Author Topic: Neophite Alembic 6 String Bass Player (Read 665 times)

pallasarms · « **on:** February 23, 2004, 01:55:23 PM »

After spending some time over the holidays at the Cafe Wha in NYC and experiencing close-up a bass player thumbing a bass solo..one of my passions in life is learning how to play a bass guitar. My wife who is an artists/designer by trade will be sending me a 1987 Alembic Spoiler 6 String Bass
she picked up at a pawn shop as a belated Valentine's Day present. It looks great (see attached), but any good counsel someone can offer me on what this pretty boy can do and tips of learning how to play it?

Many thanks in advance.

David Houck · « **Reply #1 on:** February 23, 2004, 03:18:51 PM »

Congrats!!! And welcome to the group! I've been watching this particular bass on Ebay for several weeks now; this is a great bass. I think the combination of a beautiful top, six string narrow taper 32 neck and Spoiler controls makes for a very nice Alembic.

My recommendation is to read this forum every day and learn to use the search feature. You can learn all kinds of things about your bass here, including how to set it up, how to maintain it, and what the controls do. There have been many discussions on issues from strings to straps. And one or two of the members even have web pages with bass lessons.

Congrats on a beautiful Alembic.

bracheen · « **Reply #2 on:** February 23, 2004, 03:26:32 PM »

Welcome Michael and congratulations on the bass. Wow starting off with a six string Alembic is serious. I've been trying to learn how to play bass for about 25 years now and haven't gotten past 4 strings. I was proud to move up to 2 pickups. Seriously that is a beautiful bass.

My first tip to you would be to invest in a tuner and a metronome. (ducking while saying metronome). Check some of your local music stores and source out a respected teacher.
The bass can be a very intricate and rewarding instrument. Keep us posted on progress. Photos are also mandatory.

Sam

hollis · « **Reply #3 on:** February 23, 2004, 03:30:01 PM »

First off, Welcome to the group! Beautiful bass!

First bass.......Alembic.......Nice wife!

I'm certain that there are many around here that can give you way better pointers about bass playing than I, however, if I may be so bold.....please (for your basses sake, not to mention my psyche)please let that picture be the last time the bass is propped up on asphalt.

Enjoy your new found friend. Have fun!

pallasarms · « **Reply #4 on:** February 23, 2004, 04:02:15 PM »

What an awesome club! I'm very impressed with the immediate responses I have received and the words of encouragement. I'm a very lucky man.

thanks

bassman10096 · « **Reply #5 on:** February 23, 2004, 09:31:14 PM »

Hi Michael and welcome to the club. I was watching your bass on Ebay too and have admired it for weeks.

It sounds like others have already given plenty of good advice. I can't echo strongly enough how much you can learn about your bass, playing bass, equipment, lessons and other learning by checking in on the Club regularly. There is also a search function that allows you to access threads that have used your search terms before. Very handy for gathering a variety of discussions on a given subject to learn a bit from other members. Real time questions tend to get a response from those with useful input. Maybe most unique is the consistently friendly attitude and behavior of members. One of the things that keeps me coming back is the positive responses and patience members show each other.

Welcome aboard. Bill

palembic · « **Reply #6 on:** February 23, 2004, 11:53:00 PM »

Brother Michael ...

wooooops ...we had already one of those!
Although he is called Dela most of the times.
Anyway ...
heartly welcome from this side of the pond.
This is a weird bunch of lovely people who cherish the most acceptable addiction in the world: low frequencies in general an Alembics more precise.
You will see that producing those frequencies will give you a better life.
Ask Brother Paul the Fake one: he used his bass to comfort his unborn child.
Brother MIchael the other one discovered after long scientific research that thanks to his bassplaying the Alligators avoid his garden.
Brother Paul the Good one became a friends of the IRS and makes better beer now!
Brother David the loud one start playing with his giant rig face falt down on the earth to anticipate on the frequent earthquakes in his area.
When we all played bass it would be a better world -well, a little boring perhaps, but definitely better.
So now ...out of the blue ...senior management stepped in with this absolutely gorguous 6 string?
For the techs and specs and the how to ...wander around in this virtual garden of the low species ond thou will be wondered!
To learn how to play ...well ...that's an entireley different story. A teacher, books, ...try to find a teacher or a system that gives you the opportunity to play quickly some bass-lines with records. The secret of keeping the thrill going is ...playing ...performing and continuously surprising yourself.
In this club are really top-of-the-world players and also the 1 note-hammering-dudes. All of them are equal in the sense that keeping the rhythm and start feet to move is the main goal.

Paul the bad one

PS: would you mind tell senior management that my birthday is 15 june ...well ...oh ....huh ...you never know ....it's worth the try no???

lowlife · « **Reply #7 on:** February 24, 2004, 03:50:38 AM »

Very pretty Bass; enjoy it!

Ellery

jazzyvee · « **Reply #8 on:** February 24, 2004, 09:36:46 AM »

Judging by the string spacing, that neck looks pretty slim and fairly parallel compared to other 6 stringers I've seen such as the Yamaha's which look like a tapered tree trunk in comparison.
Are Alembic 5 and 6 stringers usually narrow, and which does it make for easier playing, the fretting or the plucking fingers......
My old bass player used to have a pedulla 5 string and the string spacing and neck width was far to wide for me.

adriaan · « **Reply #9 on:** February 24, 2004, 09:57:15 AM »

That's a very beautiful Spoiler!

I was used to the 'modern' string spacing and neck taper on my Epic, and found that was real easy to adapt to the 'classic taper' on my Spoiler 4. For those who don't know what that is: the strings run parallel, so the string spacing is the same at the nut and at the bridge.

The spacing on this 6 string does look very close, but since all Alembics offer such good string response I'm sure Michael will find his way.

brutalbisc · « **Reply #10 on:** March 08, 2004, 09:01:17 PM »

Beautiful bass!What kind of wood is the top made of?

David Houck · « **Reply #11 on:** March 09, 2004, 05:16:11 AM »

Jack; I believe the top on this bass is Koa.

thebass · « **Reply #12 on:** March 09, 2004, 01:23:05 PM »

Wow. Congrats for your bass, Michael. What a present ! Now you know what love is.