Alembic Guitars Club

Alembic products => Alembic Basses & Guitars => Topic started by: maclamb on March 20, 2006, 06:35:53 AM

Title: Casady's Tone
Post by: maclamb on March 20, 2006, 06:35:53 AM

(Forgive me if asked and answered...)
Longtime fan of Jack's Playing as well as Tone.
There are 2 specific pieces where I'm wondering how the tone is produced. (to me it sounds like a honk - but I bet there's a more technical term...)
One is on First Hot Tuna Album, New Song for the Morning (00:37 and 1:26) I think this song in particular shows off his sound.
Also, I had a bootleg version of Ballad of You and Me and Pooneil where he solos and his bass postively hums, thrums, vibrates. Words fail me.
Unfortunately I lost the tape years ago (if someone HAS a copy, please contact me...)
Now my question (yes, you probably know what's coming.
 
While that sound is probably not (easily) reporducible (after having slogged my way throgh the thread on pickups, bass, amp) is it typical of alembic pickups/basess? I owned a series 1 for a while and it seemed to be close. So, is that only on those type of pickups, or will I find a similar tone on less expensive (and in my price range) alembics?
 
thanks for your patience with my newbi-ism...
 
oh, and, what alembic bass is he playing on Crown of Creation, credited as Yggdrasil Bass?

Title: Casady's Tone
Post by: David Houck on March 20, 2006, 07:01:32 PM

Hi Joe; reading back over some previous threads, it seems likely that on Crown of Creation Jack is playing an Alembicized Guild Starfire.

Title: Casady's Tone
Post by: yggdrasil on March 22, 2006, 01:21:09 PM

He played Guild Starfires from the latter Baxters (most of Baxters is a Fender jazz) sessions through Hot Tuna Burgers or so.
 
AFAICT, they had the Hagstrom Pickups with Alembic active electronics (emitter followers and such). Jack says the original goal of the active electronics was simply to get the signal through longer cords with as little loss as possible.

Title: Casady's Tone
Post by: kmh364 on March 22, 2006, 01:25:57 PM

Ah! I knew you couldn't stay away from this one for long, Frank! Good to hear (read) from you again.
 
Cheers,
 
Kevin
 
(Message edited by kmh364 on March 22, 2006)

Title: Casady's Tone
Post by: yggdrasil on March 22, 2006, 03:02:01 PM

hey Kevin - Did you ever get to FPR?
I just came back on Monday night(hence my missing this thread :-) - this time I took Beginning Fingerstyle Guitar from Jorma (what was I thinking! :-(
Jack was doing his annual kickoff Beginner class.
 
Back to the thread - I reread Susan's history, and she mentions that the Starfires were fitted with low impedance pups and electronics. I dug out my vinyl of Burgers, where you can just see the upper portion of the neck pup on Jack's last Starfire (pic on 30 Seconds over Winterland, the next year, shows Alembic #1). Anyway the pup on the Burgers gatefold pic looks like a Hagstrom - I wonder, then, if Alembic rejigged the guts of a Hagstrom? The pup is definitely not the early trapezoid-shaped Alembic.
 
Frank
 
(Message edited by yggdrasil on March 22, 2006)

Title: Casady's Tone
Post by: kmh364 on March 23, 2006, 06:01:55 AM

Frank:
 
Not yet. You're really making me sick! LOL! Drop me an email to let me know what you thought of the Jorma class.
 
 
Cheers,
 
Kevin

Title: Casady's Tone
Post by: lbpesq on March 23, 2006, 07:03:07 AM

Frank
 
If it's not too much trouble, could you cc me with the email about your experiences in Jorma's class?  Or maybe just go ahead and post it to the club?  I'm sure there are many of us interested in FPR.
 
Bill, tgo

Title: Casady's Tone
Post by: tom_z on March 23, 2006, 08:30:56 AM

I'm interested too. I'd love to hear first hand experience of FPR.
 
Tom

Title: Casady's Tone
Post by: pas on March 23, 2006, 12:11:01 PM

I've been - I went to the very first session in April '98 & took the bass class with Jack.  Interesting experience.  I posted on here sometime ago my long & drawn out thoughts on the experience.  I wish I could some how link it for you.

Title: Casady's Tone
Post by: yggdrasil on March 23, 2006, 12:46:42 PM

Well, I'll do up something considered, rather than dashed off - I've done 4 workshops with Jack and one with Jorma.
I also did the virtual tour that's up on the Ranch site.
http://furpeaceranch.com/ (http://furpeaceranch.com/)

Title: Casady's Tone
Post by: David Houck on March 23, 2006, 03:13:01 PM

Paul (PAS); that post is in this thread (http://club.alembic.com/index.php?topic=20562).

Title: Casady's Tone
Post by: pas on March 24, 2006, 04:19:56 AM

Thanks Dave!

Title: Casady's Tone
Post by: basmansam on March 24, 2006, 07:05:15 PM

Getting back to the original question about Jacks sound...  
1) The sound is in his hands. Have you noticed that he sounds the same on the jazz bass or Les Paul Sig Bass??
2) The versatone amplifier has alot to with the sound that he gets. Slightly overdriven to extremely overdriven.
3)Lots of sustain from the modified hagstrom pick ups on the Starfire Bass.
4) See #1
 
(Message edited by basmansam on March 24, 2006)

Title: Casady's Tone
Post by: maclamb on March 27, 2006, 05:33:40 AM

Have you all seen this:
 
http://www.basspickup.com/ (http://www.basspickup.com/)

Title: Casady's Tone
Post by: yggdrasil on March 27, 2006, 11:46:47 AM

Yep-
 
I have Dark Stars in a Guild Starfire Reissue
 
scroll down a bit for a pic
 
 
http://www3.sympatico.ca/videoimage/Basses.htm (http://www3.sympatico.ca/videoimage/Basses.htm)
 
(Message edited by yggdrasil on March 27, 2006)

Title: Casady's Tone
Post by: palembic on March 27, 2006, 12:55:27 PM

BEWARE!!!
Brother Franks Bass Collection site is very DANGEROUS to visit for people suffering from GAS.
Believe me ...I know!
 
Paul TBO

Title: Casady's Tone
Post by: lbpesq on March 27, 2006, 07:45:01 PM

Nice collection!
 
Bill, tgo

Title: Casady's Tone
Post by: olieoliver on March 27, 2006, 09:21:03 PM

Some very unique basses.
 
Olie,TBGDO

Title: Casady's Tone
Post by: 2400wattman on March 27, 2006, 09:49:35 PM

I love it, not one crappy Ibeenhad in the bunch!

Title: Casady's Tone
Post by: kmh364 on March 28, 2006, 06:54:35 AM

Nice collection, Frank! Yet another thing to add to the jealousy list for me, LOL!

Title: Casady's Tone
Post by: adriaan on March 28, 2006, 07:00:32 AM

What basmansam said - The versatone amplifier has alot to with the sound that he gets. Slightly overdriven to extremely overdriven.
 
Isn't the SWR InterStellar Overdrive preamp supposed to be built to reproduce that?

Title: Casady's Tone
Post by: jseitang on March 28, 2006, 09:59:11 AM

hey is it possible to combine the darkstar pickups with alembic filters for the ultimate casady tone!

Title: Casady's Tone
Post by: yggdrasil on March 28, 2006, 10:49:18 AM

Hmmm. maybe a new offering - the SE-1 : Alembic  Starfire Electronics plate, offered with a free Dremel tool?

Title: Casady's Tone
Post by: yggdrasil on March 28, 2006, 11:11:55 AM

Stiil haven't managed to write up some FPR info, but came across this guy's accounts on the web, which should tide y'all over fer a bit!
 
 
http://users.mcleodusa.net/r/raines/furpeacetravelogue.htm (http://users.mcleodusa.net/r/raines/furpeacetravelogue.htm)

Title: Casady's Tone
Post by: bassman10096 on March 29, 2006, 06:11:27 AM

...and free guitar strings for life!!
 
But seriously - as I understand it, and according to Rick Turner, the link between the Hagstrom Duosonic single coils and later Alembic pu's was continued experimentation by Ron and Rick on the Casady and Phil basses.  First, the Haggies were modified with heavier mags, then ultimately they wound more and more sophisticated pu's of their own (meaning the Duosonics were no longer necessary).
 
Bill