Author Topic: Anniverary 89AM001 HELP (Read 534 times)

kungfusheriff · « **Reply #15 on:** December 16, 2004, 10:36:34 PM »

Rob,
Good choice...while I've never seen Jimmy's work in person I have perused his page (whew, too much alliteration) and found it impressive, and many exchanges of e-mail over this and that left me with the impression he's a cool cat.
But my spaghetti is better (grin).
Good luck, and please tell us how it goes. We're curious in dese 'ere parts, as you've come to learn.
Tom, I'm still mulling your suggestion of a temporary bass trade this summer--IF I find a shipping service we can trust, IF I get this job I'm angling for, IF I can use those drastically fattened paychecks to buy that '76 S1 some of us were discussing in Swap Shop so I can have a bass I'm used to for gigs...you know how it goes.

gbarchus · « **Reply #16 on:** December 17, 2004, 12:15:38 AM »

Rob,

I was tempted to chime in earlier, but it seems you got a lot of good advice and offers of help. Have you tried putting a strap on the bass with the Dunlop straplocks? If they are not fastened in the bass, they should pull out. If they are tight, maybe there's nothing you need to do. I have 89AM031 and it took awhile to get use to the pick-up selector switch. I usually just leave it on both PUs or off. I have played it using the stereo cord through my F2B, power amp and two cabinets but usually use a tube head and one cabinet.

Gale

echo008 · « **Reply #17 on:** December 17, 2004, 06:26:49 AM »

Rob, Again best of luck

kungfusheriff, Bass Trade? ... are you sure you have the right Tom?

- Tom

rover · « **Reply #18 on:** December 17, 2004, 08:03:00 AM »

Unfortunately, the strap locks are kaput, Gale, but I appreciate the input and plan to leave the Selector Switch alone, at least for now.

Thanks all. I'll post again when the solution is found.

Rob

poor_nigel · « **Reply #19 on:** December 17, 2004, 10:55:52 AM »

Yo Tom, Shawn means me. Nothing is written in stone. But come summer, if all the stars are lined up just right, I am sure I am up to a trade basses for a while. That is such a great little bass you have. That S-I I picked up changed my mind about short-scale basses not having a true, proper bottom end to em. And to play around on a graphite neck is very, very appealing to me. When summer comes around . . .

By the way, I cleared my profile out because I was supposed to be working the huge hours now, but we cancelled the first release of our program, due to its being too weak (This was asked in a different thread). Joy!

echo008 · « **Reply #20 on:** December 17, 2004, 11:03:02 AM »

poor nigel: Thanks for clarifying ...

- the other tom

palembic · « **Reply #21 on:** December 17, 2004, 11:09:39 AM »

Tom-tom-tom ...if those toms keep on coming we'll have a drumsolo!!!!!!!!

PTBO

kungfusheriff · « **Reply #22 on:** December 18, 2004, 12:03:28 AM »

And if those Pauls keep coming out of the woodwork we'll have to think about a charter change! Name tags for everybody, and one Paul fits all!
Uniquely named, and thanks for once, Dad,
ShawnFuSheriff

richbass939 · « **Reply #23 on:** December 18, 2004, 05:41:36 AM »

Nigel,
You mentioned above that short scale basses don't have a good bottom end. I'm not sure exactly what you mean, but my experience with short scales is that they tended to be boomy. Since the shorter string isn't as tight as a longer string to be at the same pitch a brightness is harder to achieve. The boominess was definitely there and pretty hard to get rid of. All I tried to compensate for it is to play a heavier string.
There's another thread about strings that I'm interested in. I haven't had enough time as an Alembic player to experiment with different strings. Now I'm really curious.
Rich

poor_nigel · « **Reply #24 on:** December 20, 2004, 12:27:15 PM »

Sorry Rich, work has been busy the last few daze! Most short scales I have played are lacking in a nice solid E, as you mentioned, a boomy, undefined sound. I have always used heavy gage strings, regardless of scale, so I am out of that loop on different gages. The short-scale S1 I picked up a while ago has a very defined E, and if anything is too bright. It has standard issue Alembic short-scales on it and sounds great - when I take some of the edge off it. Mark King would love the sound this little bass makes. I got it, as I kept hearing such good things said about the short and medium scale Alembics, and they were right! Happy hunting on your string quest.

richbass939 · « **Reply #25 on:** December 20, 2004, 05:06:28 PM »

Thanks, Nigel. One thing I've learned since I've owned an Alembic is that you can't judge basses by what you've experienced with other brands. I always liked the feel of a short scale but I haven't owned one since I sold my Rick 3000 in 1978.
It was very interesting to hear that Stanley plays a short scale. Of course he isn't going to give up any sound quality for a shorter scale. He's been playing Alembic for 30+ years, so there's my answer.
A recent post said that, despite the fact that he is so big and has big hands, Stanley plays a short scale for economy of motion. I'm sure it's true but have you ever heard him play his upright? They're usually somewhere in the 40 scale range and he is just as fast and clean as on his electric.
Rich

adriaan · « **Reply #26 on:** December 21, 2004, 01:26:08 AM »

Rich,
By the sound of SC's upright - if memory serves me right after about 15 years - I guess he's using skinny strings. Not a sound I like, to be honest. But the strings might explain part of his speed on a 40 scale.

richbass939 · « **Reply #27 on:** December 22, 2004, 04:54:00 PM »

Adriaan,
I don't know how SC has his upright set up. I checked mine and the E looks like it is exactly the same 45 as my Epic. I measured the scale and it's 42 1/2. The first fret position is over 2 3/4 from the nut. I guess he prefers the short scale on electric but just deals with the looong scale on acoustic. He deals with it pretty well.
Rich

adriaan · « **Reply #28 on:** December 23, 2004, 05:04:10 AM »

Rich,
When you say about your upright, the E looks like it is exactly the same 45 as my Epic, I suppose you mean the same 105?
His live sound 15 years ago didn't sound very upright-like to my ears (no oomph whatsoever). It was all zoom-zoom-zoom, not much tone, so he may have had a lot of compression on his signal - which would also have helped out as he was concentrating on speed.
They were showing a recording of a recent live concert on Dutch TV, and according to the screen caption he was playing Goodbye Porkpie Hat - well, I'm pretty sure that was not the piece hiding beneath the endless avalanche of riffs running off his Alembic, but who knows ... perhaps it was.

In case you hadn't noticed, I'm not a fan.

richbass939 · « **Reply #29 on:** December 25, 2004, 09:45:47 AM »

Adriaan,
What was I thinking? Thanks, I did mean 105.
My comment about SC was just noting that, as I recall, he can play as quickly on upright as on electric. The 40+ scale doesn't seem to slow him down. I found it surprising that he went short on electric.
Rich