Author Topic: Skylark users (Read 260 times)

smiley · « **on:** November 22, 2004, 06:43:04 AM »

I am looking for the sweet tones that Garcia got in the mid 70's. Can the skylark electronics get this and what kind of small amp would you use.

hollis · « **Reply #1 on:** November 22, 2004, 12:19:36 PM »

Joseph,

That's a very complex question. If you mean does the Skylark give you incredibly clear, clean sustain, rich highs, deep lows and pretty much everything in between, then the answer is yes. As far as sounding like Garcia? That involves so many variables. I would have loved to hear Jerry playing a Skylark, I?m sure the tones he would have pulled from it would have been as sweet as the tones he pulled from all of his instruments.

Does my Skylark sound like Garcia is playing it? No it doesn't. Not because it couldn't, but because it sounds like I'm playing it.

I have a good friend who's a virtuoso jazz guitarist, when he played my Skylark he said Oh man, this is a whole different animal!? He pulled tones from it that I hadn't heard before.

Did he sound like Garcia? No he didn't. Did it bring fuller and richer sounds than he had previously experienced? Definitely. Will he be buying an Alembic guitar? Yes he will, as soon as he is able.

I guess what I trying to get at is the Skylark is capable of producing a huge variance of tones. It is accurate to the extreme. It?s helped me produce the sound I?ve been looking for all my life.

I play through a Mesa Boogie DC-5 w/ a 2X12 Mesa cab or an old Fender Twin, or both. I've recently added an SF-2 to the mix and it's opened up a whole other spectrum of sounds. I think any good all tube combo amp will do the trick. IMO, 50 watts of tube power is about as low as I'd go, but I know plenty of guitarists who run 30 watts of class A power and sound great.

Hope this helps a little....

hollis · « **Reply #2 on:** November 22, 2004, 05:31:42 PM »

Hey Joseph,

Sorry, I didn't put your name together with your Dr J order that you spoke of earlier.

Jonathan was having a little trouble getting a real ballsy tone out of Little Bear. I think he's been steered (and we all know how painful that can be) in the right direction to take care of that issue, however, you might want to drop him a line to see. At first, I had difficulty dialing in the sounds I wanted, but once I started approaching the Skylark as a clean slate, I've found every sound I've looked for. What I mean to say is, Alembic's electronics take some getting used to. Subtle adjustments can change the entire sound. It's an adventure in itself. And one well worth the effort.

When I first got mine, I approached it like every other electric guitar I've ever owned....WRONG!...
It's a whole new way of dialing in.

jalevinemd · « **Reply #3 on:** November 22, 2004, 08:13:42 PM »

Joseph,

Hope all is going well with your guitar's gestation. Hollis is quite right on with the way of approaching your Skylark electronics and my experience was quite similar to his. For the most part, I have always been a dual humbucking player and have played all of those guitars the same - neck pickup on, tone and volume all the way up. And I got the sound I liked. When I treated Little Bear the same way, the results were not quite what I had hoped and I, admittedly, got discouraged. I have been doing fine adjustments with the Alembic's controls that I'd never done before and am thrilled with the results. I have found that I can get pretty much any tone I want (with the right combination of pedals), though I am still finding my way around. It takes the kind of patience that I never needed before, but the results are worth the effort.

Brother Hollis...Little Bear is definitely growling much louder these days. Not quite up to Big Bear's level, but close enough - especially considering the obvious weight difference and those Dimarzio Super II's. Just curious...I play mostly 70's AOR stuff with a smattering of more modern rock as well, and am very satisfied with the sound Little Bear is giving. I just can't stop thinking about the trim pots, though. How would you have them set for that genre of music? I still haven't 'gone under the hood,' but I'm curious to see what result those adjustments might have.

Regards,

Jonathan

smiley · « **Reply #4 on:** November 22, 2004, 09:14:10 PM »

Thanks for the input, I am counting the days till I get home to plug her in. I should be getting my own factory listing shortly to see the birth of my baby. I hope you and yours have a great Thanksgiving.

hollis · « **Reply #5 on:** November 23, 2004, 12:47:20 PM »

Joseph,

It sounds like some very good times are headed your way.

Hi Jonathan,

Glad to hear that you?re getting the sounds you want (expected, rightfully so) out of the Little Bear. I can almost guarantee (99.9% sure, okay?) that the itty bitty bear will blow the doors off its bigger brother (please, no offense intended toward the grizzster, it?s awesome indeed) if you would simply unscrew those five little phillips screws on the back plate and (using a small regular screwdriver) turn the trim pots attached to the pots clockwise. I?m sure (99.999% sure, okay?) this is the reason you?re not getting the punch you?re after. Give it a shot. You won?t be sorry (99.999999% sure, okay?) They turn easily, so if it feels like it?s not turning, DON'T FORCE IT. Just take your time. And before you turn anything, make a note of where they were to start. When you do this, I am certain (99.999999999999% sure, okay?) you?ll be smiling at yourself for having the trepidations that you?ve been experiencing over this. It?s really not any different than changing the battery, all right; it?s a little different. It?s three more screws, and some easy turns on the trim pots. It?ll all be over before you know it??. Just a little pressure?.. Sorry, a tiny try at a little medical humor?? Good luck!

Enjoy

David Houck · « **Reply #6 on:** November 23, 2004, 01:18:25 PM »

Hollis; I'm curious, just how sure are you on this?

hollis · « **Reply #7 on:** November 23, 2004, 01:25:01 PM »

Way above 50%!

jalevinemd · « **Reply #8 on:** November 23, 2004, 08:22:45 PM »

I don't know that I'd consent to major surgery if my doctor said his confidence level was way above 50%! But it's enough to get me to turn some trim pots. I'll give it a try this weekend.

Jonathan

hollis · « **Reply #9 on:** November 24, 2004, 11:02:01 AM »

Way Way above 50%?

Cool, I think you'll like the result.

jalevinemd · « **Reply #10 on:** November 27, 2004, 07:38:06 AM »

This may sound like a ridiulous question, but should the guitar be plugged in when adjusting the trim pots?

Jonathan

lbpesq · « **Reply #11 on:** November 27, 2004, 09:25:33 AM »

Jonathan:

I don't see any reason why you couldn't adjust the trim pots with the guitar plugged in, but it is certainly not a requirement. It would seem to me, though, that you might want to play the puppy a bit after each small adjustment to get a feel for the difference. Just twanging the strings while it sits on your lap probably won't tell you enough about the tonal difference from each adjustment. My advice is to turn the trim pots A LITTLE BIT, then pick up your guitar and play, just like yesterday, (a nod to the many JE fans out there), and see how you like it. Want a little more gain? - adjust and play again. You might want to take it to the point where there is too much gain and then back off a little. It's sort of like driving a new car for the first time. Take your time to get to know its boundaries and reactions. My guess is that no matter how you adjust the trims the first time, you'll be back in there tweaking in a few days anyway. But when you get it right for you, you'll know it and it will have been well worth it.

Bill, tgo