molan

Oops - one thing I hadn't noticed before was that the 'factory' setting for the pre-set volume is full on. (I tested this by using the full re-set option on my RH450). This means they want you to use this to turn individual pre-sets 'down' rather than 'up' in order to balance volumes. I realise this may be semantics but it does make quite a difference to how I'm now viewing this control. My RH450 was used when I got it and the pre-set volumes were all set either very low or off so I used them to boost volumes rather than cut. After WOT's comments I raised the boost a lot higher than previously but I'm definitely now going to have my lowest volume pre-set on maximum & work down from there with the others. Am I making any sense here or just rambling, lol. . .

So - little addendum to my TC Electronics thoughts. Having got close to a sound I wanted out of my RH450 when rehearsing I was still coming up a bit short on my old favourite '80's mid-scoop sound. Still lacking that top end zing I've always liked. Went out and read lots of reviews & comparisons on the Staccato '51 and decided to take the plunge and bought one to test back to back with the RH450. I have to say I'm amazed at how different they sound 'out of the box'. I knew the frequency centres had all been changed & the top end had been opened up but the core sound of the amp seems different to me as well. Feels like there's some compression dialled in even when it's set flat & maybe a little more drive through the TubeTone as well. I'm very happy to say that the base sound with everything set flat is pretty much exactly what I was after - couldn't believe just how 'right' it sounded to me. I knew I'd like some of the top end but was worried it might be a bit too bottom heavy for me having read about this in some reviews but it's just great! The factory setting wasn't actually with everything set flat, it had the compression & the tube tone at 12:00 and this sounded very nice too, touch too much compression (although this was quite dependent on which bass was running through it). I then had a go at replicating a 'stock' RH450 tone, got vaguely close but still hearing more top end, may need to play with that a bit. Of course the big clincher is the colour - I haven't seen a single pic that really does the bright metallic red finish any sort of justice Anyone else here got/tried a Staccato - I haven't spotted any yet?

I can just picture the scene now. . . Jason (partner & general manager of the business side of Fodera) strolls over to see Joey & Vinny in the bass building area. "Hey guys, I realise that our reputation has really improved, quality control is now second to none, you two are amongst the very best bass luthiers in the world, some very highly regarded musicians are playing your basses regularly, we've got people queuing up to buy your basses & orders stacked up for the next two years and Bass Player magazine has just given our NYC range a fantastic review - I think we need to reduce our prices considerably though because not enough people can afford them - whaddya think?" . . .

[quote name='Clarky' post='950351' date='Sep 9 2010, 10:23 AM']Top of the range Alembics are typically in the $10-15,000 range (see link here for Bass Central's inventory [url="http://www.basscentral.com/alembicbass/mark_king.shtml#6strings)"]http://www.basscentral.com/alembicbass/mar...shtml#6strings)[/url]. Alembic only emplys 26 people and virtually everything is custom-made but they don't run anywhere near the high end of Fodera pricing.[/quote] Apologies for the poor cut & paste job but this is the current Alembic Base price list: Model 4-string 5-string 6-string ----------------------------------------------------------- Excel 5500 6300 7100 Epic 5500 6300 7100 Orion 5500 6300 7100 Essence 6400 7200 8000 Rogue 7500 8300 9100 Signature Std 8000 8800 9600 Europa 8400 9200 10000 Signature Dlx 10400 11200 12000 Brown Bass 9700 -- -- Spyder Limited 14800 16100 (8-string) Dragon Wing 10500 11300 -- Dragon Wing Dlx 14200 15000 -- Series I 14800 15600 16400 Series II 19500 20300 21100 Classico 18900 19900 21300 Classico Dlx 22700 23800 24100 I don't see a huge difference here to Fodera pricing? Monarch & Emperor ranges from $6,249 to $9,499, Emperor II, Imperial & Imperial II all top out at $9,499 for the neck through 6 sting variant. That puts the most expensive of their core range around the Signature mark. That leaves 4 Fodera Signature priced over $10K vs about 5 fairly distinct Alembics (I'm counting Dlx as upgrades but the SII as a distinct model). The difference in pricing from Bass Central is that they have a few Alembics that have been in stock for quite some time that they simply don't seem to be able to sell. However they are effectively selling 'futures' in Fodera stock by offering stuff for sale that's not even been built yet. Both Fodera & Alembic obviously offer their retailers discounts but it simply looks like Fodera are more in demand than Alembic and their 'street' prices are higher at the moment?

[quote name='warwickhunt' post='947769' date='Sep 6 2010, 10:49 PM']Now if you put the J pups in the P body and change the colour, you'd have my perfect individual bass... Ah that's very close to Clarky's bass! Very nice Barrie, wish we lived a whole lot closer so that I could try some of the cracking basses that you have. [/quote] I have already been scouting out prices of routing the P for a J pickup in the bridge but so far it sounds much nicer than I thought it would just with the P in there. My scales say they both weigh 8.5 lbs too. . . I am a little bit out in the middle of nowhere, only a few bass playing compadres around here (although one lives less than a mile away!)

[quote name='7string' post='947745' date='Sep 6 2010, 10:35 PM']Looks like today was a good day [/quote] It really was a complete fluke that they arrived together! Been playing them a little back to back tonight. The P has an outrageous amount of output, most powerful active circuit I've ever come across.

Surely the courier must have some sort of tracking system to work out where it was last? If it helps I once had a bass shipped to Spain & bounced all around Barcelona for about 10 days before finally turning up at the right place. When it did arrive it was in perfect condition

So this wasn't planned to coincide at all but I received two NYC Sadowskys within 15 minutes of each other today! A very nice trans white J arrived from Denmark to be followed soon after by very deep & rich Dakota red custom P (with matching headstock). This one came all the way from Australia in record time & without a single mark on the box - the delivery man didn't believe it had come that far in such perfect condition. The P bass has a 'mid' sized nut profile of 1.625" which is bang in the middle of a regular Sadowsky J & P. I struggle a bit with 1.75" nut widths and, although it doesn't sound like a huge amount, that slight reduction works much better for me. It also has a plain fretboard with no markers - this looks much nicer in the flesh than in my hastily taken photos! It also has a D-Tuner and full Sadowsky active circuit with passive option and VTC. The J meanwhile is an older model in a pale trans white with the original Sadowsky active circuit, a flick switch for passive & without the VTC. Necks are slightly different profiles and they certainly sound quite different. Both balance really well - I'm always worried with Sadowsky necks as quite a few I've tried have had some neck dive. However both of these two are great and both are nice and light as well I'll try and get some better pics in daylight & without flash

Just received an NYC Sadowsky from Kim - entire transaction couldn't have been smoother & the bass arrived really quickly, expertly packed and exactly as he described it. Definitely someone you can buy from in confidence

[quote name='Jigster' post='946356' date='Sep 5 2010, 04:56 PM']never heard an Alembic - can anyone describe their sound a little?[/quote] I'm another person who instinctively thinks of Stanley Clarke as soon as I hear anything about Alembics. This is exactly the sound I always think of, Stanley pretty much soling throughout the song over the top of George Duke's synth bass: Partly because of SC's style I guess but I also associate Alembics with intricate finger work more than any other bass. Another favourite piece of Alembic playing is from the wonderful Jimmy Johnson - if you can spare 4 minutes listen through to some of his really tasteful stuff with James Taylor

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' post='945926' date='Sep 5 2010, 09:44 AM']Very nice! and complete with badass but thats a whole other thread [/quote] It has the original as well

I swapped a bass for a mountain bike here - suited both of us down to the ground, lol. I've recently had a laptop & a mobile phone thrown in as potential PX deals - to be honest neither of these was of much interest but I could see where the potential buyer was coming from in terms of the new 'barter' economy that's out there at the moment.

Here's the official new vid for Lowdown - if you can take your eyes off the stunning girl at the beginning then the Atleier is featured a fair bit here too [url="http://homepage.mac.com/manexsfx/.Movies/TotallyFinishedNewChaka.mp4"]http://homepage.mac.com/manexsfx/.Movies/T...hedNewChaka.mp4[/url]

I don't think of my '78 Jazz as being particularly 'vintage', it's just a bass that I sometimes play. I don't gig it simply because I have other basses I prefer to play live. Does that count?

[quote name='dood' post='945465' date='Sep 4 2010, 03:55 PM']I'm tempted by one of the eBay ones - refurbished with a free foot controller![/quote] The ones from New York? Assuming these are in good nick then they are a pretty good price even with shipping and duties. I looked at the Staccato but it still carries quite a premium and they don't include the footswitch (at least the one I saw didn't anyway).

[quote name='bobpalt' post='944686' date='Sep 3 2010, 04:20 PM']I thought that there probably would be a lack of output, but it wouldnt even drive my tuner! I was using an Orange Bass Terror, so I presume that should have been ok?[/quote] I'm not clever enough to know, lol. You'd think so though!

Just found this in a review: [i]Note that the pickup system is completely passive: There’s no preamp, no volume control, no EQ knobs, not even a passive tone—just plug a cord into the endpin jack, fire up the amp, and you’re off. As with most passive piezo pickups, for the best sound you’ll need to use an amp with at least a 1 meg-ohm input impedance or add a separate preamp box.[/i] Don't know if this helps or not though