| Author | Message | ||
| u14steelgtr
Junior Username: u14steelgtr Post Number: 25 Registered: 7-2003 |
To the best of my knowledge I have never heard much less seen anyone play a “Classico” upright bass. Who on this list or elsewhere plays one of these basses? Are there any specific LP's or CD's on which I could hear a particularly note-worthy sample of one of these basses being played? Regards -- Eugene | ||
| darkstar01
Junior Username: darkstar01 Post Number: 40 Registered: 6-2005 |
I'm currently having a 4 string classico with a coco bolo top built. They're definitely not very common instruments, and the only one I've ever heard was used for studio work, but I couldn't tell you where to get any recordings. I know the specs are based on Stanley's string bass, but I'm not sure if he ever played a classico. Austin | ||
| worldfamousandy
Member Username: worldfamousandy Post Number: 63 Registered: 3-2004 |
Hank Futch, bassist for the Blue Dogs, Has used one for years. There is some great audio/video of him on their site: www.bluedogs.com Andy Calder www.andycalderbass.com | ||
| u14steelgtr
Junior Username: u14steelgtr Post Number: 26 Registered: 7-2003 |
Thanks Andy; I will take a look at the Blue Dogs web page. Austin; The specs and write-up at http://alembic.com/prod/classico.html provide little detail about the specs and since they are all custom that makes sense to me. Even the scale lenth is specified simply as "insert." BTW: who is Stanley and is he a Forum member? Perhaps I should contact him directly. Regards -- Eugene | ||
| lbpesq
Senior Member Username: lbpesq Post Number: 1399 Registered: 7-2004 |
I think "Stanley" is Stanley Clarke. Maybe you've heard of him? LOL Bill, tgo | ||
| darkstar01
Junior Username: darkstar01 Post Number: 42 Registered: 6-2005 |
Stanley as in Stanley Clarke. | ||
| u14steelgtr
Junior Username: u14steelgtr Post Number: 27 Registered: 7-2003 |
Stanley Clarke is a name that I know only from this Forum. Is he a Forum member? I will Google him and see if I can find his contact information. -- Eugene (Message edited by u14steelgtr on June 18, 2006) | ||
| olieoliver
Senior Member Username: olieoliver Post Number: 443 Registered: 2-2006 |
You might as well ask who Jimmy Hendrix is. Forgive them Stanley for they know not what they ask!  | ||
| lidon2001
Intermediate Member Username: lidon2001 Post Number: 173 Registered: 4-2005 |
Here's his website: Stanley Clarke | ||
| bob
Senior Member Username: bob Post Number: 664 Registered: 11-2002 |
Be gentle, guys. In my case, I was listening to Clarke before he likely knew about Alembic (certainly before he played one). On the other hand, when I first started talking to my local dealer about a custom bass, I asked him "Who is this Mark King guy?" "You know, Level 42" "What, is that a band or something?" It's easy to forget what a diverse group of people we have, even here in our elite little world. -Bob | ||
| u14steelgtr
Junior Username: u14steelgtr Post Number: 28 Registered: 7-2003 |
Thanks Bob. For what it is worth I am unfamiliar with “Level 42” and I only know the name “Mark King” from this forum. But that will no doubt also change. I guess it will be a long time before I live this down. Bass players seldom get or possess the name recognition that guitarists, violinists, pianists, and Sax players tend to cultivate. The name “Jimi” is unusual. “Stanley” is not an uncommon name in musical circles: Stanley Jordan, Paul Stanley, Stan Getz, Stanley Turrentine, and Ralph Stanley all come to mind very quickly. The reference standard for Bass players here in the DC area was (and for many still is) Keeter Betts (who died last summer). Keeter was and remains legendary for his playing. Down in Texas where Olie resides Roy Huskey Sr. was the legendary bass player (Roy Jr. is pretty good too). California has Freebo (though he is not known for playing upright bass). Other locales had “Mingus”, Willie Dixon, and Mark Schatz. For the record: * Stanley does not appear to be a member of this forum. * Google listed a link to stanleyclarke.com and I have read his bio there. * Stanley’s Gear Page does not currently list his Classico. * I am familiar with most of the band leaders that hired S.C. when he moved to New York in 1971. * I did listen to the Superband (with Larry Coryell) in the early 90’s. So I have heard him play some “wow-worthy” music. * I have not seen any of the films that Stanley Clarke scored. * I have never seen him play Live. * I may have heard him play with Chick Corea. Ironically my buddy David (a bass player) called me about making plans for tonight while I was starting to read Stanley’s Bio Page on stanleclarke.com. I asked David if he had heard of a bass player named Stanley Clarke. David said “no but I have read a lot of Arthur C. Clark.” So I am not the only person for whom “Stanley” was not a familiar name. So let us get back on topic. My questions are: 1. Other than Hank Futch, who plays a Classico? 2. Where can I hear (on LP, CD, or online) a Classico? Regards -- Eugene (Message edited by u14steelgtr on June 19, 2006) | ||
| lbpesq
Senior Member Username: lbpesq Post Number: 1400 Registered: 7-2004 |
Eugene: In a sense you are very lucky. If you are unfamiliar with Mr. Clarke's work, you are in for a VERY pleasant surprise. The guy's playing is insanely good. I'm a guitar player - all bassists sound the same to me ... except a select few that are so good that even I can appreciate them. No one stands above Stanley in this category. As for the reaction of the denizens of this forum, you must understand that this is not unlike someone asking "who is this Eric Clapton guy? Is he a member of this forum? Does anyone have his email address?" Bill, the guitar one | ||
| olieoliver
Senior Member Username: olieoliver Post Number: 444 Registered: 2-2006 |
Eugene, I was just having a litle fun, meant nothing by it. In fact I am surprised I wasn't pounced on for miss spelling Jimi's name. But now Bill, "...all bassist sound the same..." , thats just plain mean. | ||
| lbpesq
Senior Member Username: lbpesq Post Number: 1401 Registered: 7-2004 |
Olie: It was meant more as a knock on me than on you low enders. Truthfully, I notice bad bassists and drummers much more quickly than good ones. If it's happening, it's happening, that's the bottom line. Then there are the ones that stand out. Bill, tgo | ||
| bigredbass
Senior Member Username: bigredbass Post Number: 840 Registered: 9-2002 |
Eugene: Not to worry. There's probably lots of people who don't know who Loyd Green, Weldon Myrick, Paul Franklin, Buddy Emmons, or Doug Jernigan are, either. It just depends on your frame of reference. J o e y | ||
| applejuice
Junior Username: applejuice Post Number: 37 Registered: 1-2006 |
My girlfriend doesn't know who Stanely Clarke is. I Showed her some videos of him playing and she seemed impressed. I am not sure if she remembers it. The greater shock to me was when I mentioned Alembic. She didn't have a clue about it. A bassist, doesn't know Alembic. She also didn't believe me when I said that she will never want to play any other bass after an Alembic. She thinks they are too expensive. Hopefully she will learn | ||
| olieoliver
Senior Member Username: olieoliver Post Number: 445 Registered: 2-2006 |
I hear ya' Bill and couldn't agree more. More often than not if a good bass and drum combo will go unnoticed to the average listener. But you get a drummer that rushes or can't come out of a fill in time, or a bassist that doesn't know a major scale from a minor and man you will really notice them then. | ||
| darkstar01
Junior Username: darkstar01 Post Number: 43 Registered: 6-2005 |
im sorry, but... can anyone name one violist i might have heard of? didnt think so. there are WAY too many guitar players around... heh... jk, friends. | ||
| bracheen
Senior Member Username: bracheen Post Number: 1021 Registered: 11-2003 |
Hello Eugene and welcome to the group. Once they put the tar and feathers back in the closet they are a good group. Stanley Jordan, haven't heard that name in a while. That guy is great. I saw him live one time and what an experience. I had no idea who Mark King was either. My wife, bless her heart is a Level 42 fan. I happened to look at the liner notes once and that's how I found out. I guess the legend from Florida would be a guy named Jaco. bracheen | ||
| jet_powers
Advanced Member Username: jet_powers Post Number: 274 Registered: 2-2003 |
ummm.... Jean Luc Ponty? | ||
| tom_z
Senior Member Username: tom_z Post Number: 412 Registered: 7-2004 |
Austin - how about: Vassar Clements Papa John Creach Charlie Daniels Allison Kraus Stefan Grapelli | ||
| alembic76407
Senior Member Username: alembic76407 Post Number: 454 Registered: 5-2002 |
back alot of years ago me and my guitar player did sound for Papa john Creach, after the show we were breaking the P.A. down, Papa John and his wife came back in with a ham and cheese plater as a thank you and hung around and visited for awhile. Papa and his wife were the truly the nices people you would ever want to meet !!!!! | ||
| yggdrasil
Intermediate Member Username: yggdrasil Post Number: 139 Registered: 5-2002 |
Austin: im sorry, but... can anyone name one violist i might have heard of? Replies:Jean Luc Ponty Vassar Clements Papa John Creach Charlie Daniels Allison Kraus >Stefan Grapelli methinks these people are known for playing violin, not viola (Message edited by yggdrasil on June 19, 2006) | ||
| lbpesq
Senior Member Username: lbpesq Post Number: 1402 Registered: 7-2004 |
How about Yo Yo Ma? (That is, before his viola took steroids!) hehehehehehehehe Bill, tgo | ||
| darkstar01
Junior Username: darkstar01 Post Number: 44 Registered: 6-2005 |
yeah. violin is another thing. viola? i mean, come on. the instrument that gets its own clef. | ||
| eligilam
Junior Username: eligilam Post Number: 16 Registered: 2-2006 |
No, seriously, does anyone have Stanley's email address? | ||
| olieoliver
Senior Member Username: olieoliver Post Number: 447 Registered: 2-2006 |
My grandmothers name was Viola, and she was a player (guitar), thats a Viola-guitarist. About as close as I get get to knowing a violist. | ||
| tom_z
Senior Member Username: tom_z Post Number: 413 Registered: 7-2004 |
Ah viola? Hmmm . . . so much for my internet reading skills. | ||
| keith_h
Senior Member Username: keith_h Post Number: 479 Registered: 2-2005 |
Austin: im sorry, but... can anyone name one violist i might have heard of? I remember my sister used to play viola but she is definitely not famous. I think viola is one of those instruments where you have no stars. Kind of like the basoon. Keith | ||
| davehouck
Moderator Username: davehouck Post Number: 3981 Registered: 5-2002 |
Keith; bassoon - Paul Hanson. Check him out on Bela Fleck's DVD "Live At The Quick". | ||
| davehouck
Moderator Username: davehouck Post Number: 3982 Registered: 5-2002 |
According to Wikipedia, the following have played Viola: John Cale - Velvet Underground Charlie Daniels - Charlie Daniels Band Dave Swarbrick - Fairport Convention | ||
| lbpesq
Senior Member Username: lbpesq Post Number: 1403 Registered: 7-2004 |
Go Modder Dave! Bill, tgo | ||
| yggdrasil
Intermediate Member Username: yggdrasil Post Number: 140 Registered: 5-2002 |
Dave - viola is hardly the first thing we think of with those 3 - DJ: "now let's hear the famous violist John Cale do "Dirtyass Rock'n'Roll" from his 1975 release "Slow Dazzle" :-)" He did do some cool viola on early Velvet, though. Not much on his 20 or so albums since then (many of them sheer genius, BTW) I've seen him a few times - not once did he pull out the ole viola! (He has scored significant strings on a few recordings, tho) Frank (Message edited by yggdrasil on June 19, 2006) | ||
| richbass939
Senior Member Username: richbass939 Post Number: 652 Registered: 11-2004 |
The only somewhat famous vee-OH-list I can think of is Rolf Persinger. His parents ran Juilliard (Glad I looked up the spelling. I was about to butcher it.) around the 1930s, I think. He visited my in-laws about 10 years ago and played the vee-OH-la my father-in-law made as well as some of the violins he had around. Austin, ever heard of Rolf? Rich | ||
| u14steelgtr
Junior Username: u14steelgtr Post Number: 30 Registered: 7-2003 |
I was thinking "violinist" when I wrote "violist" (now edited and corrected). Most of the fiTTill (a.k.a. violin) players that are playing 5 strings have a added a low-C which simply combines the violin and viola tuning range in to 1 instrument. Some of you may not be aware that a group called The New Violin Family Association has developed a revised baseline for Contrabass and the rest of the violin family of instruments.  My questions are still: 1. Other than Hank Futch, who plays a Classico? 2. Where can I hear (on LP, CD, or online) a Classico? Regards -- Eugene | ||
| palembic
Senior Member Username: palembic Post Number: 2408 Registered: 9-2002 |
Every world of instruments and sound has their own heroes, it's vast so we cannot know all those heroes. Except Moder Dave and his Wikipedia ...hehehehe In the original Mahavishnu Orchestra with John MacL (Rick Laird on bass) was a violin player Jerry Goodman I really liked. The record was "The Inner mounting Flame". No classico player in my rememberance PTBO | ||
| bob
Senior Member Username: bob Post Number: 665 Registered: 11-2002 |
Eugene, I almost repeated your questions for you an hour or two ago, just to get us back on track. Unfortunately, I'm guessing that there just aren't very many good answers for you, so I would suggest two things: 1) Fly out to Santa Rosa and play one yourself. Call first, of course, but every time I've been there they've had one in the showroom. For the price of one of these things, a plane ticket to check it out in person would be a sound investment (pun intended). 2) Call Alembic, and see if they can give you any pointers (or cross your fingers and hope they post something here). Now that we have that out of the way, I actually spoke on the phone with Carleen Hutchins a few years ago (for the rest of you, she's the woman behind the New Violin Family). But I won't digress further here, we can discuss it elsewhere if you like. -Bob | ||
| keith_h
Senior Member Username: keith_h Post Number: 480 Registered: 2-2005 |
Well Dave I stand corrected. I guess I'll have to look for a more obscure instrument next time the subject comes up. :-) Keith | ||
| davehouck
Moderator Username: davehouck Post Number: 3985 Registered: 5-2002 |
Hee hee!!! | ||
| mica
Moderator Username: mica Post Number: 3372 Registered: 6-2000 |
We've made about 20 Classicos. It might be more, but that's all I can specifically remember. John Giblin owns the first Classico. Gino Vanelli had one in his band for quite a while (I think they sold it). Steve Miller has the first 5-string Classico in his studio. Trevor Hutchinson used one while in the Waterboys. Hank Futch has already been mentioned. I can't think of any other people you might know that have one, but that's about 25% of the Classicos we've made. Bob is correct, there is a Classico in our showroom right now, you're more than welcome to visit and try it out first hand. It's the second 5-string Classico. While we used Stanley Clarke's bass to collect critical measurements for the Classico project, he does not own one. There was a Classico at Washington Music in Maryland for a couple of years. I know they sold it a while back, so I think the only place you can try a new one is here in our showroom. Please let me know if you have any other questions. | ||
| bigredbass
Senior Member Username: bigredbass Post Number: 843 Registered: 9-2002 |
Of course, a Classico (along with the Steinberger uprights and the rest) are just different, electric instruments alongside their acoustic cousins. As regards viola, my next door neighbor is a fire-breathing country fiddler who regularly uses a viola and a viola strung to sound like a cello. He uses these two from time to time for his session calls (his regular fiddle is a five-string, low c-g-d-a-e) either for that lower timbre or if he stacks parts (no harmonizer for him!). He really dislikes the solid-body fiddles (ZETA et al). He'll use fairly boxy acoustic fiddles with electric bridges on live dates. For recording, he'll use his symphony grade violins recorded in good, small rooms, thru a C414 AKG with just a dash of reverb. He really prefers these terrific sounding acoustic violins thru a good mike than anything else. And of course lots of guys slap upright here in town, but usually vintage Kays or similar plywood instruments. Jim's favorite of the old-time country fiddlers was Dale Potter, all over lots of old country records, as well as Johnny Gimble, the master of Texas Swing. Jim's no slouch himself, utterly jaw-dropping to watch and hear him play triple stops IN TUNE. I'm hopeless with an upright, don't mind the fingering but I can never get comfortable standing behind that big sonofagun. J o e y | ||
| bob
Senior Member Username: bob Post Number: 666 Registered: 11-2002 |
(thanks, Mica) | ||
| u14steelgtr
Junior Username: u14steelgtr Post Number: 31 Registered: 7-2003 |
Mica; I thank you for the information. I had no idea that less than a couple of dozen Classico's had been sold. I will look up Trevor & the Waterboys too. Regards -- Eugene | ||
| wilfer
New Username: wilfer Post Number: 1 Registered: 7-2006 |
I have owned an Alembic Classico for about 10 years and recently sold it. The Classico is a special animal: First of all, it is built in the well known Alembic quality, flawless and mine looked very nice with a flame maple top. But, it does not have the advantages of an upright bass, the natural, wooden sound and not the ones of a bass guitar e.g handy, light, easy playable and so. It is very heavy and the handling is somewhat strange. You need more or less always a stand if you do not play it The standard magnetic pickup is very boomy and I added a Wilson piezo pickup to the bridge. The mix of both gave a versatile spectrum of sounds but I decided to sell the Classico and use the storage place and of course the money for a 5-string upright bass. Conclusion: I have enjoyed it but I do not miss it. It is probably great for studio work but not for the touring musician. Hope that gives a good impression? Wilfer |
