Jump to content
Why become a member? ×

Carl Thompson...anyone?


White Cloud
 Share

Recommended Posts

Hei! I've never owned one but I've been lucky enough to try a '95 one at the Ishibashi store in Shibuya. It was a bolt-on model with the non-carved upper horn. The pickup was original but the preamp wasn't, the former owner upgraded to an Aguilar OBP3 if I remember correctly. It had the wooden bridge and the striped body ala Rainbow bass.
Very thin neck, thin body, not very heavy as you can guess. It was priced at €6000 or so. Had a hairline crack into the neck pocket, definitely the body is too thin for that kind of neck joint. The store CEO untightened the strings every time somebody finished the test-drive.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote name='White Cloud' timestamp='1413822980' post='2582393']
I have been a long time admirer of Carl Thompson basses (and Mr Carl Thompson himself) - but have never owned one.

They are as rare as hens teeth....anyone here lucky enough to own one?
[/quote]
You are a tease White Cloud. When i saw this thread i was expecting to see that you'd bought one!!!

Disappointed or what?!!! :D

Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote name='Cosmo Valdemar' timestamp='1413894746' post='2583208']
Having followed various build threads on Talkbass, I would suggest that a lot of luck is needed after placing an order with CT... :unsure:
[/quote]

IIRC he's no longer taking custom orders. He's still building basses, and if you like what he's made then there is a possibility to buy one, but nothing to individual customers' specifications.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1413898068' post='2583274']
IIRC he's no longer taking custom orders. He's still building basses, and if you like what he's made then there is a possibility to buy one, but nothing to individual customers' specifications.
[/quote]

That was my understanding too. The thread I'm thinking was, I believe, concerning one of the last custom orders he took on. I recall that throughout the lengthy build time, CT deviated on numerous occasions from the original spec, without asking the customer, simply because he felt like it. Amazingly most of the responses on TB seemed to suggest the OP should just shut up and deal with it as if it was part of the deal with CT. :rolleyes:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote name='Matte_black' timestamp='1413900897' post='2583331']
I owned TWO Series I, one from 1978 (Rick Turner era) and one made in 1981 (Single Point and Small body). With all the due respect, I'll avoid bashing them but I sold them pretty fast.
[/quote]
As a former Alembic owner I concur with this.

I have owned some of the truly great bass makes...but never came even close to a CT.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote name='White Cloud' timestamp='1413909538' post='2583496']
As a former Alembic owner I concur with this.

I have owned some of the truly great bass makes...but never came even close to a CT.
[/quote]
As a current (and former) Alembic owner...Celinder owner (three times), Smith owner (three times) blah blah....Alembics are definitely idiosyncratic but surpassed by noone. They've staked their territory for over a generation.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Of course it's always a personal taste thing BUT:

1) The weight of the Single Point Series I was MUCH higher than the one of my 12 strings bass!!!
2) The electronics were state-of-the-art in the 70s... now? Not much. You don't really need 27v for a good bass sound and they're not quiet like modern preamps. Without mentioning the need of the external power supply...
3) The balance on the Small body was just poor, without mentioning the fact the truss-rod cover destroyed my fingers while slapping (I guess Stanley Clarke removed it... or he gigs with gardening gloves).
4) The headstock is just huge. Very nice to look at (like the whole instrument) but completely unpractical in real life.
5) The sound without tweaking was absolutely nothing special. Yes, you could probably dial in different tones but they all sounded pretty artificial and anemic to me.

The CT isn't made at the same level... it's not that refined BUT it's much more plug'n'play. The neck is better, the ergonomics are much better. I'd love to have my old Series I on my wall but just like a very well made painting. I'd NEVER gig that thing again for sure.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote name='Kiwi' timestamp='1413919625' post='2583670']
As a current (and former) Alembic owner...Celinder owner (three times), Smith owner (three times) blah blah....Alembics are definitely idiosyncratic but surpassed by noone. They've staked their territory for over a generation.
[/quote]
I hear you....Alembics wear an almost mythical aura.

Legendary and virtually peerless...but it just didn't work for me.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote name='Matte_black' timestamp='1413920044' post='2583686']
Of course it's always a personal taste thing BUT:
1) The weight of the Single Point Series I was MUCH higher than the one of my 12 strings bass!!![/quote]
I haven't tried one of your 12 strings but my pre EB stingray and 70's jazz are heavier than my Series 1. The Elan 6 I used to own was a monster though...well over 13lb.

[quote name='Matte_black' timestamp='1413920044' post='2583686']
2) The electronics were state-of-the-art in the 70s... now? Not much. You don't really need 27v for a good bass sound and they're not quiet like modern preamps. Without mentioning the need of the external power supply...[/quote]
They were developed as studio instruments and for many years were the first choice of Nashville players. I don't know where you got 27v from but anything more than 18v is more than ample for studio headroom. They can be very quiet so long as the filters are tuned properly. The external power supply is just peace of mind in studio applications and they're piss easy to replicate given the schematic is out there. I had a 4 channel mixer converted into a two channel stereo Alembic power supply with two spare mono channels.

[quote name='Matte_black' timestamp='1413920044' post='2583686']
3) The balance on the Small body was just poor, without mentioning the fact the truss-rod cover destroyed my fingers while slapping (I guess Stanley Clarke removed it... or he gigs with gardening gloves).[/quote]
No issues with balance on my Series 1. It sits further back than a Fender Jazz but I like this.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote name='Matte_black' timestamp='1413920044' post='2583686']
4) The headstock is just huge. Very nice to look at (like the whole instrument) but completely unpractical in real life.[size=4][/quote][/size]
The 2+2 headstock is the same size as a Jaydee and Gibson EB, and smaller than Avella Copollo. Besides which, since when has the headstock size been a reason to dismiss an entire instrument?

[quote name='Matte_black' timestamp='1413920044' post='2583686']
5) The sound without tweaking was absolutely nothing special. Yes, you could probably dial in different tones but they all sounded pretty artificial and anemic to me.
[/quote]
Same could be said of the Fender Precision although I would replace anaemic with generic. Something special has not always been the sonic objective of many bass players. Something familiar, on the other hand, has been.

[size=4][quote name='Matte_black' timestamp='1413920044' post='2583686'][/size]
[size=4]The CT isn't made at the same level... it's not that refined BUT it's much more plug'n'play. The neck is better, the ergonomics are much better. I'd love to have my old Series I on my wall but just like a very well made painting. I'd NEVER gig that thing again for sure.[/size][size=4][/quote][/size]
I would gig an Alembic but wouldn't gig a CT. Far more idiosyncratic and their value is tied up more in their cult associations with Carl than their attributes as an instrument. Take away CT and what is left? My Alembic is very comfortable to me and I've gone on to add a Pangborn to the collection. My first serious bass for 12 years was a Jaydee. Where most players would use a Fender to compare other basses, I use a Jaydee. In fact, eventually, I will probably add a Jaydee back to my collection.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My Single Point was around 7kg. Incredible if you consider that the wings were hollow. I gigged it once and my left shoulder was going in pieces... I finished the gig sitting.
The dimensions were just ridiculous for a 4 strings bass, it didn't fit a normal gig bag because of the huge headstock (easy to break and to slam into others' faces, that's why I'm bashing it) and the 10cm or more after the bridge.
The electronics weren't as quiet as you'd expect from such an expensive package. At least on the two I owned. And the balance on the Small body 30" was really bad. Anyway if you like them, more power to you! But I preferred Wals at the time, even if the slightly fenderesque construction wasn't absolutely as nice as the one on the Alembics.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...