Stanley Clarke and Armand Sabal Lecco

chazmo

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I was listening to an old album of Stanley Clarke and I did a little YouTube "research." If you guys haven't seen this, take a look at 7:50 in to see Armand go nuts, and make *sure* you continue through the 10:00 minute mark and watch Stanley chime in with him.

I just think this is pretty f'in cool.

 

fronobulax

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Interesting. Lots of interesting right hand techniques and I keep coming back to that Alembic with the red body.
 

chazmo

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Just fun to watch a couple of insane bass players fronting a band, fro. Tons of slapping and whatever. I dig it! Too bad they're not Guilds. ;)
 

fronobulax

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Just fun to watch a couple of insane bass players fronting a band, fro. Tons of slapping and whatever. I dig it! Too bad they're not Guilds. ;)

I thought about starting a thread about slapping Guilds and realized the most popular answer would be a Pilot. My extremely limited experience trying to slap suggests that the harp bridge with saddles that can slide perpendicular to the strings is probably not the best for the technique. That leaves the Pilot and a few less popular models from the late 70's and early 80's.
 

bluesypicky

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UOTE=fronobulax;1744621]I thought about starting a thread about slapping Guilds and realized the most popular answer would be a Pilot. My extremely limited experience trying to slap suggests that the harp bridge with saddles that can slide perpendicular to the strings is probably not the best for the technique. That leaves the Pilot and a few less popular models from the late 70's and early 80's.[/QUOTE]

Right on as usual.

Slapping requires a shark jaw grip on the strings, from both ends (nut and saddle) to give it this cool "ping" effect.
 

chazmo

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Bluesy, great to hear from you!!!

So, forgive the ignorance, guys, but this begs the question for me .. why *wouldn't* you want an electric bass to have "shark jaw" grip on both ends of the string? I mean, since we're not talking about acoustic sound here (or are we??), what's the value of a saddle that can move?
 

bluesypicky

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So, forgive the ignorance, guys, but this begs the question for me .. why *wouldn't* you want an electric bass to have "shark jaw" grip on both ends of the string? I mean, since we're not talking about acoustic sound here (or are we??), what's the value of a saddle that can move?

Hey Charlie! Hope all is well...

The answer is in the quest my friend: Some are after a sharp attack (not shark) with a metallic ring to the sound and favor the big heavy steel or brass bridges and nuts, while some are after the big round sound and favor less of an angle at the bridge and wood as a material, as well as big humbuckers.

Of course, the strings have a lot to do in the equation also.

(You know I've been missing a good string thread)
 

chazmo

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All is indeed well, bluesy! Best to you as well, buddy!

Cool. Thanks for 'splainin' it to me! :)

(have we ever had a bass string thread? is it time? :) )
 

fronobulax

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what's the value of a saddle that can move?

I'm not sure why Hagstrom chose that design but the fact that you almost never see moving saddles on modern bridge suggests that was one of those "seemed like a good idea at the time" things.
 

fronobulax

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(have we ever had a bass string thread? is it time? :) )

It's hard to have a bass string thread when some folks get a decade or two out of a set of strings. We have had some veers that could have grown into string threads but they tended to come back to whether TI strings were worth the price and if not, what were the cheaper alternatives? The choices seem to be much more limited. Round vs. flat vs. tape, gauge and possibly tension. If I want a particular sound , once I have picked between round, flat or tape everything else I do involves hand technique and electronics and not changing strings :)
 

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It's hard to have a bass string thread when some folks get a decade or two out of a set of strings.

I'll tell you what I think of my strings durability when there's nothing left to boil out of them around 2025.....and then I may try a TI set to compare.

I will share the comparison test result around 2035.
 

edwin

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I thought about starting a thread about slapping Guilds and realized the most popular answer would be a Pilot. My extremely limited experience trying to slap suggests that the harp bridge with saddles that can slide perpendicular to the strings is probably not the best for the technique. That leaves the Pilot and a few less popular models from the late 70's and early 80's.

I love slapping on my Starfire (although doing it during our Last Waltz Revisited show was perhaps not period correct). And yes, that's a pick in my mouth. The strings are Pyramid Golds.

index.php
 

edwin

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Do I see something other than the stock bridge? To be fair my "just don't do it" impression is because of the Hagstrom bridge...

It's an Alembic bridge and tailpiece. Along with Alembic Series II pickups and electronics.

Actually, we weren't playing "Don't Do It", I think it was "Mystery Train".
 

mavuser

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that is a fantastic video thank you for sharing.

Edwin and Mgod really have the goods (and the chops!) thank you both for sharing with us.

How easy is it to get stand alone Alembic pickups and electronics? and how expensive? just think about all the 70s Guild basses out there- just JS and Starfires. although the various reissue Bisonics do sound pretty good for the money as well, Alembic is a noticable next level difference. id say the vintage Bisonic is in the conversation as the clear second best to my ears, although that may depend on the player (and the song)
 

edwin

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that is a fantastic video thank you for sharing.

Edwin and Mgod really have the goods (and the chops!) thank you both for sharing with us.

How easy is it to get stand alone Alembic pickups and electronics? and how expensive? just think about all the 70s Guild basses out there- just JS and Starfires. although the various reissue Bisonics do sound pretty good for the money as well, Alembic is a noticable next level difference. id say the vintage Bisonic is in the conversation as the clear second best to my ears, although that may depend on the player (and the song)

I got my Alembic pickups and guts used for about $600 all told (different sellers). I had to rebuild the electronics, so there was probably another $100 in parts, not to mention all the labor in putting it together and then more than I'd like to mention in getting the pickups fitted to the bass. The most expensive way to get it done is to send it Alembic. It will be pricey, take a long time, and be done absolutely right. I'm not sure my cheap way out was worth it in the long run. You'll also get the noise reduction upgrade in the process, which mine needs, but I can't afford. If I could only figure out how to do that on my own....
 

chazmo

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Wow, wicked cool, Edwin. Yours is surely a one-of-a-kind SF. Very cool that you transplanted those Alembic components into it. I doubt many of us would be that brave. :)

mav, you're welcome. Pretty insane, isn't it! :)
 
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