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Alembic Club » Alembic Basses & Guitars » Archive through January 07, 2011 » Archive: 2009 » Archive through October 16, 2009 » To Live is to Die: The Life of Metallica's Cliff Burton(biography!!!!) « Previous Next »

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tmoney61092
Advanced Member
Username: tmoney61092

Post Number: 204
Registered: 9-2008
Posted on Saturday, September 05, 2009 - 6:46 pm:   Edit Post

so i was at the bookstore today and was looking for some good biographies/autobiographies and out of the corner of my eye, i saw "Cliff Burton", natural reaction was to grab it and start reading right away, which i wasn't able to do, i've only read the first chapter and from the looks of it, it's going to be pretty awesome. i thought i would throw this info out here since i know there are a lot of Metallica fans on here. it came out pretty recently since there are a lot of interviews from this year (2009)so it is packed full of stuff. i hope everyone goes out and buys this book

~Taylor Watterson
eligilam
Advanced Member
Username: eligilam

Post Number: 201
Registered: 2-2006
Posted on Sunday, September 06, 2009 - 7:29 am:   Edit Post

Thanks for the heads up...I'm gonna get it. I spent many a night in my teens watching my "Cliff 'Em All" VHS tape (especially the section titled "Cliff's Second Gig") and dreaming of the day I could get either a Rickenbacker, a Spoiler, or a sweet Aria Pro II Black 'N Gold.
mario_farufyno
Advanced Member
Username: mario_farufyno

Post Number: 266
Registered: 9-2008
Posted on Sunday, September 06, 2009 - 7:52 am:   Edit Post

If he ever talked about it, throw here some excerpts about why he choosed Alembics, please...
tmoney61092
Advanced Member
Username: tmoney61092

Post Number: 205
Registered: 9-2008
Posted on Sunday, September 06, 2009 - 1:30 pm:   Edit Post

i got the Cliff 'em All DVD for Christmas last year and have worn it out, i love watching it with all the solos and kicka** songs. i'll tell everyone if he ever mentions his Alembics in it.

~Taylor Watterson
robertodiazj
New
Username: robertodiazj

Post Number: 9
Registered: 3-2006
Posted on Monday, September 07, 2009 - 8:18 am:   Edit Post

Hello
He choose Alembic because he was a fan of Stanley Clarke, I donīt remember the chapter where they mention it, but it is there.
tmoney61092
Advanced Member
Username: tmoney61092

Post Number: 206
Registered: 9-2008
Posted on Monday, September 07, 2009 - 7:13 pm:   Edit Post

that's in the first chapter but he didn't say that's why he used Alembic, he just mentioned him as an influence

~Taylor Watterson
elwoodblue
Senior Member
Username: elwoodblue

Post Number: 840
Registered: 6-2002
Posted on Monday, September 07, 2009 - 11:49 pm:   Edit Post

...here's a Black and Gold
...priced a little high tho'
andbassforall
Member
Username: andbassforall

Post Number: 66
Registered: 9-2008
Posted on Tuesday, September 08, 2009 - 12:54 am:   Edit Post

I got the book a few months ago. Though I wasn't to hip on the author's writing, there was a lot of good quotes from folks. I learned a lot and I thought I already knew quite a bit. Would recommend for sure.
mario_farufyno
Advanced Member
Username: mario_farufyno

Post Number: 267
Registered: 9-2008
Posted on Tuesday, September 08, 2009 - 5:34 am:   Edit Post

Despite Cliff Burton's widespread influence in so many bassists, it seems we could say there are 3 main reasons to a bass man get inspired by the idea of picking an Alembic for the first time:

Stanley Clarke
John Entwhistle
Greatfull Dead

Being Stanley's admirer must be enough to get caught by the crave for an Alembic... It was to me, at least.
mario_farufyno
Advanced Member
Username: mario_farufyno

Post Number: 268
Registered: 9-2008
Posted on Tuesday, September 08, 2009 - 5:45 am:   Edit Post

Ok, I'm not being fair to guys like Cliff, John Paul Jones and Greg Lake... But may be even them heard some of those guys before get addicted. In fact the first time I saw one Series was a beautifull 8 string in a JPJ pic.

Just seeing Stan close in a Show changed my life. He went in the middle of the crowd and soloed two rows before me with all that confidence and authority. Blew my mind... Nice to know Cliff's, too.
briant
Advanced Member
Username: briant

Post Number: 368
Registered: 12-2004
Posted on Tuesday, September 08, 2009 - 5:33 pm:   Edit Post

"If he ever talked about it, throw here some excerpts about why he choosed Alembics, please..."

I'm guessing because he liked how they sounded and played. Call me crazy but those are my two main reasons for purchasing any instrument. "Because someone else plays one" is nowhere on my list.

I'll have to check out the book on Cliff. Thanks for the heads up.
tmoney61092
Advanced Member
Username: tmoney61092

Post Number: 207
Registered: 9-2008
Posted on Tuesday, September 08, 2009 - 5:40 pm:   Edit Post

i also just remembered something i read in an interview once, he said that he had to have his Ric worked on so he bought a Spoiler just because, of course this didn't last long because some sleeze bag stole it. also worth noting, i read that he had a Seymore Duncan high output Strat pickup installed under the bridge of his Ric to give it more treble, pretty crazy stuff.

~Taylor Watterson
mario_farufyno
Advanced Member
Username: mario_farufyno

Post Number: 269
Registered: 9-2008
Posted on Wednesday, September 09, 2009 - 5:32 am:   Edit Post

That's interesting, Taylor...

Don't get me wrong, Briant. We all certainly choose a Bass by its sound (specially the expensive ones), but you must hear it first somewhere. I've heard Alembic for the first time at Stanley Clarke's records as I imagine to happen to other guys (may be even Cliff).

May be you've heard them in a Level 42 record or on a Metallica one - or may be you've simply got grabed by its look when you've got into a shop and never knew anyone who played it. But you must have something to grab you first or to incite you to think "I must try one of these some day"... I've just assumed most people heard it first in someone's record that they liked (so as I presumed hearing that 3 masters's records was the first time most people listened to an Alembic ever).

In Brazil we don't have much chances to try Alembics around. In fact it is very dificult to find one being sold anywhere here and any Bass can easily cost 3 or 4 times more here than in US (in 25 years playing I've just had the chance to be face-to-face to 6 Alembics until now, including mine and the ones I saw in live shows). So I took years hearing it before having the chance to play or buy one.

Everybody has a "starting point". If I ever thought to pursue a Hofner, it was from listening to Beatles LPs. As the hitch to try one Rickenbaker was from hearing to lasts Beatle's albuns and to Chris Squire tone (some may say their was related to Lemmy or Geddy Lee) and Jazz Bass's "must have" came from dozens of records, especialy the Jaco's ones. Then you make your choices and trys, later... Today I'd rather to play an Alembic more than Fenders or Rics, but this desire changed and evolved over the years.

I agree with you when you say no one should buy an Instrument just based on who endorse it. But I was saying the first idea of having any bass usually came from hearing it in someone's hand who catches you long time before you really buy it. It is a teen admirer thing, I confess. But that intention must came from somewhere... To me was from hear it in School Days anthem.

(Message edited by Mario Farufyno on September 09, 2009)
robertodiazj
New
Username: robertodiazj

Post Number: 10
Registered: 3-2006
Posted on Wednesday, September 09, 2009 - 7:11 am:   Edit Post

I re-read the page I was talking about earlier, it is pretty vague it just says that Cliff Burton tried Alembics as his hero Stanley Clarke, nothing more, it is in chapter 10, page 159. So there is nothing clear as why he chosed an Alembic Spoiler. The other mention of the Alembic is in the last chapter where his girlfriend talks about how it was stolen.

And here is a link to the transcription of the interview Taylor is talking about:
http://www.artistwd.com/joyzine/music/burton/burton.php

They quote little bits of this interview in various parts in the book. I think it was the last interview he gave.

(Message edited by robertodiazj on September 09, 2009)

(Message edited by robertodiazj on September 09, 2009)
bigredbass
Senior Member
Username: bigredbass

Post Number: 1289
Registered: 9-2002
Posted on Thursday, September 10, 2009 - 11:04 pm:   Edit Post

I will say this: As part of the great wave of Alembic-influenced Japanes basses from the 80's, the recently re-introduced Aria SB's are my-T-fine axes. A tad heavy or a bit too round-neck-profiled for some, still a very nice axe. A nice member of the Yamaha BB / Ibanez Musician / Daion XX / Aria SB club.

And of course, the 'Designed by H. Noble' decal on the originals refers to Nobiyashi-san, who went on to found Atlansia. Single string bass for you, gaigin?

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