Author Topic: Advice Request: Rob Allen Bass (Read 392 times)

4u2nv · « **on:** May 21, 2005, 12:12:15 PM »

Hi all my Alembic fellows, i want to buy an electric bass trying to get or imitate the upright sound, kind of Marc Johnson, Brian Broomberg, NHOP; so i was wondering if the Rob Allen bass would be a good option to consider.

Thanks

lbpesq · « **Reply #1 on:** May 21, 2005, 12:18:03 PM »

Joe:

You might try this. Only $15,000.

http://alembic.com/prod/classico.html

Bill, tgo

palembic · « **Reply #2 on:** May 21, 2005, 12:42:04 PM »

Brother Joe, I am a Rob Allen player. I am the proud owner of a MB2 5 string (Ash body, walnut neck, Cocobolo fingerboard, Clarowood top, fretless, five string). I am not a virtuoso (by faaaaaaaaaaaaaaar not) but man ...I LOVE this bass. One of my former teachers -who is a former BIT student- tried her out and was completely smitten. A Rob Allen really gets close to an upright but ...is no upright. It is no electric fretless either: it has less "mwaah" but ...well ...a class on her own. I am a fan. Paul the bad one

4u2nv · « **Reply #3 on:** May 21, 2005, 02:08:57 PM »

Thank Paul, so...what kind of sound does it have, does it have a decent sustain ?, any problems?, is it bad for certain situations ?, i would apreciate all the info that you could give me.

And Bill, as i said, i love the Acoustic Bass, but is a little big for my aparment, car, you know... lol, and i dont have that kind of money.

Thanks

hb3 · « **Reply #4 on:** May 21, 2005, 07:05:18 PM »

I have a Rob Allen fretless and know Rob Allen a little bit. It's an amazing, amazing, amazing bass.

Weighs about 2 pounds, and yet the fattest tone you've ever heard.

4u2nv · « **Reply #5 on:** May 21, 2005, 08:13:12 PM »

Soundsamples

?

bassman10096 · « **Reply #6 on:** May 21, 2005, 09:22:31 PM »

Check the Rob Allen Guitars site. Plenty of info there. Here's a sound sample: http://www.roballenguitars.com/sound_mb2.html. I've been curious about RA's since Paul got his, so I checked it out. I'm pretty impressed.
Bill

palembic · « **Reply #7 on:** May 22, 2005, 12:08:58 AM »

What can I say?
She is LOUD!
She goes DEEP!
You need a decent (pre)amp and tone control to master her. The F1-X / SF-2 combination I use with the Dynacord and Glockenklangs is HUGE!
As sound she goes closer to the upright than whatever bass not being an upright.
I bought her 3th hand or something from a fellow-clubmember from Canada.
She came (standard) with a high action though the Labella strings are very soft. You have to use to the nylon feel.
I wanted a lower action but ...there is no way to do that. I contacted Rob (great guy) and he suggested to place a businesscard under the heel of the neck. I did that and ...great (sorry brother Joey for completely ignoring your wise set-up rules.
Sound sample on the website (he changed the site and it is a pretty amazing one now. Watch the Deep 5).
The basses are NOT cheap!!!
Great choices of wood.
I really wood like the ultimate combination: a Rob Allen Deep Five with 1 Alembic PU and electronics on board mixable with the piezo technology.

Paul TBO

4u2nv · « **Reply #8 on:** May 22, 2005, 01:46:38 AM »

Does anybody here compared the mb-2 with the deep option ?

What about Citron basses, are they similar?

Thanks to all.

palembic · « **Reply #9 on:** May 22, 2005, 04:14:45 AM »

The deep is a rather new -and very expensive- model. They are made on request I think.
Veillette Citron you mean?

PTBO

PS: forgotten, though the MB-2 you see here is a VERY COMPACT model -it IS soooo tiny on me- it sure has a 35 scale!!!

(Message edited by palembic on May 22, 2005)

4u2nv · « **Reply #10 on:** May 22, 2005, 06:07:49 AM »

Yes i saw the price of the Deep and it's almost double the price.

About Citron basses, is Harvey Citron, here's the link to one of his basses http://www.citron-guitars.com/html/ae4.html

I think Steve Swallow is using one of those.

Did you record already something with the Rob Allen, i would love to hear it more, i went to the web site, but the sample is so short, it sound really good, but i want to hear a little more in a band context.

palembic · « **Reply #11 on:** May 22, 2005, 09:27:49 AM »

I dunno.
There is NO agression in the tone. No edge. I bought it to have something on the COMPLETE other side of the Alembic SII tone spectrum.
So forget the slapping. I played it with my good old trustworth SWR- SM 400 and to be honest: it didn't work very well. The bass sound was ...how can I say this ...eu ...too wide for what the SWR could handle (beware ...the thing is GREAT with my 4 string basses).

I am not the recording dude, that is WAY out of my league. I should say that the sound sample on the website is pretty close only ...this is WAY more wider.

I played the instrument 1 full gig with our blues band BLUE STUFF and everybody liked it. But NO funky stuff.

For size: see next picture. I look stupid but please only look at the bass.

Paul the bad one

4u2nv · « **Reply #12 on:** May 22, 2005, 01:25:00 PM »

Brother Paul, you look a little to NHOP.
Where's your band playing?, do you have a web page?

Great Pic by the way.

Thanks

rover · « **Reply #13 on:** May 22, 2005, 07:58:00 PM »

4u2nv -
I'm lucky enough to have custom basses from both Rob Allen and Harvey Citron. Other than the fact that they both put Piezo to the test, the instruments are very different. If you are truly looking for the warmth of an acoustic, then go with Rob Allen. Citron are good basses, but they are almost an electronic and tonal midpoint between Rob Allen and Alembic in my opinion. And whichever you choose, consider adding an SF-2.

Good luck,

Rob

hb3 · « **Reply #14 on:** May 22, 2005, 07:58:18 PM »

I played a Deep 5...it was great, but an MB2 will still serve you very well. Still, I might have to get the deluxe version one day.

It's true -- no slap, forget about it. But super thump. People who don't know much about bass are most impressed -- you feel the tone in your chest, round and wide, without the slightest hint of hi fi.