| Author | Message | ||
| Ron Zemanek (drz)
New Username: drz Post Number: 5 Registered: 2-2003 |
I'm looking for input on my new six string. What is gonna offer me the most versatility regarding woods, body design, electronics, etc....I play all styles, progressive to country. I am an inherently aggressive player and love slap bass. I am an aggressive funk player. What about the neck width, I have large fingers, therefore, string spacing is a critical issue. I really like the Epic and Essence body styles. Simplicity, beauty, and tone. What do the masters suggest? All ideas will be greatly appreciated. | ||
| Michael Walker (rockandroller)
Junior Username: rockandroller Post Number: 29 Registered: 11-2002 |
Not one of 'the masters', but my 2 cents... Ash core, with maple top and back will yield TONS of mids and harmonics. If you like different color, I bet you could nicely sub ebony or purpleheart for the maple, too & definitely I'd go with an ebony fretboard | ||
| Valentino Villevieille (valvil)
Moderator Username: valvil Post Number: 71 Registered: 7-2002 |
Hello Ron, here's my input: I feel that a mahogany body gives you a very consistent even sound, while ash will give you a bit more midrange; maple should give you a bit more brightness ( and more weight often enough). As Mica often says, on a neck though instrument, the top wood has less influence on the sound than on a set neck, but personally I can still hear the difference even on a neck-through, though it's really the neck that gives the bass most of its tone. My favorite top wood is Coco Bolo, which gives you nice sparkling highs with an enhanced low end as well; the folks at Alembic also seem to like it a lot since they call it "the house wood " of Alembic. It also looks amazing and that certainly does not hurt. If you want to go for something brighter, a maple top might be the thing for you (Mark King's quilted maple Alembic comes to mind); ebony should give you a pretty dark tone and walnut enhances the low end as well; I believe Stanley Clarke's most famous Alembic has a walnut top. Rosewood has also a lovely tone, warm yet fairly well balanced, I'd say; Zebrawood tends to be fairly neutral in my experience. I can't say too much about the other woods, since I have limited experience with them. More than anything though, I wouldn't stress too much on the sound property of the top, because just about any (properly set-up) Alembic I've ever played sounded great and is a dream to slap on. In terms of the neck, I love the maple/purple heart combination which is the ideal to me. I also like the ebony/maple combo which gives you a bigger low end that you notice mainly when playing long notes; the effect is not so noticeable when you play fast runs. Ebony/maple necks, however are very expensive (1450$ option on most 4 string neck-throughs, I believe) and very heavy. For a 6 string instrument I'd go for a neck through, since it's generally more stable thatn a set neck. In terms of Electronics, Series I & Series II are the most versatile of the lot, they come with rackmounted power supply and give you options of mono or stereo sound. They are the most expensive as well (2200$-2400$ upgrades). They also require large bodies, and I'm pretty sure that if you wanted to fit them in an Essence or Epic body, Alembic would have to use/make a larger template of that body, since they won't fit in the standard body size of those 2 models. In terms of value for the money my opinion is that Rogue electronics give you the best deal, they are very flexible & easy to use and have quick tone switches that allow you to radically change sound instantly. If you would like stereo sound without breaking a second piggy bank you might consider Anniversary electronics. At any rate, I would definitely get electronics that have the "mighty Q" switch and filter, rather than just treble and bass controls. String spacing and neck width, aren't really a problem, since Alembic will customize it any way you want; you can give them your preferred settings, possibly off of a bass that you might have that's comfortable to you, or if you are unsure, they will be happy to help you figure out what works best for you. Epic or Essence bodies are a good choice for 5& 6 string models since they are among the better balanced shapes that Alembic offers. The Epic model is generally a set neck model and having it made as a neckthrough will probably cost you more becaue it involves more work than usual. My final advice is, if you haven't done so already, find a store in your area, and try some Alembics out, and that will give you a much better idea of your options than our comments can. Hope this helps Valentino | ||
| Rami Sourour (rami)
Intermediate Member Username: rami Post Number: 132 Registered: 6-2002 |
A great bass should do it all! I can't recommend any Alembic bass for a particular style of playing or type of music. Has anyone ever heard a bad sounding Alembic bass? There are just so many variables that contribute to a great sounding bass. I prefer denser, heavier woods; neck through construction, and extra long scale length. All contribute to great sustain and ringing harmonics. And that's even before you plug in the bass! Rogue/Europa electronics are a good choice because they give you a bit of everything; Master Volume, Pan, Tone, 3 position Bass, Treble, and 2 position 'Q'. As for body shape, I LOVE the Rogue and Excel. The super long upper horns give excellent balance. Their necks almost seem to float in my left hand. I can position the neck anywhere and that's where it stays. But you're the best judge. As Valentino says, try a few and see what you like. (Message edited by rami on February 18, 2003) | ||
| Paul Lindemans (palembic)
Advanced Member Username: palembic Post Number: 265 Registered: 9-2002 |
Hi Ron, somewhere on this board I posted "once" a note on woods and their tones as I gathered from different info-corners. But ... I can't find it anymore, poor me! Question of wider necks than usual: my S2 5 string has a WIDE neck, look her up in the showcase (the wowcase-LOL) under Bonnie. I have a Fender Jazz-bass too and after some years I get more used to the smaller spacing but for some reason I still like more the wider one. I wonder if there is no tone difference too? I have small hands but I'm rather tall with considerable arm reach. So, hop you go in the research of my wood-thread. If I find it I let you know! Paul | ||
| Earl Schreyer (eschreyer2)
Junior Username: eschreyer2 Post Number: 26 Registered: 3-2003 |
Hi Ron, I have two 6-string Europa's, and I just love them. I would recommend them to anyone considering a 6-string bass. All the other folks have commented on woods and so forth, so I don't really have anything to add there. However, I did notice you said you were a slap player. I'm not really much of a slap player, although I do use the technique from time to time. Not sure if you've tried it on a multi-string bass, but it’s been my experience that it can be difficult to mute and/or avoid hitting the low b and high c strings if your not playing them. I have developed pretty good technique muting the unused strings with normal finger playing, but slapping can be a different story. I do notice whenever I pick up a 4-string these days, I immediately become slap happy. You may have already considered this, or have experience with this, but I just thought I’d mention it. I have been a 6-string player for the last 10 years, and I won't go back. I’m biased, but my recommendation would be a 6-string Europa. Earl | ||
| Daniel Tracey (dannobasso)
Junior Username: dannobasso Post Number: 36 Registered: 7-2002 |
The only suggestion I would have is on spacing. I have 3 sixes, 1 seven, 1 five, and 3 fours. I had a custom Spoiler 6 made in flame koa with deluxe neck and "jazz"spacing. It may seem a bit wide to some but it is stable, requires very little adjustment, and very easy to slap on. I have relavtively small hands and can span the neck easily. The koa, maple, mahogony mix delivers great tones. Whatever you need, Mica and company can make it happen. |
