4000

[quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1390759843' post='2349153'] I need to get over all kinds of things. I don't really know what you mean by "valid". And, yes, there is definitely a place for elitism in art. Art is not necessarily a democratic or inclusive experience. [/quote] Hmm. And [i]you[/i] think [i]I'm[/i] unreasonable.

[quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1390758530' post='2349126'] I too have spoken to Alembic at great length when I visited them in Santa Rosa with a view to them making me a bass,. We spoke in detail about neck fabrication , and that is when they impressed upon me their opinion that the stiffer the neck is made by the laminates , the better the overall tone. I opted for a graphite neck , but Alembic were unable to proceed with the order because they subsequently stopped offering that option due a parting of the ways with Modulus who supplied the graphite necks, and so I made other arrangements. So how from that you can extrapolate my passing on that information about neck laminates told to me by Mica and Bob that the concept that different people have different sonic preferences is beyond me , I can only wonder at. And when you say there is no "better" when it comes to sound, in fact there is , i.e the one that sounds better. There may, however, be several options which sound equally as good. [/quote] Dear oh dear. And what sounds better? Who determines it sounds better? If two equally talented musicians have two different preferences, who is right? Jaco Pastorius preferred to use the back pickup only on his Jazzes. So if Jaco, who many consider to be the greatest electric bassist of all time, decided that was better, why don't we all have the same opinion? Shouldn't we all bow to Jaco? The folks at Alembic certainly have their own preferences and it's true they prefer ebony lams. However they're also fully aware that different people require different things, hence all the options. I actually went ahead with my build and had purpleheart lams. However I've played other builds without purple heart lams that I've liked just as much, although they didn't necessarily sound the same. Because there is no 'better', only your preference. Interesting that you should comment on graphite necks, which I already mentioned. If graphite was unequivocally better-sounding, why do so many musicians (me included) prefer the sound of a wooden-necked instrument? I think you need to go and talk to Steve Swallow about what he looks for in an instrument; it might open your eyes.

[quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1390757844' post='2349113'] When did I ever direct my remarks specifically towards you? The fact remains that , if everyone has a right to an opinion, as I am so frequently told nowadays by people such as yourself , then surely everyone also has a right to assess and evaluate those opinions and give more credence to some than others. I am sorry you find that such an unreasonable stance. I can only suppose that you have you own reasons for being so unreasonable, but like most unreasonable people, you seem to think you are eminently reasonable and the arbiter of what constitutes good judgement. The fact is that you are making this far more complicated than it needs tio be. My comments about Mark King are based on the simple fact that, compared to musicians like Marcus Miller and several others of a similarly elevated stature that I could mention , Mark isn't particularly good at playing the bass guitar in an effective manner . That is all . To answer your question , no I have never met Mark King, but we do have mutual friends and apparently he is, just as you say, a very nice man. The fact remains that he sees himself as an alternative to Marcus Miller. He is not , and never will be. You really need to get over this whole "everybody's opinion is just as valid as everybody else's" thing, for your own sake rather than for mine. It worries me when I think of some of the ridiculous opinions you might end up accommodating as the result of such a policy. [/quote] It is [i]your opinion[/i] (although many others may agree, possibly even Mark King) that Mark King isn't particularly good at playing the bass guitar. I suspect even Marcus would disagree with that. Still, all opinion. FWIW, [i]any[/i] musician is a valid alternative to [i]any other[/i] musician. By your argument, whats the point of Marcus Miller when you have Anthony Jackson? God forbid some of the ridiculous opinions people out there might have, eh? You obviously feel there's a place for elitism in art. I don't. FWIW, [i]you[/i] really need to get over [i]yourself[/i].

[quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1390751395' post='2348970'] Well, if you talk to Alembic they will tell you that the neck laminates do indeed affect the sound, and that all their experience has shown them that the stiffer the neck , the better the sound of the bass. That is why the single most effective upgrade Alembic recommend for their basses is going for the extra cost of the ebony laminates in the neck, because they add even greater stiffness than purpleheart, and the sonic benefits are very apparent. [/quote] I've talked to Alembic at great length; they made me a custom bass. Strangely enough, they understand that different people have different sonic preferences, a concept that seems beyond you. Did I say purpleheart lams didn't affect the sound? No. It's perfectly likely that they will in most cases. FWIW carbon fibre necks are stiffer still and yet many people don't like their sonic properties. However you really don't understand 'subjective' do you? There is no 'better' when it comes to sound. Which sounds better, an ash or an alder body? A maple or rosewood fingerboard? Long scale or short scale? Precision or Jazz? Les Paul or Strat? All subjective.

[quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1390746642' post='2348893'] What you consistently fail to understand is that all opinions are not of equal worth, and someone with a more informed opinion would concur that, whatever merits Mark King may or may not have as a bass player, Marcus Miller is a completely different calibre of musician. Mark King [i]does s[/i]peak about himself as if he were in the same echelon as Marcus Miller, and I cannot help but recognise that as an act of hubris. Mark King has indeed developed a voice on the instrument, it just doesn't sound very good , and his "cultural impact", as you put it, amounts to Level 42, who were and still are , for the most part, bloody awful. [/quote] You mean that you have a more informed opinion than me. Hilarious. I studied fine art for years and have consistently understood that many art critics' opinions count for nothing. If the cap fits. I'm actually not a big Level 42 fan, but the fact that you think musician A is any more valid than musician B simply because you believe it to be so is, ironically enough, an enormous act of hubris. See what I did there? Have you ever met Mark King? I assure you that in my experience (I have by the way) he's actually pretty self-deprecating. Unlike, apparently, yourself.

[quote name='UglyDog' timestamp='1390683775' post='2348356'] Music is a way of life, not a contest. There are few things more pointless than arguing that musician A is 'better than' musician B. [/quote] Indeed.

[quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1390570076' post='2346985'] If you are going to buy one of these basses, Marcus, then I would try and get one of the slightly more upmarket versions with the purpleheart laminates in the neck. They help improve both the overall tone of the bass and structural stability of the neck . These full size Alembics just don't look right without the proper stringers in the neck-thru-body , either. [/quote] The purpleheart will potentially [i]change[/i] the tone. Whether it makes it better or worse is, again, a matter of opinion.

[quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1390569604' post='2346971'] It's not just a question of taste .Besides which,there is good taste and bad taste, and what constitutes good taste, contrary to popular fallacy, is not just a matter of opinion but also aesthetic awareness . We all make qualitative and quantitative judgements about all kinds of things hundreds of times a day, why would music be excluded from that? I'm not trying to have a row with you, my friend, but everything is quantifiable, or at least eligible to be assessed , including Mark King. If you enjoy MK's slap playing and prefer it to that of Marcus Miller then that is perfectly fine . Maybe what you say strikes a nerve with me because on more than one occasion I have heard Mark King in interviews compare and contrast his style with that of Marcus Miller as if he were Marcus' equal. He is not, and if he thinks he is in the same league as Marcus Miller as a bass player on any level then he is deluded. [/quote] And there you go again. Aesthetic awareness is down to individual or learned cultural considerations and is ultimately just opinion, collective or otherwise. Your opinion re MK and Marcus holds no more water than somebody stating that band x is better than band y. FWIW, I've read a couple of interviews with MK where he's mentioned Marcus and all he has done is describe his slap style as different, which is a perfectly valid statement. I could describe my style as different to either, and that would be perfectly valid too. It has nothing to do with being better, worse or equal. Which of course is a matter of opinion anyway. I would argue that the most important concerns for an artist are to develop a unique and recogniseable voice and to have some degree of cultural impact. MK, like him or not, has certainly done that.

I used to use a Trace AH150 through an old Trace 4x10 and never had a problem with volume, and I play very lightly. It was a pretty loud amp. Depends on how loud your band is of course.

£695?????? Always wanted one but typically have currently got less than no money... blast.

Niiiiiiice......

[quote name='Bassassin' timestamp='1390314468' post='2343914'] I have multiple basses & have gone through a ridiculous number - but yeah - a Jazz does the lot, doesn't it? [/quote] Except in my hands, where it doesn't do anything I require.

[quote name='CamdenRob' timestamp='1390307182' post='2343752'] I know what I like... seems silly to never try anything else though. You might miss out on something that would work perfectly for you. [/quote] +1. IMO it'd be a bit like never bothering to try any new food again simply because you really like chip butties.

[quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1390238309' post='2342996'] Suffice to say that I don't agree with your assessment of Mark King's playing ability or indeed your description of his style - I think he is at his best constructing inventive basslines , which he does very well, rather than his slap histrionics- but any comparison between Mark King with Marcus Miller is a step too far for me to let pass without comment. Marcus Miller is in a different dimension as a musician to Mark King, and is so superior in terms of taste , feel and overall intellectual and emotional depth that it's not really fair to Mark King to make the mention him in the same context. [/quote] I love it when people think that their opinion on taste (and feel for that matter) is quantifiable, it always gives me a good giggle. FWIW I was ONLY discussing MK's SLAP. That doesn't mean I hadn't considered the rest of his playing, in the same way that talking about the bread in a sandwich doesn't mean you haven't considered the filling.

Lovely looking bass Andy, congrats!

[quote name='jakenewmanbass' timestamp='1390207395' post='2342493'] Excellent work sir! [/quote] Many thanks. The downside is I'm not currently earning enough (from either job!) to finance another Alembic. I live in hope! The upside is as one of the 2 main writers in the band nobody tells me what to do unless I ask their opinion. Which is nice. Of course if I was half as good as I gather you are I'd feel a lot better about the whole thing.

I already do. ;-)

[quote name='jakenewmanbass' timestamp='1390152181' post='2341996'] I'm selling for a bunch of reasons. I'm recording more these days, and believe it or not I encounter snobbery about it all the time, people want things they are used to. Now don't get me wrong I'm still a devotee, but I can't afford at this point to keep so much money invested in what is for me a tool of work that doesn't produce a good return. So my plan is to sell this, arm myself with an arsenal of studio/producer friendly basses, then when I have recovered my 'pleasure bass fund' (which I can do by selling an upright that I will have no use for at the end of 2014) I will buy myself a second hand series Alembic. [/quote] It's at times like this I'm glad I've never been a hired gun (well, for anything other than me being chosen for what I already bring to the table).....

It's all about finding the combination that works for you. A place I rehearsed in had one of those Classic 4x10s and I could never get a sound I liked out of it whatever bass or amp I used. Having said that I also tend to dislike most high end cabs I use (I tend to hate tweeters for a start) but it depends what amp and bass I'm using. It's all about personal taste at the end of the day.

[quote name='Prime_BASS' timestamp='1389999645' post='2340527'] I've recently contemplated this but IMO there is nothing a precision does that a jazz bass doesn't. [/quote] You must play very differently to me!

You're selling it? Can only ask why......and say I wish I had the money.

[quote name='wateroftyne' timestamp='1389984471' post='2340321'] ... is this. Discuss. [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAbD1Sd-zs4"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAbD1Sd-zs4[/url] [/quote] Er, no, it isn't. IMO of course. Ric all the way for me (no surprise there). "Xanaduuuuuuuuuuuuu........"

Sorry, been listening to Mark since Level 42s first appearance on OGWT and I completely disagree. His KBs (certainly the ones I've heard, not heard the KB2) sound very different to me, as did the Jaydees. The Jaydees are typically more honky/grunty (technical terms, lol), the Alembics typically more fluid and twangy sounding with that lovely 'Alembicness' with the KBs simply very pingy and graphite-sounding IMO. My favourite-sounding of his Status basses was his red 2000. Of course I'm sure his different amplification was/is a factor as well; if you go back to the earlier days he was far less thin and glassy than now. I have quite a lot of live Level 42 stuff on dvd from throughout the years (including quite a bit transferred from old VHS tapes from performances on the telly) and although his style is far removed from mine, safe to say I've watched an awful lot of it an awful lot of times. Oh, have met him too. Very nice chap indeed. He was the first person I ever saw slap (that selfsame OGWT performance); scared the daylights out of me. Absolutely fell in love with the Starchild Jaydee though, still one of my favourite-looking basses. Always find it a bit weird when people criticise his slapping, which is integral to the music he plays; I vastly prefer his style to say Marcus's, which I personally find a bit leaden (yes, I know he's [i]laying it down[/i]). To me he plays bass almost like a jazz drummer, which I prefer (jazz drummers are the only real drummers IMO ).

[quote name='DaytonaRik' timestamp='1389861954' post='2338679'] Ok, so I'm a relative newcomer to the world of bass as a long time guitarist and am no fan-boy of either model, but I struggle with this whole "P bass is better" argument. Just how can a single p/u bass with a basic tone/volume circuit be more versatile than a splitable p/u with a 3 band active EQ...and that's without including the HH/HS options? If I was to make a guitar-based comparison, it's akin to someone swearing their single P90 shod Gibson Les Paul Jnr is more versatile than a PRS Custom 24 with multiple coil taped p/us. Whilst I agree that a lot of great P players have produced a wide range of sounds, and the same be said for my guitar-based comparison, just how much of that variation comes from technique and amplification rather than the instrument itself? Preference is one thing i.e. you may prefer one over another, but does that make it more versatile? Just my thoughts on the argument. [/quote] I've had - and have played - many basses with all sorts of bells and whistles where none of them are actually useable in a mix (hence why most of them have gone). People would say a Wal Custom is extremely versatile with the filters but when I had mine I couldn't get a single sound out of it that worked in my band, whereas my cheapie P is useable pretty much throughout its range. Being able to do lots of useless things isn't really versatile.

Let's not change the habits of a lifetime... .