| Author | Message | ||
| pinchdawg
Junior Username: pinchdawg Post Number: 31 Registered: 12-2005 |
I just purchased my first series I. I thought that it would blow me away but I cant get that stanley clark/mark king sound. What am doing wrong? I have been playing for around 20 yrs. so it is not my ability. It is a 1980 series I four string. I have the action set low for slapabilty with dr high beams. My rig consists of 2 bag end 15s and an ashdown 300 watt evo head. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Jim | ||
| keavin
Senior Member Username: keavin Post Number: 690 Registered: 12-2002 |
Dude, play with those Knobs, treat them like "Titties" ,,,,,Each twist is A turn on........be patient. (Message edited by keavin on February 24, 2006) | ||
| keavin
Senior Member Username: keavin Post Number: 691 Registered: 12-2002 |
play wit em ,,,,  | ||
| lidon2001
Intermediate Member Username: lidon2001 Post Number: 102 Registered: 4-2005 |
Hi Jim, I wanted to get the sound of Stanley as well with my Signature Deluxe. To that end I went with similar woods, coco - maple accent - vermilion, short scale, Stanley's neck dimensions, 70's pickup spacing, Rotosound FunkMaster strings. I think I can get as close to the sound I imagined, though the Series electronics would take me closer I'm sure. I imagine wood choices, strings, pickup spacing and scale all add to the tone. I have been experimenting with the use of the Q swtiches and found some absolutley amazing tones. Right now, I have this crazy fretless type tone mixing with the frets that I'm just nuts about. "Building" one's own tone with the Alembic electronics is a very interesting and fulfilling experience for me. Tom | ||
| keavin
Senior Member Username: keavin Post Number: 692 Registered: 12-2002 |
Remember this, that "stanley" sound is the series sound & you are only gonna get it from a seriesI/II alembic Bass. (Message edited by keavin on February 24, 2006) | ||
| lidon2001
Intermediate Member Username: lidon2001 Post Number: 103 Registered: 4-2005 |
If you go to www.stanleyclarke.com, and "Enter" the site, there's a very good picture of Stanley where you can see the positions of his controls. Don't forget to check out his gear, and see his effects. And enjoy the music. Mardi Gras on the mind Kevin? Tom (Message edited by lidon2001 on February 24, 2006) | ||
| palembic
Senior Member Username: palembic Post Number: 2303 Registered: 9-2002 |
Jim, to talk about Mark. As far as I know somthing of his gear: his speakers where never 15" 's ...or not as "main". The slapping thing comes out with more small speakers like a 4x10" combination and the tweeter. I think for his amp he boosted the lows and the highs. I suspect him to favoour the Bridge PU a bit. As far as I know: for STanley is it a combination of the two. I don't know the mic between NPU and BPU but I know that he worked with Q-swtich and filter to have a "quacking" sound. I DO know that SC plays with a lot of "meat" while plucking the bass. He plays close to the beginning of the fingerboard and uses the "meaty" side of the finger iff I remeber well. JUst my 2cts Paul TBO | ||
| keavin
Senior Member Username: keavin Post Number: 693 Registered: 12-2002 |
http://www.stanleyclarke.com/gear_pg.htm | ||
| keith_h
Advanced Member Username: keith_h Post Number: 350 Registered: 2-2005 |
Stanley has historically run the pickups through two different rigs. As I recall in his earlier years he ran the neck pickup through 15" speakers and the bridge pickup through 10" speakers. I believe he uses EV 18's for the neck pickup these days and 10's for the bridge. I recall reading somewhere that he has a Marshall that he also drives off the bridge pickup. In addition he uses two F-1X preamps. I think all of this contributes to his sound. While I don't have Series electronics I have noticed a big difference is the sound when I run my bass in stereo through two rigs. I get a much fuller sound since each rig can be optimized for its pickup. When I do this I use 10" for the bridge pickup and either 15" or 18" for the neck pickup. I have also noticed that the volume increase when both pickups are selected in mono mode disappears. When I run mono I use either 10" and 15" or 10" and 18" bi-amped. The 10" have a horn. I personally prefer the 10" and 15" best. The 10" are important for getting the high end bite. I also boost the lows and highs on the preamp. Keith | ||
| davehouck
Moderator Username: davehouck Post Number: 3307 Registered: 5-2002 |
I don't know how to get someone else's sound; it's not something I've ever wanted to do. But try this procedure and see if it gets you going in the right direction. Set your amp controls "flat". Cut the neck volume all the way down and open the bridge filter all the way up (fully clockwise). Flip the bridge Q to high (down). Play some notes on the G string in the middle of the neck. You should be getting a lot of high end attack. At this point you may want to adjust this high end attack a little with the amp controls. Now roll the neck filter all the way down (fully counter-clockwise) and flip the neck Q to high (down). Leaving the bridge controls where they are, start bringing the neck volume up a little at a time. As you play some notes you should notice some low end support to all that high end attack. Once you have a nice balance between the neck and bridge volumes, flip the neck Q off (up); this will clean up the low end leaving the attack on the high end. Now cut the neck Q back on again and roll the neck filter up a little; this will start bringing in some low-mid growl. Etc., etc. I don't know if this will get you where you want to go. My guess is that the attack Mark King has in his sound is coming from the bridge pickup with filter open and Q on. I know there are some folks here in the forum that know how to get Clarke's and King's sounds and if they notice this thread perhaps they can give you a better idea. I don't sound like Clarke or King; but the above procedure might get you started in the right direction. Or not. I could be completely off base here. | ||
| pinchdawg
Junior Username: pinchdawg Post Number: 32 Registered: 12-2005 |
Thanks All, The advice I get in this forum is allways the best. I will be trying all these methods to find that series sound I,m looking for.Today I will go to Bass Northwest and pickup my power supply then I will go talk to mike lull at his shop and have my bass gone through electronically/setup. The trim pot thing is a little confusing so maybe he can adjust and explain it to me. I am also gonig to have him move the selector switch, it's in the worst place for a slapper like me. Thanks again, Jim | ||
| davehouck
Moderator Username: davehouck Post Number: 3311 Registered: 5-2002 |
Jim; get an Allen wrench (hex head wrench) and loosen the knob on the pickup selector switch. Don't take the little screws completely out; they are tiny and get lost easily. Just a little turn on both screws is sufficient. Point the switch in a different direction so that it doesn't stab you when you are playing; then retighten the screws. If that doesn't help, rather than move the switch you might want to consider selling the bass and buying a newer model. Just a thought. The switch starts showing up in the newer location in the mid '80s; so the difference in price is probably not significant. Once you've drilled a hole in the top of your Series I, you can't undrill it. | ||
| j_gary
Intermediate Member Username: j_gary Post Number: 193 Registered: 6-2005 |
Good idea Dave. I would think long and hard prior to cutting up the old girl. keavin, may I say you have a wonderful bass instrucion method. I think your informative style shall help me with my bass playing and the ladies. Please advise upon lesson #2. I hope I've stopped laughing by then. BRILLIANT!!! | ||
| pinchdawg
Junior Username: pinchdawg Post Number: 33 Registered: 12-2005 |
Thanks Dave, I have a Q. about why I would not want to mod. this bass. Is it a reduction in value that you are eluding to? I am a player not a collector but I would like to keep the value of this instrument. In it's current set up it does not fit my style. I have about 3200.00 in to this bass with the new power supply/cord should I sell and find one more to my style. Modifying this bass will probably cost more $. Thanks, Jim | ||
| bsee
Senior Member Username: bsee Post Number: 1031 Registered: 3-2004 |
Do you ever use the pickup selector? If you're one of the people that always leaves both pickups on and uses the volumes to balance, then you can probably replace the switch with a blank plate while just hardwiring the bass to have both pickups on. This would probably be an inexpensive and reversible mod. If, on the other hand, you want the switch moved, then you have a few things to consider. First, there has to be space in the control cavity to locate the switch. If you drill a new hole, you will probably want the new style switch - not sure if it's physically any different, but there is no circular plate so it will be less of a hole. If you went to sell the bass down the road, you could leave it as modded, I doubt it would be much of a value hit. Alternately, you could put the original switch back and find something else to put in the "new" hole. A master volume control would be great if that's an option they would sell you. If not, then some kind of EQ switch or knob might work. Maybe a stereo/mono switch for the output jack depending on where the new hole goes? Just thinking out loud here... | ||
| davehouck
Moderator Username: davehouck Post Number: 3314 Registered: 5-2002 |
Jim; when I wrote that statement I thought about it for a while. I tend to think that moving the selector switch will lessen the desirability for some folks and not for others. For some folks, having that blank brass plate sitting where the switch used to be is, well it's a blank brass plate sitting on the lower horn. Thus I think it could lessen the overall market value somewhat. I can't recall if you've posted elsewhere the details of your particular bass (I don't remember much beyond this morning <g>), but if you're patient, you should be able to come across another S1 with the switch in the new position. I believe they moved the location around 1986. As I think about it, I do tend to think that it might actually take a while for a late 80's bass to come around, especially if you want the same wood combination that you have now; and the 90's basses are going to be a bit pricier. So maybe moving the switch is the best solution for you. Other folks have moved the switch in the past; some with less than pleasing results. Ideally, you would want to have Alembic do the work. Of course, Mike Lull is a very well respected and well known name. When you go to sell the bass, one question you'll get is "who did the modification". What you may want to do is take your time and think about it for a while. The new position will need to look "natural"; the spacing relative to the other controls should look right. You'll need to look inside the control cavity and see if there is room in the location where you would like to have the switch. And of course you'll need to have a new plate put in the old position. Most people who have done this have chosen a brass plate. | ||
| davehouck
Moderator Username: davehouck Post Number: 3315 Registered: 5-2002 |
Hey Bob; you're faster than I am! Bob's right; one option is if you don't really use the switch then you don't really need to drill a new hole. I seem to recall that someone once just moved the switch inside the cavity; but my memory might be wrong on that. Also, if I recall correctly, the addition of a master volume is a bit of an expensive mod. And with a master volume, you would really be wanting to work with Alembic; a non-Alembic modification to the electronics would lessen the value of the bass. | ||
| pinchdawg
Junior Username: pinchdawg Post Number: 35 Registered: 12-2005 |
Thanks Guys, I am going to ponder this whole series thing a bit then make a decision .I do appreciate all the suggestions. Thanks again, Jim | ||
| 811952
Senior Member Username: 811952 Post Number: 669 Registered: 10-2003 |
I can get a believeable Stanley sound with both volumes full, neck filter set to lowest frequency with Q switch up (no boost) and bridge filter set to highest frequency with Q switch all the way down (most boost). I can tweak it in a little closer by playing with the volumes a bit and sometimes opening up the neck filter a bit to introduce some mids for definition if I want something a little different. As others have posted earlier, you really need some 10s and/or a horn to get that sizzle Stanley gets. I'm using a couple of Kustom 410H cabinets with an Ampeg B5R and I can get any sound that's in my head, usually without touching the controls on the amp at all (they are parked at or near flat most of the time). The beautiful thing about the Alembic is that you'll discover a brazillion other very nice sounds by accident. One tone I've been using lately is to set my controls somewhat opposite the Stanley settings (neck filter open, bridge filter closed, if you will). It's like a P-bass on steroids. John | ||
| jazzyvee
Advanced Member Username: jazzyvee Post Number: 367 Registered: 6-2002 |
I've done some gigs doing Stanley covers with my SC Deluxe. Using it with the SF-2 get close enough to "the" sound to be credible bearing in mind the audience probably are not aware of the finer points of his sound. Even if we used his rig and bass we'd still sound like ourselves playing through his rig. But at least the challenge is rewarding. :-) | ||
| pinchdawg
Junior Username: pinchdawg Post Number: 37 Registered: 12-2005 |
http://photoshow.comcast.net/watch/Sq2Zb5WS | ||
| dejan
Junior Username: dejan Post Number: 42 Registered: 1-2006 |
Hey Jim,you have the real Alembic.When people said "Alembic",I think about a bass like yours!Congrats! | ||
| 88persuader
Intermediate Member Username: 88persuader Post Number: 178 Registered: 5-2004 |
You guys all gave great advice and suggestions but unless i missed it reading this thread I didn't hear what i think is the most important thing that gives Stanley his sound ... it's his fingers! His Technique!! It doesn't matter what Stanley plays he'll always sound like Stanley. I've let other bass players sit in with my band playing my SC standard and ampeg amp and NONE of them sound like me. (Mind you I'm NO Stanley!;-) So much of your sound comes from the technique you use it's rediculus. Look at Mark King ... he's probably recorded and gigged with Level 42 using at least 6 different companies basses that i can think of. Mark does NOT exclusively use Alembic. But regardless of this fact Mark King ALWAYS gets the Mark King sound. And when you talk about sound in the studio keep in mind MANY bass players don't even used amps. They go through processors or directly into the sound board. My opinion is why try to sound like Stanley anyway? Be inspired by Stankey but sound like YOU! :-) That's my 2 cents. | ||
| bsee
Senior Member Username: bsee Post Number: 1046 Registered: 3-2004 |
Absolutely agreed, Ray. I know I started to write that message, but I guess I never finished it. You can look at all of our Who fans and the work they put in to mastering John's actual playing techniques. Some are easier to copy than others, I would suppose. Stanley has fairly large hands that may put more mass into his technique than most of us can muster, and there's not much we can do to copy that. The other thing I was going to point out is that your string choice can affect your tone significantly. I have not played Rotosounds in quite a few years, but my recollection is that they are more like Lo Riders than Hi Beams tonally. I could easily be wrong on that, though. | ||
| pinchdawg
Junior Username: pinchdawg Post Number: 40 Registered: 12-2005 |
http://www.guitarcenter.com/interview/stanleyclarke/index.cfm |
