Author Topic: Make Alembic guitar pups sound better~ 1 step! (Read 464 times)

pace · « **on:** April 18, 2011, 05:39:58 PM »

PUT THEM IN A BASS..... LOL......

I couldn't have picked a better transplant recipient for you JOEY!!!

bigredbass · « **Reply #1 on:** April 18, 2011, 11:44:20 PM »

OK, I fell off the wrong side of the bed today, Mike, what am I missing here . . . . ?

J o e y

rustyg61 · « **Reply #2 on:** April 19, 2011, 01:05:32 AM »

Something to do with a Big Red Bass?

pace · « **Reply #3 on:** April 19, 2011, 03:09:01 AM »

and your LOVE for Gibsons!!!!

sonicus · « **Reply #4 on:** April 19, 2011, 06:35:14 AM »

LOL , Well at least you guys picked out a Want To Be AlembicBass and not one of those Gibson Bass's with those strange 3 post tilt bridges. LOL_______

tbrannon · « **Reply #5 on:** April 19, 2011, 07:49:22 AM »

Is that a Warwick bridge and tailpiece?

sonicus · « **Reply #6 on:** April 19, 2011, 07:59:04 AM »

This bridge & tailpiece were offered by Gibson on some Les Paul Bass issues at some point . I played one at the Guitar show in Marin Co, Ca, last year. Warwick has had a similar looking one.

811952 · « **Reply #7 on:** April 19, 2011, 08:19:22 AM »

I bet that thing sounds... HEAVY!

sonicus · « **Reply #8 on:** April 19, 2011, 11:31:57 AM »

JA !___ Bend those Minor Thirds___1,3,1.3,1,3,1_______
(Spoonful)

pace · « **Reply #9 on:** April 19, 2011, 06:24:19 PM »

This is a '96 LPB3 Les Paul Standard bass.

This is one of the last ones before the three point bridge, chambered body, and toggle switch were introduced. I'm pretty sure that this bridge is licensed thru Warwick.

I've had this bass for a long time, but have always been turned off by how the original Bart electronics represented this bass's acoustic attributes. The Alembic HG Activators are a perfect swap for the original TB+ ceramic pickups, and the Bart TCT preamp has been replaced with Alembic Vol, Vol, Bass+/-, Treble+/-. At first I was hesitant of not having a low pass filter on this bass, because that IS the Alembic sound... BUT.... This is my first set of Activators with two volumes, and because of the pickup placement I'm able to get similar EQ curves by slightly rolling back one pickup or the other!

Once Activated I have to admit that this isn't anything like my EBO (alas, no Spoonful).... But it does have some of that early Phil vibe, along with all the clank that the older Gibsons were known for!!!!

sonicus · « **Reply #10 on:** April 19, 2011, 06:54:11 PM »

LOL. I was joking with the spoonful in response to 811952.
Honestly , when I checked out a similar Bass @ the Guitar show I was thinking the same as you did and to put Alembic Activators in it. Early Phil vibe is WAY COOL, his ALembic modified EB-3 had some cool visceral growl ______

bigredbass · « **Reply #11 on:** April 19, 2011, 10:25:11 PM »

OK, NOW I get it.

That is certainly an upgrade and I would bet my next paycheck that indeed, it does not sound like an EB-O. NICE COLOR. Really nice axe, Mike, deinitely cool dropping a 'crate motor' into this bass.

(BTW, HipShot is making a very nice replacement for that 3-point abomination of a bridge: The technically astute who are not stuck to that vintage look might want to consider it. Uses the same three studs, nice piece.)

So I feel like I've paid appropriate appreciation to this newly upgraded axe, and Mike, I really appreciate you thinking of me, nice to not see one more wood-toned bass. Thanks a lot. And in an attempt to acknowledge my part in this conversation, I did, back in the day, buy a brand new Ripper in natural, followed by a sunburst RD Artist, surely the heaviest bass ever manufactured upon the North American continent. So I'm certainly an accessory and culpable for that time period.

But that was then . . . . and this is now.

So . . . . Gibson makes basses ? ? ?

J o e y

bigredbass · « **Reply #12 on:** April 19, 2011, 10:35:32 PM »

. . . . I'll even go as far as to admit a certain (surely perverse, or some as-yet undiagnosed problem between-the-ears) desire for an LP Bass, preferably not from 'Good is Only Gibson Enough' (my favorite scrambled re-write of that slogan). Sure enough I found this, and thankfully I've not bugged Susan to ask who to talk to a IKEBE to round me one up:

http://www.espguitars.co.jp/edwards/original/E-LB-135CD.html

From ESP's affordable line, only available in the Far East, luckily for me. Trade out the Seymours for those EMG's from the Steinberger XL's, add a BTS Circuit, and rewire the selector for a standby and I'd be off to the races. Plus, it would be a hoot to run around NashVegas with a lawsuit bass !

Or it might be more fun to get one of those EBay Chinese Gilsons . . . .

I was told nobody my age was innocent anymore, but THIS wasn't the kind of thing I though I'd get caught out on. Geez . . . . .

J o e y

hieronymous · « **Reply #13 on:** April 19, 2011, 10:57:46 PM »

I'm a fan of both Alembic and Gibson (and Rickenbacker and Guild and Fender too) - I'm diggin' the Les Paul!

Question for you - do the guitar pickups perform in the bass department? The reason I ask is, I have a Fender Japan Bass VI reissue, but don't like the pickups. Have thought of putting Strat-Activators in it - think it would work?

pace · « **Reply #14 on:** April 20, 2011, 04:03:18 AM »

Harry, the Orion Baritone that I owned had these same pups in it.... Back then I was going A-A, so I knew that the HG's would respond to the low E fine.... Same Bass & Treb +/- as the Orion too!

I think that the Strat style activators would work in a Bass VI, but are the ears set at the same length??