| Author | Message | ||
| zaandammer
New Username: zaandammer Post Number: 2 Registered: 3-2006 |
I have been searching for a photo of Mark using this bass for years but cannot find any. He used it mainly for television appearances in 1987 ("It's Showtime At The Apollo" was one of them playing Lesson In Love & Running In The Family) and also promoting Heaven In My Hands. Has anyone here got something maybe???? cheers Dave Dodd   (Message edited by davehouck on February 26, 2008) | ||
| davehouck
Moderator Username: davehouck Post Number: 6269 Registered: 5-2002 |
Nice pics of a very nice bass! Oh, and I like the floor too! | ||
| serialnumber12
Advanced Member Username: serialnumber12 Post Number: 379 Registered: 12-2004 |
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=level+42&search_type= | ||
| olieoliver
Senior Member Username: olieoliver Post Number: 1767 Registered: 2-2006 |
WOW this is about as "80's" as it gets. | ||
| zaandammer
New Username: zaandammer Post Number: 3 Registered: 3-2006 |
Thanks guys for the kind comments and links. Here's the bass on a French show : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zbPGHiEkKxI Has anyone got the "Showtime Live At The Apollo" performance from 1987?. Dave | ||
| olieoliver
Senior Member Username: olieoliver Post Number: 1768 Registered: 2-2006 |
Very cool! That is a very nice looking bass too. | ||
| white_cloud
Advanced Member Username: white_cloud Post Number: 319 Registered: 11-2007 |
Wow! Is that a solid walnut body? Very nice bass indeed! John. | ||
| edmouk
Junior Username: edmouk Post Number: 46 Registered: 7-2007 |
He also used this superb Almebic bass on The Roxy TV show (another Top of the Pops-like UK TV show from the 80's) for the song "It's over", which must be the last time Level 42 appeared with the Gould brothers. I must still have this video somewhere (as well as the "Heaven in my hands" clip linked)... | ||
| white_cloud
Advanced Member Username: white_cloud Post Number: 321 Registered: 11-2007 |
He he he, the clip from the french tv show is great - the guys look like puppets from thunderbirds!!! I love it! And, I seriously love that Distilate  Thanks for sharing. John. | ||
| marcus43
New Username: marcus43 Post Number: 1 Registered: 6-2008 |
hi there this is my first post on the forum, i have a picture of the distillate hanging on mark kings wall along with the jaydees and a zon, and the other alembics he had at the time, will post it as soon as i can cheers marcus | ||
| davehouck
Moderator Username: davehouck Post Number: 6682 Registered: 5-2002 |
Hi Marcus; welcome to the board! | ||
| marcus43
New Username: marcus43 Post Number: 2 Registered: 6-2008 |
 enjoy marcus | ||
| zaandammer
New Username: zaandammer Post Number: 4 Registered: 3-2006 |
Hey Marcus great find!!! You know, I have been looking for this photo for around 8 years and then all of a sudden it's here! seems strange somehow.... Can you tell me if the photo above is it's full size i.e. 450 x 294? (42KB coincidentally) Thanks for taking the time to find the photo, I owe you one. cheers Dave | ||
| bigbadbill
Senior Member Username: bigbadbill Post Number: 436 Registered: 10-2003 |
Great photo; in addition to the Alembics I've always had a thing for the Starchild Jaydee (the white one) at the back. The first time I saw that bass was like the first time I saw JPJs Triple O, my jaw just went through the floor. I like the Distillates. What are the weight and balance generally like? | ||
| marcus43
New Username: marcus43 Post Number: 3 Registered: 6-2008 |
hi there zaandammer, no worries, i think the photo is full size. i am quite a big mark king fan and have quite a lot of photos lol... to bigbadbill: hi there i use a jaydee mine is a roadie 2 active model from 1981(greaet bass), and my dad has a series 1 jaydee too what a masterpiece, wish i could afford an alembic( its would have to be a standard point series 2 in quilted maple...front and side red lasers too :P cheers marcus | ||
| bigbadbill
Senior Member Username: bigbadbill Post Number: 445 Registered: 10-2003 |
Marcus I've had a couple of Jaydees; the first one (an early Supernatural with Saturn inlays, tailpiece etc) wasn't so successful; someone had shaved the neck down to nothing and it was very unstable. Also it was very heavy, and when I sent it to John Diggins for a setup he changed the pickups (which he said had lost a lot of power); unfortunately when it came back I didn't like the tone! My second one was a white Mark King with dot inlays and the "funk groove"; that was a great, great bass. Unfortunately it was again too heavy and had to go back to the shop. When I bought it I played it back to back with an 1980 Series 1 Alembic and it was certainly comparable. | ||
| marcus43
New Username: marcus43 Post Number: 4 Registered: 6-2008 |
cool, that was a good story to know... i love my roadie and my dads series 1, i also play a squier jazz bass which is great, got to get sum new pots tho  thanks again m | ||
| zaandammer
New Username: zaandammer Post Number: 5 Registered: 3-2006 |
The Distillate is a great bass and like all Alembics it takes little effort to play and to get the sound you want. The weight of the Distillate is 5.2kg, making it a little heavier than your average bass but it has a good balance. A good bass to gig with as long as you don't play too long. (a Status headless is 1.5kg lighter!!) The Jaydee's are great basses too but I wish the necks were not so sensitive to environmental changes... I have one and rarely play it because of this issue. take care Dave | ||
| white_cloud
Senior Member Username: white_cloud Post Number: 425 Registered: 11-2007 |
Jaydee basses? They look great but thats where it ends for me! I had a supernatural for a time and wouldnt want to go back there again. The neck would bend like a banana and the electrics/pickups were particularly weak. A wooden bass neck that is unreliable is as much use as an ashtray on a motorcycle in my book John. | ||
| marcus43
New Username: marcus43 Post Number: 5 Registered: 6-2008 |
well maybe you just sampled a bad one... both of mine/my dads are perfect and rearely need setting up, the action is so low you pobably couldnt get a piece of paper between the strings and the frets lol | ||
| funkyjazzjunky
Intermediate Member Username: funkyjazzjunky Post Number: 136 Registered: 5-2007 |
What type of wood is the top? | ||
| zaandammer
New Username: zaandammer Post Number: 6 Registered: 3-2006 |
It's a walnut top. It looks different depending on the lighting... the photos above were took in direct sunlight which shows the wood as quite light in appearance. In reality it is as dark as cocobolo | ||
| zaandammer
New Username: zaandammer Post Number: 7 Registered: 3-2006 |
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