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jazzyvee
Senior Member
Username: jazzyvee

Post Number: 3544
Registered: 6-2002
Posted on Sunday, July 28, 2013 - 2:47 am:   Edit Post

Ignoring the beater bass gigs or dodgy places where you wouldn't want to take an alembic.

What is it that determines what alembic you take on a gig. Is it more about the music you will be playing or a personal choice because you feel more comfortable with a particular instrument or something else?

At the moment I am choosing the Black Elan 5 or standard Europa for reggae. Now that I have series basses as well I would take one of them if it was more of a concert setting in a theatre.

For my jazz/funk band I have in the past taken my Europa 5 or my SC Deluxe depending. Now I would think more about taking my series basses unless there was a lot of slap bass in the set. In that case I would take my standard Europa because there is a bit more thumb space between the base of the neck and the neck pickup.

The folky band I play, we don't gig that often and for those I'm trying out my Series II as it has the clearest acoustic type tones which I think work well with the acoustic guitars used in the band.

Jazzyvee
that_sustain
Advanced Member
Username: that_sustain

Post Number: 223
Registered: 8-2012
Posted on Sunday, July 28, 2013 - 9:52 am:   Edit Post

I just bring my brother with me.
briant
Senior Member
Username: briant

Post Number: 658
Registered: 12-2004
Posted on Sunday, July 28, 2013 - 1:26 pm:   Edit Post

My Essence comes with me on every gig regardless of The Dodgy Factor(tm). It's a fabulous instrument and it's meant to be played. Why "suffer" with anything less?

If I need a 5 string I bring my Rogue. However I'm quite sure that bass is feeling a bit jilted lately as it hasn't been out of the house in years.
musashi
Intermediate Member
Username: musashi

Post Number: 191
Registered: 5-2004
Posted on Sunday, July 28, 2013 - 8:14 pm:   Edit Post

Take "Your" sound with you.

Anything less defeats the purpose.

You have the axes you have for a reason. Don't you?
jazzyvee
Senior Member
Username: jazzyvee

Post Number: 3546
Registered: 6-2002
Posted on Monday, July 29, 2013 - 1:21 am:   Edit Post

Yep in part its about taking your sound with you, though I was more interested in the reasons people take specific alembics to a gig. For example when I played more guitar live, some of the factors that determined what guitar I took was not about the sound of the guitar, more for security reasons, especially if I was touring I didn't want to risk losing a more expensive instrument or one that I had owned for a long period of time. When touring in certain countries I had to up my insurance to cover me in that country so in that case was better to take a cheaper instrument because minimum time period for the cover was a 30 days.

if I knew a particular venue was likely to be full of intoxicated punters, I would be concerned about the instrument getting damaged. Other times it may have been purely cosmetic because we knew the gig was being filmed and/or being photographed. But the guitars were always good guitars.

But after a while I decided that I wanted to enjoy playing a particular guitar regardless of the punters, because I loved the way it played and sounded so that became the primary reason along with the sound I needed for a particular gig.

Now that I haven't done guitar gigs with any frequency for years now, and I only have alembic basses to choose from for bass gigs, I'm trying to make decisions based which bass I feel is more appropriate for the music I will be playing on a particular gig. Yes you could feel that any individual alembic bass is going to fit any genre of music but some are more fitting than others for both sound and the ability to perform certain playing techniques without distraction.

Jazzyvee
fc_spoiler
Senior Member
Username: fc_spoiler

Post Number: 1475
Registered: 5-2006
Posted on Monday, July 29, 2013 - 9:16 am:   Edit Post

No need to ignore the beater bass gigs, Alembic is the only bass to bring wherever we play (I don't have much of a choice) :-)

I always bring the Elan 5 and the '83 Spoiler, if "Sad but true" is on the setlist the '88 Spoiler also comes along (tuned ADGC) and most of the time the '90 Elan comes as backup (never needed though) The '88 Spoiler can also serve as backup for the 5 string.

For my other band it is: Fretless Orion and '90 Elan for backup.

My Fender is as good as retired, I only take it to special gigs (like the "All stars" gig some weeks ago)
gtrguy
Senior Member
Username: gtrguy

Post Number: 623
Registered: 9-2004
Posted on Monday, July 29, 2013 - 9:07 pm:   Edit Post

What about the Prodidgy? Those stickers rock!
dlbydgtl
Intermediate Member
Username: dlbydgtl

Post Number: 140
Registered: 7-2008
Posted on Saturday, August 10, 2013 - 4:00 pm:   Edit Post

People ask me that a lot and I tell them it depends on the set list. If I am playing an older musical with lots of wind players I take Europa fretless with signature electronics for the sweet mellow upright growl. If it is a rock show with guitars and keyboards I take series one fretted Europa . It breaks my heart but, no alembic goes to an outdoor night time summer gig in Illinois. Have been known to take both and switch off as the music demands. John
dlbydgtl
Intermediate Member
Username: dlbydgtl

Post Number: 141
Registered: 7-2008
Posted on Saturday, August 10, 2013 - 4:14 pm:   Edit Post

For example, tonight I play Chitty Chitty Bang Bang which is all horns with the fretless signature. Then up early playing at church which is a contemporary set. I know one guitar player has PRS the other has a Jackson . Keyboard will have a Hammond so i will play a series one. I love them both , my wife likes the way the series one presents itself out front in the house mix.
jazzyvee
Senior Member
Username: jazzyvee

Post Number: 3563
Registered: 6-2002
Posted on Saturday, August 10, 2013 - 5:01 pm:   Edit Post

I'm just on a 3 hour drive home from a reggae gig and took my maple europa 5 signature bass. I have an outdoor festival gig tomorrow and thinking of taking my series 2 Europa for a change as it hasn't seen much gig action.
Jazzyvee
dlbydgtl
Intermediate Member
Username: dlbydgtl

Post Number: 142
Registered: 7-2008
Posted on Saturday, August 10, 2013 - 8:45 pm:   Edit Post



(Message edited by Dlbydgtl on August 10, 2013)
dlbydgtl
Intermediate Member
Username: dlbydgtl

Post Number: 143
Registered: 7-2008
Posted on Saturday, August 10, 2013 - 8:49 pm:   Edit Post

I have seen pics of your maple, love it!, Series 2 wise choice. Those electronics will make your Europa pop right to the front of the mix outside, especially the night air..have fun. John
jazzyvee
Senior Member
Username: jazzyvee

Post Number: 3565
Registered: 6-2002
Posted on Monday, August 12, 2013 - 1:50 am:   Edit Post

Thanks John, I did take the Series II with me yesterday and it was by all accounts a great big sound out front. I will post some pics here once I get round to downloading them from my camera to my mac.
Unfortunately once again I had an old Ampeg rig which was useless even the keyboard player commented that it was the worst sounding ampeg rig he'd ever heard.

Jazzyvee
coop
New
Username: coop

Post Number: 6
Registered: 6-2014
Posted on Tuesday, July 08, 2014 - 5:56 am:   Edit Post

Right now, I'm playing most every gig with my SCSD SigDeluxe. When my Rogue is delivered, I'll probably go-to with that bass and change the setup of my SCSD for specific stuff - super low action more than likely. For crazy rock and roll gigs, I take out my Exploiter - always a great show bass!
terryc
Senior Member
Username: terryc

Post Number: 2227
Registered: 11-2004
Posted on Thursday, July 10, 2014 - 3:18 am:   Edit Post

My MK gets gigged all the time, the 'beater bass' I have is my Squier P bass which has Alembic PJ activators & a Baddass bridge, the only reason it is a beater is because my son used it when he was in emo bands and the body has took a few knocks but the electronics have survived and it sounds and plays great!
pace
Senior Member
Username: pace

Post Number: 1041
Registered: 4-2004
Posted on Friday, July 11, 2014 - 6:59 pm:   Edit Post

Back when I had my fretted Series, and fretless Élan it was more of a choice gig to gig~ I felt comfy playing both on all the material... Now, it's a fretless Series and my SSB6 both of which only come out for special occasions.... Putting activators in my Les Paul std bass, and MIM fretless jazz, makes for a nice beater selection.
sonicus
Senior Member
Username: sonicus

Post Number: 3522
Registered: 5-2009
Posted on Friday, July 11, 2014 - 7:11 pm:   Edit Post

Mike ,
I will interested in the results on the Activators in the Les Paul Standard Bass ! Will they be a special order to accommodate size design?

Wolf
pace
Senior Member
Username: pace

Post Number: 1042
Registered: 4-2004
Posted on Saturday, July 12, 2014 - 2:50 am:   Edit Post

I did it a few years back, Wolf. The ceramic Bart's were the same size as regular humbuckers, so the HG activators fit right in.... There's a thread somewhere around here...
sonicus
Senior Member
Username: sonicus

Post Number: 3524
Registered: 5-2009
Posted on Saturday, July 12, 2014 - 3:23 am:   Edit Post

I will look for it Mike !

Thanks __
pace
Senior Member
Username: pace

Post Number: 1043
Registered: 4-2004
Posted on Saturday, July 12, 2014 - 7:50 am:   Edit Post

Here it is:

http://alembic.com/club/messages/393/102310.html

Took me a while to find it!...
sonicus
Senior Member
Username: sonicus

Post Number: 3525
Registered: 5-2009
Posted on Saturday, July 12, 2014 - 8:51 am:   Edit Post

There is is ! I remember this one now . Thanks . I really like that .
manticore
New
Username: manticore

Post Number: 2
Registered: 7-2014
Posted on Sunday, July 13, 2014 - 3:19 pm:   Edit Post

My '92 Elan 6 goes on every gig, anywhere, all the time. Versatile enough to cover virtually any gig. I have a few spares that rotate in and out of the truck, but the one I've been bringing most often recently is...a '91 Elan 6.

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