| Author | Message | ||
| hieronymous
Advanced Member Username: hieronymous Post Number: 361 Registered: 1-2005 |
I recently became the guardian of this fine bass. When it first came up for sale, I wasn't particularly interested; then I noticed that it was almost exactly what I was plugging into the custom quote generator on my own! So I haggled a little (just a little - the seller was quite nice actually) and snagged it!  It's a five-string, originally tuned BEADG, but I always intended to restring it EADGC. Which I did. And I love it! A while back I got interested in getting a six-string bass - fortunately I got a cheap one, because I quickly learned that I'm not into the low-B. I've been playing bass for twenty-five years now, and it has just never appealed to me - of course there are other players who use the low B that I like - it's just not for me. But I loved the high C string, so I've been on the lookout for a five-string with the high C. Another thing I love is short-scale basses. I've got a few vintage ones, but this is probably the first "modern" short-scale that I've owned, and again, I love it! I'm going to take it back to the mothership at some point and have new bridge saddles and a new nut put in - it works as-is for the time being, but I notice that when I pluck the low E with my thumb, you can hear the string moving in the too-wide saddle. Here's one more picture taken with flash showing off the flame:  While I'm at it, here's the original build thread, and the for sale thread for some other pictures. I'll try and post some more shots later, and also maybe some discussion of the Stanley Clarke Signature model in general. | ||
| tbrannon
Senior Member Username: tbrannon Post Number: 852 Registered: 11-2004 |
Looks good Harry~ I'm looking forward to a few video/sound clips of it too! | ||
| rami
Senior Member Username: rami Post Number: 837 Registered: 6-2002 |
That's a real beauty Harry! I also enjoy the high C string on my 6 string Basses. I've never tried a short scale 5 string and I wonder how the low B string would sound. I'm sure on an Alembic it would sound great - tight and crisp. But I'd imagine on lesser Basses it would sound rather muddy and floppy. A high C seems to make more sense on a short scale Bass. I also look forward to sound clips of it in action. I'm a big fan!  | ||
| kenbass4
Advanced Member Username: kenbass4 Post Number: 300 Registered: 10-2003 |
Wow, Harry So, are you pricing the SUV you're going to need for next years gathering? :-) Ken | ||
| bigyouth
Intermediate Member Username: bigyouth Post Number: 110 Registered: 7-2006 |
Beautiful bass I have the same(4string) | ||
| hieronymous
Advanced Member Username: hieronymous Post Number: 364 Registered: 1-2005 |
Thanks guys - I will try and record something soon. The previous owner had put DR Lo-Riders which I normally like, but they felt really loose on this bass. I can't really comment on the low B because I don't have much experience with them and restrung this bass after a couple of days. I think I remember reading somewhere here on this forum, though, that Alembic now discourages short scales with low B strings. But so far the low E is great! Ken, actually the case for this is nice and compact - this year it was either the double-neck or the Exploiter - hopefully next year I can bring both the double-neck and the SC. (Assuming of course I don't end up with something else! I was actually planning on bringing the Telembic next time but it's still in Massachusetts and I think I might leave it there for the time being...) | ||
| keurosix
Advanced Member Username: keurosix Post Number: 353 Registered: 10-2005 |
Hey Harry, Did I read correctly that you have a cheap 6 string bass? Why not tune it EADGCF with a hi-C and higher F? This would give you an extended top range piccolo bass into guitar range great for chording and melodic phrasing. Worth a try! P.S. I have a 6 string bass with a low B and I love the symmetry: a four string bass in the middle with another string on the top and the bottom. Makes the 5 string a little awkward conceptually and in execution. Kris | ||
| keurosix
Advanced Member Username: keurosix Post Number: 354 Registered: 10-2005 |
Hey Rami, I can tell the difference of my low B string on my 34" scale Europa to my 35" scale Modulus Graphite Quantum TBX thru-neck. While the Europa is clean and accurate, it is weak in power and authority compared to the Modulus. I have a burning question: You have some absolutely beautiful 36" scale Rogues with Ebony neck laminates. Can you describe the difference of the low B from these monsters to a normal 34" long scale bass, say one of your Excels? I am dying to know. Esp fretless tones. Kris | ||
| hieronymous
Advanced Member Username: hieronymous Post Number: 366 Registered: 1-2005 |
Hey keurosix, I actually considered selling my Ibanez 6-string, but I'm hanging on to it for now, "just in case" I need a low B! I don't feel like I need the extra range that an F string would provide - I am just loving the SC 5-string so much! The baritone part of the doubleneck goes up into that range, in case I ever need it. As for the symmetry, I was basically playing the 6 like a 5 and ignoring the low B, so the SC feels perfectly natural. But that's just me! | ||
| 3rd_ray
Member Username: 3rd_ray Post Number: 60 Registered: 2-2008 |
Harry, what are the fingerboard dimensions on your Ibanez 6-string? (width at nut and width at 24th fret) I tried a Soundgear 5-string in a store a while ago and the neck seemed not as wide as most 5-strings. My next bass will probably be a 6-string and I'd like to make the neck width smaller than normal. Alembic shows 2.0" inches at the nut for classic taper. My Carvin 6-string is also 2" at the nut. I'm wondering how much smaller I can go using BEADGC. Maybe 1-7/8"? BTW, nice SC! I like that walnut. Mike (Message edited by 3rd_ray on August 01, 2008) | ||
| 3rd_ray
Member Username: 3rd_ray Post Number: 61 Registered: 2-2008 |
Kris, I'm using the high C and higher F on my Carvin 6-string. It works pretty good. Like Harry, I hardly ever used the low B, so I tried this as an experiment and ended up keeping it that way. I can see how EADGCF would be weird for guitar players, but it works for me. I just don't think of it as a guitar. Mike | ||
| hieronymous
Advanced Member Username: hieronymous Post Number: 367 Registered: 1-2005 |
Mike, I'm going to have to get back to you on the neck width of my Ibanez, maybe when I get home tonight. To tell the truth, I don't have much experience with 5- and 6-string basses - heck, even my 4-strings come in so many shapes and sizes that I don't think I know what "normal" is! Here's another shot of the bass - I'm not thrilled with the lighting/color, but it's another view of the flame.  | ||
| rami
Senior Member Username: rami Post Number: 839 Registered: 6-2002 |
A low B is cool for some stuff. It 's useful for certain positions as well as reaching to the basement for notes. I have a Bach Suite in C Major which runs down to low C. That's alot of fun to play on a 5 or 6 string Bass. I feel weird holding a guitar. I'm not used to the high B & E strings. To whatever floats the boat! | ||
| 82daion
Intermediate Member Username: 82daion Post Number: 188 Registered: 5-2005 |
Looking sharp, Harry! I love the flame pattern in the walnut. | ||
| mcdonger
Member Username: mcdonger Post Number: 65 Registered: 4-2007 |
Beautiful bass. Makes me kinda wish I kept my SC V. Enjoy it. | ||
| hieronymous
Advanced Member Username: hieronymous Post Number: 370 Registered: 1-2005 |
Mike, my Ibanez is the Soundgear SR506 six-string. Here are the measurements: width @ nut - 2 1/8" width @ 24th fret - 3 1/4" Just for the heck of it, I measured my Alembic five-string (might confuse more than it helps): width @ nut - 1 7/8" width @ 24th fret - 2 7/8" The Ibanez isn't a bad instrument at all - in fact, I like the way it feels, but I really don't like the active EQ very much - the treble is too crunchy for my taste, and actually I don't like active pickups (besides Alembic!) much anyway. The thing that I love about the Ibanez is that it opened up the world of the high C string, and led me to the Stanley Clarke! | ||
| 3rd_ray
Member Username: 3rd_ray Post Number: 63 Registered: 2-2008 |
Thanks Harry. I'll have to ask Susan or Mica about what we can do on the neck. The Soundgear 5-string that I tried felt easy to play. Maybe that was because of the neck profile instead of the width. My 4-string Essence is easier to play than my 4-string Excel because the Essence neck profile is slimmer. My Carvin 6-string has 2" width at the nut, but it's a stretch to get to the low string. Anyway, enjoy your 5-string SC! Mike | ||
| hieronymous
Advanced Member Username: hieronymous Post Number: 379 Registered: 1-2005 |
I took some pictures the other day in my back yard - see the family portrait thread. Here's a shot of the back:  I didn't realize how nice the flame was on the back (it's bubinga apparently). And the finish is so shiny, you can see the reflection of my tripod! I'm taking it to the mothership to have a new nut and saddles put on, since I restrung it EADGC. Fortunately I'm very busy the next few weeks so I shouldn't miss it too much (I hope!) (Message edited by hieronymous on August 06, 2008) | ||
| hieronymous
Advanced Member Username: hieronymous Post Number: 380 Registered: 1-2005 |
Well, I dropped my bass off yesterday. There wasn't time for a tour, but I was able to see and experience the office - very cool! Speaker cabs, basses, guitars, artwork, frequency analyzers - I wish I worked in an office like that! My wife did take a picture though to commemorate the experience:  Afterwards we went to Johnny Garlic's, which is owned by Guy Fieri - he has that show "Diners, Drive-ins and Dives" on the Food Channel, among other things. The food was pretty good, but you'd better like garlic! | ||
| davehouck
Moderator Username: davehouck Post Number: 6882 Registered: 5-2002 |
Nice pic of you in front of the shop!!! Cool!!! | ||
| hieronymous
Advanced Member Username: hieronymous Post Number: 389 Registered: 1-2005 |
Went and picked up my bass today. Also got a quick tour of the factory - thanks Mica! It was great to see all the wood and the machines and the basses in various stages of completion and repair. I think the thing that struck me the most was the wood - everything from big 15-20' boards to more bass-sized boards to what looked like tree stumps! | ||
| hieronymous
Advanced Member Username: hieronymous Post Number: 398 Registered: 1-2005 |
Quick update - loving the bass with the new nut and saddles! Been messing around with one of the new Electro Harmonix Nano pedals - a Small Stone phaser. Will post some recordings at some point, if I ever get the chance to record... | ||
| to_81_0190
Member Username: to_81_0190 Post Number: 83 Registered: 5-2006 |
Hi Harry, I'm sure you'll make good sound with Hi-C. I'm looking forward to listen your new recording. Watasi mo totemo genki desuyo. Toshiaki | ||
| hieronymous
Senior Member Username: hieronymous Post Number: 448 Registered: 1-2005 |
Finally recorded a little something with the Stanley Clarke: Alembic 5-string Stanley Clarke Signature jam Drums performed by Greg DeGuglielmo, recorded back in June at Oxbow Studios. Bass recorded tonight, just into a Custom Audio V-Comp tube compressor direct into ProTools. Played with fingers - I would play until I screwed up, then start recording again on a new track. Anyone want to lay down a screaming guitar lead on top? (Message edited by hieronymous on October 17, 2008) | ||
| bigyouth
Intermediate Member Username: bigyouth Post Number: 127 Registered: 7-2006 |
very nice sound | ||
| hieronymous
Senior Member Username: hieronymous Post Number: 452 Registered: 1-2005 |
hey bigyouth - you're a great player, play a solo over my backing track, record it and post it here! (if you want) | ||
| tbrannon
Senior Member Username: tbrannon Post Number: 913 Registered: 11-2004 |
I dig it- so does my wife and my 4 year old is dancing, so I guess that means she likes it too! | ||
| hieronymous
Senior Member Username: hieronymous Post Number: 453 Registered: 1-2005 |
Thanks Toby! That's quite a compliment - when kids like music, you know you're on to something! Greg, the drummer on the track, is really musical, so I give most of the credit to him! | ||
| hieronymous
Senior Member Username: hieronymous Post Number: 454 Registered: 1-2005 |
I just realized that i have another shot of the bass with the round black furry thing in the background:  | ||
| hieronymous
Senior Member Username: hieronymous Post Number: 469 Registered: 1-2005 |
Recorded a little something tonight - it started with the first thing you hear, it's an Indian drone instrument called a sruti box (or shruti box), except it's my iPhone! It's a program called SrutiBox, check it out if you have an iPhone, it's only a couple of dollars. Anyway, I started with that, added a recording of my buddy Greg DeGuglielmo on drums, then started jamming with my SC. Found a section I liked, and started adding to it. Ultimately, there's four tracks of the SC, plus a virtual analog synth for the iPhone called miniSynth. So without further ado, here it is, it's called possibilities. | ||
| hieronymous
Senior Member Username: hieronymous Post Number: 471 Registered: 1-2005 |
A couple of more shots of my bass, this time at my temple:   The lighting is terrible, especially the first shot, but I thought I'd post these for posterity. For those that don't know, I'm a Buddhist minister and I don't have a regular pianist/organist, so I play when I can't find anyone else. I've been playing it through an Electro-Harmonix Small Stone phaser and Phil Jones Bass Briefcase, which is perfect for the room. | ||
| 3rd_ray
Intermediate Member Username: 3rd_ray Post Number: 126 Registered: 2-2008 |
Harry, that's a cool gig Mike | ||
| davehouck
Moderator Username: davehouck Post Number: 7292 Registered: 5-2002 |
Cool tune! | ||
| hieronymous
Senior Member Username: hieronymous Post Number: 500 Registered: 1-2005 |
Thanks Dave! I've been considering rerecording a longer version, but in the meantime here's a mastered version: possibilities mastered | ||
| keavin
Senior Member Username: keavin Post Number: 1537 Registered: 12-2002 |
your bass appears to be preparing for a xmas-day sermon.... | ||
| hieronymous
Senior Member Username: hieronymous Post Number: 501 Registered: 1-2005 |
The "official party line" in Buddhism is that we don't do Christmas, so I got the day off! | ||
| dannobasso
Senior Member Username: dannobasso Post Number: 932 Registered: 3-2004 |
Nice tone! Here's hoping you reach that Wuji state! I'm still stuck in the 2 polarities trying for balance. Have you explored healing frequencies with the bass? I just came across some Regimen Chi Circulation music that might benefit my stressful lifestyle. It may also help me with coveting other Alembics. | ||
| edwin
Advanced Member Username: edwin Post Number: 379 Registered: 5-2002 |
That's cool that you get to play with Greg! I jammed with him a few times in the early 90s (I think it was with Mike Gordon, but I can't quite recall), but he's a lot of fun and a very musical player! Edwin | ||
| hieronymous
Senior Member Username: hieronymous Post Number: 574 Registered: 1-2005 |
Used my Stanley at temple today - talked about bass music history - the move from supportive, "background" basslines to the more showy, complex, out-front playing of the '60s and '70s, and the need to balance both. Here it is with the temple bells that I use:  | ||
| 57basstra
Senior Member Username: 57basstra Post Number: 834 Registered: 4-2005 |
interesting. Thanks! | ||
| to_81_0190
Intermediate Member Username: to_81_0190 Post Number: 102 Registered: 5-2006 |
Wow! They seem to be typical Japaese temple bells and stands. Harry, did you bring them back from Japan? | ||
| hieronymous
Senior Member Username: hieronymous Post Number: 581 Registered: 1-2005 |
Hi Toshiaki, sorry to take so long to respond - yes, they are Japanese, but they've been there at the temple for much longer than I have! I just transferred to Oakland (near San Francisco and Berkeley) in January, but this temple is over 100 years old! The bells aren't that old, but I bet the big one has been there at least 20-30 years - I will check the inscription to see. Here's another shot I took - didn't come out quite like I wanted but still kind of cool...  | ||
| hieronymous
Senior Member Username: hieronymous Post Number: 594 Registered: 1-2005 |
I had to post this video: bass licks You'll understand the title if you watch it - just make sure you're a cat lover! You can't actually see my bass, but you can hear me slapping it acoustically (without an amp) in the background. Sorry for the bad sound quality! | ||
| olieoliver
Senior Member Username: olieoliver Post Number: 2358 Registered: 2-2006 |
"Kitty" porn! LOL OO | ||
| davehouck
Moderator Username: davehouck Post Number: 8011 Registered: 5-2002 |
Nice licks (the bass, not the cat). | ||
| hieronymous
Senior Member Username: hieronymous Post Number: 600 Registered: 1-2005 |
Here's a picture of me at my temple celebrating some birthdays - I had used my bass to play the music because our regular organist wasn't available.  By the way, the lady on the right is in her 90s!!! | ||
| 57basstra
Senior Member Username: 57basstra Post Number: 952 Registered: 4-2005 |
Very pleasant and nice looking family. How old is the young one? About six? | ||
| hieronymous
Senior Member Username: hieronymous Post Number: 601 Registered: 1-2005 |
I'm not sure - you're probably about right - she is adorable! Actually, the two girls on the left are sisters, they just happened to have their birthdays in the same month! | ||
| 57basstra
Senior Member Username: 57basstra Post Number: 954 Registered: 4-2005 |
Harry, I just assumed these young ladies were your daughters. The young one just seems to have an easy smile similar to yours. | ||
| hieronymous
Senior Member Username: hieronymous Post Number: 613 Registered: 1-2005 |
One of the nice things about the recent Northern California gathering was being able to pick up my 5-string Stanley with its new electronics setup! I have never been a fan of blend controls personally, I much prefer straight ahead pickup selectors, like on a Ric or Gibson (or my Series I), so I went for the Anniversary electronics package. It worked great during the jams, and I now have the option of running stereo too. Here's a shot of Sadie investigating:  After which she took up her guard position:  | ||
| hieronymous
Senior Member Username: hieronymous Post Number: 710 Registered: 1-2005 |
So I strung this bass up with Chromes and now it plays and sounds GREAT! I was really really impressed with it in rehearsal. For my solo stuff, I often play with effects - fuzz, filters, phaser - but for some reason this time around I didn't plug any in, and was really amazed that I didn't miss them at all! The clarity and power of the bass was all I needed. My drummer was impressed to - he thought it had the depth together with bite, and creamy at the same time! I'll try and post some soundclips at some point, but for now here's a shot of it at rehearsal, next to my brand new Moog Taurus III bass pedals:  | ||
| gregduboc
Advanced Member Username: gregduboc Post Number: 345 Registered: 11-2008 |
I'm slightly (hugely) jealous of your Taurus pedal...! Congratulations! Greg | ||
| hieronymous
Senior Member Username: hieronymous Post Number: 711 Registered: 1-2005 |
Thanks Greg! Loving the Taurus, though it's a large and heavy beast! Here's a shot during rehearsal this past week, a little fuzzy but I like it:  | ||
| hieronymous
Senior Member Username: hieronymous Post Number: 713 Registered: 1-2005 |
And here's some video! SC Signature with drums & turntables Greg DeGuglielmo on drums, DJ TAKA on turntables. This is a tune that Greg and I spontaneously composed last summer. Bass is going through my Glockenklang Soul Head, Custom Audio Japan tube compressor, and Epiphani 2X10 cab. Audio was recorded on a Tascam DR-5 or something like that. This was my first time playing with a turntablist and it was a lot of fun! Hoping to record with him more... | ||
| jazzyvee
Senior Member Username: jazzyvee Post Number: 1874 Registered: 6-2002 |
I did a session on guitar with a DJ /turntableist a few years ago and although it had the potential to be interesting it ended up being less than exciting for me. I took my strat which is fitted with a roland gk synth pickup and the foot pedals to get some interesting synth sounds going over the music. All was fine until the DJ kept messing with the pitch/speed of the deck. The changes were never in discreet semitones or tones so invariably the pitch was always between notes and whenever i re-tuned, he would invariably change it again so i was constantly having to stretch notes to pitch and chords and it just became really distracting and less and less enjoyable. In the end i just used sound effects and percussion patches on the roland synth. I'm glad your first experience was better than mine. Jazzyvee | ||
| hieronymous
Senior Member Username: hieronymous Post Number: 715 Registered: 1-2005 |
Jazzyvee, I was definitely lucky - in fact, I was blown away! DJ TAKA is actually one of my students and a really respectful guy. It was a blast to play with him - at one point, Greg and I were playing a slow groove and all of a sudden we heard rapping - I turn around, and Taka is playing a record, I had no idea what was going on but it sounded great! Turns out you can play mp3s with special digitally encoded records, so he thought an a cappella tune he had in his computer would fit - the time was slightly different, but he could speed it up or slow it down just the teeniest bit to fit what we were playing. It was really cool! | ||
| hieronymous
Senior Member Username: hieronymous Post Number: 718 Registered: 1-2005 |
A new recording - terminous live - this time played with a pic, otherwise same equipment as above (Glockenklang, Epiphani, etc.) - again recorded on the Tascam. Actually, I'm playing the Taurus 3 on this one, though I hadn't figured out yet how to fine-tune it!  I like the way the bass sounds with Chromes played with a pick... (Message edited by hieronymous on March 06, 2010) | ||
| hieronymous
Senior Member Username: hieronymous Post Number: 735 Registered: 1-2005 |
I will be playing this bass live this Saturday, April 10, 2010! Check the following link here at the Alembic Club - it will also be simulcast live via the internets! http://www.dharmarealm.com/live.php | ||
| bassfingers
Advanced Member Username: bassfingers Post Number: 291 Registered: 11-2005 |
I'm deeply envious,not only of the bass but the Taurus 3's.Both sounding great. | ||
| hieronymous
Senior Member Username: hieronymous Post Number: 736 Registered: 1-2005 |
Here's a quick soundclip from rehearsal the other day - the Stanley Clarke is being played through a Z.Vex Mastotron fuzz (plays nice with active electronics), and later a Small Stone phaser. a brush with fuzz Hopefully I will have more stuff available soon, but the mix on the recording I made from the live show on Saturday isn't so great - hopefully I can work with it come up with something presentable. | ||
| hieronymous
Senior Member Username: hieronymous Post Number: 738 Registered: 1-2005 |
The first soundclip from the live show I did recently - actually, it's an excerpt from the first piece we played - we were basically jamming, setting levels, and fortunately it was caught on tape: opener And a few pictures:   | ||
| hieronymous
Senior Member Username: hieronymous Post Number: 739 Registered: 1-2005 |
One pic of both me and Greg:  | ||
| 2400wattman
Senior Member Username: 2400wattman Post Number: 791 Registered: 11-2005 |
Harry, I must agree with you about the Chromes sound when hit with a pick. It's one of the most pliable set of flats I've used (DR's are equally as killer!) and have great fidelity for being flats. Mind you I'm using mine on a Japanese Fender Jazz with a Badass and Seymour Duncan Quarter Pounder p/ups. BTW, how do you like the new T-3's as opposed to the original T-1's? | ||
| hieronymous
Senior Member Username: hieronymous Post Number: 745 Registered: 1-2005 |
Yeah, I'm definitely impressed with the Chromes. I'm kind of bummed that I didn't have time to put them on my Stanley before the gig. I've got a new set of Chromes ready to go when I get the time. And the Taurus 3 is awesome! I've barely begun to scratch the surface! I never owned an original set (I or II) - only used a PK-5 to trigger a Moog Little Phatty, which I really liked. I thought the T3 might be a more portable option, but it is actually very heavy and large. | ||
| hieronymous
Senior Member Username: hieronymous Post Number: 746 Registered: 1-2005 |
So I have mixed down three things from the live performance. I was disappointed with both recordings - the Tascam I set out didn't capture the bass or Taurus pedals, and the video camera sound is much more balanced but is a low quality mp3 so the high end sounds terrible. So I combined them! I think it could still sound better, I hope to work with these recordings more (maybe rerecording the bass and Taurus on the Tascam recording for one song), but I thought I would post what I have come up with: opening jam 8 Echo Dr. (anteria) rays of sound Here is an extended version of the opening jam, with just the camera sound to give an idea: opening jam (extended) The beginning was just jamming to make sure everything worked, but then we just kept playing! (Message edited by hieronymous on April 23, 2010) | ||
| hieronymous
Senior Member Username: hieronymous Post Number: 765 Registered: 1-2005 |
Some more flatwound funk! This is just the bass track of a jam that I did with DJ TAKA today. My 5-string Stanley Clark Signature Standard with newly-strung Chromes, into an MXR M82 Bass Envelope Filter and Glockenklang Soul Head with CAJ V-COMP Tube Compressor in the effects loop - recorded direct into Tascam DR-1 recorder, but who knows how much effect the amp and compressor had on the sound?!!! It sounds pretty overdriven, not sure if that's the MXR or the compressor getting hit a little hot. I should have set the filter controls more carefully, but as usual I didn't have much rehearsal/setup time so I was flying by the seat of my pants! Mostly fingers, with some thumb/slap in the middle. Loving the Chromes! Much better than the Rotos. I videotaped it too, hopefully the audio came out half-way decent so you can hear the whole thing... (Originally posted in the Flatwounds! thread...) | ||
| hieronymous
Senior Member Username: hieronymous Post Number: 767 Registered: 1-2005 |
Alright, here's the full version: bass and turntablism DJ TAKA on turntables, hieronymous on bass. This is the audio from my Canon camcorder, with the bass track I posted earlier superimposed, since my bass amp was kind of pointed away from the camera. Glad I managed to get the recording of my bass direct! | ||
| hieronymous
Senior Member Username: hieronymous Post Number: 783 Registered: 1-2005 |
New photo:  And new tracks: first jam gotantables The second track is the same song as the one I posted above as "bass and turntablism" but a different performance, and this time everything was recorded direct. I like my performance in the original one better, but I like the sound of this one better. | ||
| hieronymous
Senior Member Username: hieronymous Post Number: 810 Registered: 1-2005 |
My wife took a very cool picture of the bass:  I love the lighting and the composition of the shot. This was taken at a rehearsal for a studio session - the bass sounded great - soundclips to come? | ||
| hieronymous
Senior Member Username: hieronymous Post Number: 812 Registered: 1-2005 |
Here's another one:  | ||
| hieronymous
Senior Member Username: hieronymous Post Number: 875 Registered: 1-2005 |
At last, a soundclip from the Robot Envy sessions, at SoundCloud: Initial Android Avarice | ||
| davehouck
Moderator Username: davehouck Post Number: 10061 Registered: 5-2002 |
Nice groove! Nice recording! | ||
| hieronymous
Senior Member Username: hieronymous Post Number: 879 Registered: 1-2005 |
Thanks for listening Dave! There's some background to the recording of this track in this thread. | ||
| hieronymous
Senior Member Username: hieronymous Post Number: 977 Registered: 1-2005 |
Realized that I haven't updated this thread in a while. I've posted this elsewhere, but thought I would add it here, it's a track with fuzz (Z Vex Mastotron, plays nicely with active electronics) and low-pass filter (Moogerfooger): King Cat Jam And here's a couple of recent pictures:   | ||
| mario_farufyno
Senior Member Username: mario_farufyno Post Number: 748 Registered: 9-2008 |
Thanks buddy, I simply love ZVex fuzz tone but knew that Wholly Mammoth couldn't match Active electronics. Now that I know it can be done with the Mastotron... GAS raising up! | ||
| hieronymous
Senior Member Username: hieronymous Post Number: 982 Registered: 1-2005 |
Yeah, the Mastotron is pretty cool! I've used a Woolly Mammoth for a long time, but it just doesn't play nicely with the Alembic. It's definitely not exactly the same - the Woolly has a kind of noise gate feature (called "pinch") that makes a cool stuttering sound, but that's just icing - the Mastotron definitely gives a nice range of fuzz tones. | ||
| hydrargyrum
Senior Member Username: hydrargyrum Post Number: 1074 Registered: 3-2004 |
I believe I've read that the wooly fuzz and the mastotron circuit are nearly identical, except for the fact that the mastotron is not input impedance sensitive. Your jam sounds great, very crunchy. | ||
| hieronymous
Senior Member Username: hieronymous Post Number: 993 Registered: 1-2005 |
Finally got the pictures off my "nice" camera - some of these are old! Here's one from earlier this year with my new cats (had 'em about a year), Sapphire & Luna with the Stanley:  | ||
| hieronymous
Senior Member Username: hieronymous Post Number: 1261 Registered: 1-2005 |
Figured I would archive my Stanley Clarke encounters here - here is my original post about meeting him at Yoshi's. Here's another shot of the signature:  | ||
| hieronymous
Senior Member Username: hieronymous Post Number: 1262 Registered: 1-2005 |
And here are a couple I haven't shown here - when I took it in to the mothership to have it worked on, Stanley's bass was sitting on the couch! This is the bass in my Yoshi's post - Alembic are putting in a new nut & bridge saddles for the tenor tuning. Fortunately I had the presence of mind to ask Mica if I could snap a few pictures of my bass with his:   | ||
| mario_farufyno
Senior Member Username: mario_farufyno Post Number: 954 Registered: 9-2008 |
Ops, thanks for the advice, Harry. I missed your answer to me way back and it is exactly what I wanted to know because I really dig the gated sound on Mammoth and wasn't aware about its absence in the Mastotron. Best regards! | ||
| malthumb
Senior Member Username: malthumb Post Number: 539 Registered: 5-2002 |
Was gonna ask "why is your bass so much wider than Stanley's? Is there a difference in the body template? Is Alembic working on a....." Then I counted the strings.....then I went and got another cup of coffee and all was right with the world. What makes this even funnier is that I have a 4-string Series bass and a 5-string Series bass and the body widths are of course a little different. Today's "duh" moment was brought to you be the letter C and the number 5 | ||
| hieronymous
Senior Member Username: hieronymous Post Number: 1292 Registered: 1-2005 |
Put different strings on - first had DR Sunbeams but they were a little too low-tension - I was hoping that DR Lo-Riders would be just high enough tension that they would pull the neck closer to where it needed to be - and I was right! It's nice to have rounds back on (if you will remember I had it strung up with D'Addario Chromes before) - hoping to use it with my new band Stanley Lighthead! | ||
| pauldo
Senior Member Username: pauldo Post Number: 1016 Registered: 6-2006 |
Groovy group Harry! | ||
| hieronymous
Senior Member Username: hieronymous Post Number: 1427 Registered: 1-2005 |
Haven't posted in here in over a year - had some issues with the bass but finally have them sorted out and even have a new group to use it with! We will play together in a couple of weeks so in preparation I oiled the fingerboard, will play it a bit at home, then put on fresh strings, tweak the neck and action (we finally seem to be transitioning into fall/winter here in the SF Bay Area), and play play play! I want to post some of the things I've been learning about working with this bass, but in the meantime here is the most recent recording of it: https://soundcloud.com/hieronymous-seven/gotta-travel-on | ||
| hieronymous
Senior Member Username: hieronymous Post Number: 1521 Registered: 1-2005 |
Been slacking off on posting here - here's another track, just the neck pickup, played with fingers: https://soundcloud.com/hieronymous-seven/engine-room And here's a recent pic, fooling around with a filter on Instagram:  Now that I've got the neck dialed in, gotta remember to put the truss rod cover back on! | ||
| hieronymous
Senior Member Username: hieronymous Post Number: 1563 Registered: 1-2005 |
Here's another shot that I've never posted of when my bass met the master's:  | ||
| moongerm
Advanced Member Username: moongerm Post Number: 273 Registered: 8-2013 |
Drool ....... | ||
| jazzyvee
Senior Member Username: jazzyvee Post Number: 4668 Registered: 6-2002 |
Are those markers on Stanley's bass around the controls knobs inlaid or stickers? | ||
| hieronymous
Senior Member Username: hieronymous Post Number: 1564 Registered: 1-2005 |
Hmm, let's see:  | ||
| hieronymous
Senior Member Username: hieronymous Post Number: 1565 Registered: 1-2005 |
Looks like stickers to me! What do you think? | ||
| keith_h
Senior Member Username: keith_h Post Number: 2276 Registered: 2-2005 |
I've noticed Stanley has stickers to mark settings on a lot of his stuff. My question is did he end up sanding the back of the neck or leave the finish? Keith | ||
| hieronymous
Senior Member Username: hieronymous Post Number: 1570 Registered: 1-2005 |
Keith, I don't know the answer to that one - I will try and ask Mica at the upcoming Gathering | ||
| hieronymous
Senior Member Username: hieronymous Post Number: 1573 Registered: 1-2005 |
Found similar sticker markings on his Alembic preamps in the Premier Guitar "rig rundown" episode on YouTube:  |
