My Alembics & the rest

[Derwin C. Moss (bassdude63)]

I'm currently searching for the right group of musicians in my area to start a club band. I've taken a year off from playing live to be with my baby daughter who turned a year-old in July. In the last band I played in I used a Musicman Sterling bass. I really love the Sterling, I own 2 and I also use a Musicman Stingray 5. I'm always a little paranoid to use my beautiful Europa-4 on the small stages in my area. I'd hate for it to be hit by a guitar headstock,etc so I end up playing it at home quite a bit. I've used it on some bigger stages along with my Excel-4. I've been given some nice compliments regarding the tone of these instruments. It remains to be seen which instruments I'll use in my next live project. Along with my Musicman basses I also own some modified Fender basses to choose from. As always, if I play on a bigger stage I'll bring along an Alembic. The only bad aspect about my Europa is that it's so responsive I get spoiled if I play it too much. I have to rotate with my other basses or I'll lose my wrestling ability. An Alembic is a really special bass; nothing else I've played or own is so easy to get a sound out of. I view them as  luxury automobiles. The rest of my basses are just cars.

[Derwin C. Moss (bassdude63)]

Oops! Here are my amp set-ups:
Gallien-Krueger 2000RB(for larger clubs),400RB-III(for the small stuff)
Ampeg SVT-II Pro & 8-10E cabinet(what a beast to move! This mainly sits in my basement for rehearsals)
SWR Goliath-III and Goliath SR cabinets.

[Paul Lindemans (palembic)]

Hi there Derwin,
welcome here.
I agree on the getting spoiled when you just play the Alembic. A couple of years ago I came from an old Roland Synth bass. Well, nicely made but rather hard to play. I went to a Mark King that period and suddenly: everyhting you tried before (and didn't work) went allright.
Now I play a SII five string and I also has that litlle bit of scray feeling entering in those small bars: ooops I hope my guitar is not going to be smashed. Until now: no problem. The only smash was me hitting the head of the singer/guitarplayer.
Anyway: I think thta a guitar will end up in the end with some bruises. It's like we all will: you can see it as wounds but maybe you can see them as landmarks, kind of decorations in honour of a busy live and playing and making other people happy.
Well ... sounds to heavy maybe but ...you know what I mean!?
Good luck with the quest for a new band!
 
Paul

[Michael Paskel (Mikey) (pookeymp)]

Hey Derwin & Paul,
 
I hear you both...I just recently put aside my trusty Tobias of 15 years for my newly acquired Mark King.  I've always loved the feel and the sound of my Tobias...actually swore by it until now.  Now I only use it @ rehearsals....and then complain how small the neck feels and never seem to be able to get the sound right.
 
I guess I'm phasing out my 15-year relationship w/ my Tobias and am moving on to a new one w/ Alembic...who says the Grass isn't greener on the other side?
 
Mikey/

[Michael Paskel (Mikey) (pookeymp)]

In terms of bumps and bruises...I'm usually fanatical w/ not putting the slightest scratch on a new instrument...but in the end, the inevitable happens anyway...the battle scars.  I hate the thought of scarring my Mark King, but I hate the thought of not playing her even more...so I'm going for it and have used her on every gig since I received her weeks ago...from the tightest playing space in Church on Sundays to local bars to larger arenas.
 
I even let my 14-year old son use it @ a Church he plays at.  (I must really love that boy!!)
 
Mikey/
 
P.S.  Of course I did carry it there & back and kept a close eye on her the whole time...a little stressful...but she came home unscathed.

[Paul Lindemans (palembic)]

Hi Michael,
 
yes ...that's live I guess. Anyway I love the old Tobias instruments too you know (the first time I had to choose a new bass was between a Tobias and a Mark King). Maybe there will come a time that you consider that guitar as just another place to be, with different possibillities.  
About the grass on the other side.
I was in a situation where I said: The grass is always greener on the other side!
A friend of mine answered : True ,,,and you know why?
I said No
He:  There's more shit!
;-)
Keep at the low-end!
 
Paul

[Paul Lindemans (palembic)]

Haha,
 
I think I have a picture of my sun playing that Mark King somewhere. I don't have the Mark King anymore but I surely still have my son.
Don't misunderstand my care for my guitar. I think we all think the same but ... those things happen on the road. I think if there were no bruises or scratches the whole concept of getting a new one would be lost.
I can see this is morning for you guys over there. This is the end of a working day here and I was happy that I could bump in from time to time.
CU
 
Paul

[Michael Paskel (Mikey) (pookeymp)]

Hey Paul,
 
If you come across that picture of your son playing your Mark King, you should post it...would love to see it.
 
I know I seemed a bit hard on the Tobias...I do recognize it as a great instrument in it's own right and will continue to play it.  After enjoying that instrument for so many years, I now have to talk a little negative about it mainly to justify the cost of the Alembic...to myself...and especially to my wife...HaHa  
 
Mikey/

[Michael Paskel (Mikey) (pookeymp)]

Speaking of bruises & scratches...I just bought a brand new 5-string Samik bass this past weekend that is badly bruised on the heel.  Didn't intend on buying anything, but my son pointed out the instrument to me, and instead of taking it down & checking it out...I decided to play it while it was still suspended in the air on a wall hook.  I made my comments about how nice it felt and looked (a pretty quilted emerald green) and walked away from it.  I took 2 steps and heard something hit the ground behind me...and yes...it was the bass that fell and hit the floor on it's heel.  Apparently I loosened it from it's hooks.  I was able to catch it before the neck hit the ground.  I know...as long as I've been playing and handling instruments I should've known better.  Pretty embarrasing.  (Actually, I would have felt better if my son had done it...I would still have to pay...but I'd almost understand a 14-year old doing such a silly thing).
 
Anyway, to make a long story short...the motto you break it...you bought it came into play.  Luckily it was only a $600 instrument and I had my corporate card w/ me. The dealer was pretty cool about it as I go there often and said I could either give him 20% to cover the money he would lose because of the damage, or he would give it to me at his cost.  Spending $280 for a bass that plays good, sounds decent and looks good is not such a bad deal I guess.  Definitely great for rehearsals.  So now I have a brand new bass w/ battle scars before even getting in the battle.
 
A lesson well learned.
 
Mikey/

[Michael Paskel (Mikey) (pookeymp)]

Hey Derwin,
 
You have some nice setups there...you can definitely move some major air when necessary.

[Derwin C. Moss (bassdude63)]

Oh, it can be pretty loud but I mainly use the G-K 2000RB's excessive wattage for headroom to acheive a nice,clean tone. I have'nt had to turn it up past 10 o'clock. My SVT-II Pro is a different story; I bought it to have a tube amp tone when I needed it. But I just can't seem to get enough volume out of it even after completely retubing it with the best matched tubes I could find. It just does'nt seem to have the headroom I want. To be at equal volume with the rest of the band I have to really crank up my master volume.(Maybe I should've tried a Mesa Boogie 400+ out first.) The SVT does have a killer tone. In The past I also used my Alembic F1-X tube preamp with a QSC power amp through my Goliath Sr and had fantastic results.

[Charles David Tichenor (alembic76407)]

Derwin
I have loaned out my Mesa/Boogie 400+ to 2 Alembic owners here in Okla City, I'm happy to say they both now have their own 400+s, the proof is in the pudding, the 12 power tubes will give you the head room and warmth you crave. Even playing outside, I've never ran out of power, and I tend to play a little on the loud side. there is not a guitar amp I'm afraid of (see the weather machine). To me Mesa /Boogie is the Alembic of AMPs!!!!!!!!!!
 
David T (alembic76407)
PS, Sorry if I sound like a salesman, I'm not!!