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joebassman
New
Username: joebassman

Post Number: 1
Registered: 11-2009
Posted on Saturday, November 07, 2009 - 6:01 pm:   Edit Post

Hi:

I'm a retired person who took up the ecectric bass about 6 years ago. I purchased my Alembic from someone who was selling it on E-bay. I actually went to the seller's house in Encino, Ca. as he lived within 30 miles from my place. I was told that the bass was an 83 Spoiler.

I play with a senior group where we perform for mostly other seniors. However, I also play with a combo group where we play out of the fake books and Abersold books.

I would appreciate it if anyone can give me advice as to what make and type of bass strings would be best for playing on a 83 Spoiler and give me a good "walking bass" sound.
1983 Alembic Spoiler
keith_h
Senior Member
Username: keith_h

Post Number: 1431
Registered: 2-2005
Posted on Sunday, November 08, 2009 - 6:00 am:   Edit Post

Welcome Joe,
If you are not looking for a lot of brightness or planning on do any slapping you might want to use a try a flat wound string. Two popular flat wound brands around here are D'Addario Chromes and Thomastik-Infeld Jazz Flats. If you would like something in between you could consider a ground round wound such as the GHS Brite Flats.

Someone else will chime in on the length but I would suggest long scale strings even if yours is a 32" (medium) scale neck. Alembics require a longer string due to the additional length added by the tail piece.

Keith

(Message edited by keith_h on November 08, 2009)
pauldo
Advanced Member
Username: pauldo

Post Number: 331
Registered: 6-2006
Posted on Sunday, November 08, 2009 - 7:28 am:   Edit Post

Yo Joe!
Welcome to the club.
Keith pretty much hit it on the head with string choices.

Looks like there are tape wound strings on your gourgeous looking Spoiler in the picture - are those not 'warm' enough?
davehouck
Moderator
Username: davehouck

Post Number: 8942
Registered: 5-2002
Posted on Tuesday, November 10, 2009 - 6:09 pm:   Edit Post

Hi Joe, welcome to the board and congrats on the Spoiler! Very nice looking top! I agree that Keith's made some good suggestions as a starting point on strings.

Your bass appears to have been repaired around the quarter inch jack. Someone probably stepped on a cable while it was still plugged in and cracked the top around the jack. It appears to be a nice looking repair though. I used to have a Koa topped Spoiler that was very comfortable to play and had a very nice tone; they're great basses!
jacko
Senior Member
Username: jacko

Post Number: 2488
Registered: 10-2002
Posted on Wednesday, November 11, 2009 - 1:34 am:   Edit Post

Nice bass Joe. Welcome to the club from Scotland. I have LaBella deep talkin flats on my Kelly dragonfly and it almost sounds like an upright. Pauld, those strings could be DR black beauty roundwounds - I have DR coloured strings on all my Alembic basses and love them for their brightness ;-)

Graeme
joebassman
New
Username: joebassman

Post Number: 2
Registered: 11-2009
Posted on Friday, November 13, 2009 - 7:42 am:   Edit Post

Hello, and thanks to all who responded to my question.
I am going to take Keith's advice and install Thomastik-infeld Jazz flats.
Pauldo, what good eyes you have. Yes the stings on the bass now are a very old set of Rickenbacker "electro" flat wound.
I didn't like them at first, but getting to like them more. I originally had on a set of Rotosound "Spacers" which were round wound, I believe, and liked them. However, Rotosound no longer makes them because they told me they were too expensive to make. There is a very different feel between round and flat wound strings. It took me awhile to get used to the new feel. Now there must be a reason for Thomastik flat wound strings being so much more expensive than other flat wounds. Well, I'm going to find out if that is true.
Again , thanks for your help.
mario_farufyno
Advanced Member
Username: mario_farufyno

Post Number: 357
Registered: 9-2008
Posted on Friday, November 13, 2009 - 9:49 am:   Edit Post

To get a more "uprighty" sound I would try Tapewound Flats (those with black nylon tape winding). I had a Carvin semi-acoustic fretless bass strung with those and it sounded as close to an upright as an eletric bass could get (something like an EUB). That is a try.

I also noticed that soloing the Neck PU gives me a great woody tone very suitable to get an Upright tone on my Rogue (specially with the Q switch on though).

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