Alembic Guitars Club

Connecting => Miscellaneous => Topic started by: skyboltone on January 21, 2011, 06:59:07 PM

Title: Mr Clarke's rig
Post by: skyboltone on January 21, 2011, 06:59:07 PM

Here's my favorite School Days clip:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cjdk4zg7X-M&NR=1 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cjdk4zg7X-M&NR=1)
 
He begins by softly stating the theme and then kicks something into overdrive. I think there is a thingy at his feet. A pedal? What pedal? Or is this all about the on board signature electronics?
Thanks in advance
Dan

Title: Mr Clarke's rig
Post by: terryc on January 23, 2011, 10:23:18 AM

Sounds like he was using an octivider unit to thicken the bottom end whilst the keys player was soloing.There is reverb there as well
What your hearing is Stan playing the bass with ADGC tuning so he can solo on the higher register.
But on the whole that is series electronics as there is two large single coil pickups with the dummy humcanceller in between them, all powered by the DS-5 power supply thru' the large multi pin cable as opposed to a single 1/4 jack.
I heard Stan before Jaco in the 70's, this is THE bass tune of the century(my opinion guys!), I still play along to the original(including the solo) on the record.
He was the one who turned me from guitar to bass.
He has a lot to answer for!!!

Title: Mr Clarke's rig
Post by: sonicus on January 23, 2011, 10:50:20 AM

Cool vid ! I Enjoyed it.  I love that Alembic sound .

Title: Mr Clarke's rig
Post by: hb3 on January 23, 2011, 12:54:41 PM

That tuning filled in the rest of the puzzle for me.  
 
Should one wish to tune one's bass like that, what's required? He's not just tuning regular strings up, is he?

Title: Mr Clarke's rig
Post by: terryc on January 23, 2011, 01:24:11 PM

yep..it was a puzzle to me for years..I think the original 'School Days' from 1976 is in standard tuning but I may be wrong.
Don't know what year he tuned his basses to tenor tuning

Title: Mr Clarke's rig
Post by: sonicus on January 23, 2011, 02:25:14 PM

Lighter gauge strings for Tenor tuning.

Title: Mr Clarke's rig
Post by: skyboltone on January 23, 2011, 03:40:03 PM

Ok then. The tuning thing also explains why it didn't sound right when I copied the fingering of the theme from the video onto my standard tuned bass. AhHa! 4ths all the way across though, not just a string up on standard guitar tuning.

Title: Mr Clarke's rig
Post by: hb3 on January 23, 2011, 04:07:34 PM

Right -- I was looking at his hands, going, I thought this was in A...
 
Wolf, when you say lighter gauge strings, you mean you're still using the E string, just tuning it up to A, etc?

Title: Mr Clarke's rig
Post by: sonicus on January 23, 2011, 05:00:44 PM

I think no E string.  ADGC.   I think that is it .    So then , Lighter Gauge strings  as that would work well for you  with this tuning.

Title: Mr Clarke's rig
Post by: hb3 on January 23, 2011, 05:23:01 PM

Then we're looking at custom string sets, I guess. It's worth a try. I guess I'm wondering how much trouble the try would be.

Title: Mr Clarke's rig
Post by: hb3 on January 23, 2011, 05:24:33 PM

Great clip, by the way. I watched it twice. ;)

Title: Mr Clarke's rig
Post by: skyboltone on January 23, 2011, 07:25:40 PM

I can't stop watching it. http://www.juststrings.com/ (http://www.juststrings.com/) sells individuals I think. Like match them up with the top 4 stings of a six stromg set?? Maybe like these: http://www.juststrings.com/drs-llr-40.html (http://www.juststrings.com/drs-llr-40.html)

Title: Mr Clarke's rig
Post by: artswork99 on January 23, 2011, 07:36:21 PM

Great!

Title: Mr Clarke's rig
Post by: skyboltone on January 23, 2011, 07:50:29 PM

Duplicate post
 
(Message edited by skyboltone on January 23, 2011)

Title: Mr Clarke's rig
Post by: skyboltone on January 23, 2011, 07:50:52 PM

I don't know if you fellers noticed but the clip is two parts. If you look at the right panel as you're watching the part one, you'll see part two there. Make sure to catch them both. Breathtaking for me. I've only seen Stanley once, I just had no idea anyone was doing that. Amazing.

Title: Mr Clarke's rig
Post by: sonicus on January 23, 2011, 09:09:17 PM

We have had a question of Tenor tuning in this thread;
http://www.alembic.com/club/messages/393/70511.html?1254264357 (http://club.alembic.com/index.php?topic=1306)

Title: Mr Clarke's rig
Post by: hb3 on January 23, 2011, 11:01:34 PM

Thanks...that's helpful.

Title: Mr Clarke's rig
Post by: terryc on January 25, 2011, 07:21:12 AM

Oh dear I have into 'Stan' mode and I am listening to all his early stuff.
'Lopsy Lu' is indeed that classic Stanley Clarke sound and sequence of notes.
To think he played a Gibson EB bass before Alembic said 'You play great but your sound is not good'
Stan quoted something like 'It made all the sounds I had in my head'
And the rest is history