Thanks Jim, and all good answers.
 
I see what you are saying about the 4 way switch so you don't even have to change the original volume you are set at when going on break or just setting the instrument down for a bit.
 
Now I understand that you have a stereo 1/4 jack as I was thinking of the 5 point jack.
 
Great to here about UPS as that is all I have ever even had over here in Hawaii. I've never had anything damaged and I order alot of things from the mainland.
 
I'm still working on slap style and so I like to get opinions on what the majority of people use and low seems to work the best for me since I can work better with different volumes or intonations. I can imagine that I will be able to set or split my lows and highs much easier with the Series having seperate volumes for each pick-up.
 
So thanks for the responses, it's so cool to communicate with my fellow bass players from abroad and really helps me alot.
 
Now, can I borrow your bass for a gig tomorrow?haha
 
Take it easy, and I bet your red Led's look nice with your beautiful quilts. WOOOOOH!
 
Goodnight, Paul

Hey Paul!  My pleasure dude. I hope the storm is treating you to a good light show but leaving you alone otherwise!  I can still close my eyes and see the beautiful place where you live.  So you keep those eyes open for the rest of us and enjoy it!
 
Slap is great and there are tons of styles within it. One thing I'm really into is the judicious use of speed with slapping. So in the middle of a funky line that is slow enough for everyone to really groove on, you throw some 16th or even 32nd note triplets in the at the end or in the middle of the line and it gets people eyes blinking a little. For that I think low action really helps.  
 
Another quick thought. It seems to me like low action gives you more range of sounds to get from pop & slap. For instance (and this will be hard to make sense of so I'll include an example in the sounds I'll send around), there's a peculiar sound that I can get by dropping my thumb on a string and being lazy about the rebound. Normally the thumb just bounces off the string after the string hits the frets and you get a very full note. But if you kind of force the thumb to wait a millisecond before rebounding you can get a really clean harmonic sound to the note. It's like the main note is weak but all the harmonics are still strong.  I liken it to the whistle that a lead guitar player in a rock or metal band can get by picking the string with the pick and then letting his thumb hit the string right behind it. That's a surprising sound coming from a bass and it seems people enjoy it.
 
Anyway, gotta run. Just more thoughts.
 
Dude, you are gonna LOVE your series ii!

Jim, If you were here I'd ask to hire you to be my teacher. By the way, a couple of things-the storm is gone and it's a nice clear dawn this morn as I have been getting up at 2 a.m. the last three mornings to watch the British open and this morning I can actually hear it compared to the last two days where the rain was so loud on my metal roof that I just had to watch it.
 
It's funny how just as you were starting to explain about slap in the second paragraph I was going d-d-d   d-d-d in my mind like 32nd notes and then you said it! I understand what you are talking about and that is why I like the low action also. The problem is I am not quite there yet. Still working on those and playing/timing overall as I don't play as much as I should.  
 
I would love to here your samples when you get a chance so that I can see what you are talking about. I think I understand what you are describing though.
 
When you talked about your bass feeling like one piece of solid wood I think that really says something for just one of their key players in Alembic and that is the man in the spray booth. I think this guy puts on some real magic of several coats that really lock these things together. And the guy has to be good to get that much on these babies and be so clear. Of course there is much more to it than just him but it's all those keys together that make such Works of Art.
 
Ya, I am definitely on the edge of my life long seat awaiting the most awesome thing in my life besides my beautiful son and wife, and I must say it's close between the three. Did I say that? Yes, Alembic definitely has the edge in our lives.
 
Thanks Jim, I'll await your sound bytes. Paul

Hey all, finally got some time to record a few minutes of sounds from my MK5. Used a few different settings but didn't get elaborate and it's a bit messy, but whatever. :-)
 
It is recorded directly into my PC, so it is very dry and there's no amp involved.  Live through an amp in a room it has a lot more body.  
 
It's song #1 at my jam bands myspace site, so open this link and select it on the right side of the screen:
 
http://www.myspace.com/freshbuzzuppercut
 
Anyway, enjoy!

That sounds nice!  I like your slap, especially the triplets, and your harmonic licks.  That little harmonic riff near the beginning reminded me of String Cheese for some reason; I really liked that.
 
Now I'm listening to some of the other cuts; great keyboard work!
 
And nice vocals too!
 
(Message edited by davehouck on July 28, 2007)

Hey thx Dave!  'preciate the kind words!

You must have been hungry Dave! That kind of playing makes me hungry too!
 
Awesome and ditto's of Dave, Jim.
 
Whoa!!! GReat riffs all over the place. The tones are just unbelievable! Man I can't wait for mine now. It's those kind of posts that help keep us patient.  
 
Thank you very much, Paul

In case clarification is necessary, I was refering to the band and not the food!

Congrats, Jim.  That is one gorgeous instrument.  The wood is amazing, and the abalone is just delicious!  Enjoy!

Lordy Lu, that is even more stunning that I'd imagined it would turn out.  You, Jim, are one very lucky dude and I am jealous!

Hey Jim, you out there?
 
I just had to go to your sound bites again and get some skunk funk back in my blood to thin it out for the future arrival. I also read through alot of your thread again and enjoyed the process of changes and additions as well as all of the nice and helpful comments that came out of all the members. It is sure awesome having this site to learn and exchange from.
 
Hopefully I'll be seeing my beauty by end of the month if the flu didn't completely wipe out the whole shop Did you see it with the first coat on in Spray? It's looking good!!!
 
How are things going? Hope all is well. You sure make that bass sing in your sound bites. and the pictures are great also. You have an awesome band!
 
Take it easy, Aloha, Paul

Hey there Paul!
 
So sorry I've been away.  Have been working and playing and playing and working and way too much playing and working, etc.
 
Glad you have enjoyed the funk.  This thing is a little monster.  I still can't get over how small it feels.  All this weight but all this littleness is really amazing. It give it such a feel of mass that you just feel like you're playing a rock. Funking on a friggin rock.  It's so massive.
 
There will be some more sounds coming soon so stay tuned. In the mean time can't wait to hear what yours sounds like dude!  
 
Mahalo,
Jim

Hi Jim,
 
Thanks for the reply, and I am glad you are doing great.
 
May I ask you, are you using the Alembic strings?, or what strings do you use?
 
My friend said he was enjoying thinner strings and with his new lazer pick-up guitar and he was still getting nice low bottom with them.
 
What do you say? I'll get more specific about his new guitar in a minute.
 
OK, it's an infrared bridge bass. I'll post the name tomorrow. But anyway I just want to get your opinion on strings.
 
Thanks again, and I sure am impressed with your sound bytes.
 
Aloha, Paul

Mica or whoever is doing these pages these days, I'm considering ordering a fretless version of this same bass which was built in 2007.  
 
Do you keep complete details on the basses you build such that it could match in every detail (with allowance for wood grain variation of course)?
 
Thanks!