue, even if I'm tracking bass parts to a click track, if I'm not happy with my sound at that stage I won't be happy with the end product. Perhaps this is why I find Alembic electronics so interesting - a sound for every occasion!
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[quote name='birdy' post='964242' date='Sep 22 2010, 11:08 AM']The thing with Sadowsky's is that they can sound unspectacular when played solo and really shine when part of a mix in my opinion. Some basses sound amazing solo and rubbish in a mix.[/quote] I can't say I've ever known a bass to sound good on it's own and bad in the mix or vice versa. A good bass sounds good, period. If it doesn't sound good all the time, why would you buy it when there are so many basses that can?
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[quote name='Mark Latimour' post='964216' date='Sep 22 2010, 10:40 AM']Right, so you haven't played one. I guess that kinda says all one really needs to know about your opinion on the actual value of the basses in the hands of a player.[/quote] But he's saying he has played one? At the end of the day, it's not the fact that it's a £3000 bass that I find silly, it's the fact that it's a £3000 [i]jazz[/i] bass. For that kind of money I'd expect at least an Alembic Mark King signature!
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[quote name='Mark Latimour' post='964167' date='Sep 22 2010, 10:00 AM']For the record, you can apply this to any bass brand.[/quote] And then we're back to that bloated and well tread issue of "supply and demand", a debate as redundant as asking why Ferrari charge hundreds of thousands of pounds for cars when TVR got similar bang for buck for much less cash. That argument was well covered in the Fodera thread, although there it was perhaps less contentious. Despite Fodera charging $5000 for a truss rod and a different bridge, at least it's their own design and it has taken the design of the bass significantly further forward than just being a jazz bass. Not to knock the Jazz bass though, as I'd happily play a Modulus VMJ with a lovely graphite neck!
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bedtime bump!
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Both items on hold pending sale now, I'll post any further updates here now. -
[quote name='EBS_freak' post='950698' date='Sep 9 2010, 03:15 PM']Saying what a Fodera bass sounds like is difficult... but if it's fitted with the Fodera circuit, then yes, there is something of a Fodera quality in there.[/quote] For me, the Fodera sound is Victor Wooten giving it the big licks, especially on his #1 Monarch. The only thing I've ever known sound close was a Spector (with a Hazlab preamp, IIRC this is the same as in Wooten's #1). Spector Euro NT's with maple bodies and EMG P/J's sound close too, but not "Fodera"!
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But if you look Bubinga, bassists and guitarists are ridiculously bad for being stuck in the past. In the 80's, things looked set to take off. Graphite was new to the market and those who adopted it quickly became very proficient at crafting basses with it. Headless design took off, as did active electronics. Solid state amps came and moved the goal posts on heavy, flabby sounding valve amps etc etc. Then things seemed to stop and largely went back in time in the 90's! Luthiers everywhere continued to improve on the foundations of Ken Smith, Fodera and Alembic etc etc but the frenzy of development seen in the 80's just seemed to tail off (as did musical creativity in general, sadly). We've come leaps and bounds from the 80's in the past 20 years, but it's sad to think that those days of excellent development and creation are gone. I guess synth players are the same. They've got incredible technology now but they all want to get their hands on 1980's kit too!
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The last time I thought about going to Sussex was for a Saab 900 Turbo! -
Well, that was a Fender that I had never bought. And really, when you think of what you can get for your money, I wouldn't dare buy a new one. I dare say I'll probably not buy a Fender design again. They are certainly useable but I prefer to be blown away by the basses that amaze me rather than play the basses that feel alright but not incredible. I think the fact that many others are adopting this mindset is encouraging as it has given many luthiers a chance to expand: Wal, Status, Shuker, Spector, Fodera, Alembic, Schack etc etc...
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If anything though, I think Fender's custom shop are better today than they've ever been and the same can probably be said for their general QC. But the design of the jazz and P bass (for me) is really starting to age now and in all corners of the market there are better shapes and sounds. For me and many others, anyway.
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Evening all, As my collection undergoes a reshuffle in the amp department (new Ashdown Mark King amp just arrived) I've decided to offer this for trade to see what offers may come my way. My playing at the moment outside of my bedroom isn't as fretless orientated as it was a few months ago when I was playing maybe 70% of all stuff fretless. Things are moving in a fretted direction again with lots of slaps and pops along the way. This is an Alembic Epic 5 string, made in 1996 I believe. Disciples of Alembic will of course recognise that this bass is handmade in California like all other Alembic basses. It's got a wenge top and matching headstock, an option that will add considerable expense to a new bass these days given the scarcity of new wenge stocks and the rising price of existing supplies. It has a mahogany body with a maple accent slice beneath the topwood. It has maple neck and brass hardware. The preamp covers a balance control, volume and bass and treble controls. The fret marker inlays are brass. The condition of the bass is practically "as new". The fretboard is ebony and is unmarked and there are no unsightly dings or scratches on it. I hesitate to say it is definitely unmarked as it is 14 years old but it has clearly been well cared for and I haven't yet found any marks or scratches on it! It has a satin finish which I have kept buffed. It practically plays itself and it is testament to Alembic's skill of craft that the action can be so low but without buzzing or choking. As it is, it feels effortless and natural to play. It also sounds fantastic, with a characteristic midrange burp coming from the back pickup that I usually favour. It will be no great loss to me if I keep the bass as it is fantastic, but it feels a shame to leave it in it's case and take the Kubicki out every time. EDIT: This is now for sale, £600 with a hardcase collected. I've decided to return the good fortune I got on these boards and sell it for what I paid for it. I need the funds to pay for an incoming bass I'll be buying this week.
