EMG456

[quote name='GILLY' timestamp='1396809254' post='2417591'] 'Wild things run fast' is one of the albums in my collection that I never tire of. The opening track 'Chinese cafe/unchained melody' is amazing and the Carole that she names in the first verse is, in fact, her friend Carole Bayer Sager. [/quote] I didn't know that - "Christmas was sparkling out on Carole's lawn"... Joni is without doubt my favourite artist of all time. She has complete mastery of music and words in a way that just clicks with me. And her desire and ability to redefine herself often bravely throughout her career really places her head and shoulders above the pack. Unfortunately, I have never seen her live and I'm kind of resigned to the fact that it's unlikely I will now- some you win, some you loose! Looks like tomorrow's going to be a Joni day now... Cheers Ed

[quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1396702776' post='2416579'] At the risk of repeating myself, Alembics pricing structure is very much directly dictated by the amount of skilled man hours it takes to produce each design, including their complex and unique electronics which they largely manufacture themselves from scratch. [/quote] This is called "hitting the nail on the head". There is no huge profiteering going on at Alembic or Fodera or Wal or indeed Shuker, Sei etc. Indeed, that accusation could much more credibly be made against Fender, Gibson or Ernie Ball with their economies of scale and automation of the whole industrial process. If you have ever been involved in any research as to the actual costs of employing a person you will know that the answer comes to a factor of multiples of what that person is actually paid for their work. Taxes, overhead costs, employment legislation all quickly add up. It is genuinely scary, especially for small companies the like of which we are talking. Add in the costs of the raw materials and customer service and I come to the conclusion that an Alembic or Wal or (although I have no direct knowledge of them) a Fodera is actually very good value for money and I can see where all that money goes. I think these days our attitudes and expectations have been skewed by the licensing of designs and mass production in various low labour cost economies around the world. The fact that the machine led process can be consistently and reliably performed almost anywhere using broadly unskilled labour forces, means that we can buy what in the 60s and 70s would have been a high quality instrument, for basically peanuts. This in turn leads us to often undervalue instruments made according to a different economic model. There will always be a law of diminishing returns as we move up the food chain on any given product, be it cars, toasters or guitars. Does an American Fender justify a price 4 times that of an Indonesian or Chinese one? No, is the simple answer. But still we buy the American ones. I for one am glad that there are companies like Alembic constantly pushing up standards and creating innovations. Whatever instrument we choose to play, our bass lives would be a little bit poorer without them. Cheers Ed

Yes, but the commonly pushed theory is that through body stringing *decreases* compliance - ie provides a stiffer string for any given guage. I have my own theory on why that may be but it also assumes the transfer of tension to the non- speaking portions of the string.

[quote name='JapanAxe' timestamp='1396649386' post='2416199'] Capo at first fret. Sorted. [/quote]

[quote name='ThePapabull' timestamp='1396649961' post='2416210'] RE Compliance….. I've just checked out ESSENTIAL TENSIONS url link. BRILLIANT all makes sense now ..It;s elasticity I'm referring to cheers the PB [/quote] Note however that the conclusion drawn in that link is the opposite of the commonly held one re added non- speaking string length and its relation to compliance. This usually comes up on a debate about through body stringing as apposed to anchored at the bridge. That site claims that extra string length is likely to give a more compliant (ie softer) feel whereas the anecdotal evidence from many who have tried through body stringing is that the extra length actually gives less compliance. Just something else you may want to try if your bass has the option of through body or bridge anchored stringing. Cheers Ed

As you say, a very interesting read. Thanks for posting it.

[quote name='visog' timestamp='1396554689' post='2415131'] However it's worth remember that whilst the records were a bit ropey, his live shows were great. During the 80's with Clarke/Duke, he used to get musicians out of the audience to play bass, sing as he did when I first saw him at the Manchester Apollo. Also wandered through the audience with a long cable. [/quote] One of the best gigs I've ever seen was Clarke/Duke back in the 80's. Stan was awesome, they had guests - Phillip Bailey on vocals and either Robben Ford or Mike Sembello on guitar - the memory's getting a bit hazy now - and when George wheeled out the plexiglass clavinet with a giant whammy-bar on it, you just knew the night was complete!! Them were the days...

Bass Centre Elites? I've been using them for years and they do the job well and last a good length of time.

As has been said, you need to try some - they are not for everyone but they are useable in any musical situation. Loads of folk claim to dislike them but really, there's not much to dislike. They are generally speaking well designed and impeccably built and finished with huge attention to detail. The more you pay, the better the preamp and the more woods etc. you get. The Alembic filter pre is easy to use both live and in the studio. Sound is clear, punchy and full range. What else can I say... I like them. An iconic bass maker which should be on everyone's list to try. (IMHO) Cheers Ed

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1396101187' post='2409955'] Thanks for this! From about 3:20 to the end (when he's going for it) and despite the fact it's not a full-range recording, you do get a fairly good idea of the essential sound of a 4040. [size=4]Very audible, with a lot of thorb. Yes, I said 'thorb'.[/size] [size=4]I think this one might just be a fretless, too.[/size] [size=4] I can't help but feel the bargain window might be closing... get in, quick! [/quote] Help!!

[quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1396026102' post='2409217'] Given that I have never heard one, I would be very interested to hear some description of what this bass sounds like. [/quote] Your wish etc. etc. Here's the excellent John "Rhino" Edwards with the Judie Tzuke band back in the day playing one of his 4040s. I hope this thread isn't sparking huge interest in these - I've been trying to pick up a bargain one for several years now!! Cheers Ed [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXYKkOkJ4QM[/media]

[quote name='White Cloud' timestamp='1395997477' post='2408708'] Yes...but the leg brace is an integral part of the sheer ingenuity of the design. [/quote] Later models have the fold out leg rest but anyway I just play them on the strap, standing or sitting - perfectly balanced - set to any angle- makes no difference.

I've owned one of these since 1978!! The Jazz pickup has been added - they were straight P's. you will probably have to have the fingerboard re-finished - I had mine re-done a few years back - standard fretless maintenance. The body is made of what is sometimes unkindly called plywood - in reality it's more like a sort of mahogany butchers block. You can see the construction of mine in this thread. http://basschat.co.uk/topic/222067-plywood-bodies/page__view__findpost__p__2274488 Currently at £46, it's a massive bargain. Cheers Ed

Rickenbacker Steinberger Alembic Series I/ II Like your SB, they all followed the more parallel neck profile so a bit closer together at the bridge. Quite a lot of early 5 strings had tight spacing also. Probably the tightest will indeed be Kiwi's Steinberger XL2-5 - a five string contained within the dimensions of the already tight 4 string neck - it saved them having to make new moulds!! Cheers Ed

Beautiful! you're a lucky man. Once again I was outbid on one of these on ebay last week. Wonder if it went to anyone on here. One of these years I'll nab one! Cheers Ed

[quote name='MattM' timestamp='1395782898' post='2406353'] Agreed. Something you don't appreciate until you've owned one. [/quote] Well me and my original L2 are coming up on 30 years together later this year so I've seen the whole cycle from Uber-trendy through to complete ridicule. When I take them out now, what I'm finding is a lot of affection for them either from those unfamiliar who think "amazing instrument!" or from those who remember "Wow - don't see many of those about any more - sounds incredible" So I think we've finally got past the 80s fashion statement thing and they are more and more being recognised as the pinnacle of design and functionality that they always genuinely were. Cheers Ed

[quote name='Muzz' timestamp='1395356312' post='2401654'] Thanks for the kind words, but I'm positive. The ergonomics just don't work for me as a pick player - that top edge was cutting into the inside of my right arm within seconds, and the pickup sou [/quote] That's interesting. The Rick bass came to prominence mainly being played by pick players and when I used them, that was how I played also. I found them less useful as I moved across to fingerstyle. If you have always played Fender style basses, the Rick will feel very foreign but by fiddling about with strap height etc. I'm sure you'd be able to find a comfortable position for pick style playing but you're right about the tonality. They sound very different to any Fender type bass and that's something that you just have to accept and work with. For certain scenarios they really work very well but they are certainly not a universal bass in the way of a Fender P or J. Cheers Ed

Hear hear to that. This was my first time at one of these events but hopefully won't be my last. The organisation was flawless and the generosity of all the folks who brought along their amazing and expensive instruments for all to try was a wonderful thing to behold. Didn't help my ACG gas, right enough.,, Cheers Ed

[quote name='JTUK' timestamp='1395250998' post='2400265'] But you wouldn't do a country gig with an Alembic..that sport of thing.. [/quote] Well I would... or any of my Steinbergers, or a Fender P or J etc. etc. The point here being that this is nothing to do with music and sound and everything to do with visual appearance and fashion. Having never been a follower of fashion, I am free to play whatever bass I like at any point in time. And yes, the trends are cyclical. A few years back, suddenly Rickenbackers were right on trend again and it seemed that every other young band was using one. They seem to be off the boil now although the new walnut/ maple 4003 model may well change that again. The only thing certain in this life is change and the dial is unlikely to be perennially set to Fender! Cheers Ed

[quote name='ThePapabull' timestamp='1395268511' post='2400602'] thanks gjones……. really appreciate your comments…… and that makes loads of sense too…… but i really want to enjoy my sound. i tend to play betters when my sound is good [/quote] I absolutely agree with you on this. Your on stage sound can be crucial to the success of your musical performance so work to get it right for yourself first. On a gig you have virtually no chance of being able to judge what the sound balance is for the audience at any given point so leave that up to the front of house engineer or chance if there isn't one and aim for your own happiness. Good strong usable tone is shaped by many factors. Try going back to basics and setting all your EQ flat. This includes the eq on your bass also. Then make small changes to your taste and see how they work out. Don't go overboard on large boosts particularly to the bottom end- powerful eq can easily use up all of the overhead in your power amp and speakers and suck the life and punch out of your tone and yes, the JRetro preamp is powerful enough to do that too. Other factors to look at: What pickup balance do you favour on your Jazz? Both on equally can cause a mid-scooped sound that some folks can find troublesome. Where are you picking on the strings? Picking right over a pickup's pole pieces will create a much more dynamic and punchy sound than picking away from the pickup. Are you for some reason hitting the strings differently on the gig to what you do in rehearsal- we probably all do to some extent- you may be "digging in" more or playing a bit more timidly. Apologies if this is all stating the obvious to you but you cite lack of experience yourself as a possible factor so I'm just trying to point out some things to think about or try. Lastly, I have no experience of Mark Bass gear but it gets a good reputation so I'd imagine that you should be able to get a workable sound out of it. Sometimes however, a particular speaker set up will just not work well in a particular room and it's just one of those things you have to accept. Hope some of this helps. Cheers Ed

I see the shoes have the old checkerboard binding...

[quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1394806574' post='2395448'] I would, in the interest of full disclosure , like to point out that I do not [i]necessarily[/i] follow my own advice on any subject I may be offering the benefit of my considerable wisdom on, and never was that more true than on this subject of how unnecessary expensive basses are. [/quote]

All of this is rarely about need rather than desire. Never underestimate the power of a headstock decal. We don't "outgrow" our instruments - they don't actually do anything without our input - we give different input, they'll do different things. The fact is that we see something that looks nice, we want it. We see someone who's playing style/ ability/ technique/ image/ coolness factor is something we like and we think maybe some of that will rub off if we buy a similar instrument. It's just human nature and it can take a long time for us to work this out - some never do. I have instruments from all points of the price scale and they all have one thing in common - I like them. No bass is too expensive or too cheap for me to take out on a gig - they all do the same job and each is as valid as the other. Cheers Ed

Excellent stuff- I'll go and organise that now.

I'm on my way from Glasgow down to Leeds for a few days on Sunday - never been to one of these. Is it ok to come along but not bring any basses/ gear? Cheers Ed