New guy check in, asking for advice about Fleetwood Mac tribute

[Dukeplaysbass]

Hey y’all!
I’m a semi-pro bass player in LA. Owned and played almost everything with 4 strings....except an Alembic.
As live music is starting to come back, I find my new (2 gigs in early 2020, 1 gig in March 2021) Fleetwood Mac tribute band booking a fair amount of work this Summer and beyond.
We all know that John McVie played all kinds of axes. I’ve been using P and J basses so far, but I feel this pull toward an Alembic (especially since our “Lindsey” just ordered a Turner).
I’m not able to afford a Series 1 or 2, but could swing a Spoiler or something similar.
Should I bother?
The realist in me says the sonic differences (to the audience) will be close to zero. Plus, we will be doing fly dates and I’m not sure I want to deal with transport in those situations. And, really, McVie is probably the least recognizable person in that band, much less what bass he was playing. And while the image in this band is pretty critical to its appeal (we are copping The Dance era, and do it pretty well), McVie was playing the Alembic maybe 20% of the show by then?
What say you?


For reference, here’s the promo reel:

[edwardofhuncote]

Yes! Literally my Dream Gig. I wish I had a Fleetwood Mac tribute band to use my Alembics on!

I'm juggling wildcats and chainsaws at work right this minute, but I'll share some broader thoughts this evening.

[edwardofhuncote]

Wow where to start! First, Welcome to the Alembic Club.

I've waited for this thread for a long time, hoping it'd be mine to start one day having been a close follower of McVie's for... forever I guess. Fair to say I might not be here if not for him and those Alembic basses. Some of the DNA from his '76 "Continuously Fretted" Custom Series I with its stainless steel fingerboard went into my own Custom fretless a few years ago.

Like you, he's played about everything with four strings (and a couple fivers too) but all four of his Alembics (that we know about) were Series basses. You specified the Rumours-era band as reunited for The Dance tour though, and by that time I don't believe John was playing the Alembics out anymore. I haven't watched it in a while now, but that MTV concert, the video at least is mostly his maple Tobias, a couple tunes with a Turner Renaissance fretless, and a Fender Precision bass. I think most of the audio that is post-production overdub, and anybody's guess what he actually played. (I could swear a couple tunes are fretless, that he's filmed playing the fretted Tobias) I don't have any trouble believing he played the Tobias though, it clearly was his main axe at the time.

What Alembic for that gig of yours? First - Yes, I think it matters. I think it will matter to you, and anyone who knows what those songs sound like. You already know this part; John McVie turned being invisible into a persona... he doesn't like to be noticed. But those mega-hits don't sound right at all without his bass lines. Can you get there with less than a Series bass, I think so. I have spent hours upon hours learning every track on the records that culminated into that reunion show. If I were looking for an Alembic bass to approximate the Tobias bass sound from that era of Fleetwood Mac, I'd be looking for a Europa at the upper side, or even an older Distillate. A Spoiler could get you there too. Be advised, most Spoiler/Persuaders and Distillates are medium-scale (32") if that's a deal-breaker for you. On the lower end, a maple Epic has the 2-band eq and a more familiar long-scale. Aesthetically close too.

You all sound great in the promo too. Best of luck with the tribute. Wish I could get something like that going here.

[keith_h]

McVie has said in interviews his favorite bass tone is a P Bass (to each their own). As you say the audience won't be able to tell the difference between the sound of the Series and say a Spoiler. I do think though that being a in a tribute act looks while not as important as sound need to be taken into consideration. If you could find a non-Series bass in a body style similar to those John had then I'd say it might be worthwhile for the tunes where he historically used and Alembic. Given the era Gregg listed the basses he was using at the time. Even today he is using Fender style basses with a P Bass pickup in its normal position and a Jazz bass pickup at the bridge.
So while I think anyone should own an Alembic I'm not sure it would be the best decision for your current situation.

[xlrogue6]

You'll love an Alembic if you get one, which is a wonderful thing, but 99.99% of your audience members won't notice the difference between an Alembic and a Squier sonically.

[gtrguy]

Stingray should work fine.

[DaveD]

It's true. The vast majority will not notice or care. At the risk of sounding snobbish, I've never considered the vast majority to be my target audience. I play what I like and if someone notices or cares - splendid! If playing an Alembic will help you channel your McVie mojo, I say go for it. Reward yourself with a premium instrument and live your best life!

Aesthetically, I feel a Distillate or Spoiler looks more the part than any of the other non-Series/Signature instruments and the simplicity of the electronics make a fantastic entry point into the shire of Alembicdom.

Good luck w/ the band!

[edwardofhuncote]

This is what [timeframe] Duke is referencing, and the bass John was playing for probably 90% of that show. I'm only assuming that's the bass we're hearing in playback. I'm pretty sure it's a early/mid-90's Nashville-era Tobias Basic 4... whether pre-Gibson or not, it is definitely a maple w/purpleheart neck laminates, a tried and true recipe'. He still has it, still plays it, (as of the 2015 tour) so it must work for him. 

I chose "Go Your Own Way" from The Dance, because that bass part is so specific, and so crucial to the presentation of the song, and because it's what Duke's band used for their promo. You can hear it well here. Would I rather it had been played on an Alembic? Absolutely. Am I a fair unbiased audience? Nope. I'd ten times rather Mac strolled out there with #73-27 tipped his cap and melted the speakers. Not that the Tobias sounded bad, or that he played it any less that ever. But then, this member of the audience knows what that flippin' record sounds like.

Me personally, there is no question in my mind - playing an Alembic brought out the best in my abilities. I think that improvement, that stepping up the game eventually makes it to my audiences ears, whether they realize it or not. I don't know how someone playing at my level ever quantifies that. I drive home at night, drag my tired bones in and think; Well, I didn't quite make gas money, but By Granny that bass sounded pretty good.   

[mario_farufyno]

This Turner Guitar is something daunting, isn't it? And, man... Lindsay is a killer.

[BeenDown139]

Me personally, there is no question in my mind - playing an Alembic brought out the best in my abilities.

amen to that.  if having an instrument like that laying around isn't motivation to push yourself musically and  bring your "A" game to every practice, rehearsal and gig, then i don't know what is.

....says the guy who was up at 0430 this morning working out his fretless while his hands were fresh before slogging off to another day in the salt mines....

[rv_bass]

The bass players will notice, and well, it is all about the bass isn’t it?   

[David Houck]

Those who might not notice the difference consciously might notice subconsciously.

The quality of sound contributes to one's overall experience of an environment.  The experience of a meal at two different restaurants, alike in all respects except that one establishment plays music through a high end sound system and the other uses crappy poorly sited speakers, will be different.  A diner might not realize that the quality of the sound system contributes to their enjoyment of a meal, but to some degree it does.

The difference in the overall sound of a band when the bass player upgrades to an Alembic might not be consciously noticed by some in the audience, but could well be appreciated subconsciously.

Similarly, the same thing applies to one's visual experience of an environment; the visual quality of furnishings and artwork at the restaurant, the visual quality of instruments and equipment used by the band.

These generalizations may have little to do with Duke's specific situation, and there may be exceptions and examples where they may not apply, but I figured they might add something to the overall discussion in the thread.

[Dukeplaysbass]

Thanks everybody for your input!
I would love to play the whole show on a StingRay or a Jazz, but I know I need to be a bit more detail-oriented for this. I’ve played in plenty of tribute bands over the years, and without getting into a debate over the whole topic (and I know it’s a whole topic that we could debate forever), the bands that can demand the most cash are the ones that look and sound the part the best - not just for the lead singer and guitarist or whatever band members are the most recognizable, but for each and every member. The attention to detail is - visually as well as sonically - is important.
We have a decent product, and ideally I’d like to serve my part in it. So, I’ll search for something that will work - probably an Alembic (or maybe a Tobias)....
I think there’s something to the idea that there’s a subconscious effect, particularly for live music since there is a visual aspect. It will be interesting as we start doing more shows to see what the bass player fans say to me after shows (so far, all anyone cares about is our “Stevie” and “Christine”, but who can blame them as they both have amazing voices....)

[edwardofhuncote]

Best wishes for your project Duke, and shoot me a message if your show comes within a drive of Virginia. I might even bring you an Alembic to try, but fair warning; it'll brand ya' for life. 

[mario_farufyno]

Oh, that reminds me when I went to a Beatles tribute band's rehearsal carrying my Rogue and saw the guys with their Gretsch, Vox and Ricks... only time I felt silly with my Alembic, ha ha ha. Didn't get the gig, naturally.