| Author | Message | ||
| jazzyvee
Senior Member Username: jazzyvee Post Number: 3544 Registered: 6-2002 |
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 |
I just bring my brother with me. | ||
| briant
Senior Member Username: briant Post Number: 658 Registered: 12-2004 |
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 |
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 |
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 |
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 |
What about the Prodidgy? Those stickers rock! | ||
| dlbydgtl
Intermediate Member Username: dlbydgtl Post Number: 140 Registered: 7-2008 |
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 |
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 |
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 |
(Message edited by Dlbydgtl on August 10, 2013) | ||
| dlbydgtl
Intermediate Member Username: dlbydgtl Post Number: 143 Registered: 7-2008 |
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 |
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 |
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 |
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 |
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 |
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 |
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 |
I will look for it Mike ! Thanks __ | ||
| pace
Senior Member Username: pace Post Number: 1043 Registered: 4-2004 |
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 |
There is is ! I remember this one now . Thanks . I really like that . | ||
| manticore
New Username: manticore Post Number: 2 Registered: 7-2014 |
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. |
