Alembic Jazz Bass.

[toma_hawk01]

Haa haaa!!!
 
 
Victor managed to buy that Alembic and he played it until he entered the recording studio with Kashif...
 
Kashif took one look at it and told Victor to get another bass.
 
Maybe I am going blind, but I had not read where the sound engineer Kashif complained about not being able to get a good sound out of the Alembic.
 
From the readings, Kashif, simply wanted Victory to play his supplied Music Man bass. From the way it reads, Kashif was caught off guard when Vic entered the room with his Alembic.  
 
I don't see a connection from the readings, where the sound engineer allowed Vic to play the Alembic. Vic never even got to bat with the Alembic. So, how could the sound engineer even make a comment of complaints, when Vic was stopped in his tracks before playing a single Alembic note?
 
Check this out...
 
I asked Vic why he liked the Fodera so much. Was it the tone?  
 
?No, it was the feel.
 
A bass had to feel good, before commenting on the sound. Clearly Alembics sound good, but probably didn't feel as good to him...
 
The sound engineer offering Vic a Music Man, in comparison to an Alembic was laughable.
 
(Message edited by toma_hawk01 on November 01, 2009)

[toma_hawk01]

Again, I don't think it comes down to feel either. It comes down to the money they had in the budget for Vic's bass. It just so happens, $900.00 bucks for the Fodera was more than an investment of Vic's bass, it was also an opportunity cost to aid a young guitar company.  
 
This is how endorsement deal are made. Hey, Victor was about to use his Alembic, but with $900 bucks, and a business relationship with a young company, that $900 buys you support Alembic don't offer.  In this case, Victor must continue using Fodera or lose sponsorship.  
 
From a consumer perspective, the same rules apply... and this means, I am still not going to run and get me a Fodera because Victor plays them.  
 
Victor was picked up very quick by Fodera, because they needed his talent and Vic needs the money to support his craft, and future business ventures.
 
Usually when a company looks to endorse their products, the product usually lack quality. Heck, just make a great instrument, and speak with the truth and without the worries of kissing up to an artist. Alembic is a a solid company, of which, I am very proud!  
 
As for Stanley Clarke...
 
I believe Stanley loves his freedom to pick and choose any or whatever bass he wants without any company breathing down his neck.
 
But, what does this mean for the price of tea in China anyway.

[mike1762]

I don't know Hal.  I go to different basses for different things.  My Alembics are (without a doubt) the most versatile in the stable.  But they can't do EVERYthing and a Music Man tone is a good example of that.  I record just about everything with one of my Alembics these days.  But if I were to find myself on stage again, I would probably have a Stingray in my hands for a variety of reasons.

[toma_hawk01]

Mike,
 
I totally understand what you are saying. I like Music Man basses too, but Musicman's twangy bright sounds, is really all you get... I like tea too, but I love a bold cup of coffee. Alembics are like a bold cup of coffee. But to pit one bass against another is simply juvenile.
 
I could take an Alembic and make it sound cheap if I wanted and need to do this. But Try making a Music Man sound rich and full... I don't know anyone who achieved this feat. Also, Music Man basses was never designed for the fullness, they were designed for disco music, of a disco age.

[darkstar01]

i hate coffee...
and just to interject, i don't think vic is sponsored by fodera as much as he just endorses them. which is to say, i'm pretty sure he buys his basses just like everyone else. but whatever. i didn't buy my fodera because vic plays them, and i don't buy alembics because stanley plays them.  i could really care less, honestly.

[toma_hawk01]

So what is your point, you hate coffee?
 
You are kidding yourself if you think Vic is not getting sponsorship for supporting Fodera basses.
 
Also, nobody ever said you purchased your basses because of Stanley or Vic. But I'll tell you one thing to this, neither Vic or Stan,didn't hurt the brands either. For there are people who were and are inspired by not only their music, but also by what tools they use too.  
 
Ok, you dance to a different drummer, that's wonderful.  
 
However, our discussion was not of this nature. It was about Vic's engineer who didn't want to record the Alembic.  
 
Also, during the time Vic's engineer refused to record him with the Alembic, Vic was not even aware of Fodera basses.  
 
The bottom line is...
 
If you have the freedom to play a Fodera, Alembic or a sitck with a string, it's your business, unless you have a sponsorship agreement.  
 
For a young 16 year old bass player, they are likely to go for the money. I seen this story before.
 
There's nothing wrong with endorsements or sponsorships, where would many businesses be without them. This is a question of your own musical ethics, which is different from my perspective. I don't play any other bass but Alembics basses.
 
By the way, the first time I seen and heard an Alembic, was not from Stanley Clarke, it was from a 1975 concert of George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelics. If you asked me who Stanley Clarke was back in those days, I would show a blank face. So, when I seen my guitar heros like Micheal Hampton honor Jimi Hendrix with an Alembic Series I electric guitar, I was floored, and would soon learn about what guitar he played.  
 
Stanley Clarke was told about Alembic basses, as Vic was informed about Fodera according to Stanley's interviews.  
       
LOL...
 
 
 
 
(Message edited by toma_hawk01 on November 01, 2009)

[darkstar01]

yeah. that's my point.

[mike1762]

I agree that a Music Man is a tonal 1 Trick Pony, but they are a hell of a trick!!!

[tmoney61092]

agreed, i'm not a big fan of musicmans, but i just got a Gibson Victory Artist bass and it's incredible, they need to re-make them.
 
~Taylor Watterson

[hieronymous]

Gibson basses +1

[elwoodblue]

I love my Musicman, it's easy to play for hours on end...especially with the La Bella tapewounds.
 I had a 2004 jazz bass and something wasn't right about it...it seemed like more work than play when jamming.
 
  The Leo era G&L's are great sounding (and versatile) too when a bolt on bass is desired.  
 
 I would have loved to have an Alembic that looked like a J-bass from a distance when playing Hendrix bass lines...still keeping  an authentic look with all the goodness of an Alembic's sound.
 ( I quit that band because of quibbling about appearance ...Marshall,Marshall,Marshall...there's better equipment for bass out there besides Marshall.
  Sorry, I digress.)

[tmoney61092]

Ampeg bass cabs for sure, no questions asked, i have a SVT-1540 cab with a Hartke 3500 head that i will never get rid of
 
~Taylor Watterson

[88persuader]

Fact is Victor would NOT use a bass unless it does what he requires. He's not going to hurt his reputation by using a low quality product that doesn't fill all his needs regardless of the deal he has with the manufacturer. Mark King has an Alembic named after him but now uses Status basses, not Alembic. And as far as I know Mark NEVER used an Alembic bass with the electronics supplied on the Mark King Signature bass. Do you think Mark's simply a sell out and is willing to kill his reputation by using an instrument that doesn't do what he requires? During the last Who tour I saw John Entwistle (on TV) using a black Fender Precision bass, not his Alembic. In a TV interview he spoke about his love for the Precision bass too, his FAVORITE bass. Could have been motivated by business but he still sounded like John! My point is, Alembics are (in MY opinion) the most amazing basses available BUT they DON'T sound like Fenders if you want the Fender sound, they don't sound like Modulus basses is you want that sound, they sound like Alembics. There isn't a one bass sounds like them all bass available out there regardless how versatile most Alembics are. (Line 6 tried, didn't work) It really depends on personal taste. And if you love the sound and feel of a Fender Precision you would be nuts to spend  10 grand on an Alembic when you can get a made in America Fender Precision for a little over a grand. It's all a matter of taste, there is no right or wrong. And I think being totally loyal to just ONE brand of ANYTHING ties your hands. I'd love a few of EVERY brand of bass out there if I had unlimited funds. 2 Alembics series II (fretted and fretless both 6 strings), a few Modulus basses (which i love) a fretless and fretted, a few Musicman Basses (Fender on roids) fretless and fretted, a few Warwicks fretted and fretless, the list goes on. Choice is a GOOD thing!

[tmoney61092]

i like how Raymond summed that up :-D
 
~Taylor Watterson

[toma_hawk01]

I can make an Alembic sound cheap like any one of those basses you mentioned.
 
However, no bass could sound like an Alembic.
 
Also,  
 
anybody who play's professionally, and starts off with an Alembic, artist are completely free to play any bass they deem fit.  
 
Mark King plays Stratus basses because, Stratus company pay's him something...  
 
If you want to play an Alembic bass, YOU must pay for it with your honest; fact-seeking; detail unlimited; comparison analytical; hard earning dollars if you want the best.
 
If you think Alembic needs to start paying Artists to play their instruments, that would be the first sign, I would need to start looking to building my own bass.  
 
The most beautiful thing about Alembic started with the beautiful philosophy of not supporting endorsements.  
 
That's a powerful stance period.  
 
What this means, is they care only about the quality of their basses and guitars... NOTHING ELSE.  
 
If Artist want to go for endorsements contracts with other manufacturers, that's their business, and it means nothing to me. But if you just take a look at those companies who created packs with Artist, now the honest discussion quality become stifled and extremely political, and in some situations, the products are so bad, it's one hand covers the other. Even artist themselves look cheap. But, they are rich as hell, but their souls are short!!!
 
There are people who sacrifice even lucrative contracts with inferior basses to keep their sound and quality as honest they could get.  
 
I always said Stanley Clarke is the most honest Bass Player I ever seen. I love his honesty (how can you not?) This guy could had made more money with Fender than anyone in history, but chosen quality over money. He stayed with a company who focused only on the quality of their products; while Stanley focused on his art.
 
This is why Alembic is so special. This is why Stanley Clarke is too.
 
What is also interesting, Stanley would later seek to make his own line of basses, and being the honest guy he is, That Alembic bass is 'First String' instrument he uses as an extension of his soul. Not even Stanley basses could compete with Alembic quality.
 
Stanley would never be caught, without an Alembic period. Not in my lifetime.  
 
Alembics are expensive?  
 
It takes 10 other basses, to have the satisfaction of one Alembic. Man, I have to pay for storing all that wood -- not me.
 
 
 
(Message edited by toma_hawk01 on November 03, 2009)