Alembic my £$%^

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Karyn
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Re:Alembic my £$%^ 2011/04/07 14:17:40 (permalink)
I submit my Aria Pro II 5 string (Blue) and Gibson RD Artist Bass (broken) (the one with the Moog electronics) 

and I know where there is a Kala U-bass hanging on a music store wall if anyone wants one....

Mekashi Futo
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#31
bapu
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Re:Alembic my £$%^ 2011/04/07 14:22:42 (permalink)
Karyn


and I know where there is a Kala U-bass hanging on a music store wall if anyone wants one....

Have you played it?


If you have it would be like we were related by six degrees of Becan or summin' like that.
#32
SteveStrummerUK
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Re:Alembic my £$%^ 2011/04/07 15:33:47 (permalink)
gordonrussell76


...a thinly veiled p'ing contest...

No contest Gordon - you can actually play your basses
 
 

 Music:     The Coffee House BandVeRy MeTaL

#33
bapu
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Re:Alembic my £$%^ 2011/04/07 15:34:44 (permalink)
SteveStrummerUK


gordonrussell76


...a thinly veiled p'ing contest...

No contest Gordon - you can actually play your basses
 
 

PWF!


#34
spacey
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Re:Alembic my £$%^ 2011/04/07 22:20:57 (permalink)
Beautiful bass Gordon.

I can tell you, Zebra is tuff to work.
Your probably not concerned with that but
maybe some trivia ain't so bad..?....it stinks too. Worst
smelling wood I've worked with.
It is very easy to have a blow out when routering it too.
I've lost two body caps already and a hair more on the back panel
in the photo, I would have lost it too.



I have to say after your "sparkle" "spanky" remark;  You'd be hard
pressed to say that the 5 st I built is not comfortable.
And the fretboard/ fretwork is second to none.
I've been holding instruments for 49 years and if that
bass wasn't as fine as a Warwick, Pedulla or Alembic...it wouldn't
have left my house. Preference is the only determining factor and
that would be not only appearance but sound.
I can also say that for a passive system that Bapu bass is bad to the
bone....so don't let the "sparkle" "spanky"  fool you.
I'd personally put that Bapu bass up against any in all aspects.
I'm not one that minds a p'ing contest. In fact with every little part
of building that bass it was priority to build one that would stand it's
ground in one.....and it will.

I'd love to see the back of your bass.

And don't take this as "I'm upset"....I have no reason...my p'ing works fine.

Thought I'd pull mine out first..stand back!..  (not a problem when your packin')
Here's the backside...no plastic and no bolt-on neck. Notice the 7 laminates
of hard maple and purpleheart. MASSIVE tone, sustain, strength and higher fret access with
comfort. 2 graphite rods (as probably with the Warwick) and double action truss rod.
Strength? Yep. With this set-up when you set it up...your done for a long, long time.
Next.....( all in fun Gordon)



post edited by spacey - 2011/04/07 23:29:20
#35
digi2ns
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Re:Alembic my £$%^ 2011/04/07 22:39:12 (permalink)
gordonrussell76


Looks very tasty, its a bit along the lines of the AShbory http://www.basscentre.com/ashbory-bass/ashbory-bass.html

Just not as naff looking, will wait for the furore to die down and check it out.

I am currently re-furbing the studio so bass purchases are way down teh list.

I am getting married next year, do you think sticking a bass on the wedding list is in bad taste?


That one looks like some mid-evil battle axe.  Ya'll got me wanting to get a bass now.  Thanks  LOL


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#36
gordonrussell76
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Re:Alembic my £$%^ 2011/04/08 05:29:07 (permalink)
Hey Spacey the bass you built Bapu is a thing of beauty no doubt.

Its all in preference, for instance you state that its not bolt on as though bold on was a dirty word, and while bolt ons are the cheaper option and therefore percieved as being flawed, I actually prefer bolt ons.

My zebrano streamer is bolt on, although I have played a neck through streamer of a friend of mines, i slightly prefer mine. Although given that his was Azafalia wood and mine is Maple and Zebrano that could be more about the wood than the neck design :)

I certainly did not mean to bad mouth you're guitar its a beaut, more to point out that prettyness is nothing unless the instrument speaks to you when you play it. That knackered old Ibanez i mentioned, its got a neck with a kink in it so bad you could probably use it to fire arrows, and plays like a dog. However it sounds amazing recorded (another reason why i keep it around)

I have to say though i do think the one you built Bapu looks lovely, bit angular for my tastes, but the pictures of the zebrano tele have me salivating.

I have always fancied a custom built Tele shaped bass (including headstock), with a Seymour Duncan quarter pounded musicman (coil tapped) pickup in the bridge position and a quarter pounder p bass pickup in the neck posistion. Always felt this would give maximum coolness factor and variety, to have it spanky woods would be a double whammy.

Do you do this as a hobby or are you a going commercial concern, because based on teh pictures above, when i next have some cash we might have to talk :)

G
#37
spacey
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Re:Alembic my £$%^ 2011/04/08 09:11:07 (permalink)
gordonrussell76


Hey Spacey the bass you built Bapu is a thing of beauty no doubt.
Thank you.
Its all in preference, for instance you state that its not bolt on as though bold on was a dirty word, and while bolt ons are the cheaper option and therefore percieved as being flawed, I actually prefer bolt ons.
Sorry you think that is the reason I mentioned it. That is not the reason at all. The reason I mentioned the difference between them is simply due to advantages of the neck-thru design. Some of which I mentioned.
I just assumed in fair play (p'ing constest fun) that you would enjoy supporting the bolt on advantages.
Gordon there are a couple of reasons, I assure you, that support the cost difference. One is the amount of time
and work it takes. Another is the cost of the wood. It is much harder (especially for a no-name like me) to get
exotic wood that is of quality at the length required. Then there is the body-to-neck....I'd say that the neck-thru
is much harder but.....we know there are Manufacturer's (yes upper case) claiming their neck bolt-on design
or method to be better than all the other's.....who is going to prove that?
I have a neck-thru Strat and a house full of bolt-on neck Strat's.....none of them even come close to it.
My zebrano streamer is bolt on, although I have played a neck through streamer of a friend of mines, i slightly prefer mine. Although given that his was Azafalia wood and mine is Maple and Zebrano that could be more about the wood than the neck design :)
I'm not surprised that one would prefer the vintage sound (warmer) associated with the bolt-on neck. The design contributes as does the wood choice. I would have chosen Maple too, hands down.
I certainly did not mean to bad mouth you're guitar its a beaut, more to point out that prettyness is nothing unless the instrument speaks to you when you play it. That knackered old Ibanez i mentioned, its got a neck with a kink in it so bad you could probably use it to fire arrows, and plays like a dog. However it sounds amazing recorded (another reason why i keep it around)
I fully agree that "looks" is not the top priority.  Since you had no way to know that it was a players bass I wanted to assure you that "name-brand" isn't the determining factor. Although I'm a guitarist and have owned only two
bass guitars I have played very many of them thru the years. I realize my limitations in supporting my "bass" opinions so I listen carefully when a bassist may critique an instrument so I can check things I other wise may
not have thought of. "Angle of playing a bass" was the last issue for a good example. Your photo supports that
issue very well. I'd love for you to be able to compare the end-pin placement difference. I believe you'd find the
location of Bapu's to be a better placement in keeping the bass in the playing position ( while standing).
Something if Warwick hasn't done...they probably will.
I have to say though i do think the one you built Bapu looks lovely, bit angular for my tastes, but the pictures of the zebrano tele have me salivating.
Body design is very important to each player as is the wood appearance. We all know the value of "flame" and "curly" Maple. I think it's just great we have the different wood's that we can make a choice of preference....wish
their were more. Fortunately I'm learning that there are more and look forward to building with them. I recently
learned that Douglas Fir is rated tops by luthiers in tonal quality and it's just not a popular choice for some
unknown reason. ( I do have some book-matched pieces I'll be using)

I'm not sure how many may notice little thing's like the Warwick luthier's do- such as the thickness of the wood
in the laminated body....man that is thick and should be, in my opinion, to have such a rounded body edge. But
that roundness seems to be a bad thing when I imagine playing in the sitting position without a strap.....much
like a round-back Ovation....maybe?...never liked playing those. Fighting to keep it in position.
I have always fancied a custom built Tele shaped bass (including headstock), with a Seymour Duncan quarter pounded musicman (coil tapped) pickup in the bridge position and a quarter pounder p bass pickup in the neck posistion. Always felt this would give maximum coolness factor and variety, to have it spanky woods would be a double whammy.
I didn't start appreciating the Tele design until a few years ago. I'm still waiting for many others to appeal such as
the SG....lol.
Do you do this as a hobby or are you a going commercial concern, because based on teh pictures above, when i next have some cash we might have to talk :)
Gordon it is only a hobby. It started as a challenge. I mentioned to my wife that I thought I could build an instrument as good or better just as well as anybody else. Then I had to back it up. Not to her, to me.
I have a long way to go and will probably never build one that I'll be satisfied with.
I'll state that I'll never build with "commercial" desire's but if I should- I would feel it to be in bad taste and morally
wrong to be "pushing" an instrument here.

Another note of interest (maybe)...I love the finish on your bass. I believe the natural oil finish to be superior.
I may too prefer the "lighter" or satin even more than the glossy coating I used. The purpleheart seemed to be
nicer "wet".
 I cringe thinking of spraying plastic on such beautiful instruments....but it's something I'm going to learn how to
do.

Wished I could hear you and your band play....and a trip to the UK would be most excellent too. I meant well by
joining in Gordon so if I made you uncomfortable I do apologize...not my intention.- Michael


G



#38
gordonrussell76
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Re:Alembic my £$%^ 2011/04/08 09:40:50 (permalink)
Thanks for the long and informative post Spacey, not uncomfortable at all, and some very good points.

I am fascinated by the massive differences small things can make.

I do get that the through neck thing can make a huge difference to sustain and oddly if i had written down on paper what i wanted from a bass 10 years ago through neck would have been at the top of the list.

However the bass that spoke to me most was bolt on, ironic, and I am pleased i was open minded enough to listen to the bass and not my own ego :)

Flipside a really good example of where i did not is the lakland. Another reason i chose against the warwick 5 string initially was that i read everywhere that a 35" neck is better in terms of the B string.

I can tell you now that the B String on my warwick kicks the Lakland buck in terms of clarity and sustain, and because the warwick is 34" scale i find it easier to play to boot.

This brings me to string break which i think is the single most important thing. The warwick has an angled headstock, and a very high bridge compared to the seperate string anchor. I think that this design makes more of a difference than a 35" scale does.

Which brings me to another thing i have discovered stringing through body, I drilled my tele out and fitted a string through bridge when I nashvilled it (not in your league but the closest i have got :)) and the difference it made was night and day.

Its just amazing how so many small things can make a difference and give an instrument its mojo.

Sorry you can't make it over to any of our gigs, and thanks for you're kind words. Its a shame because i think we would have had a bass/guitar geek heaven conversation over a fair few beers :)

Sorry to hear you're not doing it commercially, because you're instruments look mighty fine. Keep up the good work.

G
#39
spacey
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Re:Alembic my £$%^ 2011/04/08 10:32:13 (permalink)
Gordon it would not only be a pleasure to sit and discuss the instrument over
a brew, it would be an honor.

I don't think Parneli Jones probably knew how to build a 302, more less
a car- but he didn't need to. His knowledge of how to make one perform
was the end result. I can only imagine that he may have found great enjoyment
listening to the tech's build the tool he needed by expressing to them how he felt
about the machine's performance. I can also imagine how hard it would be for them to
build the machine without his input.

With those thoughts I think how you "feel" and your thoughts about what
a bass should be is the most important part of the instrument.
If a luthier can't supply the instrument to fill your needs, then I would think
that is the weakest link in the process. All other factors are secondary.
Supplying you with the correct instrument only then can you evaluate for
further improvements.
The opinions of an instrument from every "player" are of paramount importance as I see it
and I'll drink to that.




#40
gordonrussell76
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Re:Alembic my £$%^ 2011/04/08 10:53:30 (permalink)
Yup or as my gran used to say the proof is in the pudding :)


#41
Starise
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Re:Alembic my £$%^ 2011/04/08 11:27:40 (permalink)
"I am fascinated by the massive differences small things can make."

  Ahem........this is true

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#42
UbiquitousBubba
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Re:Alembic my £$%^ 2011/04/08 12:07:07 (permalink)
It's not the post count that matters!

That's what Bapu told me.  (I think he was just trying to make me feel better.)
#43
bapu
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Re:Alembic my £$%^ 2011/04/08 12:27:24 (permalink)
SteveStrummerUK


gordonrussell76


...a thinly veiled p'ing contest...

No contest Gordon - you can actually play your basses
 
 

But I own Melodyne. Permanently set to Am.
#44
gordonrussell76
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Re:Alembic my £$%^ 2011/04/08 12:35:35 (permalink)
Oh and to address the question of bassangle (its like a triangle only lower and bapu and me can actually play it)

Seriously the question of what angle you play the bass at.

The reason why i adopt a pretty much 45o angle comes about from two factors over time.

I started playing bass in a thrashfunkpunk type band and the drummer informed me that wearing the bass at anything higher than you're ankles was not f'ing cool.

So i played with my bass semi low, probably lower than you would want when you really want to be a funk player.

Then I realized that if i angled it at 45o it solved 2 problems, one i could fret better with my left hand while still having bass relatively low, and 2) my right wrist was not all twisted at an angle and this alleviated my burgeoning RSI.

Finally I in the end re-trained my Right hand technique ( i can hear you s****ing Bapu) so that i played with the 1st and 3rd fingers as they are hte same length on my hands, reducing the angle of my wrist even further.

Again a 45% angle helps with that as well.

Ergo you end up with the way i play bass. The biggest factor i find in mainting this is not strap location but weight, and warwick are beasts, so they hang right without me having to support them with either hand.

Job done :)

Hope this has been educational, off for bassangle practice now.
#45
bapu
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Re:Alembic my £$%^ 2011/04/08 12:38:16 (permalink)
Here is the angle I play (at playing) at.


#46
Starise
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Re:Alembic my £$%^ 2011/04/08 14:10:47 (permalink)
 I could do it....nope better not.

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#47
Russell.Whaley
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Re:Alembic my £$%^ 2011/04/08 17:55:11 (permalink)
From time to time, I have ogled the Steinberger Synapse line - any thoughts yea or nay?  They look a little strange to my eye, but seem to have a rep of being very smooth-playing.

As long as we're showing off baby pictures...




post edited by Russell.Whaley - 2011/04/08 17:56:57




#48
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