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rusty_the_scoob
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Username: rusty_the_scoob

Post Number: 7
Registered: 6-2008
Posted on Friday, July 04, 2008 - 11:14 am:   Edit Post

I've been comparing Phil's tone through the years and my favorite is his Alembic Osage. What pickups would you choose to get that sound, other than Alembics which don't seem to be available separately for 5-stringers...
davehouck
Moderator
Username: davehouck

Post Number: 6760
Registered: 5-2002
Posted on Friday, July 04, 2008 - 1:12 pm:   Edit Post

Hi Dan; five string Activators are listed here.
rusty_the_scoob
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Username: rusty_the_scoob

Post Number: 8
Registered: 6-2008
Posted on Friday, July 04, 2008 - 11:40 pm:   Edit Post

Oh! Is that what the "56" models mean.... I don't really understand their naming system.

That's still a little far over my budget... I'm budgeting $1200 for the whole project.
davehouck
Moderator
Username: davehouck

Post Number: 6771
Registered: 5-2002
Posted on Saturday, July 05, 2008 - 6:34 pm:   Edit Post

I've never tried to get someone else's sound; and my guess is I don't have the ear for it. That said, it seems to me that a number of people have posted here in the past that any Alembic with at least a low pass filter, is a step in that direction. So if it were me, and it's not, but if it were, I think I would be looking for a really good deal on a Spoiler, Essence, Elan, or Persuader. The Persuader would be the most likely to fall within your $1,200 budget. But five string basses usually sell for a bit more than four string basses; so that will make it a little tougher.
dadabass2001
Senior Member
Username: dadabass2001

Post Number: 929
Registered: 6-2002
Posted on Saturday, July 05, 2008 - 6:45 pm:   Edit Post

Also flat wound strings will help a great deal.
Mike
elwoodblue
Senior Member
Username: elwoodblue

Post Number: 448
Registered: 6-2002
Posted on Saturday, July 05, 2008 - 7:02 pm:   Edit Post

I'm guessing that an sf-2 and a power amp with a high damping factor and lotsa overhead in your system would allow you to dial in the sound you are looking for.
I've never had an intersound preamp , they are relatively cheap when they pop up on ebay...and alot of attention to playing style(fat, round ,clear, and that goofy smile never hurts...unless it's for 14 hours at a time...then be careful)


...and what mike says :-)
hieronymous
Advanced Member
Username: hieronymous

Post Number: 322
Registered: 1-2005
Posted on Saturday, July 05, 2008 - 7:41 pm:   Edit Post

How about one of the Dearmond (sp?) Starfire reissues with Dark Stars, flatwounds and a pick, and an SF-2 (like elwoodblue said), F-2B, and a hefty power amp? The SF-2 could really be the key, all the other stuff (well, except the flatwounds and a pick) could be secondary.
lbpesq
Senior Member
Username: lbpesq

Post Number: 3156
Registered: 7-2004
Posted on Sunday, July 06, 2008 - 9:40 am:   Edit Post

How to get Phil's sound on a budget? It's the same answer as the old joke about the guy on the streets of New York who asks a cop "How do I get to Carnegie Hall?", to which the cop replies:

"Practice, man, practice"

IMHO the whole "this guitar/amp/box will make you sound like Clapton/Hendrix/fill-in-the-blank" thing is overblown. The equipment only gets you 10% there - the other 90% is in your fingers and heart. I bet if Carlos Santana and I swapped rigs, he'd still sound a lot more like Santana on my rig than I ever would on his.

Bill, tgo
rusty_the_scoob
New
Username: rusty_the_scoob

Post Number: 9
Registered: 6-2008
Posted on Monday, July 07, 2008 - 6:08 pm:   Edit Post

I'm not discounting the practice, heavy pick or flatwounds. I'm reluctant to put flats on my Sadowsky though because it gets such a great Modulus sound as is... so I cooked up a father/son bonding project of building a second 5-string to put the flats on. I've got it all planned out (including a body shape copied from Irwin and body woods copied from Alembic) except the pickups.

To give you and idea of how close I've gotten to sounding like Phil so far, check out the audio clips at www.fennario.us and let me know what you think.
elwoodblue
Senior Member
Username: elwoodblue

Post Number: 457
Registered: 6-2002
Posted on Monday, July 07, 2008 - 7:21 pm:   Edit Post

what a Great project for a young one and Dad...skills learned young are valuable throughout life...even if at the time it's not so apparent.

...don't forget to take pics of the process and post a few here if you have the time.

cheers
hieronymous
Advanced Member
Username: hieronymous

Post Number: 323
Registered: 1-2005
Posted on Tuesday, July 08, 2008 - 12:12 am:   Edit Post

The Irwin-shape sounds good - I love the way that bass looks in the Radio City Music Hall footage that "Dead Set" came from (or maybe I'm thinking of the acoustic "Reckoning"/"For the Faithful" stuff?). I still think Dark Stars through an SF-2 would be cool, though there aren't any 5-string Dark Stars - yet...
tbrannon
Senior Member
Username: tbrannon

Post Number: 818
Registered: 11-2004
Posted on Tuesday, July 08, 2008 - 7:05 am:   Edit Post

Harry,

Charles (crgaston) installed a Dark Star on a modified Dearmond that he got from Flax- I'm pretty sure he has a SF-2 in his signal chain as well. There is a thread on that bass floating around here somewhere....
hieronymous
Advanced Member
Username: hieronymous

Post Number: 324
Registered: 1-2005
Posted on Tuesday, July 08, 2008 - 8:25 pm:   Edit Post

Thanks - I don't mean to harp on the Dark Stars so much - I've never tried them myself! But I've got an old Starfire with a single Bisonic that sounds great.

Found the thread that tbrannon mentioned. Plus I found a great thread on using an SF-2 to get a sound close to Phil's!

(Message edited by hieronymous on July 08, 2008)
edwin
Advanced Member
Username: edwin

Post Number: 355
Registered: 5-2002
Posted on Tuesday, July 08, 2008 - 10:05 pm:   Edit Post

I've been playing a '67 Starfire equipped with DS through a SF2 and it sounds great!

Edwin


rusty_the_scoob
New
Username: rusty_the_scoob

Post Number: 10
Registered: 6-2008
Posted on Wednesday, July 09, 2008 - 4:11 am:   Edit Post

I'm not that young, Elwood... I just don't see my dad often enough and we don't have a whole lot in common, but we get along fine. :-)

That bass looks awesome, Edwin! I'll eventually seek out an old Starfire or some new substitute and do something like that also if the band really does well.... but for now I'm after the tone of the bass discussed here: http://www.alembic.com/club/messages/411/1922.html?1097279324
lbpesq
Senior Member
Username: lbpesq

Post Number: 3163
Registered: 7-2004
Posted on Wednesday, July 09, 2008 - 6:46 am:   Edit Post

Dan:

You might want to checkout the Epiphone "Jack Casady Signature" model. I've heard some very good reviews of this very reasonably priced Starfire-like bass.

Bill, tgo
elwoodblue
Senior Member
Username: elwoodblue

Post Number: 465
Registered: 6-2002
Posted on Wednesday, July 09, 2008 - 1:06 pm:   Edit Post

I have one of those...great bass for the price...classy too...modeled after the les paul signature bass ...with a Jack Cassady pickup.

Dan,
My assumption was that you were the father,my apologies....My Bro and I built a house with our father before his passing ...it wasn't always easy; It makes for priceless bonding and memories...good for you!!!

all my best,

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