Author Topic: Telembic Bass - activators in a Fender (Read 556 times)

hieronymous · « **on:** June 24, 2008, 10:36:47 PM »

So my early/mid-'70s Fender Telecaster Bass is refinished and rewired! Apparently, it was originally walnut, refinished black by my foolish friend, and routed first for an old-school single-coil P-Bass pickup, then for a regular split-coil P pup. I found some P Activators for sale here at our beloved forum, and knew they were what I wanted. SO - here's the bass, refinished by Krishna Jain:

The color is a bit redder and darker than the original Fender color, but I like this better, though it's hard to photograph well. The chrome knob controls the volume of the Fender humbucker (I decided to forego the tone knob since I never use passive tone knobs), and the two Alembic knobs are volume and filter. Actually, the knob next to the chrome knob is the filter, and the one closest to the end of the bass is volume - kind of backwards from normal, but I like it!

So how does it sound, you ask? Fortunately, I was able to record with it, and I must say it sounds amazing! I have the bass strung with D'Addario Chromes flatwounds, and to me it just sounds like the perfect Precision Bass - warm, with that midrange honk and bite. Here's one sample, just bass and drums:

sambhava

And here's one with guitar (by my buddy Damon, who owns the studio where this stuff was recorded) and synth (me) overdubs:

8B4X4

I should also mention that they're recorded through an Alembic F-2B and a Urei LA-4 (I think) compressor. On 8B4X4, I didn't realize that I had the bright switch engaged, but it really works for slap - I never would have thought that I would be satisfied with slapping on flatwounds. Didn't hurt that the filter was maxed too!

Here's one more shot, this time of me playing it and getting used to the feel:

rami · « **Reply #1 on:** June 25, 2008, 07:21:33 AM »

FANTASTIC!!! You've made a real fan out of me Harry! Cool funky Jazz. I save everything that you post.

hieronymous · « **Reply #2 on:** June 25, 2008, 09:23:00 AM »

Wow thank you so much rami for the kind words!

I should give credit where credit is due - the drummer on the tracks is Greg DeGuglielmo - he is just so musical and inspiring, besides being a master of groove.

tbrannon · « **Reply #3 on:** June 25, 2008, 05:56:21 PM »

Awesome stuff Harry- I've said it before, but I really like your style of playing and the bass sounds great- P thump with that distinct Alembic tone.

Toby

hankster · « **Reply #4 on:** June 25, 2008, 08:12:06 PM »

Now, I like that. A Tele bass is always special.

Rick

David Houck · « **Reply #5 on:** June 25, 2008, 08:17:37 PM »

Click on the link Harry provided at the top of his first post; there's a detailed diary of the project with pictures!

David Houck · « **Reply #6 on:** June 25, 2008, 08:29:04 PM »

Nice grooves Harry!

hieronymous · « **Reply #7 on:** June 26, 2008, 10:08:49 AM »

Thanks everybody!

Here's an interesting tidbit about the guitar parts on 8B4X4 - my friend Damon - who owns the studio, engineered the recording, and played the guitar parts - has always wanted an F-2B, because David Gilmour is his idol and Gilmour uses one that was apparently modded to be more effective in the guitar range. Well, Damon plugged in to my F-2B and was blown away! So all the guitar parts on there were recorded through an F-2B as well as the bass and synth!

hieronymous · « **Reply #8 on:** July 17, 2008, 05:45:57 PM »

Found this track that I had kind of forgotten about. It's a full-band version of the soundtrack to my Buddhist podcast (which you can hear here at the DharmaRealm if you're interested). This is just a demo to show what I want to do, but I like the way it came out. Once again, Greg DeGuglielmo (or DeGug as he is affectionately referred to by those who can't pronounce his name!) on drums, I'm playing the bass and synth, engineered by Damon Burke, etc.

rays of sound

The Telembic is doing both the bass line and the distorted part that doubles the synth melody. I was thinking of rerecording the bass line with my Exploiter.

hieronymous · « **Reply #9 on:** October 09, 2008, 01:15:39 PM »

Finally completed rays of sound - a lot of it is the same as the version in the previous post, but I got rid of the Rhodes sound and replaced it with organ (which, by the way, is meant to echo the sound of the Japanese sho, a mouth organ that is played with circular breathing and used in Gagaku, traditional Japanese court music).

rays of sound (podcast theme)

I should also add that the distorted bass line that doubles the synth is the humbucker through a Budda Phat Bass distortion and Electro-Harmonix Small Stone phaser.

(Message edited by hieronymous on October 09, 2008)

rami · « **Reply #10 on:** October 09, 2008, 01:55:37 PM »

Just awesome Harry!

hieronymous · « **Reply #11 on:** October 09, 2008, 02:09:08 PM »

Thanks rami! I'm pretty proud of how this one came out. I'm still working on editing it to fit in to the podcast a little better...

hieronymous · « **Reply #12 on:** December 16, 2008, 10:28:04 PM »

Been gradually cleaning up 8B4X4, and just got a mastering program called Ozone3, so here's my first attempt at mastering:

8B4X4

I talk about it earlier in this thread, but basically it's me on bass & synth, Greg DeGuglielmo on drums, and Damon Burke on guitars - he also owns the studio we were recording at. Let me know what you think about the overall mix, EQ, etc.

tbrannon · « **Reply #13 on:** December 17, 2008, 09:36:53 AM »

I love it- my 4 year old daughter is doing some serious booty shaking too!

keavin · « **Reply #14 on:** December 17, 2008, 04:51:18 PM »

my computer speaker outputs are hooked into my Bose home theatre surround-sound system along with my powered JBL sub-woofers & those jams are killing coming thru my system.........that bass tone is clean as Hell!