Alembic Guitars Club
Connecting => Miscellaneous => Topic started by: dnburgess on December 26, 2004, 02:05:14 AM
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I just got an interesting book called, Giants of Bass by Stuart Clayton (ISBN 1-94492-075-5). The author looks at 20 bassist who have, in his view, made a difference to the way people either regard the instrument or play it.
For each player there is a one page bio, recommended listening, gear breakdown, advice on emulating the sound, performance notes on the style, and a piece of music (bass clef + bass tab) in the style of the artist. The book comes with 2 cds containing somewhat cheesy recordings of the songs, with and without the bass track.
I was fascinated by the amount of detail in the gear breakdown and made a table of bass makers and players from the data in the book.
No surprises that Fender was the most played maker with 15 out of 20.
Next was Alembic with 6 out of 20!!!
The only other makers with more than 2 players were Warwick (5) and Musicman (3).
The Alembic result was particularly impressive, considering that of the top four makers it is the only one that doesn't do endorsements.
As a matter of interest the mean number of makers played by each player was 2.5
And who were the Alembicians on the list?
Cliff Burton ('tallica), SC, JE, Flea, MK, JPJ
The overall selection was fairly diverse, including Tim Commerford (Rage), Dirk Lance (Incubus) and Stuart Zender (Jamiroquai) as well as all the usual suspects.
David B.
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Only three Musicman? For some reason that surprises me. Were all of the Alembics basses or did preamps figure into the total? It sounds like an interesting book from a gear perspective. I'd be curious to see the various amp/cabinet/effects combinations of these guys.
Thanks.
Sam
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Sam, the above stat.s are basses only. The author has tried to list the instruments most closely associated with the artists through recording or live performance. The background information suggests he's done a fair bit of research.
I'll post the rig information shortly.
BTW, the Musicman players in the book are Flea, Tim Commerford and Pino Palladino.
David B.
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As expected, amplification is far more diverse, with no manufacturer having an equivalent position to Fender in basses. 31 manufacturers are listed.
The leader was Ampeg (5 players) - no surprise, followed closely by Trace Elliot (4), then Acoustic, Ashdown, Mesa (3 each). Alembic had 2 users along with Eden, Fender, Gallien Krueger, Hartke, Marshall, Sunn and SWR.
David B.
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Doesn't Flea play Modulus Basses these days? As well, I've only seen Tim Commerford with Fender Jazz Basses.
Rami
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I'm surprised either Larry Graham or Louis Johnson weren't in the list. Larry is pretty much credited with starting slap bass and Louis has been credited with taking it to a new level.
Louis would've added one to both the Alembic and the Music Man count.
Peace,
James
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Rami, the book covers the artists' entire careers - so Flea is down for Alembic, Modulus, Musicman and Wal. Commerford has entries for Musicman (first RATM album) and Fender.
James, Larry Graham is in for Fender and Moon.
For the sake of completeness here is the full player list:
Jack Bruce, Cliff Burton, Stanley Clarke, Bootsy Collins, Tim Commerford, Duck Dunn, John Entwistle, Flea, Larry Graham, Stu Hamm, James Jamerson, John Paul Jones, Mark King,Durk Lance, Paul McCartney, Pino Palladino, Jaco Pastorius, Billy Sheehan, Sting, Stuart Zender
David B.
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Maybe I'm just a deadhead guitar player, but shouldn't Phil Lesh be on that list? (By the way, I saw his new band last Saturday at the Warfield in S.F. - lots o fun!)
Bill, tgo
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If 100 different people wrote a book like this there would be 100 different lists. Of course Jack Bruce would be on all of them. It sounds like a fun book to look through.
Sam
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Jack Bruce would be in MY book!!! He highly influenced my playing.
Beware ...I NEVER be THAT good.
Although ...let me show off a bit and tell a story that happened just 2 weeks ago.
On the DRIVE rehearsal one of the guitarplayers didn't show up ...sick.
So the other guitarplayer, the drummer, our lovely ladysinger and me were trying some other sounds and versions of songs we already play. The drummer recorded -very primitively- the songs and I was really into Tweak Peaks. A given moment I had a sound I really liked so had the guitarplayer and we started for a Crossroads version, Tearing us apart, Undercover agent for the Blues ...and some other things. When braking up after rehearsal the drummer rewinded the tape and ...we all were stunned by the HUGE sound of what we did. The guitarplayer and I said just ONE word exactly at the same time: Cream.
Friends ...for just one (1) hour I WAS Jack Bruce. Well ...at least I sounded like him. It is !*&%)! AMAZING what one can do with a SF-2 ...yeah ...AND with that Series sound too of course.
I know-i know Completely off topic ...I will never be a GIANT OF BASS ...but ...that moment ...I was an eeny-teeny-weeny giant ...just a bit.
Paul the bad one
(Message edited by palembic on December 27, 2004)
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I always loved Jack Bruce. He and JPJ were my biggest early influences... Then I discovered Jaco. I first associated the Fender Jazz Bass with JPJ long before I started listening to Jaco.
It really is a timeless Bass that I just can't say anything bad about.
Rami
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I am told that Flea records with Alembics. Since Alembic does not do endorsements, he went where the support was.
I'm shopping amp endorsements in 05. Any suggestions?
Danno
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Glockenklang???
However ...I dunno if there your style. I mean NO OFFENCE but you seem a dark player and Glockenklang is so ...well ...'jolly ...like EBS.
Though I find Glockenklang very complete in line and very neutral in sound.
I dunno if they do endorsements.
EBS does ...definitely.
Paul the bad one
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Jack Bruce, for good or bad, was the number one reason that I took up the bass. From the time I first heard Cream about 1968 he has been the benchmark for bass playing in my mind.
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malthumb,
This one is for Louis Thunderthumbs Johnson. Note the Omega bottom.(http://club.alembic.com/Images/449/15399.jpg)
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malthumb,
Here's another of Mr. Louis Thunderthumbs Johnson...(http://club.alembic.com/Images/449/15402.jpg)
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Do you remember this one?
Wizzard from Mother's Finest.
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/449/15406.jpg)
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How about this one?, It's Mr. Jermaine Jackson with a Series I circa 1976-77(http://club.alembic.com/Images/449/15409.jpg)
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Here's an impromptu one of Regi Wooten at his brother, Victor Wooten's bass-camp.(http://club.alembic.com/Images/449/15412.jpg)
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Im still waiting for the alembic book
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Here's the picture that started it all for me. And then there's mine...
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/449/15426.jpg)
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/449/15427.jpg)
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dgcarbu,
Thanks for posting that picture. Louis Johnson's Alembic, along with the one played by the bassist for Rose Royce (name escapes me) were the ones that turned me on to the brand. Not only do I have the Right On Time CD, but I've been known to thump out Strawberry Letter 23 on ocassion. I have a Series I Omega that looks very similar to the one Louis is holding in the picture. Mine is an '87, though and has the pick-up selector near the other controls, as opposed to on the lower horn. It's in the Showcase section. Number 87-4431.
Peace,
James
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James,
I checked out your Series I Omega, what a beauty. Looks identical to the one Louis was holding on their album.
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/449/15645.jpg)
I believe the original bassist for Rose Royce was Lequeint 'Duke' Jobe. I could be wrong.
I just checked out your profile, I am seriously dark green with envy!!! It must be nice to have several Alembics in your possesion. I'm working on aquiring a brown bass myself. You da man!
Darrell
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OK, maybe I'm just being a little too opinionated, but
WHERE'S CHRIS SQUIRE??????
(ok, he doesn't play an alembic, but I'd say he definately helped redefine the role of a bass player)
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Amen Ken! Chris allegedly used an Alembic to record Lift Me Up according to Trevor Rabin. The Ricky was really noisy and Trevor had to talk him into switching basses. It may have been Trevor's Alembic for all I've ever been able to find out. Chris is in the CD player in my truck most of the time. Today it's The Ladder rattling the seats..
John
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Yeah, that Lift Me Up statement has been mentioned before, and I believe it was Trevor's bass that he used, because Chris's web page doesn't list any Alembics in his arsenal.
http://www.chrissquire.com/cs_equipotherguitars.html (http://www.chrissquire.com/cs_equipotherguitars.html)
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Im curious as to how the author figures Dirk Lance & Stu Zender into the equation.... I have a feeling that without them the majority of us would regard & play our instrument just the same. Not to disrespect any player in particular, but I can think of dozens of others of the same caliber....
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Okay, since the subject is expanding, what about the man behind the Motown Sound...
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/449/15655.jpg)
Mr. James Jamerson
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and don't forget this funkateer...
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/449/15658.jpg)
Bootsy
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Who can forget the O.G. plucker himself...
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/449/15663.jpg)
Mr. Larry Graham, and
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/449/15664.jpg)
Graham Central
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Ken,
Yup. Most likely Trevor's bass. Third paragraph up from the bottom lists Trevor having an Alembic:
http://home.t-online.de/home/fisonic/tchmusin.html (http://home.t-online.de/home/fisonic/tchmusin.html)
three basses (an Alembic, an Aria Pro 1000 and a Fender Jazz with a Precision neck)...
John
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Darrell,
You nailed it. It was Lequient Jobe. Thanks for the refresher.
Peace,
James
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cool pics anybody got any good close ups on graham?,by the way he has a seriesI long scale that he only used on my radio sure sounds good to me album. and that very precision bass james jamerson'is holding in the photo was stolen some years ago,i dont know if it was ever recovered. keavin.
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(Message edited by dgcarbu on January 07, 2005)
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Keavin, check this one out of J. J.'s son...
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/449/15720.jpg)
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Is that his son? i thought that was james in a later photo.
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Guitar Player magazine did an extended piece on Jamerson not too long before his death. Pictures, too. Anybody got that one?
John
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Keavin,
It's J. J.'s second son, Joey.
Darrell
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One has to wonder what kind of pressure the Jamerson kids are under to be great bassists like their dad. What a heavy, heavy torch to carry. I hope they're happy doing it. Anybody ever hear them play?
John
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James Jamerson Jr has a whole bushel-load of credits on pop and R&B recordings in the 80's and 90's. Although I can't think of any specific tunes right now, there were some pretty popular songs and groups in his discography. He's also heard on some of the recordings on the Standing In The Shadows collection / tribute to his father.
Peace,
James
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(http://club.alembic.com/Images/449/15963.jpg)
I could not leave Mr. Verdine White excluded...
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/449/15964.jpg)
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Okay, I am sorry, but how could Mr. Geddy Lee not be included in that list? Sure, he doesn't play Alembics, but his sound and style have influenced almost every newcomer in the rock genre for 20 years! Also, he is the main reason I learned to play bass. Say what you want about RUSH and their music and his voice, but hands down he is one of the most versatile players there is.
Also, I could never think of leaving off Chris Squire too! And what about Mr. Dependable, Tony Levin?
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Okay, here you go...
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/449/16038.jpg)
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I think we forgot to mention (in my humble opinion)the father of the Cool upright - Charles Mingus!
I still draw an enormous amount of inspiration to go fretless each time I listen to him. Even his simple walking Bass lines are cool. His orchestral stuff is really awesome as well.
Charles Mingus - the musician's musician (Who happens to play a mean upright!).
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Rami,
It seems like some people's appreciation for music just doesn't go back any further than what came along after 1960.
Yesterday I was checking out the Branford Marsalis recording of Coltrane's 1964 A Love Supreme suite. It's on DVD+CD - the DVD is supposed to be the hippest live jazz DVD out there, but the shop could only play me the CD and that was pretty hot in itself. Bass player by the name of Eric Revis, and the band as a whole really was playing its *ss off.
Now where's that East Coasting CD?
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Or The Clown, or Pithecantropus Erectus, Mingus At The Bohemia, Right Now, Mingus Ah Hum, Blues And Roots...I could go on and on...
Valentino
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Stop typing, put on some Mingus (onto oneself).
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Thanks for mentioning the Love Supreme DVD, adriaan. They're going to be performing it here in SF on March 12, and I'm hoping to make it, but I'll probably rent the thing sometime next week for a preview.
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Shifting gears a bit has anyone yet picked up the Weather Report DVD - Young And Fine Live! recorded on September 29, 1978 in Germany. It's over two hours of live Jaco, Wayne, Joe, and Peter Erskine, and available from audiophileimports.com. I 'm tempted to order it, but it's $55 plus shipping, and I'd like to know what I'm in for with it.
Mike
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I heard some of Branford's Love Supreme on the radio once, and thought it was very good. Please let me know what you think of the DVD (and the live show); it sounds like something that might be nice to have around the house.
Wow! A Weather Report DVD with Jaco! Yes, it would be nice to get a review; Jaco's bio indicates that, as the alcohol abuse increased, there were shows that were less than memorable. And that is a lot of money. The video clip on the audiophiles site looks very good.
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Obviously, you have to leave out many great bassists when you pick a handful to include in a book. One who greatly influenced me and inspires me still is Berry Oakley of the early Allman Bros. He generally played fairly busy lines that fit perfectly into the feel of the song. His creativity on walking lines was especially awesome. He's another one that we lost at a young age. I wonder what kinds of things he would have been playing in his late 50s.
Rich
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Rich; I've always loved the Allman Brothers, and Berry Oakley's bass lines are wonderful.